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Results: 156 news stories
Occupational therapy chair recognized for contributions to OT education
By Kate Hunger
Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, has received a 2021 Roster of Fellows Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Speech-language pathology professor elected to TSHA office
Angela Kennedy, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, assistant professor and director of clinical education for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was elected vice president for education and scientific affairs of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
SHP students inducted into Alpha Eta Society
Thirty-eight School of Health Professions students were inducted this spring into the campus chapter of the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society of the allied health professions.
School of Health Professions Dean David C. Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, congratulated the inductees for their accomplishment in the April 13 ceremony.
Occupational and physical therapy students help dental students in project geared toward reducing musculoskeletal injuries
Perching on stools and twisting into awkward positions for long stretches of time while treating patients can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for dentists. Those injuries are sometimes so problematic they lead dentists to retire from practice.
SHP students recognized for their leadership, clinical excellence, research and community service
Five School of Health Professions students have been selected to receive Student Life Awards from the UT Health San Antonio Student Government Association.
OT faculty member to receive Presidential Clinical Excellence Award
In 21 years of practice as an occupational therapist, Laura Novak, OTD, OTR, BCG, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, has become an expert in productive aging and in working with people with dementia and their caregivers.
COVID-19 panel discusses long-term patient recovery and need for rehabilitation
Patients recovering from COVID-19 often require rehabilitation involving a range of therapies, according to a panel discussion hosted by the School of Health Professions.
Presented on Feb. 23, the panel discussion was moderated by School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, FASAHP.
New occupational therapy professor wants to address outdoor play in pediatric population
When Mei-Ling Lin, Ph.D., OTR, was weighing her career options, her desire to help others drew her to occupational therapy.
“I like to work with people,” said Dr. Lin, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. “When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to pursue a profession where I could constantly interact with people and help them.”
New alumni council supports wide range of SHP efforts
The School of Health Professions Alumni Council held its inaugural meeting virtually in January.
The council represents the voice of health professions alumni and supports the mission and goals of the School of Health Professions while serving as an advisory council in conjunction with alumni initiatives at the school.
Health professions students assist COVID patient positioning teams in ICU
Research has shown that turning COVID-19 patients onto their stomachs for a number of hours can help improve lung function and decrease mortality — but the process requires a specially trained team and a significant amount of time.
Occupational therapy doctoral program gains full accreditation
The School of Health Professions’ occupational therapy doctoral program is the first accredited state-supported entry-level OTD program in Texas.
The program received news of its full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in December.
Students assemble clean birth kits and find other ways to serve
Three hundred mothers and their newborns in Nigeria will experience safer births using the clean birth kits physician assistant studies students created in December.
The Class of 2021 partnered with the nonprofit Global Health Charities to reduce infant and maternal mortality internationally. The effort was spearheaded by Evan Bridges and McKenzie Humphrey, global service coordinator and service coordinator for the Class of 2021, respectively.
Occupational therapy professor is appointed to two associate editorships
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Ana Allegretti, Ph.D., ATP, OTR, has been appointed as an associate editor for two assistive technology journals.
OT student receives scholarship honoring late OT professor
Stephanie Urigwe already had a master’s degree in public health when she decided to become an occupational therapist.
“I was yearning for a connection with patients and working with people in their daily lives and needs,” she said. “You really get to connect with people where they are in their illness or whatever they are going through. You help them form their goals and work with them to reach those goals. That's what I liked about OT.”
OT professor and colleagues publish paper on dementia-friendly communities
Occupational Therapy Clinical Assistant Professor Laura Novak, OTD, OTR, BCG, is the lead author of an article on dementia-friendly communities that was published in Current Geriatrics Reports in August.
Students attend virtual summer seminars hosted by Coventry University
Like many people who enjoy traveling and meeting new people, Caitlin Schwein found her opportunities to do so drastically hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. But a partnership between UT Health San Antonio and Coventry University in England enabled Schwein and other UT Health students to attend online summer seminars with other students from around the world.
Campus COTAD chapter launches to promote diversity and inclusion in occupational therapy
The newly formed, student-led UT Health San Antonio chapter of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) launched this spring.
Founded by the American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging Leaders Development Program in 2014, COTAD is a national organization that promotes inclusion and diversity within the profession.
Lauryn Martin, a second-year occupational therapy student, and chapter chair saw a need for the chapter when she arrived on campus and found a few minority student groups.
SHP Students selected for Alpha Eta Society
School of Health Professions students and faculty were inducted this spring into the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society for the allied health professions.
Because of COVID-19, the campus chapter has not held its traditional in-person ceremony. A virtual induction ceremony is being discussed as a possible alternative, said campus chapter president, Physical Therapy Associate Professor Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS.
OT and nursing faculty collaborate to help people with dementia and their caregivers
Two faculty members from the Department of Occupational Therapy are participating in an intervention program to help people with dementia and their caregivers.
SHP students created special moments through Tango Together project
School of Health Professions students created a program that brought the joy of dance to people with dementia and their caregivers.
The idea for the Tango Together project grew out of the interest of some Physical Therapy students to develop a service project for a Community Service Learning grant, said the project’s student leader Laura Gandy, a first-year Physical Therapy student.
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