Dr. Phillip Palmer, PT, DPT, OCS
Lead Clinical Mentor
With over a decade of clinical experience in advanced orthopedic practice, Phil has dedicated his career to the pursuit of clinical excellence & the growth of others. He is currently a Fellow-in-Training of the American Acadomy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapist (AAOMPT). He currently holds a board certification in orthopedics, a certification in spinal manipulative therapy, a certification in dry needling & is McKenzie-Trained.
In addition to pursuing clinical excellence for himself, Phil has spent the majority of his career leading others to professional growth. He has worn many hats in both business leadership & clinical development. He is currently an adjunct professor for South College DPT Program - Knoxville, as well as Regional Clinical Excellence Coordinator, Clinic Director & staff clinician for BenchMark Physical Therapy. In addition to all of this he enjoys leading regular faith-based medical missions to the Amazon Rainforrest in Brazil.
His vision for Verdant Mentorship is to provide a structured, supportive environment where Doctors of Physical Therapy can bridge the gap between their foundational doctorate education and the mastery required to thrive in whatever environment they choose.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena." -Theodore Roosevelt"
Dr. Morgan Kreger, PT, DPT, OCS
Clinical Mentor
Morgan Kreger grew up in the small lake town of Guntersville, AL, and graduated from Auburn University in 2017. She earned her physical therapy degree from UAB in 2020 and has been working with Upstream in Birmingham for nearly six years, treating both orthopedic and neurological populations. Throughout her career, she has served as a partner, clinic director, senior therapist, and regional excellence coordinator.
Driven by a passion for continuous learning, Morgan has earned several specialized certifications, including Certified Dry Needling Therapist, Vestibular Rehabilitation Certification, and LSVT BIG certification to treat Parkinson's Disease. In 2022, she completed the URI Orthopedic Residency, which paved the way for her to achieve her Board Certification in Orthopedics (OCS) in 2023. She is also on track to complete her Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship through Belmont University in December 2026.
In addition to her clinical work, Morgan has had the honor of serving as an adjunct professor at Samford University’s physical therapy school, assisting with their orthopedic coursework. She thoroughly enjoys mentoring current orthopedic PT residents through URI and serving as a Clinical Instructor (CI) to students completing their physical therapy school clinical rotations.
Outside of the clinic, Morgan loves to run and embrace outdoor activities like hiking and skiing. She and her husband have a two-year-old son and are looking forward to welcoming a daughter soon. She is excited to leverage her diverse expertise to serve her clients in the best way possible.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky .... also Micheal Scott