OT professor serves on board of Project MEND

 

Associate Professor Ana Allegretti, PhD, OTR, ATP, was elected in May to serve on the board of directors of Project MEND, a nonprofit that provides refurbished medical equipment to people in San Antonio and Texas.

The organization’s mission is closely aligned with Allegretti’s expertise and research related to adaptive equipment. Allegretti presented two training sessions at Project MEND over the summer on the wheelchair service delivery process and wheelchair classification and characteristics.

Wheelchairs are not universally suited to all users and require adjustment to be fully functional and beneficial to the people using them. Factors that affect adjustment include body size and the functional level of the person using a wheelchair, she explained.

“I am so excited to work with Project MEND,” Allegretti said. “They provide many wheelchairs for people in need in our community. They really want to provide the best equipment they can. We already incorporated a small change: To every wheelchair donated, they are also donating a seat cushion.”

Allegretti said she is working to offer occupational therapy students in her Environmental Technology II course the opportunity assist with wheelchair fittings at Project MEND.