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Physician Assistant Studies department chair receives Presidential Award
By Kate Hunger
Thirty years ago, Paul B. Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA, FSAPA, associate professor, chair and program director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UT Health San Antonio, would not have guessed his future included leading an effort to increase the number of health care providers in the Laredo area.
In fact, Dr. Allen wasn’t expecting to work in health care at all. When he joined the U.S. Army, he was selected for training as a Special Forces medical sergeant, not as a Special Forces weapons sergeant, as he had hoped.
PA Studies Class of 2021 posts 100% first-time pass rate on national exam
Every student in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2021 passed the profession’s national certifying exam on the first try.
The 100% first-time time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) is well above the national average of 93%, said Associate Professor Paul Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA, program director and chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UT Health San Antonio. “Our personal benchmark is that we want to score at or better than the national average,” Dr. Allen said.
National occupational therapy conference held in San Antonio
The American Occupational Therapy Association held its annual conference in San Antonio March 31–April 3, the first time the annual gathering has included an in-person option in three years.
Doctor of Physical Therapy students receive white coats and pins
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2023 received its white coats and pins in a ceremony marking the transition from classroom learning to caring for patients.
“The students are deemed ready to start seeing patients during their full time clinical rotations,” said Department of Physical Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Greg Ernst, PhD, ECS. “They will complete a total of 34 weeks of full time rotations in a variety of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, neurologic rehabilitation, musculoskeletal rehabilitation and others.”
Study shows COVID-19 patients in ICU improved functional mobility after PT intervention
Physical therapy Assistant Professor Bobby Belarmino, PT, DPT, PhD, CCS, co-authored a recently published paper outlining a new clinical decision-making algorithm to help clinicians identify COVID-19 patients for whom physical therapy intervention in the ICU is appropriate.
MLS student earns spot in public health program at the University of Michigan
Three days after Alana Rubio graduates this May with her bachelor’s in medical laboratory sciences, she will begin a 10-week program at the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.
Students win bowl competition, faculty honored at state speech-hearing conference
A trio of speech-language pathology students won first place in an academic bowl during the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA) annual convention in Fort Worth.
Second-year master’s students Madelynn Patzer, Jadea Hill and Hannah Jackson competed in a multi-round Praxis Bowl competition among Texas universities. Teams answered timed practice questions for the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, the standardized exam required for certification.
PA Studies student named Presidential Ambassador Scholar for School of Health Professions
Physician Assistant Studies student Caitlyn Swopes is the School of Health Professions’ 2022 Presidential Ambassador Scholar.
Swopes has devoted a substantial number of hours to leadership and volunteer efforts, said Steven “Tony” Skaggs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor, associate chair and associate program director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
EMT–Basic program application is open through May 1
Applicants to the new Emergency Medical Technology (EMT)–Basic program have until May 1 to apply for the Summer 2022 session.
EMTs are trained to provide emergency medical care to the critically ill and injured and to work in the EMS system, but some students complete the program to gain immediate, relevant health care experience, said Lance Villers, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions.
PA Studies professor elected to Texas delegation of national PA academy’s house of delegates
Meredith Quinene, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, has been elected by the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) as a delegate to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) House of Delegates.The AAPA House of Delegates is the national legislative body for the PA profession and has voting delegates from 58 chapters representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and five federal services.
Faculty are engaged as national OT conference comes to San Antonio this spring
When the American Occupational Therapy Association holds its annual conference in San Antonio this spring, members of the Department of Occupational Therapy faculty will be involved in numerous ways — from presenting short courses to supporting the event.
Communication Sciences and Disorders professor receives award for research into language performance in patients with mild traumatic brain injury
The Texas Speech Hearing Foundation has awarded Assistant Professor Rocío Norman, PhD, CCC-SLP, a Past Presidents Award in support of her ongoing research to better understand the underlying cognitive mechanisms of language comprehension in people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Distinction in Research program helps students engage in research at a deeper level
As the first student in the School of Health Professions’ Distinction in Research program, Caitlyn Swopes credits the experience with helping her pursue research even as she manages a full schedule in the Physician Assistant Studies program.
“I want to practice as a PA, but I want to eventually get my PhD, so research is probably something I will stick with for a while,” she said. “I didn’t realize that I had the time to do it in PA school, and when I realized I did, a lot of opportunities opened up.”
MLS students win VA scholarships
Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences students Mary K. Huerta and Austin Ryden have been awarded full scholarships from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Faculty and students present research and participate in service at largest national PT conference
Faculty and students from the Department of Physical Therapy presented at the 2022 American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting held in San Antonio Feb. 2–5.
“This is the largest national PT meeting of the year, with typically more than 10,000 attendees participating,” said Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, associate professor and chair of the department. “Many faculty and some students had presentations as well as service activities on various national committees.”
PA Studies department chair wins Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Service to the Institution
Associate Professor Paul B. Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA, FSAPA, chair and program director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UT Health San Antonio, is the recipient of the 2022 Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Service to the Institution. His nomination for the award specifically referenced his leadership during the creation of a new PA studies campus location in Laredo.
EHS faculty member C.J. Winckler wins Kudolo Award for whole blood research
C.J. Winckler, MD, LP, associate professor/clinical in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, has earned the School of Health Professions’ 2022 George Kudolo Award for Research Excellence for his work on the prehospital use of whole blood to transfuse patients suffering hemorrhagic shock.
Faculty win award for community-based pediatric speech-language-hearing screening project
A project to provide speech-language-hearing screenings for children in the San Antonio area has garnered an award for two faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Angela Kennedy, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, assistant professor and director of clinical education, and Casey Taliancich-Klinger, PhD, CCC-SLP, assistant professor, will receive a 2022 Burtis-Vogel/Elkins Community Service Award from the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (TSHF).
Division of MLS welcomes new lab manager
The Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences welcomed Nathan Bullock, MHA, MLT: ASCPCM, as its new faculty-laboratory manager on Dec. 1.
As laboratory manager for the program, Bullock ensures that supplies are ready in the lab and tracks safety concerns. He is responsible for the preparation and setup of all student laboratories and is an instructor in all student labs.
Registration is open for the 27th Annual Respiratory Care Symposium
The Division of Respiratory Care will host its 27th Annual Symposium in March — the third consecutive year the continuing education event will be virtual.
The two-day symposium will feature 12 speakers from the U.S. and around the world on a range of topics including COVID-19 and proning, sleep apnea and stroke, and mental health care and self-care for health care providers.
27th Annual Respiratory Care Symposium details:
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