2011 Archives

This fall, Dr. Sarah Blanton, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a photography exhibit at the Cannon Chapel at Emory. The narrative theme of this body of work is called “Thin Places” and addresses themes of spirituality in Appalachian landscape.

She says: “My art and spirituality are intertwined so that each fosters the other’s growth. I find the overarching theme of my work a dynamic exchange between these two driving forces. This set of images explores concepts of spirituality and self-reflection through various dimensions of landscape. I have spent the last 20 years trying to portray the sense of place I experience at the lake of my childhood. Located in Upper East Tennessee, South Holston Lake is bordered by the Appalachian Mountains. Being in the presence of this deep, quiet body of water pulls me out of the whirl of life to rest in a centered awareness. At the shores edge, there is such a sense of wisdom and solace. It is a threshold – a true “thin place”.

The concept of thin places comes from Celtic mythology. Peter Gomes, a Harvard theologian, says that these thin places are “in the universe where the visible and the invisible world come into their closest proximity. To seek such places is the vocation of the wise and the good — and for those that find them, the clearest communication between the temporal and eternal. Mountains and rivers are particularly favored as thin places marking invariably as they do, the horizontal and perpendicular frontiers. But perhaps the ultimate of these thin places in the human condition are the experiences people are likely to have as they encounter suffering, joy and mystery.”

South Holston is where I experience the truth of my spirituality at its most sincere and humble levels,” says Dr. Blanton.

Through this exhibit, Dr. Blanton was invited as guest lecture for the Emory University School of Theology class: Chaplaincy in a Multi-Religious World – “Reflections of Art and Spirituality in Appalachia.” She also took part in the “Lunch Time Talks” at Common Grounds café at Cannon Chapel, to discuss her art and the role of spirituality in her work.

Dr. Marie Johanson received the “Teacher of the Year” Award from Physical Therapy Association of Georgia (PTAG). The announcement and presentation of the award was made at the recent PTAG meeting in Dahlonega.

This award is recognition of the excellence with which Dr. Johanson pursues her teaching and a reflection of the teaching excellence within our program.

Congratulations to Dr. Johanson on receiving this distinct honor.

Patricia Nichols, Assistant Professor, received Emory University School of Medicine Dean’s Teaching Award for the academic year 2010-11. She is one of eight faculty given this award from over 20 eligible candidates. The conferral of this award signifies that her students and colleagues hold her in the very highest esteem for her dedication and skill in teaching our students.

Congratulations Pat! You make us all proud!

On a sunny Saturday in early October, nine first and second-year DPT students accompanied Dr. Pullen to the Hispanic Health Fair at the North DeKalb Health Center. As we drove into the Health Center parking lot arrival an hour before the fair was scheduled to start, we were met by a long line of hopeful fair attendees stretching from the health center entrance all the way down to the street – a clear indication of the necessity of a community health event such as this. After a quick set-up of a sun shade tent, tables, chairs and printed materials, fair attendees began to approach our physical therapy station. It was soon quite evident that we would be extremely busy that day – as word spread that there were physical therapy services on-site, people arrived in droves. Students worked as a cohesive team to register individuals, take brief patient histories and then provide the appropriate education regarding aches and pains and ergonomically correct lifting techniques. Students also taught a “Back Class” which involved demonstrations on how to employ proper techniques when lifting and carrying heavy loads and included enthusiastic crowd participation! We saw nearly 50 nearly exclusively Spanish-speaking individuals ranging from age 10 to 68 over a 3 hour period and were able to provide education and practical advice regarding back pain, ergonomics and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle.

All students gained valuable experience in treating a medically underserved population, working in a non-traditional environment and providing education to a diverse array of individuals. Although health fair organizers had initially predicted that approximately 200 individuals would attend the fair, over 400 people registered and received pro bono services in the areas of primary care, women’s health, flu vaccines and physical therapy. Students were enthusiastic about returning next year to volunteer at this important community health event.

Gratitude to honor the gift of cadavers they received to pursue their studies in anatomy. This non-denominational service was held at Emory’s Canon Chapel and was attended by the DPT Program faculty and students along with families and friends of the students.

Students presented poems and gave testimonials from people who decided to donate their bodies to research as an offering of their gratitude. On behalf of the faculty, Dr. Zoher Kapasi, course director for anatomy and Director of the DPT Program, spoke at the service. Reverend Susan Henry-Crowe, Dean of Chapel & Religion, led the service with opening remarks and following a lighting of candles, concluded with closing reflections.

The Service of Gratitude is held every year at the end of the Anatomy course and is organized by the students. The service reinforces the values of caring and giving within our DPT students as they proceed in their training to become Doctors of Physical Therapy.

Welcome Back DPT Class of 2013! The Class of 2013 was welcomed back with enthusiasm and excitement at a “cook-out” styled celebration as they returned from their long-term clinical rotations. These students return after having completed three (3) ten-week clinical rotations in an acute care setting, a rehabilitation setting and a community setting. The students come back in their 3rd and final year of the program where they will take elective courses and do research projects with a faculty mentor.

The celebration is held to welcome the students back to campus as they head toward completion of their pursuit of becoming Doctors of Physical Therapy.

Dr. Braxley currently works as a staff physical therapist in acute rehabilitation (acquired brain injury) at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He has been actively involved in national, section and chapter APTA activities since he was a Student Physical Therapist Delegate to the House of Delegates during his time at Emory.

Congratulations to Ben on his election to this committee.

Zoher Kapasi, PT, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, has officially been named the next Program Director of the Physical Therapy Division of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory. According to Dr. David Burke, Professor and Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, “after a national search, it was clear that Dr. Kapasi has the credentials and vision to take this nationally recognized program to new heights.” Dr. Kapasi has been serving as the Interim Director for the past 16 months after Dr. Susan Herdman resigned from the position. Dr. Kapasi has been on the faculty since 1994.

The faculty, students and staff are excited to have Dr. Kapasi as the director of our program, and look forward to many wonderful years ahead. Congratulations, Dr. Kapasi.

For two weekends in June, students from the 2nd and 3rd year DPT class volunteered their time with the South Georgia Farmworkers Health Project in Bainbridge and Valdosta, Georgia. Faculty members Sara Pullen, Kathleen Geist, Tami Phillips, Jeff Hoder and Professor Emeritus Susan Freed also volunteered their time during these weekends, as did alumnae Anna Fidler ’09 and Jaci Brandt ’11.

This project was established in 1996 when Emory physician assistant and medical students first took a caravan of cars down to southern Georgia to provide medical care to the workers who labor in the corn and bell pepper fields. The Farmworker project consists of traveling clinics, setting up each day at a new worker camp or mobile home community to attend to needs of this vastly underserved population.

The Emory DPT program has been involved with this project for four years and it is now under the direction of Dr. Sara Pullen. Physical therapy students work with trained physical therapists to evaluate and treat farmworkers for common injuries such as low back pain, knee and shoulder injuries. In addition, students conduct a “back class” on proper body mechanics for lifting, throwing and catching heavy boxes of farm produce. Clinics start early in the morning and run as late as midnight, with the clinic sites changing daily based on local needs. One group of students summarized their experience saying “We met wonderful people, and most importantly made an impact in the farmworkers’ lives; providing them care they were very unlikely to have access to otherwise.”

We hope the program will continue to grow in years to come. Working with an underserved population is an invaluable opportunity for any healthcare provider, and we enjoyed working with such a brilliant and dedicated group of PAs, MDs and volunteers.

The Division of Physical Therapy faculty, students and staff welcome the DPT Class of 2014. This diverse class includes 66 students, 42 females and 24 males, from 21 states and South Korea. They are represented by 48 universities and 26 majors.

On May 9, 2011, the Emory DPT Program graduated the DPT Class of 2011. The Emory University graduation ceremony was held on the quad where U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delivered the keynote address. The Emory Doctor of Physical Therapy Program ceremony followed, and commencement speaker Dr. James Gordon, Associate Dean and Chair of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California encouraged the new grads with words of wisdom as they move forward to begin their careers as physical therapists. The DPT ceremony took place in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Auditorium, and a reception for students and their families, faculty and staff of the Division was held afterward on the plaza level.

The 2011 Student Marshall was Jessica Leigh Wallace and the Class Speaker was Timothy Carlton Lonergan. Please see the list below of students from the DPT Class of 2011.

Congratulations to all the 2011 Graduates!

Many of the lab’s research subjects are traveling from out-of-state (e.g., Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida) to participate in up to 5 consecutive days of testing. The tickets offer participants a fun activity while away from the lab.

The fourth annual White Coat Ceremony was held on Saturday, September 10, in the sanctuary at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory University campus. The ceremony marks the students’ transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences and also initiates them in physical therapy ethics.

Dr. Kathy Griendling, Professor, Assistant Dean for Faculty Development at Emory University School of Medicine, opened the program with Welcoming Remarks. Michael Wooden, a physical therapist and Instructor in the Division of Physical Therapy, gave the Keynote Address. The White Coats were presented to the Division of Physical Therapy Class of 2014 by Dr. Zoher Kapasi, Associate Professor and Director, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Dr. David T. Burke, Professor and Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, provided the Closing Remarks for the program.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr. Zoher Kapasi led the students in a recitation of the APTA “Code of Ethics.” A reception followed the ceremony in the atrium of the Math and Science Building for faculty, students and family who attended the event. The officers from the DPT II class assisted during the ceremony and attended the reception to congratulate the DPT I students.