2009 Archives

On March 29, 2009, Emory Doctor of Physical Therapy students and faculty joined Emory’s Department of Rehabilitation in sponsoring the ING Georgia Wheelchair Half Marathon. The ING Georgia Half Marathon is a scenic and fun race through historic Atlanta neighborhoods with the start and finish located in the heart of downtown Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park.

Emory’s Department of Rehabilitation Services joined the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon in hosting a fully integrated wheelchair division in the half marathon distance. This is established as the premier wheeler half marathon in the United States. Emory DPT students and faculty were involved in holding “fun run” training events on the half marathon course for runners, wheelers and cyclists prior to the race; organizing the team of 40 cyclists who escorted the wheelers during the race to ensure safety and provide assistance if needed; helping the wheelers before and after the race with equipment and getting to the start; providing massages to the wheelers after the race; and maintaining a hydration station on the half and full course with 50 volunteers supplying water, Gatorade and cheers of encouragement.

Many thanks were given to Emory’s volunteers for organizing and implementing such a wonderful event.

The third annual students, faculty and staff fun run occurred over a stretch of 5 kilometers of green space in Lullwater Park on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. The Lullwater Estate is a beautiful area on Emory’s campus where the President of the University and his family reside. The surrounding park serves as a recreational area for Emory students, faculty, and staff. Lullwater’s wooded trails and scenic lake make it a favorite place for members of the Emory community including physical therapy program students, faculty and staff. The park’s main entrance off Clifton Road is adjacent to Center for Rehabilitation Medicine.

The run was organized to foster awareness of our own health and fitness. Participants were asked to record resting heart rates on three mornings prior to the event. Heart rates also were recorded immediately before and after the run.

The run was flagged off by the director of the program, Dr. Susan Herdman. After the run, students, faculty and staff met in the Woodruff Health Science Center Administration Building (WHSCAB) plaza to enjoy a meal catered by Willy’s.
5k run.

On Monday, October 19th, the first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy Students participated in the first Interprofessional Team Training Class among five of Emory’s health profession programs. This class was developed for first-year students from Medicine, School of Nursing, Medical Imaging, Physician Assistant and Physical Therapy Programs. It was the first class in a series of three classes which will occur across two years.

The overall goal of the Interprofessional Team Training Series is to assist in transforming the culture of healthcare towards improved patient safety by providing introductory inter-professional learning opportunities on key concepts of communication and teamwork to students in various health professions in a systematic, multi-stepped educational intervention over the course of a two year period. The topic of the first class was “Communication”, the second class is “Role Identity”, and the third class is “Team Identity”. The second and third classes will be held in the Fall of 2010 and Spring of 2011, respectively.

On October 19th, 460 students gathered in the WHSCAB (Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Administrative Building) auditorium for a one hour lecture. Following the lecture, students split into small groups of 10-12 students with mixed program representation for role plays and discussion. The small group sessions were led by 88 facilitators, two per group from different health professions, who volunteered their time to assist with this class. Facilitators received information prior to the class and further training while the students were in their large group lecture.

The planning committee for the Interprofessional Team Training Class worked in conjunction with a psychologist from Georgia Tech to incorporate a research component. Data was collected before and after the first class, and will be collected throughout the series. Research will primarily be used for curriculum development, but will have other uses as well.

The Emory Center for Experiential Learning (ExCEL) is located in the new Emory School of Medicine building. The center is a state-of-the-art facility encompassing over 10,000 square foot of educational space. ExCEL includes spaces for low-tech task trainers, sophisticated human patient simulators, and virtual reality equipment for surgical techniques. Experiential learning provides the trainee with a safe environment to learn and practice clinical skills. The skills range from basic procedures to sophisticated team-based scenarios. All sessions in ExCEL can be recorded and played back for later analysis and self-assessment. The training is done in a non-threatening environment for the trainee without consequences for an actual patient. The OSCE (Observed, Structured, Clinical Exam) Clinical Skills Center, SIM (Simulation) Lab, and the Fresh Tissue Laboratory are all part of ExCEL.

OSCE Center

The OSCE Center is used for standardized patient education, clinical skills education, physical diagnosis and other educational experiences. It contains four suites each of which contain a central debrief room with projection capability and 4 examination rooms equipped with examination table and standard clinic equipment. Standardized patients (actors) allow students to practice history, physical examination, and communication skills. Competency can be discreetly observed and assessed objectively with standardized evaluation instruments with immediate feedback. Feedback and evaluation can be provided by the standardized patient and the instructor.

Physical therapy instructors are utilizing the OSCE Center for practice and graded practical exams in General Medical, Musculoskeletal, and Neurorehabilitation Symptom Complexes.

SIM Lab

Simulation rooms have the capacity for direct and remote observation and recording. Much of the equipment is mobile allowing integration of experiential learning into the class room and small group learning.

What is Simulation?

Mannequin-based simulations use high fidelity simulators. These simulators are mannequins that physiologically respond to treatment similar to what would occur in real life patients. The simulated patient can be assessed by the learner; they can initiate treatment with a resultant response, and perform a variety of procedures. This is done in a controlled learning environment that mimics the real-life patient care settings but is safe for the patient and learner. We offer several types of simulation experiences: high fidelity, full-sized mannequins, task trainers, actors that portray patients (standardized patients), and virtual reality for surgical procedures.

Each of the four simulation rooms are flexible spaces that can be manipulated to incorporate a multitude of scenarios. The simulators can create real-life teaching environments that range from outpatient examination rooms to inpatient rooms in areas such as the emergency department, intensive care unit, labor and delivery suite, and an operating theatre. Standardized actors can be incorporated to increase the realism of these environments. All the simulations can be observed in real-time through the control room or reviewed using a web-based broadcast which can be live or delayed. Evaluation software is available for assessment of student’s performance. Two large clinical skills spaces can be used for a variety of training programs and as lecture space. The center has two multimedia classrooms for debriefing sessions. In addition, we have additional space for Harvey, a high fidelity heart sound simulator.

High Fidelity Simulators

• 4 Adult simulators
• 1 obstetric simulator
• 1 Newborn simulator
• 1 Five year old simulator
• 1 Endoscopy simulator
• 1 Angiography simulator
• 4 Surgical virtual reality laparoscopy trainers
• 4 Surgical laparoscopy box trainers

Low Fidelity Simulators and Task Trainers

• 4 ACLS simulators
• 4 airway management trainers
• 5 Central line mannequins including two ultrasound compatible mannequin
• 2 Pediatric airway management trainers
• 4 Birthing, pelvic, breast, rectal/prostate, and testicular examination task trainers
• 12 Intravenous training arms
• 4 Blood pressure training systems
• 4 Fundoscopic examination models
• 4 Ear examination models
• 5 Adult and pediatric CPR trainers
• 5 AED trainers
• 4 Lumbar puncture trainers
• 3 Arterial blood gas trainers
• 2 Gynecologic ultrasound trainers
• 1 Knee arthrocentesis trainer

Students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program participate in various learning experiences in the SIM lab, including an intensive care unit simulation during the General Medical Complex.

The second annual White Coat Ceremony was held on Saturday, September 12, in the sanctuary at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory University campus. The ceremony marks the student’s transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences and also initiates them in physical therapy ethics.

Dr. Alan Otsuki, Associate Dean for Medical Education and Student Affairs at Emory University School of Medicine, opened the program with Welcoming Remarks. Catherine Maloney, Director, Center for Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory Healthcare, and an Emory physical therapy program alumna, gave the Keynote Address. The White Coats were presented to the Division of Physical Therapy Class of 2012 by Dr. Susan J. Herdman, Professor and Director, and Jeff Hoder, Assistant Professor, 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. Susan Herdman 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.

The first year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, having just finished their Anatomy course, held a Service of 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 read passages about “giving” from their own works composed for the service and known authors. Additionally, students rendered vocal performances and displayed their own anatomical drawings as an offering of their gratitude. On behalf of the faculty, Dr. Zoher Kapasi, course director for anatomy, spoke at the service. The University Chaplain, Reverend Susan Henry-Crowe, Dean of the Chapel and Religious Life, led the service and was followed at the end by lighting of candles.

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.

Erin Wilson, a third-year Emory DPT student, has worked with many patients during her long-term neurorehabilitation affiliation at Specialty Care of Marietta. The story of one of these patients has recently been described in the local news.

Erin began working with this patient in June and treated her for four weeks. The patient’s main goal was to walk with only a cane, and to throw away her wheelchair. During the four weeks of physical therapy treatment, Erin taught her scanning and compensatory techniques in order to combat her visual impairments (caused by bilateral cataracts) as the patient progressed from a using a wheelchair, to ambulating with a rolling walker, to using a single-point cane. They also worked on ambulation outdoors, particularly on uneven surfaces. The patient was discharged from the facility approx ten days after she was discharged from physical therapy, where Erin determined the patient was now safe and able to live independently. Before leaving, all staff members at Specialty Care of Marietta organized a “Housewarming Party” for the patient, bringing in food, household items and other necessities to help start her new life.

Specialty Care of Marietta is a sub-acute rehab facility located directly across from Kennestone Hospital. It features a rehab wing, as well as a long term care unit (which is where this patient had resided for three years)

Karen Wilson, one of Emory’s DPT I students, has been selected to serve on the Emory Global Health Institute’s Student Advisory Committee.

Established in September 2006 as a university-wide initiative, the Emory Global Health Institute supports Emory faculty, students, and alumni in their work to find solutions to critical global health problems. The Emory Global Health Institute builds on Emory University’s long history of highly successful global health projects and partnerships by supporting:

• Innovative global health Research Studies and Programs
• Global health Training programs for students and health professionals
• Global health Partnerships
• Global health Scholarship and Information Sharing through symposia, speakers’ series, and curriculum development

The Student Advisory Committee includes student representatives from the different schools across Emory. The committee works together to organize events and programs that promote the awareness and improvement of global health.

Susan J. Herdman, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Director of Emory’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and Professor in Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Otolaryngology, is the recipient of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy. This award acknowledges the significant contributions to physical therapy through excellence in research.                       

Dr. Herdman received this award as recognition of her many years of outstanding clinical research, frequency of published scientific studies and formal presentations of her scientific studies, and continual demonstration of professional commitment to the physical therapy profession. She was presented with a plaque from APTA’s Board of Directors at the Association’s Annual Conference June 10-13 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Herdman specializes in the treatment of patients with vestibular deficits. The focus of her current research is determining predictors for successful rehabilitation of people with vestibular loss. Previous research examined treatment efficacy in patients with unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction and the mechanisms involved in the recovery of gaze stability.

On Monday, May 11, the Emory DPT Class of 2009 participated in commencement ceremonies to celebrate the beginning of their professional careers as physical therapists.

The day began with the All-Schools Ceremony where Vicente Fox Quesada, former President of Mexico, was the commencement speaker. Next, they participated in the Academic Health Professions Diploma Ceremony where John Banja, PhD, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Assistant Director of the Program in Health Sciences and Ethics at Emory University, was the commencement speaker. Following the ceremonies, graduates and their families gathered at a reception held in the Woodruff Heath Sciences Center Administrative Building (WHSCAB).

The DPT program’s first dual-degree student, Nate Thomas, received both DPT and MBA diplomas at the Diploma Ceremony.

Congratulations to the Emory DPT Class of 2009!

Steve Wolf, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FAHA, has been honored with the APTA National Student Conclave Living Legend Award. This annual award was created in 2004 through the National Student Conclave to recognize a prominent physical therapist who has had, and continues to have, an impact the profession through teaching, research and leadership.

Other recipients of the Living Legend award include Florence Kendall, Shirley Sahrmann, Marilyn Moffat and Charles Magistro.

Dr. Wolf has been an active member of the APTA for many years and has been a past recipient of the Marian Williams Award for Research the Georgia Merit Award, the Robert C. Bartlett Recognition Award, the Helen J. Hislop Award for Excellence in Contributions to Professional Literature, the Lucy Blair Service Award. He is a past Mary McMillan Lecturer and recipient of the Neurology and Geriatric Sections awards for outstanding publications. Recently, he served on the Steering Committee to help organize the very successful Physical Therapy and Society Summit (PASS). PASS was a first-of-its-kind event for APTA and the PT profession. Its mission was to determine areas of opportunity to empower physical therapists to be leaders in: 1) integrating innovative technologies and practice models and 2) establishing collaborative multidisciplinary partnerships that address current, evolving, and future societal health care needs.

Dr. Wolf’s research initially focused on the role of feedback to enhance movement control from which emerged interests in muscle monitoring and retraining of stroke patients with EMG biofeedback, the use of Tai Chi to improve postural control in elderly individuals to reduce or prevent falling, and the effect of constraint-induced movement therapy of the hemiplegic upper extremity on recovery of movement function. Dr. Wolf also is involved in research to co-register transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) mapping of the motor cortex with fMRI. He has received NIH funding to pursue all these interests and most recently has received federal support to study the effects of robotic assistance on improvement of upper extremity function among patients with stroke.

Congratulations Dr. Wolf!

Rick Segal, Ph.D., PT, Adjunct Faculty Member, has been selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA. Only candidates who successfully meet all of the criteria below are considered by APTA’s Board of Directors for election to the Catherine Worthingham Fellow membership category:

1. Demonstrated advancement of the profession of physical therapy in at least one of the four domains of research, education, practice, or advocacy.
2. National recognition by APTA members and by leaders outside the physical therapy profession, with supporting documentation of achievements that have resulted in lasting contributions in at least two of the four domains of research, education, practice, or advocacy.
3. Frequent and sustained contributions (leadership, influence, and achievements) to advance the profession over a period of not less than fifteen years.
4. Definitive ways in which advancement of the physical therapy profession or lasting contributions have been achieved.
   1. Research
   2. Education
   3. Practice
   4. Advocacy

Congratulations to Rick on this prestigious and well-deserved honor!

Lori Northcraft, Emory DPT/MPH student, has been awarded one of two Emory Alumni Board Leadership Scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year. Congratulations to Lori on this honor!!

Emory University and the American Association of Adaptive Sports Program hosted the first of a kind national adapted sports track event on March 26, 2009. Approximately 30 high school and college wheelers from 7 states and two countries competed. The event was made possible via volunteers from Emory’s DPT Program.

Student recipients receive monetary awards when notified of selection and will receive certificates presented by APTA’s Board of Directors at the Association’s annual conference.

During his time at Emory, Nate has served as President of the DPT Class of 2008, has received the Excellence in Leadership Award for the Class of 2008, and is the first DPT-MBA dual degree student. While obtaining his MBA through the Goizueta Business School at Emory, he served as the Vice President of Goizueta Healthcare Club (2007-2008), won the Unsung Hero Award (Class of 2008), and was selected as a Fellow in the Goizueta Advanced Leadership Academy.

Nate has also demonstrated leadership and service through his involvement in the APTA. He served on the APTA National Student Assembly Board of Directors as Treasurer (2006-2007), President (2007-2008), and Delegate (2008-2009). He was the APTA Private Practice Section national essay contest winner (2008), the only student chosen to be on the APTA Strategic Thinking and Planning Group, and Assistant to the Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates (2007).

We congratulate Nate for all his achievements and awards as a DPT/MBA student at Emory!

Brenda Greene, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, recently contributed her time and expertise to Arthritis Today, the consumer health magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Greene provided consultation services for development of a web video of exercises appropriate for people with arthritis.

The Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Marcy O’Koon Moss, was extremely appreciative of Dr. Greene and her contribution to the project. In a letter to the Division of Physical Therapy Director, Marcy wrote: “Brenda was a gem to work with – professional, knowledgeable and generous with her time.”

Dr. Greene began teaching in the Physical Therapy Program at Emory University in 1988. In addition to her teaching and research responsibilities, she currently serves as an Associate Director of the program. Dr. Greene was among the first board certified orthopedic clinical specialists in 1989. Dr. Greene has a particular interest in injury prevention and health promotion for persons with chronic diseases such as arthritis and work-related cumulative trauma disorders. Her research activities involve collaboration with rheumatologists and other healthcare professionals in clinical and community settings.

The Division of Physical Therapy held its annual Alumni Reception at the Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday, February 11. The event was held from 5:00-7:00pm at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and was hosted by the faculty for students, alumni and Georgia physical therapists associated with the Emory DPT program.

Over 150 people attended the reception and enjoyed plentiful food, drinks and good company. It was a wonderful event, and we look forward to hosting the reception again at CSM in 2010.

Bruce Greenfield, PT, PhD, OCS, and co-authors, Allon Goldberg, PT, Phd, Steven L. Wolf, PhD, PT, FAPTA, and Catherine L. Curtis, PT, EdD, were selected by the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Physical Therapy Education to be the recipients of the 2008 Stanford Award for their article “Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of Genomics: Implications for Physical Therapist Education” (JPTE, Volume 22, Number 1, Spring 2008).

The Stanford Award was established through the generosity of Dr. Katherine Shepard and others who worked at Stanford University in Physical Therapy Education for many decades. The award is given to the author(s) whose manuscript published in any regular issue of the preceding year has been identified by the Journal Editorial Advisory Board as the article containing the most influential ideas for physical therapy education published in that year.

Both Dr. Greenfield and Dr. Wolf are faculty members in Emory’s Division of Physical Therapy. They, along with their co-authors, were honored with the award and publicly recognized for their importance and influence in physical therapy education on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at the Combined Sections Meeting.

Lori Northcraft, a DPT/MPH student currently at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health completing her MPH year, has been selected as 1 of 7 fellows who will be participating in an all-expenses paid trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico this March. She will be visiting the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica-INSP (National Public Health Institute) of Mexico where she will complete an intensive week of lectures, field site visits and laboratory tours, all in Spanish. Lori will have the opportunity to learning about Mexico’s most pressing public health issues—obesity, HIV/AIDS, and cervical cancer/reproductive health. Additionally, she has requested to particularly learn about rehabilitative and farmworker health issues which will tie into her thesis related to migrant farmworkers (mostly from Mexico) in South Georgia.

Congratulations, Lori! We look forward to hearing about your trip once you return.