Quantcast
Channel: Health Sciences | University of Indianapolis
Viewing all 59 articles
Browse latest View live

Exercise & Arthritis 101 at UIndy on October 23

0
0

William Staples, PT, DHSc, DPT, GCS, CEEAA, a faculty member in the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy, will present "Exercise and Arthritis 101" on Wednesday, October 23 from 5:00-6:30pm in Martin Hall, Room 150 on the UIndy campus.This lecture is sponsored by the Indiana Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.

You might think that the words "exercise" and "arthritis" don't belong in the same sentence. However, Dr. Staples said "It has long been a fallacy that 'exercise makes arthritis worse,' or that 'running causes arthritis.' The evidence is clear that these statements are not true!"

Plan to attend Exercise and Arthritis 101 to learn why exercise is important for people with arthritis and what exercises are best for people with arthritis.

Dr. Staples has a geriatric specialist certification (GCS) and is currently the President of the Section on Geriatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association. In addition, Dr. Staples is a Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults and has lectured nationally on a variety of geriatric physical therapy issues.

This lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required by Wednesday, October 16. Click here to reserve your spot. The University of Indianapolis is located at 1400 E. Hanna Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227.

For more information about this event, please call Pamela Pikus at (317)-879-0321 option 4 or e-mail ppikus@arthritis.org.


Baby containers: Are we living in a culture of overuse?

0
0

Baby in a jumperContainers, by definition, are used to contain, store, and transport items. “Baby containers” have become standard in young American households.  Car seats and strollers are used to assist with transport. Bouncers and swings provide sensory input. And walkers help with ambulation. In general, baby containers limit movement, which can be regarded as a safety measure. They allow parents to take a shower, change the laundry, or do the dishes. We all know that babies can not be held at all times, but should this result in more time spent in a baby container? No matter what the manufacturer may tell you, containers are an artificial means to development and can be harmful with prolonged use.

Infants are spending extended time in baby containers, especially their car seats, going from one location to the next. The purpose of a car seat is to transport the infant within the car. Nowadays car seats are compatible in all environments. Just a simple snap and you can transport your baby to the grocery store, in the stroller, to a friend’s house -- all without actually having to hold your baby. Infants yearn for close contact with their parents and baby containers reduce the amount of intimate touch our infants are experiencing. Not only are these infants being deprived of the human touch crucial for healthy development, research also suggests that prolonged use of car seats could decrease oxygen saturation levels impeding respiratory development. (Cerar et al. 2009)
    
Carrying and wearing your baby are other options for transporting infants that provide the nurturing touch our babies need for healthy development. When a baby is being carried,  they receive rich sensory input needed to develop the nervous system. They experience the warmth of another body, the frequent change in positions, deep pressure touch, head control, visual development, and muscle control used for holding on. (Heller, 1997)

Using ergo carriers, slings, and wraps also provides the infant with a rich sensory diet of movement and pressure touch that have proved to promote healthy development in infants. Baby carriers can also be used when taking a walk with your baby. When a baby is in a stroller, sensory stimulation from the environment is reduced and trunk movement is restricted. Being far away from the caregiver, the language the baby hears becomes garbled and drowned out by the noise of the stroller wheels screeching and scraping.
    
Another baby container, the walker, is misleading and often confusing for parents. Parents think they are providing their child with the skills needed to be successful walkers, however the research would disagree. Walking devices reduce and/or prevent babies from seeing their legs moving. This reduces or eliminates the visual feedback needed for the developing motor system. Infants who spend prolonged time in a walker have shown delayed milestones such as sitting, crawling, and walking when compared to infants who do not use a walker. (Siegel & Burton, 1999)

Baby containers also restrict movement especially in the trunk and deny the opportunity for sensorimotor development. Pat Wilbarger, who has done extensive work in sensory processing, explains that baby container use is a particular concern for children at risk of motor delay. She further explains that, if misused, infant walkers, swings, and jumpers can cause problems with muscle flexibility. (Heller, 1997) For instance, jumpers (hung from the threshold of a doorway) do allow the baby to stand more easily, but it comes at a price. The jumper can rotate the baby’s hips and force a slouched posture, which enables them to stand up before trunk control has developed.

Overall infants who spend increased time in baby containers demonstrate lower scores on infant motor development. In addition, baby containers decrease the child’s ability to move which limits their abilities to naturally explore the environment. Overuse of these devices can lead to delayed motor and sensory development.

Please think twice about leaving your baby in a container. Baby wearing is an excellent alternative that provides the motor and sensory stimulation needed for appropriate development, which leads to a happier, healthier baby.    

Heather Tweedie (right) is working on her Doctorate of Health Science at the University of Indianapolis. She is a pediatric occupational therapist living in Boone, NC. She offers a class called Sensational Growth for parents and their infants that covers infant massage, sensory system development and processing, and play activities to promote healthy brain development. She practices what she preaches with her own daughter, Nella Rosa, who was born July 30, 2013.

References
Cerar, L. K., Scirica, C. V., Gantar, I. S., Osredkar, D., Neubauer, D., & Kinane, T.B., (2009). A comparison of respiratory patterns in healthy term infants placed in car safety seats and bed. Pediatrics, 124, 395-403.

Heller, S. (1997). The vital touch. New York, NY: Holt Paperbacks.

Siegel, A. C. & Burton, R. V. (1999). Effects of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human infants. Developmental and behavioral pediatrics, 20, 355-360.
 

Unique collaboration could lead to OTs as better teachers

0
0

Entry-level occupational therapists (OTs) are required by accreditation standards to demonstrate the ability to teach clients, family, caregivers and others to navigate the skills required every day in the client’s roles at work, school and home. However, OT teaching programs are not required to educate their students on the teaching methodologies that have been proven to lead to success in learning. The University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy (SOT) teamed up with the Department of Teacher Education within the School of Education (SOE) to explore what benefit students might experience if exposed to teaching methodologies as part of their OT curriculum. The goal of this marriage of educational theory and OT training was to increase the success of students in their abilities to provide client education in the clinical setting as well as in emerging practice settings with OT.

Kate DeCleene Huber, OTD, OTR“Because our teaching faculty in the School of Occupational Therapy are active clinicians as well, we were very aware of the daily client education needs OTs encounter,” said Kate DeCleene Huber, OTD, MS, OTR. “Working with our colleagues across campus to enhance our students’ preparation for client interaction was a great opportunity.”

The students involved in this study were 53 second-year Master’s of Occupational Therapy students enrolled in the “Lifestyle for Wellness” course.  At the beginning of the course, the students were given the “Future Therapists Survey” to determine their level of experience with client education before the course began. Then SOE faculty led a classroom session called “Designing Engaging Lessons for Clients,” which taught students the information processing model of cognitive development. Specifically, students were taught to gather client background information, teach and repeat new knowledge for the client and assess how well the client understood the new information. In addition, the SOE faculty introduced the MOT students to a variety of engagement strategies to help the students meet their clients’ learning needs.

“My colleagues, Deb Sachs, Donna Stephenson and I have really been excited to work with the School of Occupational Therapy in not only improving teaching methods within the UIndy programs, but also within the community,” said Dr. Angelia Ridway, Associate Professor & Director of Secondary Education.  “The opportunity to design workshops, teach and publish with such knowledgeable and ambitious colleagues in SOT has prompted us to consider how many of our teaching approaches can impact quality health care.”

After the learning session, MOT students worked one-on-one with individuals in the community, designing client-centered wellness programs using the strategies taught by SOE faculty. One month later, at the end of the Lifestyle for Wellness course, the students completed a follow-up “Future Therapists Survey.”

The students’ responses to the post-survey indicated that they felt they had benefitted from the program, especially in the area of explaining information, engaging clients in educational concepts related to their own therapy, and prompting the clients to rehearse and elaborate on the concepts being taught during the therapy session. The students were also able to discuss ways that anticipating how a client might best learn, teaching and reviewing concepts with clients, and assessing the learning could be used to help clients achieve better functional performance related to the occupational therapy at home and work.

The research and results were published by the collaborative UIndy faculty in The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy in Summer 2013. See below for the article’s citation. The faculty anticipate additional research publications from this effort.

DeCleene, Kate E. OTD, MS, OTR; Ridgway, Angelia J. Ph.D.; Bednarski, Julie OTD, MHS, OTR; Breeden, Lori MS, OTR; Mosier, Gina Gabriele MA; Sachs, Deborah MS; and Stephenson, Donna MA (2013) "Therapists as Educators: the Importance of Client Education in Occupational Therapy," The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol. 1: Iss. 4, Article 5. Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ojot/vol1/iss4/5

KSPT faculty member wears alum hat, too

0
0

KSPT alum & faculty member Steve WileyLast August when students returned to the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy (KSPT), so did Steve Wiley, PT, PhD, GCS.

A 1993 KSPT graduate himself, Wiley has joined the faculty ranks, teaching Integumentary and Medical Conditions, Complex Medical Conditions and Clinical Skills I. He also serves as the assistant to the Director of Clinical Education, Renee VanVeld, PT, MS.

One reason Wiley returned to KSPT as a faculty member is “the commitment of the faculty to serving their students.”

It’s been a busy year for Wiley, who completed his Ph.D. dissertation at Nova Southeastern University over the summer. His dissertation was a qualitative research study entitled“The lived experiences of physical therapists in inpatient rehabilitation facilities: an interpretive phenomenological analysis.”

In addition to PT practice in acute care and inpatient rehab, Wiley has special interest in geriatrics and is a Geriatric Certified Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists. His research interests include the experiences of physical therapists practicing in inpatient rehabilitation and video gaming and telehealth for post-stroke patients. He is currently working with a pilot project at IU Health Bloomington related to the development of a new video game designed for use in rehabilitation settings.

Wiley and his wife Lori, also a KSPT graduate, live in Bloomington, IN and have five children ranging in age from 4 to 15. The whole family loves to travel and to follow Indiana University basketball.

UIndy OT professor named to AOTA Roster of Fellows

0
0

Lucinda DaleLucinda Dale, EdD, OTR, CHT, a professor at the University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy, recently earned an American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Roster of Fellows Award for outstanding contributions to education, scholarship and practice.

Dale teaches courses in biomechanics and research applications at UIndy. She maintains a clinical practice at Hendricks Regional Health, in the occupational therapy department she started 20 years ago. Her research interests include outcome measurements for people with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and those with joint replacement. That’s enough to keep any professor plenty busy.

But Dale also dedicates her time to working to ensure occupational therapy colleagues have access to quality continuing education and professional development opportunities through post-professional teaching, and local, state, and national presentations.

"I'm humbled to be recognized this way," Dale said. "There are many occupational therapists with much bigger names than mine who are AOTA Fellows. I am really quite flattered."

Dale takes pride in her contributions to scholarship in occupational therapy. She is co-author of the second edition of the "Guide to OT Practice," a book that often is a required text in occupational therapy programs across the country.

"The Guide to OT Practice is helpful for both clinicians and external audiences." Dale said. “The guide can help businesses understand the profession of occupational therapy and its application outside a traditional clinical setting.”

She has also authored nearly two dozen publications over the course of her career and is a frequent presenter at national and regional occupational therapy conferences.

Dale is committed to working with students to submit and publish scholarly articles on subjects related to the practice of occupational therapy. Students have responded to her mentoring and encouragement by selecting her three years in a row to be the faculty speaker for the Master's of Occupational Therapy hooding and pinning ceremony.

"As a colleague and an educator, Lucinda is outstanding," said Kate DeCleene Huber, OTD, MS, OTR, director of occupational therapy at UIndy. "Her dedication to the profession and to her students makes her a perfect candidate for the Roster of Fellows."

Dale will be recognized at AOTA's 2014 Annual Conference and Expo in Baltimore, Maryland in February. The UIndy SOT will host an alumni reception at the conference where former students can congratulate Dale and connect with one another. UIndy SOT alumni should keep their eye on the SOT Alumni Facebook group for more information as it is available.

 

UIndy Occupational Therapy alum to try her hand at teaching

0
0

When Erin Peterson graduated from high school, she wanted to be a teacher. That is until she was student teaching and met the school occupational therapist.

“I decided that’s what I really wanted to do,” Peterson said.

Fast-forward several years and Peterson is setting a course to do both.  The 2011 UIndy Master of Occupational Therapy graduate is now enrolled in UIndy’s Doctor of Health Science (DHS) program. Her focus is on advocacy and leadership with a minor in education.

Next semester, Peterson, who specializes in hand therapy at Community Physical Therapy and Rehab, will co-teach the Biomechanics for Occupation II course with Dr. Lucinda Dale.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Peterson said. “I think it will be helpful to co-teach before teaching on my own. The class content for this course is what I practice every day with my patients. I learn new things on the job and can bring the ‘real world’ to the classroom.”

In addition to pursuing her DHS, Peterson plans to become a certified hand therapist and focus on treatment of patients with post-surgical hand and upper extremity conditions.

“The best part is helping patients get better and tangibly seeing improvement,” Peterson said. “From the first day when they are in so much pain and can’t do anything to the last day when they are independent. It’s really awesome.”

If it sounds like Peterson is pretty busy, she is. The hybrid format – online with one on-campus weekend – of the UIndy DHS program allows Peterson and other students to manage a career while also working toward advanced degrees.  The format allows students to meet and share resources with clinicians from all over the country. The DHS program also takes advantage of a student’s current work and applies it toward the degree. For instance, Peterson’s juried project stems from research she is conducting with patients at Community.

Peterson will present her project, “A Pilot Study of the Effecs of Kinesio Tex Tape on Carpal Tunnel Release Scars and Hand Function,” in August 2014.

Apply by March 1 for Orthopaedic Clinical Residency Program

0
0

Orthopeadics is a broad category within the profession of physical therapy, and while many physical therapists work on some level with people with orthopaedic conditions or injuries, some choose to specialize in the discipline. For physical therapists who wish to develop expertise in orthopaedics, the UIndy Krannert School of Physical Therapy in partnership with Body One Physical Therapy has developed an Orthopaedic Clinical Residency Program.

The orthopaedic residency is designed to prepare graduates of the program for expert practice and leadership roles within the PT profession. The program welcomes applications from licensed (or license-eligible) physical therapists who have strong skills in clinical reasoning and application of manual exam and treatment procedures.

“Our goal is to help these professional become independent, self-motivated learners who can integrate a variety of learning experiences associated with orthopaedic medicine,” said Emily Slaven, PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, CertMDT, faculty coordinator of the UIndy Orthopaedic Clinical Residency Program. “We expect graduates of this residency to not only treat orthopaedic conditions expertly, but also to effectively teach patients, families, students and peers about these conditions and their treatments.”

“What’s more,” Slaven said, “we anticipate that these professionals will assume leadership roles within the profession of orthopaedic physical therapy.”

Clinicians accepted into the program will spend 35 hours each week on clinical work and instruction at Body One Physical Therapy and 8 hours on the UIndy campus as a teaching assistant in the musculoskeletal series of Doctor of Physical Therapy classes. The orthopaedic resident will also complete post professional classes in topics relating to medical screening and differential diagnosis,  along with a supervised teaching practicum.

UIndy’s Orthopaedic Clinical Residency Program runs August through May.

Applications for the program must be submitted by March 1, 2014.

For more information on the curriculum, schedule, salary and tuition, please click here.
 

Physical therapy professor named to national Alzheimer's committee

0
0

UIndy Physical Therapy Professor William H. Staples, PT, DHS, DPT, GCS, CEEAA was recently named to the National Quality Forum (NQR) committee for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. 

The NQR works to identify the best health tests and measures to be used with specific populations through review of measures by an expert committee. Staples will be one of 20 committee members representing medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, public health and many other disciplines.

He was recommended to serve by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in recognition of his expertise in the area of geriatrics and dementia. Staples is currently the president of the APTA Section on Geriatrics.

To learn more about UIndy's Krannert School of Physical Therapy, click here.


UIndy PT professor earns Excellence in Teaching accolades

0
0

KegerreisNext week, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) will hold its annual Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas. During the course of the four-day event, UIndy Krannert School of Physical Therapy (KSPT) faculty member Sam Kegerreis, PT, MS will receive special honors from the APTA Orthopaedic Section.

Kegerreis is the 2014 recipient of the James A. Gould Excellence in Teaching Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Award. The award recognizes excellence in instructing orthopaedic principles and techniques and is offered by the Orthopaedic Section of APTA. Kegerreis has been an instructor in KSPT for 33 years and was UIndy's Teacher of the Year in 2000. He also received an Educator of the Year award from the APTA Sports Medicine section in 1999.

"Teaching is Sam’s passion, and he expertly weaves the elements of current evidence, patient expectations and clinical experience into a curriculum that is evidence based," said Dr. Emily Slaven, a fellow UIndy PT professor who is also a member of the Orthopaedic Section. "Sam constantly reads current journals to keep him up to date on the latest research and integrates this into his lectures...Sam’s teaching style incorporates many principles that facilitate student learning. He focuses on teaching the basic skills and then reinforces these skills with repetition, he motivates the students to learn, and he carefully enables the students to develop mastery in this area."

To learn more about Kegerreis's academic and research pursuits, click here.

UIndy KSPT faculty & students take stage at national physical therapy meeting

0
0

Beginning today, Tuesday, February 4 through Thursday, February 6, hundreds of physical therapists will gather in Las Vegas for the annual American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting. Several faculty and students are in Las Vegas to present research conducted at or on behalf of the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy.

Platform presentations:

Title: Comparison of outcomes and exercise behaviors in persons with Parkinson disease who participate in different modes of exercise: a mixed-method study
Authors: Combs SA, Diehl MD, Bentz M, Hojnacki K, Sewell L, Steider S.

Title: Comparison of standard care and physical therapy interventions for patients presenting to the emergency department with cervical pain.
Authors: Fruth, Rogowski, Wilhelm (presenter), Weurtemberger, Brickens, Hartman

Title: Quantification of Changes in Gait and Function as a Result of Partial Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report
Authors: Emily Slaven; Michael Berend; Erica Smith; Jessica Stanish; Elizabeth Von Hoene; Merrill Ritter.

Title: Shoulder kinematics and function in survivors of breast cancer with unilateral lymphedema
Authors: Linda Biggers; Brittany Behrens; Alison Happel; Kelsey Kennedy; Peter Rundquist

Title: Low Frequency Burst Modulated Biphasic Pulsed Current Yields 98% of Volitional Muscle Force
Authors: James Bellew; Matthew Barton; Kyle Sanders; Kristen Schuman

Education sessions:

Title: Impact of student engagement in a free interprofessional health clinic
Authors: Micaela Hornstein, Sara (Harker) Bemenderfer

Title: Student Remediation Part I:  A Professional Behavior Wake-Up Call
Authors:  Martin, K. Van Veld, R., Black, S. Borcherding, J.

Title: Dianne Cherry Forum:  Best Practices in Pediatric Clinical Education
Authors: Martin, K., Kenyon, L. Birkmeier, M., Anderson, D.

Posters:

Title: Pilot testing of a novel axial rotation unit in individuals with transfemoral amputations
Authors: Nicole Derry; Kenneth Taylor; Renée Van Veld; Matthew Habecker; Margaret Finley

Title: The effect of guided imagery on neck flexor endurance, disability and perceived exertion in a population with chronic neck pain
Authors: Peter Rundquist; Richard Kaminski; Ryan Powell; William Staples; Samuel Kegerreis

Title: What factors affect return of knee flexion range of motion following partial knee arthroplasty?
Authors: Emily Slaven; Michael Berend; Kenneth Davis; Sharon Annee; Merrill Ritter

Title: Community-based mobility training for persons with chronic stroke: A pilot study.
Authors: Cagnet C, Hall C, Newblom J, Nair M, Schmid AA, Combs SA.

For a list of dates and times of each presentation, click here: csm_presentations_2014.docx

Publication led by UIndy PT professor earns top honor

0
0

Recently, at the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) annual Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas, UIndy assistant professor of physical therapy Emily Slaven PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, Cert MDT and a team of co-authors were recognized by the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy.

The article, "The relative effectiveness of segment specific level and non-specific level spinal joint mobilization on pain and range of motion: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis," is the winner of the John Medeiros Distinguished Author Award for 2013 from the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy. Slaven is the lead author of the article. Co-authors include , , , and .

"It is such an honor to have been recognized for this award," Slaven said. "The honoree each year is the choice of the associated editors of the journal who come from both the United States and many countries outside the U.S.

This article was a continuation of a previous publication and a great way for me to collaborate with researchers from across the country and from various other academic institutions."

Slaven has more than 17 years of experience as a PT, primarily in orthopaedic outpatient settings. Her research interests include manual therapy and lower limb osteoarthritis and gait mechanics in relation to lower limb joint replacement. She is the primary UIndy contact for the University of Indianapolis/Body One PT Orthopaedic Clinical Residency Program.

Pictured above (l-r): Kim Martin, managing editor of JMMT; Emily Slaven, PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, Cert. MDT; Roy Coronado, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT; and Carol Courtney, PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT

Take a step toward your future: OT/PT/PTA Open House

0
0

Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and physical therapist assistants enjoy rewarding careers while making a positive difference in the lives of their patients.  OTs, PTs, and PTAs take a personal approach to meeting individual needs. The University of Indianapolis takes a personal approach to meeting the needs of our students.

The career opportunities in these therapy fields are plenty and the need for well-educated therapists is great. Now is the time to envision yourself in one of these roles.

The University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy and the Krannert School of Physical Therapy will host an open house in Martin Hall on the UIndy campus, 1400 E. Hanna Avenue, on Saturday, March 22 from 9am to 12pm.

Learn about the Master of Occupational Therapy, Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy,  and Associate in Science, Physical Therapist Assistant degrees that UIndy offers. You'll also hear about the application and financial aid processes and have the opportunity to meet faculty and current students.

High school students, current college students, graduates with entry-level OT and PT degrees, and career changers are all welcome to attend.

Pre-register here today! 

UIndy PT Professor Shares Expertise in Down Syndrome

0
0

Ask someone in the world of physical therapy who has expertise in the treatment of children with Down Syndrome and the name "Kathy Martin" will likely come to the surface.

Dr. Martin, director of UIndy’s Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy program, has a research interest in treating patients who have Down Syndrome and has recently published multiple articles on the subject.  She was asked by PTNow to write a Clinical Summary of the condition, which was published in December 2013. PTNow is a web portal that provides evidence-based practice information about certain diagnoses.

"All summaries are peer-reviewed, and I would equate the scope of the work to be similar to writing a book chapter," Martin said. "Being asked to write this one was an honor in that the editors of PTNow recognized me as an expert in this area."

Martin will share her experience in writing and publishing the summary in a UIndy Faculty Forum presentation, “Using a Web Portal to Present an Evidence-Based Clinical Summary for Down Syndrome.”

Also in late 2013, Martin and a UIndy Krannert School of Physical Therapy graduate, Anna Weber, published "Efficacy of Orthoses for Children with Hypotonia: A Systematic Review." Hypotonia is a low muscle tone condition that often affects children with Down Syndrome.

More recently, Martin was quoted in the February 2014 issue of Lower Extremity Review in an article, "Ankle Weights Improve Walking in Children with Down Syndrotme." 

"The (ankle weight) study highlights one possible way to improve strength and increase physical activity in children with DS," Martin said, but she cautioned that the approach may be challenging given other characteristics of Down Syndrome that come into play.

NIH grant supports innovative stroke research

0
0

A grant from the National Institutes of Health is helping UIndy physical therapy professor Stephanie Combs use the latest wireless technology to study how stroke patients walk, in an effort to develop more effective rehabilitation techniques.

Visit the UIndy News Blog to learn more about Dr. Combs latest research efforts.

Article explores behavioral health role of Army OTs

0
0

Dr. Kate DeCleene Huber, director of the University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy (SOT) and alumni Paul Arthur coauthored an article titled "Behavioral Health Competence: An Exploration of Army Reserve Occupational Therapists" that is published in the March 2014 issue of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health.

Arthur and DeCleene Huber surveyed Army Reserve occupational therapists to determine the overall behavioral health competence of this population to to determine current levels of competence and highlight pre-deployment training needs. Results indicated that while Army Reserve OTs report high levels of behavioral health competence, many questions regarding diagnosis, assessment, evaluation, treatment planning, intervention, and progress arose throughout deployment.

The research was the the culmination of Arthur's Master of Occupational Therapy research project. He recently provided answers to some questions about the project:

How did this research topic come to mind for you?

"I was actually working on a really interesting measurement project with Dr. Lucinda Dale and her students, but my one-year deployment to Iraq threw a wrench into that, so I needed to seek an alternative direction when I returned," Arthur said. "While in Iraq, my boss, now the Chief of Army Reserve Occupational Therapy, and I discussed the issues deployed OTs had, in that none of them had much behavioral health experience, yet they were deployed in that capacity. It's a pretty high-stakes way to get your feet wet!"

Did the outcomes reflect your own experience? Were you surprised by anything you found?

"The results of the paper were pretty-well aligned with our hypothesis. Army clinicians are a fairly difficult population to study, in that the culture is to portray confidence and competence, even if that is not what you are feeling (or what is really the case). Probably the most surprising aspect of the paper was the clinician’s reliance on entry-level education for their behavioral health competence. Many had been away from school for decades and to imagine we are counting on them to recall info they learned in their early 20’s is pretty amazing."

What, if anything, could OT programs do to better prepare Army Reserve OTs for their work?

Paul Arthur sporting the UIndy flag during his Iraq deployment."While I like the notion of a required mental health fieldwork experience, it’s generally not realistic in many (if not most) areas of the country. We can still teach fundamental mental health concepts in our curriculum and there are some pretty nice, updated, textbooks to facilitate that. I generally think for the Army Reserve OT population, they need CEU opportunities and either a directive to take them, or at least an avenue to facilitate/pay for it."

Arthur noted that it was Dr. DeCleene Huber's support and perseverance that was significant to getting this paper published. He had these words of praise, "Having visited many OT programs, I think the relationships UIndy professors garner with their students is rather unique, and is largely responsible for the success their graduates."

 

Arthur is currently working with veterans with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers for his dissertation at the University of Florida. He is pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Science and plans to have it completed sometime in 2015.


School of Occupational Therapy awards first endowed scholarship

0
0

The University of Indianapolis College of Health Sciences is proud to announce the first endowed scholarship for the School of Occupational Therapy. Created as part of the 25th anniversary of the OT program, the School of Occupational Therapy Alumni Scholarship was made possible thanks to more than thirty OT alumni and faculty members, along with proceeds from the annual employment fair.

"This is the first endowed scholarship for the UIndy School of Occupational Therapy," said Kate Decleene Huber, director of the OT program. "Thanks to the generosity of alumni, faculty, and various employers, we are thrilled to be able to offer this additional financial assistance to graduate students. We look forward to seeing this scholarship grow in the future."

The first scholarship will go to Molly Manley, who will enroll in the School of Occupational Therapy in Fall 2014.

"We are thrilled to give the first scholarship to Molly," said DeCleene Huber. "Her strong academic record and the leadership skills she displayed throughout her undergraduate degree made her a worthy recipient."

Continued support for the scholarship is always welcome and will increase the amount of the annual award. Gifts can be made online at uindy.edu/giving. If you have any questions, please contact Carrie Sorensen at 317-788-2070 or sorensenc@uindy.edu.

 

UIndy PT Assistant student to participate in national APTA forum

0
0

Albert Wong, a student in UIndy's Physical Therapist Assistant program, has been selected as a participant in the annual American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Federal Advocacy Forum. Wong will be serving as a student representative of the Indiana chapter of the APTA (INAPTA). The forum will take place from April 6-8, 2014 in Washington, DC.

Wong said he looked forward to the opportunity to provide legislators on Capitol Hill the perspective of a student regarding the physical therapy profession. He is also interested in learning more about what government officials look for when initiating laws beneficial to the profession.

The APTA Federal Advocacy Forum gives physical therapy professionals an opportunity to improve their advocacy skills and to lobby Congress on the many challenges facing the physical therapy profession. Participants will hear from decision makers on Capitol Hill, learn to communicate effectively with elected officials, receive updates on APTA's legislative and regulatory activities, and then take messages directly to members of Congress.

For the past several years, INAPTA has lobbied on behalf of students and tuition loan repayment bills.

Wong is in his first year of the UIndy Physical Therapist Assistant program. He anticipates graduating in 2015.

Master of Public Health program begins Fall 2014

0
0

A new UIndy master’s degree program from the College of Health Sciences will prepare professionals to identify health disparities and develop community-based approaches to close the gaps.

Debuting this fall, the two-year Master of Public Health program will be the only one in Indiana, and one of few in the nation, with a concentration in health disparities, the preventable differences in health among populations that can occur along lines of age, sex, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status and other factors. The program will emphasize hands-on experience while offering courses in a primarily online format.

The Master of Public Health degree is relevant to a range of career settings including hospitals, nonprofit service agencies and corporate wellness. Candidates for the program could be recent bachelor’s degree graduates in fields such as social work or exercise science who want to expand their options, as well as doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and other licensed professionals seeking to enhance their skills and broaden the scope of their work.

The core curriculum includes courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, social and behavioral sciences, health systems and policy, cultural competency and health disparities.  The program develops the skills public health practitioners need to be effective, such as advocacy, leadership, grant writing, and program planning and evaluation.

UIndy’s hybrid MPH program combines online coursework and community-based projects with two weekend meetings on campus, a one-week summer intensive and a 400-hour professional practice internship.

(A longer version of this article was originally posted here.)

UIndy OT faculty to make mark at national conference

0
0

The American Occupational Therapy Association's Annual Conference and Expo will take place April 3-6 in Boston. While there, several UIndy School of Occupational Therapy faculty members will be taking stage to receive awards or make presentations.

Lucinda Dale, EdD, OTR, CHT will be recognized for her recent selection as a member of the AOTA Roster of Fellows.

Several other SOT faculty members will make research or general session presentations --

Title: Understanding the Experience of Stroke and the Client Identified Factors of a Successful Recovery
Presenter: Lori Breeden, MS, OTR

Title: Social Media Use in Allied Health Education: Enhancement or Distraction?
Presenter: Kate DeCleene Huber, OTD, MS, OTR

Title: Enhancing Your Advocacy Skills: Disability Awareness and Occupational Therapy
Presenter: Rebecca Barton, DHS, OTR

Title: Utilization of Virtual Game‐Based Rehabilitation in Occupational Therapy: A Pilot Study
Presenter: Beth Ann Walker, PhD, OTR

Title: Enhancing Evidence‐Based Practice Through the Assessment of Confidence and Knowledge
Presenters: Kate DeCleene Huber, OTD, MS, OTR; Alison Nichols, MOT, OTR

Title: Discover and Develop Your Role as an OT Consultant: Promote Health and Wellness in Your
Community
Presenters: Julie Bednarski, OTD, MHS, OTR; Rebecca Barton, DHS, OTR

For more about the AOTA Annual Conference, click here.

UIndy School of Occupational Therapy Alumni attending the conference, should plan to attend the annual Alumni Reception, which will take place on Friday, April 4, 2014 from 7-10:00 pm at the Hilton Baltimore, Key Ballroom 5.

Job Fair to match therapists & students with employers

0
0

The University of Indianapolis College of Health Sciences will host the area's largest job fair for occupational therapists, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of those professions on Friday, April 11, 2014 from 4:00-6:30p.m. The job fair will take place in Nicoson Hall on the UIndy campus (see a campus map here.) 

More than 40 exhibitors -- employers that range from hospital systems to rehab clinics to staffing agencies and beyond -- will be on hand to discuss employment opportunities in the areas of occupational therapy and physical therapy. Several geographic regions of Indiana and a few outside of the state will be represented.

The job fair is free for job seekers. Pre-registration is not required.

For more information and a list of exhibitors, please click here.

Viewing all 59 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images