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School of Health Professions

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Teaching award winner: “They motivate me more than anything”

 

Assistant Professor Selina Morgan, PT, DPT, NCS, is the 2022 winner of the School of Health Professions’ Shirlyn McKenzie Teaching Excellence Award — but to hear her tell it, a big part of the honor goes to her students.

“I love my students because they are the cream of the crop,” Morgan said. "They are so motivated to learn and that makes it all so rewarding."

PT Assistant Professor Selina Morgan teaches PT students

Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences program: a student’s perspective

 

Grecia Almanza Castaneda wants to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, and she enrolled in the new Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences program at UT Health San Antonio as one step toward that goal.

The BS in Medical Sciences program, which welcomed its first class in August 2022, is designed to prepare students for competitive application to professional graduate school programs including medicine, nursing, dental, pharmacy and allied health professions.

Grecia Almanza, Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences student

Professor hosts podcast for — and about — Texas PAs

 

Physician assistants in Texas — and all who want to learn more about the PA profession — can now listen to a monthly podcast series hosted by a UT Health San Antonio professor and created with them in mind.

Launched in November, TAPA Talks is produced by the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) and hosted by Assistant Professor Steven “Tony” Skaggs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C.

TAPA Talks podcast logo

Speech-language pathology and dental students learn from each other in IPE pilot project

 

Speech-language pathology and dental students participating in a recent interprofessional pilot project explored how their professions complement each other and how they can better care for patients with special needs.

Jessi O’Brien, a second-year Master of Speech-Language Pathology student, said she has already used strategies she learned during the pilot program.

Dental and speech-lange pathology students particpate in an interprofessional pilot project

Two pilot studies will gauge impact of interventions on neuroplasticity and hip-fracture surgery outcomes in older adults

 

UT Health San Antonio researchers will be launching two pilot studies to learn whether specific interventions help older adults build stronger neural pathways and recover better from hip fracture surgery.

The two separate pilot studies each received a $50,000 grant from the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center.

Does blood-flow restriction exercise boost neuroplasticity?

Doctor of Physical Therapy students and Assistant Professor Gustavo Almeida simulate blood-flow restriction training.

PT professor reelected president of Texas Physical Therapy Association

 

Associate Professor Michael Geelhoed, DPT, OCS, MTC, was reelected to a second term as president of the Texas Physical Therapy Association at the group’s annual conference, held in Irving, Texas, in October.

Geelhoed, who also is director of clinical education for the Department of Physical Therapy, has a range of goals for his three-year term.

Associate PT Professor Michael Geelhoed

Homeward bound: PA student plans to practice in Laredo after graduation

 

When she graduates from the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program in December, Carolina Gomez-Salinas will head home to give back to the community she loves.

PA Studies student Carolina Gomez-Salinas poses in her white coat

Respiratory Care program well represented at national and international meetings

 

Faculty from the Division of Respiratory Care were well represented at the 68th American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) International Congress in New Orleans in November.

Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education Kristina Ramirez, MPH, RRT, CHES, FCCP, and Associate Professor Rick Wettstein, MMEd, RRT, FAARC, FCCP, pose after their induction into CHEST.

Students take 2nd place in MLS Bowl

 

One of two student teams fields by the Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences placed second in a medical laboratory science bowl competition at the Texas Association of Clinical Laboratory Science Conference.

MLS students at MLS Bowl

Meet OT department’s two newest faculty members

 

The Department of Occupational Therapy recently welcomed two new faculty members.

Associate Professor Chinyu Wu, PhD, OTR, and Assistant Professor Angela Benfield, PhD, OTR, joined the department in August. Each brings research interests that will add to the department, said Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Professor Bridgette Piernik-Yoder, PhD, OTR, FAOTA.

Associate Professor Chinyu Wu and Assistant Professor Angela Benfield

UT Health San Antonio, associate dean receive awards at ASAHP conference

 

School of Health Professions Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs David Henzi, EdD, was inducted as a Fellow of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) at its annual conference in October.

ASAHP Award Ceremony

PA Studies program celebrates 20th anniversary

 

The Physician Assistant Studies program at UT Health San Antonio celebrated its 20th anniversary this month at a dinner attended by alumni and special guests.

Attendees of the PA education 20th anniversary pose in a group

UT Health San Antonio plans new MS in Imaging Sciences program

 

The School of Health Professions plans to launch a new Master of Science in Imaging Sciences program to train outstanding imaging technologists in radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to address the technologist shortages currently stressing the health care system.

MRI scan of brain

MLS students don white coats in inaugural ceremony

Students in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Class of 2023 received their white coats in the program’s first-ever white coat ceremony.

The Sept. 16 event highlighted the tradition of the white coat, which is a symbol of the transition from the pre-clinical to clinical phase of the program and underscores the oath students take to provide the highest standard of ethical care to patients.

MLS students in their white coats following inaugural white coat ceremony

SLP student receives TSAHP award

 

Second-year speech-language pathology master’s student Jena Hermes received the 2022 Texas Society for Advancement of Health Professions (TSAHP) Student Award.

Hermes received the award at the TSAHP annual conference awards dinner on Sept. 22.

Jena Hermes, speech-language pathology master's student

OT scholarship recipients find purpose in profession

Third-year OTD student Jackie Johnson is one of two students to receive this year's Ellsworth scholarship.

 

Third-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy students Jackie Johnson and Ayla Akers have received the 2022 Paul D. Ellsworth Endowed Scholarship in Occupational Therapy. The scholarship honors Army Lt. Col. Paul D. Ellsworth, who retired from the occupational therapy faculty in 1998 and passed away in 2016.

Jackie Johnson, OTD student and Ellsworth Scholarship winner

Whole blood program transfuses 1,000th patient

 

The program that enables emergency responders in San Antonio to give prehospital hemorrhagic shock patients whole blood is marking its fourth anniversary with more than 1,000 patients transfused.

Launched in October 2018, the program transfused its 1,000th patient in mid-September, said C.J. Winckler, MD, LP, associate professor/clinical in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences and an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine.


Q&A: PA Studies student to be inducted into US Air Force Academy Athletics Hall of Fame

 

Sara (Neubauer) Lyons (MPAS Class of 2022) grew up on a farm in Bottineau, North Dakota, where many of her family still live and farm. She studied biology/pre-med at the United States Air Force Academy while completing military requirements and competing on the Division I track team.

PA Studies student Sara Lyons

PT professor presents at international conference on the effect of virtual reality on post-stroke depression

 

By Kate Hunger

 

Physical Therapy Assistant Professor Sandeep Subramanian, PhD, MSc, BPTh, served as scientific chair for the International Conference for Virtual Rehabilitation this summer during RehabWeek 2022 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Subramanian, who is a board member of the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation, served as co-chair of a keynote address presented by Associate Professor John Quarles, PhD, of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Assistant Professor Sandeep Subramanian

PT professor Martha Acosta retires

 

By Kate Hunger

 

At age 10, Associate Professor Martha M. Acosta, PhD, PT, GCS, was sure she would one day be a neurosurgeon.

“I was always interested in health care and helping people get well,” she said. “I was fascinated with the human body — how it works and how it repairs itself.”

The death of her father while Acosta was a premed student caused her to reevaluate her plans.

“I looked at my life picture and wondered if I wanted to spend as much time in school,” she said.

School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy and Associate Professor Martha Acosta pose at her retirement reception.

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