MMI’s Beyersdorf honored with Gold U

When Amy Beyersdorf received her master’s degree in physical therapy from UNMC, she began working at the Munroe-Meyer Institute.

Almost 25 years later, she still hasn’t left.

In July, Beyersdorf became the latest recipient of the Gold U Award, given by the chancellor’s office to employees who consistently deliver outstanding performance and service to UNMC.

Outstanding performance has been a byword during Beyersdorf’s MMI tenure, said Sandra Willett, PhD, director of the MMI Department of Physical Therapy.

“Amy is always thinking outside the box, and the MMI physical therapy department has been uniquely shaped as a result,” Dr. Willett said.

Beyersdorf has been a leader and innovator since arriving at MMI. Willett cited her collaborations with University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineering students to design and build one-of-a-kind products for the unique challenges of MMI patients, such as an adaptive customized scooter designed for a child without arms. This partnership continues as engineering students from both the Omaha and Lincoln campuses collaborate on MMI’s GoBabyGo adapted car programs for toddlers with movement challenges.

As the leader of MMI’s outpatient services, Beyersdorf and her team have worked during the pandemic to execute telehealth, navigate a changing landscape of reimbursement and compliance, and above all, offer quality care.

Her fluency in Spanish has strengthened her relationship with Spanish-speaking families receiving early intervention services at Omaha Public Schools and MMI and has made her a critical provider to community-based clinical partners such as OneWorld.

The multiple avenues of service are the main reason Beyersdorf has made her professional home at MMI.

“In my career, I’ve never just worked in one area, such as outpatient work,” she said. “With MMI, I was able to do some work in the hospital. I worked in schools. There are possibilities for research here and opportunities to collaborate with multiple disciplines throughout the institute.

“MMI is like a family,” Beyersdorf said. “And at MMI, we are never stuck in a rut – we’re progressive.”

But if MMI is a family, it is one that reaches out to include others, as Beyersdorf’s own activities show.

“These are trying times,” she said. “Continuing to support each other is important — but so is educating the community and bringing more people into our family as we can, including all diverse populations.
UNMC has led the way in care and research, particularly during this COVID era, and MMI has been right there with them.

“I’m proud of my university. I’m proud of my institute,” she said. “I’m proud of this family.”