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Annual Allied Health Games included official Fiesta event
By Kate Hunger
This year’s annual Allied Health Games activities lineup included something different: an official Fiesta event.
The opportunity to participate in the Chromosome 18 Starfish Dash 5K during the games on April 27 made the annual competition among teams of School of Health Professions students particularly exciting because it also helped raise awareness of chromosome 18 abnormalities, said organizer and second-year MOT student Tori Villarreal.
PT students hold health fair at senior center
Melinda Fountain was one of 35 third-year physical therapy students who ran a health fair for seniors last month. Her team ran the nutrition booth for the event that drew about 75 attendees.
“We educated the participants on proper nutrition—specifically protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables—and we questioned them about what they typically eat,” she said.
Fountain’s team took their job pretty seriously.
“We dressed up as fruits and vegetables,” she said. “I was a carrot.”
Students recognized for leadership, research and more
When Carolyn Perez first began the Speech-Language Pathology master’s program, she had not yet felt the pull of research. But after observing the research passion of her mentor, Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, and working on a research project involving traumatic brain injury, Perez was hooked.
“Research is where it’s at,” she said of the potential of research to make a difference.
Students celebrate OT Month and attend AOTA conference
Occupational therapy students tried something new this year to mark Occupational Therapy Month: a social media takeover to help educate others about their future profession during the month of April.
The takeover of the School’s Instagram and the Facebook page of the School’s Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) was designed to share information and raise awareness about occupational therapy, said students Victoria Alejandro and Allanah Gallagher, who are president and vice president of the School’s SOTA chapter, respectively.
Students travel to Mexico to learn about occupational therapy
Kate Hunger
Seven occupational therapy students traveled in March to Mérida in Yucatán, Mexico, to expand their understanding of the practice of the profession.
The trip was hosted by the founders of the only bachelor’s and master’s degree occupational therapy program in Yucatan, the Instituto Interamericano de la Salud (INTSA), said Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR., Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy.
Students visit India over spring break
When a group of UT Health San Antonio students traveled to India in March, they engaged in academic and clinical experiences during their time at the Manipal College of Health Professions—but the learning didn’t stop there.
New SHP faculty members complete teaching excellence course
Megan Lynn Llamas, MA, BSRC, RRT, Respiratory Care assistant professor, has already put into practice strategies she learned during the recently offered Teaching Excellence Short Course for new faculty.
After taking the course, she asked students how they optimally learn and adjusted her teaching approach based on their responses.
OT student selected as a Presidential Ambassador Scholar
First-year occupational therapy doctoral student Janna Roberts is the 2019 Presidential Ambassador Scholar for the School of Health Professions.
Roberts is one of five Presidential Ambassador Scholars to receive the award, which recognizes a future leader in each of UT Health San Antonio’s schools. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, students also may be called on to represent their schools during visits by distinguished guests or at presidential events. The Scholars received their awards at a ceremony on April 1.
Attention Prospective PA Students: Open House Set for April 12
Prospective students interested in learning more about the Physician Assistant Studies master’s program at UT Health San Antonio are invited to register for a free and informative PA Open House scheduled for April 12.
OT professor receives Presidential Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching
By the time Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor Ricky Joseph, Ph.D., M.A.-H.R.M., OTR, Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor joined the School of Health Professions faculty in 2013, he had retired from the U.S. Army—twice.
Respiratory Care students participate in asthma module for medical students
A group of second-year respiratory care students recently participated in a respiratory health module on asthma for Long School of Medicine students.
Held Feb. 22, the session emphasized the need for and importance of protocols, said Kristina Ramirez, MPH, RRT, CHES, Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education. The program also offered respiratory care students the opportunity to observe how medical students were taught about an asthma case.
Respiratory care and nursing students participate in simulation program
First-year respiratory care student, Raven Hargrove recently got a sense of what it will be like to work on a team caring for pediatric patients with tracheostomies.
OT faculty member elected to chair AESIS
Bridgette Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, Occupational Therapy Associate Professor and Department Chair was elected this winter as chair of the Academic Education Special Interest Section (AESIS) for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
Department of Occupational Therapy co-sponsors summit on neonatal evaluation and outcomes
The fifth annual Neonatal Evaluation and Outcomes Network (NEON) Summit was held Feb. 8 at the new Department of Occupational Therapy facility.
Speech-language pathology professor co-authors article on the impact of physical activity on college students’ health-related quality of life
A survey of undergraduate students revealed an association between higher levels of physical activity and positive mental health, according to an article in the American Journal of Health Promotion co-authored by Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor.
“It’s one of the first studies to look at undergraduate athletes and general students and compare them on health-related quality of life,” Norman said. “I think it’s good evidence for having physical activity in your daily life as a college student.”
Caregiver skills workshops offer practical skills for taking care of loved ones with dementia
A series of multidisciplinary workshops at UT Health San Antonio trains caregivers of people with dementia on a range of skills, including how to communicate with their loved ones.
PA Studies faculty member honored as Bexar County PA of the Year
Seeing graduates of the Physician Assistant Studies program at UT Health San Antonio thrive in the profession is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for Leticia Bland, MPAS, PA-C, Assistant Professor.
“PAs are going to be ones taking care of our families,” she said. “So it’s important to make sure our PAs are prepared and competent.”
PT student co-authors article evaluation novel socket for military services members with transfemoral amputation
Physical Therapy doctoral student Starr Brown co-authored an article on the use of a novel socket device in military service members with transfemoral amputation. The article recently was published in the U.S. Army Medical Department Journal.
The article described the results of a study by researchers at Northwestern University, who developed the subischial socket, and the Center for the Intrepid, where Brown worked as a research associate for several years before enrolling in the physical therapy doctoral program at UT Health San Antonio.
Department of Emergency Health Sciences trains Army, National Guard and Army Reserve flight paramedics
Several years ago, an Army colonel and physician approached the Department of Emergency Health Sciences about conducting a pilot program to train Army flight medics as paramedics, whose more rigorous training research had shown meant better outcomes for injured soldiers.
Conducted in 2012, the pilot program was a success and resulted in a five-year, $8.3 million contract to provide paramedic and critical care transport training to all flight medics in the Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve, said Associate Professor and Emergency Health Sciences chair, Lance Villers.
George Kudolo, Ph.D., FAIC, FACB named interim chair of the Department of Health Sciences
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of George Kudolo, Ph.D., FAIC, FACB as the interim chair of the Department of Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions (SHP). Dr. Kudolo has been with the School of Health Professions for 29 years and currently holds an appointment as full Professor with Tenure in the department.
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