08/21/2026
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our Duke Regional Hospital team member, Kristin Tell, on Thursday, July 16, at her home at the age of 56. Kristin graduated PT school from Ithaca college and later joined Duke Regional Hospital as a PRN Physical Therapist (PT) with Duke Rehabilitation Institute (DRI) in 2002. She transitioned to full-time in 2003. Kristin had a passion for working with patients with neurological injuries, combining clinical expertise with innovative problem-solving to help achieve meaningful progress. She was also deeply committed to mentoring future physical therapists, serving as a clinical instructor for doctoral physical therapy students and assisting with the STEP program for many years. In recognition of her dedication to education and mentorship, she was honored as the Clinical Instructor of the Year by the Duke Doctorate of Physical Therapy program in 2023. She was also involved in the training of new nurses and nursing assistants, providing hands on transfer training to help new staff get comfortable mobilizing our rehab patients. She loved to bake Christmas cookies and other desserts which she loved to share with her coworkers. She was also helping care for her parents at their home after work which included giving her Dad almost daily PT sessions to keep his mobility up after he had had a second stroke and cardiac issues. A celebration of life honoring Kristin was held on Monday, July 27, and many current and former coworkers attended to celebrate her life. It included poem readings, a former patient testimony, coworker stories, and ending with everyone joining to sing one of her favorite songs, ”Living on a Prayer “ By Bon Jovi 😇
