2016 Recipients of the Raymond L. Blakely for Leadership and Commitment to the Physical Profession
Merthia Haynie & Krystal Lighty
Merthia Haynie is a 2005 graduate of the UMES Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Hampton University. And in 2012, she earned a Certificate of Advanced Practice in the Hand and Upper Quarter Rehabilitation from Drexel University.
Dr. Haynie is the Founder and Managing PT for Abilities Abound Physical Therapy and Wellness Center, which was founded in 2014 in Callao, Virginia. Her vision was to provide quality patient care in a community that was lacking professional healthcare services. Her clinic provides both physical therapy and wellness services to the community.
Dr. Haynie and her staff volunteer once a month with the local free health clinic to provide physical therapy services to uninsured members of the community who suffer from chronic pain that otherwise would not have access to physical therapy.
She is the founder and President of Abilities Abound C.A.R.E.S. which stands for Adolescents, Resources, Education, and Services. This is a nonprofit entity with a mission to provide Healthy Eating and Lifestyle awareness to adolescents located in the Northern Neck of Virginia.
Dr. Haynie’s commitment to community service has included service on multiple Boards including Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Neck, Northumberland YMCA, Lancaster/Northumberland Habitat for Humanity, and Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury Church.
In an article written about her in her local paper, she said “Service is my privilege and I believe that each of us should find a way to give back to others in our community.”
In 2014, she received the Business Trailblazer award from Macedonia MACorp. Macedonia Community Development Corporation (MACorp) is a nonprofit organization designed to enhance the quality of life for residents of the Northern Neck via programs, advocacy and services. She also received the President’s Award from the Northumberland NAACP in 2007.
Merthia is a dedicated and successful physical therapist, an owner and entrepreneur, a community leader, an inspiring, enthusiastic and passionate individual and a mother of a three year-old.
The UMES Department of Physical Therapy is extremely proud of her and her accomplishments!
Krystal Lighty, PT, MPT is a 1999 graduate of the UMES physical therapy program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida.
She has been Manager of Rehabilitation Services at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore since 2009 where she supervises 100+ employees and coordinates the provision of services for a 700+ bed inpatient adult unit. She joined University of Maryland Medical Center in 2001 and was staff PT, advanced PT and a senior PT before becoming Manager. Prior to working at University of Maryland Medical Center she worked as a PT at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida and for the Visiting Nurses Association of Maryland.
She has actively sought out leadership training through the Maryland Healthcare Education Institute and has spent over a decade in community outreach as a member of a faith based Health and Wellness organization in Columbia, MD.
In 2010, then-Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Ms. Lighty to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. In 2014, she was appointed for a second term by Governor Larry Hogan. While on the Board, Ms. Lighty has been active in several committees, including the continuing education and legislative committees. In recognition of Ms. Lighty’s leadership, the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners’ members elected her Board Chair in 2015. In 2016, she was unanimously re-elected as Board Chair. The Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners has been in existence since 1947 to regulate the practice of physical therapy in the State of Maryland. Duties of the Board include writing regulations, interpreting the scope of practice, educating licensees, and disciplining those who violate the law. The most important function is protecting the citizens of Maryland.
Ms. Lighty has been a regular guest speaker for the UMES Physical Therapy Program in the course, Professional Development and Practice Issues to discuss professionalism, career advancement, seeking your 1st job and interviewing techniques.
Her nominators stated:
“She is passionate about the practice of physical therapy, and credits her education at UMES for her successful career as a physical therapist.”
“Krystal Lighty is an alumna of UMES who practices as she was taught, with knowledge, skill and ethical responsibility. She imparts her skills, knowledge and leadership qualities to those whom she supervises.”
“Krystal Lighty is one of the blazing alumni stars from the UMES PT program. She is an example that we all can learn from and aspire to imitate.”
Krystal is a committed professional, a leader, an advocate for the profession, an inspiration, and a mother of two.
The UMES Department of Physical Therapy is extremely proud of Krystal and her accomplishments!
