OSTEOPATHIC RESTORATIVE, SUPPORTIVE AND PALLIATIVE PHYSIATRIST

Dr. Behling is originally from rural Michigan. After college she began a career in grassroots environmental efforts, then went on into environmental consultation and site ‘cleanup’. Although deeply committed to the environment, she grew more interested in how to empower the people suffering from the site-related contamination.

After several professional steppingstones and opportunities, her option to pursue environmental engineering was redirected into clinical care and research. Even before her formal medical school training, she had already assisted plastic, orthopedic, vascular and cardiothoracic surgeons with research, as well as in their peri- and intra-operative settings. To pay for medical school, she worked in specimen processing and as a medical examiner assistant. To satisfy her curiosity, she volunteered in community health clinics and took additional training in externships. No one has ever doubted her commitment to patient care.

Dr. Behling completed medical residency training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Physiatry or PM&R), supported by her Department Chair and Residency Director her start a private OMM practice during her second year of residency. She also served as Chief Resident before being awarded the opportunity to pursue a fellowship in Hospice Care and Palliative Medicine - a new option to residents in Physiatry.

As it turns out, it was a significant advantage to have PM&R training prior to this program - which was tasked to teach physicians how best to individualize care plans to reduce pain, restore functional ability, and improve quality of life in individuals with progressively worsening symptoms, impairments and disabilities. Because of this advantage, Dr. Behling developed the reputation to ‘meet patients where they are’, being able to work WITH her patients to optimize what he or she feels represents ‘quality of life’.

Over time, Dr. Behling has been able to collaborate with and learn from several other clinical and supportive medicine specialists. Dr. Behling continues to provide not just standard allopathic physical medicine and rehabilitation services, but other appropriate options for complementary, alternative and adjunctive treatment modalities. She also remains committed to safe processes and accountability for reasonable outcomes.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• Williams College
  Undergraduate Education
  Williamstown, MA
  1988 to 1992

• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
  Medical School
  Erie, PA
  2007 to 2011

• Peconic Bay Medical Center
  Traditional Osteopathic Rotating Internship
  Riverhead, NY
  2011 to 2012 

• Hofstra - Northwell Health
  Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency including Chief Resident
  Manhasset, NY
  2012 to 2015

• Hofstra - Northwell Health
  Internal Medicine Division Palliative Medicine Fellowship
  Manhasset, NY
  2015 to 2017