SUSAN GISLER, PT, DPT, MHA
Leadership Trainer, Speaker & Coach
Bell Leader since 2021
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When Susan works with a group of leaders, her healthcare background and experience shine through. She has a genuine motivation to help others learn and grow. Through her time working as a physical therapist, clinical educator, healthcare leader, and now as a Bell Leadership trainer, Susan embraces the challenge of getting to the root cause of an issue, breaking it down into understandable components, and partnering with others to bring out effective solutions. She’s been known to bring levity and fun to any challenge helping to surface the best version of those around her.
As a clinician, Susan was appreciated for inspiring patients and students to work diligently to achieve their goals and for creating a supportive learning environment. As a people leader, Susan maintained her ability to connect quickly with others helping to find innovative solutions that were both sustainable and efficient with her front-line staff and managers. She has experience building and executing new programs that bridge departments and external organizations, engaging in difficult conversations with teams going through transition, sustaining calm in emergency situations, and coaching people through professional challenges. Clients that work with Susan will appreciate her distinctive approach and ability to facilitate engagement and understanding.
Susan can be found enjoying a meal with her husband and two kids around town, mountain biking with good friends, or hanging out on her back porch enjoying the view of the woods.
- MHA from University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Public Health, Executive MHA Program
- Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Andrews University
- B.S. Ed. in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Georgia
Fun Facts About Susan
I think I would choose woods. Well, I guess I have chosen woods for the past 15 years! I love living in this part of NC because there are lots of local forests, and I’m only a few hours each way to the ocean and to the mountains.
From my childhood, I cherish the Sunday dinners with a large group of family or friends, either at my parent’s house or with grandparents. For my own little family of 4 now, I love birthday camping (which is what it sounds like, going camping or adventuring for someone’s birthday), spending time at our favorite western NC lake, and pausing before dinner each evening to share our joys and concerns from the day and to take a deep breath to appreciate all that we have.
Currently it’s “Tell the truth to yourself, and the rest will fall in place” from The Avett Brothers.
In high school, I was a lifeguard at a neighborhood pool. I met a patron there who had a stroke in his 30s, and he came to the pool to swim laps every morning. That friendship led me to the field of physical therapy and a love of neuroscience, for which I am forever grateful.
“You can’t use your current knowledge to judge your past behavior.” I’ve found this to be really helpful when learning new, more impactful skills and behaviors!