WesternU Alumni Connection - Allied Health News - April 2012

Health Sciences Education
Physician Assistant Education
Physical Therapy Education 

Department of Health Sciences Education

Professional Updates

The April CHES Exam Cycle is now OPEN

The applications and pre-screen forms for the April 28, 2012, CHES exam are now available. For exam eligibility and registration information the link is http://www.nchec.org/exam/eligible/ches/

MCHES EXAM REGISTRATION IS OPEN

The MCHES Exam will be offered on April 28, 2012. The exam application is now available. Go to  http://www.nchec.org/exam/eligible/mches/ for more information on the MCHES exam.

National Public Health Week

The American Public Health Association invites all people to take ownership and responsibility for their own health and the health of our communities. The theme encompasses the call of responsibility and ownership, "A Healthy America Begins Today: Join the Movement!" Public Health week is held during the first full week of April. A brochure is available for preventive changes and community initiatives on the National Public Health Week website: www.nphw.org. Additionally, the Association is creating a toolkit of ideas for events, media outreach, advocacy tips and helpful information which may be downloaded. Further information is also available via National Public Health Week Facebook page and Twitter accounts. Your support and help will be greatly appreciated.

World Health Day

MSHS students have been working hard to focus on health education and demonstrating that taking care of one's health is not as expensive or "boring." In honor of World Health Day, WesternU collaborated with UCLA and USC to host World Health Day LA on April 7 at the Los Angeles Expo Center. Students from the MSHS department volunteered to promote healthy lifestyles through exercise and nutrition, while also cheering children on during their Olympic style events.

Health Fair

MSHS students took part in one of the largest health fairs held by WesternU at New Directions Church in Pomona. Working alongside other students from various WesternU colleges, MSHS students played an important role of providing health education on diabetes to dental care for those attending the health fair. Whether it was through hands-on demonstrations or games for the entire family, our students did not fail to attract people of all ages and backgrounds to their booths and making sure they received the proper health information and resources. Proving to be a success, MSHS students have met to reflect on their health fair experience and how to further gain student participation for future health fair events.

East West Scholarship Dinner

WesternU's sixth annual East West Scholarship Dinner will take place April 21 at the Hilton San Gabriel. Helen Musharbash, MSHS '12, will receive recognition and a scholarship at the East West Scholarship Dinner. The East West Scholarship Dinner raises money to provide 30 scholarships each year to WesternU students in several programs, including graduate nursing, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, optometry, podiatric medicine, dental medicine and veterinary medicine. Applicants from all ethnic backgrounds are selected based on academic excellence, community service and financial need.

Diabetes Mellitus Literacy Project

March 3 marked the final presentation in the Diabetes Literacy project highlighting Medline Plus for the Pumerantz Library and the Health Science Department. Lesa Maugh, MSHS '12, a student leader, states, "It was with a huge sigh that we ended the series. It was fun at times and trying at times but the patrons felt it was well worth our trials and tribulations." The feedback from the library patrons was very positive. The attendees all asked if the series will be continuing and what subjects we will cover next time. The Pumerantz Library has expressed an interest in keeping the series going. The Health Science Department is up for the challenge. Hypertension and Cholesterol management are possible future topics. We look forward to the fall when we can start the Medline Plus series again.

Students Collaborate with Pomona Homeless Outreach Program Service

Our on-going project for assessing the needs of those who utilize the services of the Pomona Homeless Outreach Program (PHOP) is drawing to an end. The project is in its last phase of data collection through surveys and focus groups. The needs assessment has also served as a learning experience for students from other colleges. It has allowed MSHS students to communicate the importance of needs assessments and teach other WesternU students how to conduct and analyze data. At the end of the assessment, information will be disclosed to PHOP leaders indicating areas in which the club has been successful and where resources and time should be better allocated.

Barfield Elementary School Project Expands

Over the course of the last few winter months, Courtney Smith, MSHS '12, has been researching similar school garden projects within the area, investigating various ways to get funding and financial support to expand the project. Further, Courtney has been exploring the existing resources at Barfield Elementary, including community volunteers and support programs as well as various different cultural ways to get parental support providing for sustainability of the project. Referring to the metaphor "planting seeds for spring", as with growing any plant, project, or person, they each begin with a seed or thought, which takes time to grow into full maturity. While Project Garden at Barfield Elementary has been in the research stages, an official school garden proposal is in the works and on its way. The school garden proposal will be available for submission in the very near future. This proposal will act as the foundation to get Project Garden started, as well as act as resource and reference to ensure that the school garden project is successful and sustainable.

Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration: A Year Long Celebration

The holiday season is a time for reflection and helping others. As members of the helping profession, you can help students by supporting scholarships and programs that help talented HS students pursue their educational and career dreams through the "$25 for 25" Campaign . A gift of $25, $250, $2,500 or an amount you wish to contribute will make a difference in a students' life. To make a donation, contact Susie Terrazas at (909) 706-3476 or sterrazas@westernu.edu.

Alumni News

COMP Associate Dean Kay Kalousek, DO '89, MSHPE '94, is the first COMP graduate to become dean of an osteopathic medical school. A.T. Still University (ATSU) announced last month that Kalousek had been appointed dean of the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (SOMA) in Mesa, Ariz. She will begin her duties on July 1, after being involved with COMP and WesternU for nearly 27 years, ever since she walked onto the campus as a student in 1985.

Student News

MSHS Department would like to congratulate and give a warm welcome to our two new SGA Student Representatives, Jayzona Alberto and Amanda Brenner. From the start of their first semester at WesternU, both students have been greatly involved in MSHS and WesternU events and have volunteered their time wherever possible. They planned the first MSHS student social of the year on April 13 at Casa 425 in Claremont. Ms. Alberto and Ms. Brenner have also begun to plan community events for the coming school year, proving they will both be valuable assets to the MSHS department's continued success and growth.

Chandra Stewart, MSHS '12, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on March 9. Congratulations to Chandra and her family!

Courtney Smith, MSHS '12, received news coverage in the La Nueva Voz, the New Voice, a Bilingual Publication, Pomona's only community newspaper on March 22. Courtney led a seminar "Making the Right Food Choices" as part of the "Diabetes and Nutrition Project" at the Pomona Public Library. The focus of the seminar included how to make the right food choices for people with diabetes and how to find quality and reliable health information on the internet.

Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter. 

Department of Physician Assistant Education

PA Profession News

The political scene for PAs is sometimes confusing and burdensome, but I read a recent article in the AAPA PA Professions magazine that posted some positive promotion of the PA profession and the current federal budget. The March article stated that President Obama's proposed 2013 budget addresses job creation, deficit reduction and cuts for various healthcare programs. Twelve million dollars have been dedicated to educate more PAs in primary care.

The Health Resources Services Administration reports that spending in healthcare programs is down by 4 percent and funding for primary care is up 31 percent, which includes PA training. Obama has also requested funding for more workforce information and analysis. What will happen in the upcoming weeks is that Congress will set funding priorities and negotiate a final budget with the President. It will be months before the process is finalized.

Through two federal grants, WesternU has received additional funds to assist the education of PA students. One grant provided the PA program with 10 auscultation manikins that produce heart, lung, and abdominal sounds. The second grant provided the PA program with funds to hire standardized patients in the first year curriculum.

While the economy may have it ups and downs, it is being very supportive of primary care and the PA profession.

Alumni & Faculty News

Graciela Buonavita, PA '94, and Maria Del Carmen Torres, MSPA '04, are practicing at Bella Aesthetica in Ontario, CA. Ms. Buonavita enjoys the prestigious honor of being the first Physician Assistant to be hired by the San Bernardino County Hospital Emergency Room.

Kurt Richards, PA '98, recently assisted the world renowned founder of Grossman Burn Centers, Dr. Richard Grossman at Pet Emergency & Specialty Hospital in Thousand Oaks, CA, in treating two puppies that were in a house fire in Bakersfield. The puppies were transferred to the hospital, where Veronica Bingamon, DVM '11, is an intern, for medical therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Clinical Education Coordinator Joline Yeager, PA '97, MSHS '02; Instructor Elizabeth Maugh; and Assistant Professor Stephanie Baron, MSPA '03, had the opportunity to attend a Physician Assistant Education Association training session in Alexandria, VA. Two of the faculty participated in basic faculty skills education and another participated in clinical skills education. The faculty brought back valuable information that will be used by the PA Program.

Assistant Professor Tim Wood, MSPA '02, has been named the new Director of WesternU's Center for Academic and Professional Enhancement (CAPE). He is also the Academic Coordinator of the Physician Assistant Program. Since joining the faculty at WesternU he has been active with the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) where he received certificates in Basic Skills Faculty Development, Enhanced Skills for PA Faculty and Research Institute I. He presented at the 2010 PAEA National Education Forum on Student Performance Monitoring and at the 2011 Western Consortium Meeting on The Millennial Generation in the PA Classroom. Tim was part of the team that helped to re-design Academic Boot Camp during 2011 to bring together new elements of teaching and learning to better reflect trends in Graduate Medical Education. His research interests include Learning Styles, Academic Technology, and Generational Differences in the Classroom.

Patrick A. Krejdovsky, MSPA '05, is working in family medicine in the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.

Alicia Roth, MSPA '11, was recently hired by the Department as an assistant teacher.

PA faculty members Brian Tessier, PA '95, MSHS '10, and Tim Wood, MSPA '02, both are celebrating a five-year anniversary with WesternU.

Student News

PA 2012 Class

The PA 2012 Class is in the process of planning for their graduation awards ceremony. This is the first year that the students were able to select the date and location for the event. The class selected the end of June to have their celebration at a local venue in Claremont.

The commencement ceremony is right around the corner for the class. It will be celebrated at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in May.

PA 2013 Class

On April 1, eighty-one first year WesternU PA students participated in The Walk for Kids, a 5K event to raise funds and awareness for the services and programs provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. The charity provides a comforting "home away from home" for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment throughout California hospitals. Since 1989, more than 10,000 families from all over California, the U.S. and other countries, have found a comfortable place to stay for several hours, days, weeks, months, and in some cases, more than a year. Jennifer Moller, MSPA '13, organized her class' participation in the walk. Together, the class successfully raised $6,125 for the Orange County Ronald McDonald House. WesternU MSPA class of 2013 displayed a sincere dedication and responsibility to serving the community by participating in such a great cause.

PA 2014 Class

The interviews are complete and the acceptance notices were sent out. The applicant pool was large and very competitive this year. The program received more than 1,800 applications, which is a 14.5% increase from last year. More than 300 applicants were interviewed over a three month period.

PA students, along with those from COMP and the College of Optometry held a free pediatric clinic on March 9 at the Boys and Girls Club of Pomona Valley. The students conducted physical examinations, blood glucose screenings and vision screenings, and provided educational activities focused on hand washing, nutrition, exercise, the human body and eye care.

Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter.

Alumni Preceptor Profile

Joe Olivarez, PA '95, spent several years as a surgical tech before a veteran physician assistant took him under his wing and encouraged him to enter the profession. He played an integral role as Joe transitioned from his career as a surgical tech to that of a PA and eventually became his colleague at a sizeable orthopedic practice. "Pat Duke, PA-C was a mentor to me. He helped me become a PA and helped me get the preceptorship with the (Orthopaedic Medical) Group. While I was doing the preceptorship, it was Pat who convinced the physicians of the group that they needed to hire a second PA."

Joe continued to work as a surgical tech while completing his prerequisite coursework at Mt. SAC in Walnut until he entered PA school in 1993. One of the highlights of PA school was as a member of the AAPA medical challenge bowl team that won first place at the AAPA conference that year.

However, his biggest achievement during PA school was meeting his wife. "I met the love of my life, Becky (Barnett) Olivarez, in PA school, and we were great friends. We started dating after graduation, and we got married in 1999." They had their first son, Andrew, in 2001 and their second son, Eric, in 2004. As a family, they stay active and enjoy cycling, triathlon, and duathlon.

Looking back on his career, he recalls two major changes that have occurred in the profession. "When we first graduated, we could not write prescriptions, which of course, is now not a problem. The other biggest change is that we used to spend many visits with patients explaining what a PA was, but now, that's really not an issue."

Perhaps it is the effort in explaining the role of a PA to patients that influences his stance on the debate regarding changing the name of Physician Assistants to Physician Associates. "I used to be a big supporter of the name change. I was a big fan of the name Physician Associate. Now, I know that this would likely cause more trouble than it is worth. As soon as the name changed, there would have to be changes in legislation to reflect that change. Now that we are getting recognized as Physician Assistants, I don't think it would be a good idea to support a name change now in the midst of all the other health care legislation that is currently going on."

He has been in orthopedic practices since graduation, and has been employed at Spine Nevada in Reno, NV, since 2004. He began precepting students in 1996 and looks forward to the insightful questions they ask. "Having a student keeps me on my game, and I also enjoy when a student has that 'a-ha' moment." He is cognizant of the people who helped usher him in his journey to becoming a PA and has returned the favor by fulfilling that role for aspiring physician assistants.

Department of Physical Therapy Education

Celebrating 20 Years

Save the date - Saturday, October 20, 2012 – for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Department of Physical Therapy Education. There will be a family picnic at the WesternU campus. For information please e-mail PT20thAnniversary@westernu.edu or contact Assistant Professor Mary Hudson-McKinney. PT Alumni are also invited to make a gift of $20 in honor of the Department's 20 years. Your donation will support research and state-of-the-art facilities.

'Touch' TV Actress Gets Expert Autism Advice from WesternU

TV actress Roxana Brusso was looking for more than a touch of information about autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to better prepare herself for a character she is playing on a new TV show on FOX. In doing so, she got some expert advice from Department Chair and Associate Professor Dee Schilling. Brusso plays the role of recurring character Sheri Strepling, a director and physical therapist of a facility on Fox's new show "Touch," starring Kiefer Sutherland. The autistic 11-year-old son of Sutherland's character lives and is cared for at the facility.

Combined Sections Meeting

Several faculty participated in the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) which was recently held in Chicago. The four-day CSM focuses on programming designed by all 18 of APTA's specialty sections. The conference is held annually and this year was attended by more than 10,000 physical therapy professionals from across the country. WesternU was well represented by faculty members Drs. Mary Hudson-McKinney, Laurie Layton, Dee Schilling, David Selkowitz, Sandy Stuckey, and Professor Georgeanne Vlad. Professor Selkowitz was an invited speaker on "A User-Friendly Framework for Evidence-based Decision Making in Electrotherapy, Parts 1 & 2" and a lab for an "Electrotherapy Workshop". Associate Professor Vlad presented her research on "Empathy Among Healthcare Professions Students" at a podium presentation. Adjunct faculty member Rose Hamm was an invited speaker for an educational session on "Preparing the Wounded Foot for Ambulation"

The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) held a Ceremony for Recognition of Clinical Specialties as part of the opening ceremonies at the recent Annual Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

The following persons are among the 1,504 Physical Therapists nationwide in 2011 who met the requirements of the ABPTS and have attained and/or renewed certification as clinical specialists in their respective clinical practice areas. This brings the total to date of 11,527 clinical specialists nationwide in eight recognized specialty areas. Included below are graduates of either the entry-level or the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy programs at WesternU. Congratulations on such an accomplishment and a distinction well deserved!

Geriatric Certified Specialist (GCS)

Toni Jean Oliver, DPT '09, PT, DPT, GCS

Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS)

Priti J. (Patel) Bhatt, MPT '00, PT, MPT, OCS

Karleen Lyn Cox, MPT '02, PT, MPT, OCS

Andrea Lynnae Haston, DPT '07, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC

Jimmy Y. Lin, DPT '07, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Jason Aaron Roda, DPT '09, PT, DPT, OCS

Kathleen T. (Giertz) Young, MPT '98, PT, MPT, OCS

Troy Evan Young, DPT '08, PT, DPT, OCS

Pediatric Certified Specialist (PCS)

April Louise (Garry) Dewey, MPT '03, PT, MPT, PCS

Alumni Clinical Instructors

There is a distinct advantage in being mentored by someone who has had a similar educational experience, and our current students are excited to learn from your expertise. We are always looking for quality clinical education opportunities and are eager to have even more alumni involved in our clinical education program. Please contact Director of Clinical Education Sandy Stuckey at (909) 469-5309 or sstuckey@westernu.edu if you are interested and able to participate as a Clinical Instructor at your clinical facility. We are now recruiting for clinical placements for 2012 and would be happy to hear from you!

Alumni News

Clare Frank, DPT '03, as part of the Cynergy Education Group, taught the four-day course "Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization" last month at the Movement Performance Institute in Los Angeles, and will be teaching the two-day course on "Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes – The Janda Approach" on April 21-22 at Fortanasce Physical Therapy in Arcadia. For course information, go to Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes - The Janda Approach.

Dorcas Tominaga, DPT '06, gave a platform presentation entitled "Qualitative Analysis on Affective Domain Reports From Physical Therapy Student Experiences" at the recent APTA's CSM in Chicago.

Christina DeMetropolis, DPT '09, completed an APTA Credentialed Post Professional Clinical Residency program and was recognized during the opening ceremonies at the APTA's CSM recently held in Chicago. Dr. DeMetropolis graduated in 2011 from the yearlong Kaiser Permanente Southern California Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program.

Marijean Piorkowski, DPT '04, and Dorcas Tominaga, DPT '06, are serving as the course co-instructors for the American Physical Therapy Association's two-day Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (CIECP) that is being held at Chapman University, April 21-22. Dr. Piorkowski also was a co-instructor at the CIECP held earlier this year at Loma Linda University. The next local CIECP course is planned for June 15-16 at the Long Beach VA Medical Center – contact Georgeanne Vlad at gvlad@westernu.edu or more information.

DPT graduates from the Class of 2011 have scored a 100 percent pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination for licensure, based on results from the January 30 exam. The 32 DPT graduates who have taken the exam have all passed, and the seven remaining graduates have either not yet taken the test or have yet to advise the Department of their results. The DPT program has reached the 100% pass-rate milestone three times since becoming a doctorate program in 2006, and is on its way to a fourth perfect score this year.

Faculty News

Assistant Professor Mary Hudson-McKinney and Professor and Associate Dean of Research Donna Redman-Bentley had their research on "Comparison of Fallers and Nonfallers at an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility: A Retrospective Review" published in the January/February 2012 Volume 37, Issue 1 of Rehabilitation Nursing. In conducting this study, Drs. Hudson-McKinney and Redman-Bentley collaborated with two other physical therapists and the Director of the Research Institute at Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center in Pomona.

Chair and Associate Professor Dee Schilling recently became the Editor of The Academic Review, the official newsletter of the Academic Council of the American Physical Therapy Association. The purpose of the Council, which was formed in 2010, is to advance the enterprise of academic physical therapy by promoting the highest standards of excellence in academic programs/departments/schools.

Several faculty members were recently elected to positions within the San Gabriel Valley District of the California Physical Therapy Association. Associate Professors Casey Chaney, Sandra Stuckey, and Georgeanne Vlad will hold the office of Assembly Representatives, while Dr. Chaney will also serve on the Nominating Committee.

Assistant Professor Janet Konecne recently participated in the Walk for Kids 2012 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. Along with more than 10,000 participants, Dr. Konecne took part in the 5K walk in Anaheim which was held in conjunction with walks in several other locations throughout Southern California.

Student News

The DPT Class of 2013 recently attended the Los Angeles Abilities Expo as part of their coursework in the second year of the curriculum so that they could learn firsthand about the variety of opportunities available for persons with a disability. The 46 students, along with thousands of people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, seniors, wounded veterans and healthcare professionals, attended the Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For the last 30 years, Abilities Expo has been the one show dedicated to educating and improving the lives of Americans with disabilities, senior citizens, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals and professional therapists.

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