School of Health Professions News

School of Health Professions honors OT faculty member

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

The School of Health Professions this spring honored Autumn Clegg, Ed.D., OTR, CBIS, assistant/clinical professor and academic fieldwork coordinator with its 2018 Spectrum Award. 

The award recognizes excellence in a wide range of areas, including leadership, teaching, services, and scholarship. 

Bridgette Piernik -Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, associate professor and department chair, nominated Dr. Clegg for the recognition and praised her "amazing job" in her teaching role as fieldwork coordinator. 

UT Health San Antonio welcomes its first Doctor of Occupational Therapy class

Monday, June 18, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

The first class of Doctor of Occupational Therapy students visited the San Antonio Museum of Art this month to apply some of what they have been learning in the classroom. 

The entire class of 42 first-year OTD students visited SAMA on June 13, said Bridgette Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR associate professor and department chair who is teaching the course on the theoretical foundation of the profession. 

"The students were very excited about it," she said of the field trip. 

Physician Assistant students learn anatomy from trauma surgeons

Monday, June 18, 2018

By Kate Hunger

The Physician Assistant Studies program is trying something new this summer with its first-year Clinical Anatomy class. For the first time, trauma surgeons from the Department of Surgery are teaching the course, which consists of both classroom lectures and gross anatomy labs. 

Having surgeons teach the course gives students a deeper understanding of the clinical aspects of the subject matter, said Meredith Quinene, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor and academic coordinator. 

Speech-Language Pathology program’s first cohort marks end of first semester

Thursday, May 24, 2018

 By Kate Hunger 

After working in higher education for several years, Victoria Garza felt something was missing. She came to an article about speech-language pathology in a newsletter from her alma mater that spoke to her.

“I felt like I had missed my calling,” she recalled. 

Mild traumatic brain injury a focus of SLP professor's research program

Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, assistant professor received a $10,000, one-year seed grant from the School of Health Professions to study language performance in adults with mild traumatic brain injury. 

Norman will partner with Reeves Rehabilitation Center at University Hospital and Veterans Community Organizations in the San Antonio area. Norman received the grant in March and has spent the spring obtaining ethics approval, procuring equipment and assembling her team, with plans to begin collecting data this summer. 

Occupational Therapy student named to UT System Student Advisory Council

Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

Carlos Herrera will represent UT Health San Antonio and the School of Health Professions on the Student Advisory Council for the UT System in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Herrera, president of the Occupational Therapy Class of 2019, said he is looking forward to his role.

“I felt it was a great opportunity to get some our initiatives out there and express them,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to advocate for all of our students.”

Medical Laboratory Science students win Student Bowl competition

Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

The School of Health Professions’ Medical Laboratory Sciences team won first place in an academic competition this spring.

The team competed against teams from across the state at the Student Bowl during the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science annual meeting held March 23-24 in El Paso.

Alpha ETA Society inducts 17 students

Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

The School of Health Professions Alpha ETA Society inducted 17 students this spring.

To be eligible for membership in the society, undergraduates must earn at least a 3.5 GPA and show a capacity of leadership and achievement to be eligible for membership, while graduate students must have a 3.8 GPA and demonstrate the same leadership and achievement qualities.

Physician Assistant Studies receives 10-year reaccreditation

Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Kate Hunger 

The Physician Assistant Studies program received its 10-year continued accreditation in April.

The Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is the independent accrediting agency that evaluates PA programs within the territorial United States to make sure they meet standards for PA education as defined by the agency.

Professor teaches Occupational Therapy students how to clown

Monday, April 23, 2018

By Kate Hunger

Face painting, puppetry, balloon making and skits are all part of the curriculum in the Clowning 101 class Kimatha Oxford Grice, OTD, OTR, CHT, associate professor teaches.

Grice created the course for interested Occupational Therapy students. Make no mistake—this is one class not found in the official course catalog. Rather, it’s something Grice offers because she loves clowning and firmly believes occupational therapists are great at it.
“It’s addicting, once you start doing it,” Grice said.