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By Kate Hunger An interprofessional intensive care unit simulation activity this spring was timed just right for the 118 physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing students who participated. Held in April before doctoral PT and OT students began clinical rotations and the 4th-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students graduated, the activity gave students the opportunity to learn…, Embracing an interprofessional approach, “The idea is to work collaboratively with other programs in the university,” said Bobby Belarmino, PT, DPT, PhD, CCS, and assistant professor of physical therapy. “We no longer work in silos in the clinic. We should start training the future clinicians of tomorrow to work collaboratively with other clinicians.” The activity is also a research study, Enhancing Perceived Confidence, Communication,…, Students appreciate the interprofessional experience, The activity was designed to be a one-time, 2.5-hour session for each student. This year’s critical care simulation activity was offered on two dates in April at the Center for Simulation Innovation at the School of Nursing. Participating were 51 OT students, 43 PT students and 24 nursing students. Students report learning a lot from the activity. “I loved this simulation,” said Jami Timmons, BSN…
By Kate Hunger Assistant Professor Selina Morgan, PT, DPT, NCS , has received an impact grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation that will help support her research and rehabilitation work with patients with spinal cord injury. The grant supports Morgan’s project, Increasing Access: Locomotor Training After Paralysis, which seeks to fund the purchase of a PowerStep, a bodyweight-…, How you can help, Morgan continues to seek funding for the PowerStep., If you are interested supporting this project, please visit our donation page , select “I would like my gift to support” and type “SCI Research” in the donation field. If you have questions about this support opportunity, please email Lindsay Helsel , director of corporate and foundation relations. To learn more about other opportunities to support the School of Health Professions, please…
By Kate Hunger Two community-based pediatric speech and language programs offered this summer by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders helped children get ready for the new school year and gave graduate speech-language pathology students valuable clinical experience. One of the programs, LAUNCH, is a four-week language enrichment program offered in June to children at a San…
By Kate Hunger Associate Professor Kimatha Grice, OTD, OTR, CHT, found her future profession in the library stacks at Texas A&M University. “I was researching schools for physical therapy, and I came across occupational therapy,” she said. “I started reading up on it, and I thought, ‘That sounds really interesting — it sounds more like me.’ That’s how I ended up in OT school, and I never…
By Kate Hunger A sense of isolation can be a familiar feeling among people with aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate. Yet this summer, 28 people with aphasia and their family members came together for a program designed to strengthen their communication skills — and their sense of community. Organized by the Department of Communication Sciences and…, Building a sense of community, People with aphasia have difficulty understanding or expressing themselves verbally, in writing — or both. The opportunity to practice communication skills among peers who are experiencing similar challenges made a difference to Brandon Macon, who had a stroke in January and was in the hospital for 75 days. “For me it was really helpful,” Macon said. “I have been working really hard to talk again…, Forging interprofessional connections, This was the program’s second year. New this year was an interprofessional (IPE) component during one of the sessions in which speech-language pathology students were joined by occupational therapy, physician assistant and pharmacy students. The IPE experience provided an opportunity for the students to learn more about each other’s professions and gave the OT, PA and pharmacy students a chance…
Faculty from the Department of Emergency Health Sciences served as panelists on topics including stroke response, cardiac system process improvement and pulmonary embolism during the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) annual conference. The 2022 STRAC Regional Emergency Health Care Systems Conference was held in late June and included panels on topics related to STRAC’s service…
By Kate Hunger At age 10, Associate Professor Martha M. Acosta, PhD, PT, GCS, was sure she would one day be a neurosurgeon. “I was always interested in health care and helping people get well,” she said. “I was fascinated with the human body — how it works and how it repairs itself.” The death of her father while Acosta was a premed student caused her to reevaluate her plans. “I looked at my…, Caring for older adults, inspiring students, As a PT, Acosta worked in a variety of settings, including pediatrics, inpatient and outpatient and long-term. Ultimately, she chose to specialize in geriatrics, earning her board certification. “I am really invested in trying to improve the quality of life for the older adult,” she said. “I think that can be accomplished directly as a clinician and also indirectly through the students I teach…
The 61 students in the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2024 donned their white coats and received their pins during a May 18 ceremony recognizing both their entrance into the profession and their new responsibilities. “Physician Assistants are not physicians, but practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians, and necessarily our training program follows that of the medical…
Third-year physical therapy students performed health screenings on April 27 during a health fair at the District 2 Senior Center in San Antonio. The screenings were part of a Lifespan course PT students take in the final semester of their program, said Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Martha M. Acosta, PhD, PT, GCS. “A health screening of the older adult is a very important, proactive…
Fifty School of Health Professions students were inducted May 5 into the campus chapter of the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society of the allied health professions. The induction ceremony was held virtually, said chapter president and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Martha M. Acosta, PhD, PT, GCS. With the motto “Together we serve,’” Alpha Eta seeks to promote and recognize…, Communication Sciences and Disorders, : Ashley Buchalter, Samantha Choi, Ally Fleischhauer, Emily Garza, Valerie Ling, Katherine McGrail, Madelynn Patzner and Christina Robertson, Emergency Health Sciences, : Martin F. Graham and Michael L. Stringfellow, Medical Laboratory Sciences, : Baiwei Chen, Madeline Cortez, Jesus Dominguez, Chai-In Lin, Darby Rice and Alana Rubio, Occupational Therapy, : Brooke Baus, Paige Beeney, Christina Bittle, Amy Corral, Bridget Farrell, Monica Garcia, Emily Gregory, Jacqueline Johnson, Lydia Kayl, Bethany Kotzur and Cristina Martinez, Physical Therapy, : Samantha Ayala, Emily Brown, Nicholas Dean, Nicholas Dennis, Frank Li, Gabriel Lopez, Katherine McCallie and Hyunsung Yoo, Respiratory Care, : Michael Aguilar, Eman Alaroudi, Hayat Ata, Sydney Cosby, Jenny Estalilla, Chelsea Gloria, Elisa Gomez, Morgan Newton, Maricela Perez, Mayce Sadi, Sumeet Sidhu, Kelsie Stone, Kateryna Taliaferro, Adan Vega Zaragoza and Kamy Walck Nine , Physician Assistant Studies, students were inducted into the society in the fall of 2021. They include: Shelbie Carr, Brittani Orme, Virginia Wixler, Karla Gracia, McKenzie Knapick, Sydney Laudwig, Rachel Mansker, Evan Bridges and Sarah Salzman. The chapter includes approximately 20 faculty members. This year’s faculty inductee, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor Casey Taliancich-Klinger…