Jenna Sturgeon, DPT

age: 33 | Physical Therapist | CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System

A physical therapist for eight years, Jenna Sturgeon works primarily in acute care which means she works in the hospital setting. She has spent her entire career with a focus on early mobility in the ICU. She works to mobilize patients who are not only in the ICU, but sometimes on a ventilator as well. “I do this because, in my opinion, it is the most difficult outsetting for a PT to work in. I want to be where the action is,” she says.  “I want to be the first to get to the patients and educate them on what we can accomplish. It’s very rewarding.”

Jenna was the first person in her family to attend college.  Earning a doctorate degree in physical therapy is a fete that makes her very proud. Jenna was also instrumental in developing and implementing an early mobility program. “Being able to develop something, watch it come to fruition, and then see it become successful was very rewarding for me,” she says.

Although Jenna and her husband, Frank, were not sure they even wanted kids, three years after they married, “God gave us our answer.”  Now, they have a son, Nash, and a daughter, Whitley.  “I am so grateful for them!”  she exclaims.  “I hope to raise them both to be hard workers and to have a servant’s heart.”

Visiting zoos, going to water parks, and hanging out with her children is how Jenna spends her free time.  “I used to barrel race for fun, but now that I have kids, I enjoy being with them on my days off and taking them to see new things,” she explains.  

In 10 years, Jenna hopes to still be working in the ICU here in Texarkana.  “I hope that by then, it’s a standard to walk patients who are on ventilators,” she says.  “In my personal life, my kids will then be in their pre-teens so I hope to enjoy watching them in their hobbies and chauffeuring them around.”

Best piece of advice:

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” – Benjamin Franklin

Name something about you that very few people know:

“I’m a bit of a pool shark. I used to enter pool tournaments at bars when I was in college to win food money for the week.”