Faculty Profile: Linda Michaud, MD
"I figured if I knew more, I could do more."
Linda Michaud, MD, enjoys outdoor sports, such as kayaking and cycling. She wants children with brachial plexus injuries to be physically active and enjoy the outdoors without limitations as well.
Dr. Michaud started her career in health care as a Certified Physical Therapist. After working five years with patients, mostly children, she wanted to do more.
"I figured if I knew more, I could do more," Dr. Michaud said. So she went back to medical school.
Today, Dr. Michaud is the Director of the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Co-Director of the Brachial Plexus Center. She works in clinical care focusing on neuro-rehabilitation, especially related to brachial plexus injuries. She also trains future pediatric rehabilitation specialists and conducts neuro-rehabilitation research focused on brachial plexus and brain injuries.
Striving to Be Leaders
Dr. Michaud feels fortunate to be part of a team that is committed to providing care that is:
- Evidence-based: The team monitors the quality of care and services by recording and studying what they do and how they do it.
- Family-centered: The team provides personalized care for each child and listens to patients and families. They ask each child and family what the child would like to be able to do that they cannot do now, such as "to throw a ball" or "to not have any pain in my arm." Then, the team helps the child and family reach their goals through a personalized treatment plan.
- Interdisciplinary: The team meets together with patients and families. They discuss treatment options as a group, each contributing medical expertise from their area of specialty.
Everyone Does Their Part
Unlike some of her colleagues on the Brachial Plexus Team, Dr. Michaud is not a surgeon. She provides non-operative interventions for children, including Botox injections and prescriptions for therapy and orthoses (splints).
Some children with brachial plexus injuries develop a muscle imbalance in the injured arm. Botox temporarily weakens the strong muscles, allowing a child to build strength in the weaker muscles through therapy.
Celebrating Outcomes with Patients
Each child is special to Dr. Michaud. She remembers how excited Shaunese was when she achieved her goal to fix her hair with both hands without pain.
When asked on a 1-10 scale (10 being highest) of how happy she was with her outcome, Shaunese only needed a half-second to think about it and gave the Brachial Plexus Team a "15". Read more about Shaunese' experience as a patient in the Brachial Plexus Center.
Read more information about Dr. Michaud.
