Each year, the CCEC recognizes exceptional clinical education through our Awards process.

Clinical Instructor of the Year

Each CCEC Member institution selects one Clinical Instructor to be recognized as its Outstanding Clinical Instructor of the Year. Each recipient is invited to attend the Annual Spring Conference at no cost and are recognized at the beginning of the conference with a certificate presentation.

Clinical Site of the Year

To recognize clinical sites of excellence, each member is able to nominate a clinical site for the Outstanding Clinical Site Award. All nominations are reviewed by the Awards Committee and one clinical site in North Carolina and one site in South Carolina are selected as the recipients of the award. Recipients receive a plaque and the SCCE is invited to attend the Annual Spring Conference.

ELC Scholarship
This year’s ELC Scholarship recipient had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City, Missouri, for an engaging conference featuring networking and innovative educational sessions.


North Carolina Clinical Instructor of the Year

  • Stefan Jones — Advocate Health
    Nominated by: High Point University  

  • Michelle Pittman, PTA — Wilson Medical Center (Wilson, NC)
    Nominated by: Nash Community College  

  • Irish Basilio, PT, DPT — FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital
    Nominated by: Methodist University  

  • Fran Erhart, PT, DPT — Haywood Regional Medical Center (Clyde, NC)
    Nominated by: Western Carolina University  

  • Anna Vermeulen, DPT — Mission Hospital (Asheville, NC)
    Nominated by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  

  • Allysa Baumgart, PTA — Lively Therapy Services, LLC (Kannapolis, NC)
    Nominated by: Central Piedmont Community College  

  • Ashley Jones, PT — ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital (Tarboro, NC)
    Nominated by: East Carolina University (ECU)  

South Carolina Clinical Instructor of the Year

  • Jessica Knutelsky, PT, DPT — Ivy Rehab (Indian Land, SC)
    Nominated by: Methodist University  

  • Patterson Graham, PTA, CCI — Columbia Rehab Clinics (Blythewood, SC)
    Nominated by: Midlands Technical College  

  • Katherine Louise Hefner, PT, DPT — Shriners Children’s Hospital of Greenville
    Nominated by: Anderson University  

  • Paige Crowley, PT, DPT — Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital (Summerville, SC)
    Nominated by: Charleston Southern University  

  • Maredith Rozelle, PT, DPT, PCS, CPST — Beaufort Memorial Hospital – HealthLink for Children (Bluffton, SC)
    Nominated by: Duke University 

Neisha Wetzel, PT, DPT,
Advanced Physical Therapy Solutions
Recipient of 2025 ELC Scholarship

2026 Clinical Instructor of the Year Recipients