Health Sciences Education
Physician Assistant Education
Physical Therapy Education
Department of Health Sciences Education
Barfield Community Day
On April 20, 2013, WesternU's Department of Health Sciences and Barfield Elementary School will be hosting their inaugural Barfield Community Day. Barfield students, faculty, staff, family, friends, and community members are invited to spend the day learning, playing, and growing together. A number of activities are scheduled for the event, including health screenings, outdoor activities for the children, and so much more! Parents can attend one of the several information sessions offered, including safety at home and at school, health and wellness, family well-being, and skills acquisition. Everyone is encouraged to bring packed healthy picnic lunches for their family. Barfield Community Day is an excellent opportunity to empower our community to make healthy decisions for their families, their school, and themselves. Please join us for this fun-filled day that offers something for people of all ages to enjoy! Joseph C. Barfield Elementary School, 2181 N. San Antonio Ave. Pomona, Ca. 91767.
National Public Health Week
National Public Health Week took place April 1-5. This year, MSHS students focused efforts on creating e-flyers focusing on the highlighted topics from the national campaign, Return on Investment; Save lives, save money http://www.nphw.org/. The themes for NPHW 2013 include: Ensuring a Safe, Healthy Home for Your Family; Providing a Safe Environment for Children at School; Creating a Healthy Workplace; Protecting You While You're on the Move; and Empowering a Healthy Community. The purpose of the week is to communicate the importance of public health in our society. MSHS students, Jayzona Alberto, Ngoc (Jade) Chim, Warren (Rolf) Gabrillo, Crystel Guivarra, and Roxanne Rosas, held a NPHW event on April 1 and provided public health education to the WesternU community. Campus community members wrote what public health means to them and posted their thoughts on a board that was displayed throughout the week.
IPE Health Fair
MSHS students, Jayzona Alberto, Megan Black, Amanda Brenner, Ngoc (Jade) Chim, Warren (Rolf) Gabrillo, Crystel Guivarra, Roxanne Rosas, Bryan Solis, 
Nicolas Tolosa and Ria Yambao, participated in this year's Inter-Professional Health Fair on Saturday, March 9th on the WesternU campus. The students created several health education flip charts on topics such as Diabetes, Obesity, Asthma, Foot Health, Oral Health, Exercise, Body-Mass Index, and many more. A part of the group focused on Asthma Education, while the other half assisted the PA students with BMI. The students had the opportunity to provide health education to members of the Pomona community in attendance. They were able to use the knowledge and skills they obtain through their courses to educate and interact with the patients. Many of them were excited to participate in this year's health fair and encourage their classmates to volunteer in the future. They welcome any opportunity to work alongside their fellow health care students in an effort to provide inter-professional collaboration.
Professional Updates
The April CHES and MCHES exam cycle has closed. The next CHES and MCHES exam is on October 19, 2013, and the cycle will open soon for registration. For exam eligibility and registration information the link is http://www.nchec.org/exam/eligible/ches/. The MCHES exam registration information is available at http://www.nchec.org/exam/eligible/mches/. Plan now for the October 19 CHES or MCHES exam:
- 1st Registration Deadline (May 1-June 1): $240, non-student fee and $210, student fee
- 2nd Registration Deadline (June 2-July 1): $250, non-student and $210, student
- 3rd Registration Deadline (July 2-August 1): $280, non-student and $210, student
- Final (Late) Registration (August 2-September 1); $330, non-student and $265, student
Student News
MSHS student, Jayzona Alberto, is one of the recipients of this year's East West Scholarship. Miss Alberto was selected among a number of applicants, but her commitment to community service throughout her life made her standout. Miss Alberto has been an avid volunteer most of her life, from helping her parents with Meals on Wheels at a young age to volunteering throughout high school at Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph Hospitals in Orange. She continues her volunteer work by participating in WesternU health fairs and occasionally with the Red Cross. Miss Alberto attributes her interest and passion in public health and community health education to her involvement in her community throughout her life. Congratulations, Jayzona, on being one of the East West Scholarship recipients!
MSHS students Jayzona Alberto and Amanda Brenner have been selected to present at the Society for Public Health Education's (SOPHE) 64th Annual Meeting in April! This years' conference theme is The magic of health education: Vision, imagination, transformation, to be held April 17-19, 2013 at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Hotel in Orlando, FL. Jayzona and Amanda will present Building a better Tomorrowland: Empowering future health educators through the "Four I's of Student Leadership". With a record number of 297 abstracts submitted for this conference, we are proud that their abstract was accepted for presentation. If you would like to attend, the preliminary conference program and online registration are available now at http://www.sophe.org/2013meeting.cfm. Congratulations!
Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter.
Upcoming Events
April 18: WesternU's College of Pharmacy presents the Ray Symposium on campus. Dr. Patricia Crawford, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, and a Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist, will present "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention," at 5:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1 of the Health Education Center on WesternU's Pomona campus.
May 15: WesternU Alumni Networking Mixer, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at McCormick & Schmick's in Pasadena (111 N Los Robles). Meet up with other WesternU alumni and join us for an evening of complimentary appetizers, drinks and lively conversation. RSVP by May 10 to Austin Braunwalder.
May 15-17: WesternU's 32nd Commencement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
June 10: WesternU's 2013 Towne & Gown Golf Tournament, benefiting student scholarships, will be held Monday, June 10, 2013, at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
July 13: Save the date to join your fellow alumni for complimentary drinks and snacks at WesternU's "Day at the Beach" in Malibu on Saturday, July 13, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
See a full list of upcoming events on the Online Alumni Events page.
For more information or to RSVP for these events, please contact the Alumni Office at (909) 469-ALUM or alumni@westernu.edu.
Department of Physician Assistant Education
Department earns maximum accreditation
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted the College of Allied Health Professions Department of Physician Assistant Education the maximum accreditation length of seven years, through March 2020.
PA Profession News
The Effects of Sequestration on Medicare
The sequestration initiated by the government does have implications for health care, in particular Medicare. In a notice from Sandy Harding, AAPA senior director of federal advocacy, the cuts to the program will take place beginning April 1, 2013. The Center for Medicate & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been ordered to reduce outlays for Medicare Part B by $5.1 billion in 2013 and to reduce the outlays for Medicare Part A by $5.6 billion in the same year. The CMS sequestration plans include implementation of the following:
•Payments for fee-for-service claims with dates of service or dates of discharge on or after April 1, 2013, will be reduced by 2 percent.
•Payments for claims for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies will be reduced by 2 percent if the date of service or the start date for rental equipment or multiday supplies is on or after April 1, 2013.
•The claims pay adjustment is to be applied to all claims after determining coinsurance, deductibles and Medicare Secondary Payment adjustments.
•Beneficiary payments for deductibles and coinsurance are not subject to the 2 percent reduction.
•Medicare payment to beneficiaries for unassigned claims is subject to the 2 percent reduction.
The CMS plan follows the sequestration order issued by President Obama on March 1, 2013 as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Although the budget cuts were implemented immediately by most federal programs, they were delayed until April 1 for Medicare.
Looking for Loan Repayment?
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has opened the application cycle for its loan repayment program. The deadline to apply for 2014 funding is April 16. Providers who qualify, and commit to working at least two years in a medically underserved area, will receive up to $60,000 in loan repayment assistance. Learn more about the corps and apply online today.
Alumni & Faculty News
For all you CAPA voting members, please remember to vote. Look for the alumni that are running:
- Roy Guizado, PA '94, MSHPE '97 – running for Vice President
- Saloni Swarup, MSPA '13 – running for Director at Large
Stephanie Chamani, MSPA '01, is board certified in primary care with special recognition in general surgery. She is currently with Revive Aesthetics and Wellness Center in Chino Hills, CA.
Amber Singletary, PA '00, MSHS '04, and Alicia Roth, MSPA '11, attended a Physician Assistant Education Association training session in Arlington, Virginia. The two faculty members participated in basic faculty skills education. They brought back valuable information that will be used by the PA Program.
The Department recently hired Casey McCollum, MSPA '12, as an assistant teacher.
Student News
PA 2013 Class
The PA 2013 Class is in the process of planning for their graduation awards ceremony. This is the second 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 2014 Class
The PA 2014 class recently implemented a "PA Awareness Day", in March. Their goal was to raise the University's awareness of PAs and their contributions to health care. The PA students provided information brochures that detailed the scope of practice of Physician Assistants. The students also provided a grilled lunch fundraiser. The PA Department was able to display their new Department Van that has been dedicated to community outreach events. The PA students made a positive impression upon the rest of the University. They also displayed their willingness and capability to work together for a common good. Congratulations to the PA 2014 class.
Congratulations to Chelsea Hemming, MSPA '14, who is running for the Student Representative position for the California Academy of Physician Assistants Board of Directors. If elected, she will be the second representative from WesternU's Physician Assistant program in the past two years. The current Student Representative position is held by Saloni Swarup, MSPA '13.
Congratulations to Matthew Kiddle, MSPA '14, on receiving a scholarship at the seventh annual East West Scholarship Dinner. He was selected based on academic achievement, service to the community, and potential for future success. Matthew wrote an excellent essay highlighting all of those aspects. Congratulations to Matthew and all the other students who received East West scholarships.
PA 2015 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 over 1940 applications, which is a 14.5 percent increase from last year. Over 350 applicants were interviewed over a three month period. Entering average GPAs and ethnicity data are still being collated.
Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter.
Alumni Preceptor Profile
Mission Viejo native, Alison (Casserly) Omel, MSPA '06, first became interested in pursuing a career in medicine during 
her freshman year in college. As a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), she volunteered at the county hospital in Santa Barbara. She also became a medical assistant at an urgent care during her sophomore year. Her exposure to PAs in the field truly inspired her: "The physician assistant at the urgent care was very well respected by the patients and doctors that worked at the practice because of her experience with patient care and medicine. It was at this point I envisioned myself as physician assistant."
Alison entered the PA program in 2004, and she indicates that Adult Medicine taught by Nancy Nielsen-Brown was her favorite course. However, the highlight of her PA school career was the clinical year, when she was able to apply all of the knowledge she had obtained during her first year. She vividly remembers the first patient she saw on her first rotation at a community health center. "[The patient] was a male that was around 20 years old. I listened to him mumble how hard it was to swallow and how his throat hurt. Upon physical exam I noted a large peritonsillar abscess. I presented the case to the preceptor with a plan including sending him to the emergency room for an incision and drainage. A week later the patient returned to the clinic talking and looking completely different to thank me for diagnosing him." Experiences such as these were a reminder of why this career was a perfect fit for her.
She has been employed primarily in family care centers. Following graduation, she accepted a position with one of her prior preceptors, Dr. Howard Fishbein, with whom she works three days per week. The other two days are spent working at the clinic of Dr. Peter Kim. With Dr. Fishbein, she finds a great deal of fulfillment training second year PA students: "I love preparing students to start thinking clinically and putting all the knowledge they have learned into practical application. I want to support a learning style of positive feedback. I have had prior students tell me they felt they learned more when they were not afraid to ask questions. What I always tell students is that you don't have to know everything but you better know how to look it up fast."
Since her graduation in 2006, she has seen the PA profession grow as well as job opportunities expand. She also feels that the patients are much more knowledgeable about the profession. In the future, she would like to see the continued support from the community physicians.
On a personal level, Alison enjoys working in family practice where every day is different and brings new challenges: "It allows me to never get tired if what I do. I love getting to know the patients and their medical history and treating them. I can imagine myself staying with my job until Dr. Fishbein and Dr. Kim retire then maybe working in emergency medicine once my child has gone to college."
In her spare time, she loves playing soccer, cycling, and running. Alison has been happily married for six years and resides in Irvine with her husband and two-year old son, Grant.
Upcoming Events
April 18: WesternU's College of Pharmacy presents the Ray Symposium on campus. Dr. Patricia Crawford, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, and a Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist, will present "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention," at 5:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1 of the Health Education Center on WesternU's Pomona campus.
May 15: WesternU Alumni Networking Mixer, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at McCormick & Schmick's in Pasadena (111 N Los Robles). Meet up with other WesternU alumni and join us for an evening of complimentary appetizers, drinks and lively conversation. RSVP by May 10 to Austin Braunwalder.
May 15-17: WesternU's 32nd Commencement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
June 10: WesternU's 2013 Towne & Gown Golf Tournament, benefiting student scholarships, will be held Monday, June 10, 2013, at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
July 13: Save the date to join your fellow alumni for complimentary drinks and snacks at WesternU's "Day at the Beach" in Malibu on Saturday, July 13, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
See a full list of upcoming events on the Online Alumni Events page.
For more information or to RSVP for these events, please contact the Alumni Office at (909) 469-ALUM or alumni@westernu.edu.
Department of Physical Therapy Education
Professional Activities
The DPT program recently hosted a meeting of the San Gabriel Valley District of the California Physical Therapy Association with about 40 physical therapists and students in attendance. After a short business meeting, there was a continuing education presentation on "Concussion Assessment & Management for the Physical Therapist" given by Dr. Aimee Miltenberger Diaz, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, Director of the Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program and Instructor of Clinical Physical Therapy at the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy.
Alumni News
Mary Wardell, DPT '08, Associate Professor Dayle Armstrong, DPT '07, and Associate Dean of Research and Professor Donna Redman-Bentley, PT, PhD, recently had their manuscript entitled "Differences in function between children with sensory processing disorders, physical disabilities and typically developing children" accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Pediatric Physical Therapy.
Sean Hill, MPT '01, is co-owner and Vice President, Rehab United Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, Inc. in the San Diego area.
Dorcas Tominaga, DPT '06, and Associate Professor Georgeanne Vlad, PT, MA, recently taught a two-day Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (CIECP) from the American Physical Therapy Association. The course was held March 23-24 for more than 60 participants at Presbyterian Intercommunity Medical Center in Whittier. Dr. Tominaga will be teaching the CIECP at Tri City Medical Center in Carlsbad on June 8-9.
Marijean Piorkowski, DPT '04, co-taught the American Physical Therapy Association's two-day Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (CIECP) that was held at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on March 23-24 and will be teaching the CIECP at the Peninsula Wellness Center in Monterey on April 13-14. Contact the California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA) to register.
Patrick Chen, DPT '12, at Rancho Physical Therapy, La Quinta; Kakkada Ly, DPT '10, at California Childrens Services, Los Angeles; Chris Neal, DPT '12, at Rancho Physical Therapy, La Quinta; Lorenz Nunez, MPT '01, at Presbyterian Intercommunity Medical Center, Whittier; Paul Richert, MPT '95, at Los Robles Medical Center, Thousand Oaks; and Karen Su, DPT '09, at St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton, all attended the American Physical Therapy Association's two-day Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (CIECP) that was held at Presbyterian Intercommunity Medical Center in Whittier on March 23-24.
Alumni Clinical Instructors
Once again, we are excited to have several of our alumni serving as Clinical Instructors (CI's). Those serving as CI's for the DPT Class of 2013 during their twelve-week clinical education experience from January through March include: Michael Cadwell, DPT '07, Rancho Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Cucamonga; Sheila Collins, MPT '01, DPT '12, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale; Stephen Ho, MPT '02, Huntington Hospital, Pasadena; Sara Jacobs, DPT '08, The Body Center Physical Therapy and Pilates, Claremont; Laura Murphy, DPT '10, San Antonio Community Hospital, Upland; Karla Plooster, MPT '01, DPT '10, Physiotherapy Associates, Cypress; Julia Turko Previch, MPT '99, California Children's Services of Los Angeles, Claremont; Matthew Schatz, MPT '00, Mobility Physical Therapy, Lake Forest; James Sposa, DPT '06, Ando & Aston Physical Therapy, Anaheim Hills; Capp Wormley, DPT '09, Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula, Monterey; and Cindy Ysais, MPT '99, Body Basics Physical Therapy, Corona.
We are finalizing clinical placements for 2013 and would be happy to hear from you! 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 Janet Konecne at (909) 706-3819 or jkonecne@westernu.edu if you are interested and able to participate as a Clinical Instructor at your clinical facility.
Faculty News
Chair and Associate Professor Dee Schilling, PT, PhD, was a speaker at the 11th annual Trends in Autism Conference sponsored by Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, which was held April 6 at WesternU. Dr. Schilling addressed the audience on "An Inter-professional Approach to Autism: Oh the Possibilities," and participated in a panel presentation of autism specialists. The one-day conference is given each year as an introduction for parents, educators and those involved in autism treatment so that participants can learn about the latest research, most effective treatment approaches, how to access services, and what the opportunities are for those on the autism spectrum.
Associate Professor Georgeanne Vlad, PT, MA, was an invited speaker last month for a workshop on "Physical Therapy as a Career Choice" for the Medical and Pre-Health Student Society (MAPSS) at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Their day-long Pre-Medical & Pre-Health Conference, which targets underrepresented students from all colleges and universities in Southern California who are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare professions, was recently held on the CSUSB campus.
Assistant Professor Janet Konecne, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, performed at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, April 6. This concert was a POPS fundraiser benefit of "Memorable Melodies" featuring Susan Egan, the Tony-nominated actress as the original Belle from the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast". Dr. Konecne, an established expert in physical therapy for performing artists, plays principal bassoon with the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra. More information on this and future performances is available at www.lamiradasymphony.com.
Instructor Steven Snyder, DPT '12, is the team captain for Team WDI with the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure bike ride in Long Beach on April 28. The team goal is $1000 with the option of riding the 31 or 62 mile course. The cost is $15/cyclist and each person in required to fundraise $175 to participate. If you would like to join the team or donate or have questions, contact Dr. Snyder directly at ssnyder@westernu.edu or go to the team page at http://main.diabetes.org/goto/teamwdi.
Student News
The DPT Class of 2014 attended the Los Angeles Abilities Expo, held March 15-17, as part of their coursework this semester so that they could learn firsthand about the variety of opportunities available for persons with a disability. The 49 students, along with thousands of people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, seniors, wounded veterans and health care professionals, attended the Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For the past 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. It has been the nation's foremost event for companies to demonstrate their products and services to the largest community of end-users and industry professionals, and more Expos are planned to take place during 2013 in New York, Chicago, Houston, Boston, Singapore, and San Jose.
Congratulations to the 14 DPT students who supported the Free Wheelchair Mission in the recent "Run for Mobility" held at the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach. The WesternU DPT Team of seven runners, with participants from each of the DPT classes of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, raised almost $3,600, which will provide 49 wheelchairs. In addition, seven students from the DPT classes of 2013 and 2014 served as volunteers for this annual event. Founded in 2001, the Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. The total participation of 70 volunteers and 110 runners in this event resulted in more than $100,000 being raised, which will provide 1,376 wheelchairs worldwide.
Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter.
Upcoming Events
April 18: WesternU's College of Pharmacy presents the Ray Symposium on campus. Dr. Patricia Crawford, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, and a Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist, will present "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention," at 5:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1 of the Health Education Center on WesternU's Pomona campus.
May 15: WesternU Alumni Networking Mixer, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at McCormick & Schmick's in Pasadena (111 N Los Robles). Meet up with other WesternU alumni and join us for an evening of complimentary appetizers, drinks and lively conversation. RSVP by May 10 to Austin Braunwalder.
May 15-17: WesternU's 32nd Commencement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
June 10: WesternU's 2013 Towne & Gown Golf Tournament, benefiting student scholarships, will be held Monday, June 10, 2013, at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
July 13: Save the date to join your fellow alumni for complimentary drinks and snacks at WesternU's "Day at the Beach" in Malibu on Saturday, July 13, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
See a full list of upcoming events on the Online Alumni Events page.
For more information or to RSVP for these events, please contact the Alumni Office at (909) 469-ALUM or alumni@westernu.edu.
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