School of Health Professions News

Pilot project to study the impact of a holistic intervention on cancer survivors

Monday, May 20, 2019

By Kate Hunger

A new pilot study involving the Department of Physical Therapy in collaboration with the Institute for Health Promotion Research will gauge the impact of a holistic intervention program on the overall wellbeing of cancer survivors.

“We are finding out that if physical therapists just take care of the physical aspects of health by itself, we are pretty much just scraping the surface,” said co-principal investigator Alexis Ortiz, PT, Ph.D., SCS, CSCS, FACSM, professor and chair of the physical therapy department.

PT students hold health fair at senior center

Monday, May 20, 2019

By Kate Hunger

Melinda Fountain was one of 35 third-year physical therapy students who ran a health fair for seniors last month. Her team ran the nutrition booth for the event that drew about 75 attendees.

“We educated the participants on proper nutrition—specifically protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables—and we questioned them about what they typically eat,” she said.

Fountain’s team took their job pretty seriously.

“We dressed up like fruits and vegetables,” she said. “I was a carrot.”

Students and faculty inducted to Alpha ETA Society

Monday, May 20, 2019

By Kate Hunger

The School of Health Professions Alpha ETA Society inducted new student and faculty members in April.

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.

Annual Allied Health Games included official Fiesta event

Monday, May 20, 2019

By Kate Hunger

This year’s annual Allied Health Games activities lineup included something different: an official Fiesta event.

The opportunity to participate in the Chromosome 18 Starfish Dash 5K during the games on April 27 made the annual competition among teams of School of Health Professions students particularly exciting because it also helped raise awareness of chromosome 18 abnormalities, said organizer and second-year MOT student Tori Villarreal.

Students recognized for leadership, research and more

Monday, May 20, 2019

By Kate Hunger

When Carolyn Perez first began the Speech-Language Pathology master’s program, she had not yet felt the pull of research. But after observing the research passion of her mentor, Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, and working on a research project involving traumatic brain injury, Perez was hooked.

“Research is where it’s at,” she said of the potential of research to make a difference.

OT student selected as a Presidential Ambassador Scholar

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

By Kate Hunger 

First-year occupational therapy doctoral student Janna Roberts is the 2019 Presidential Ambassador Scholar for the School of Health Professions.

Roberts is one of five Presidential Ambassador Scholars to receive the award, which recognizes a future leader in each of UT Health San Antonio’s schools. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, students also may be called on to represent their schools during visits by distinguished guests or at presidential events. The Scholars received their awards at a ceremony on April 1.

Students travel to Mexico to learn about occupational therapy

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Kate Hunger 

Seven occupational therapy students traveled in March to Mérida in Yucatán, Mexico, to expand their understanding of the practice of the profession.

The trip was hosted by the founders of the only bachelor’s and master’s degree occupational therapy program in Yucatan, the Instituto Interamericano de la Salud (INTSA), said  Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR., Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy.

New SHP faculty members complete teaching excellence course

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

By Kate Hunger 

Megan Lynn Llamas, MA, BSRC, RRT, Respiratory Care assistant professor, has already put into practice strategies she learned during the recently offered Teaching Excellence Short Course for new faculty.

After taking the course, she asked students how they optimally learn and adjusted her teaching approach based on their responses. 

Students celebrate OT Month and attend AOTA conference

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

By Kate Hunger 

Occupational therapy students tried something new this year to mark Occupational Therapy Month: a social media takeover to help educate others about their future profession during the month of April.

The takeover of the School’s Instagram and the Facebook page of the School’s Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) was designed to share information and raise awareness about occupational therapy, said students Victoria Alejandro and Allanah Gallagher, who are president and vice president of the School’s SOTA chapter, respectively. 

Students visit India over spring break

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

By Kate Hunger 

When a group of UT Health San Antonio students traveled to India in March, they engaged in academic and clinical experiences during their time at the Manipal College of Health Professions—but the learning didn’t stop there. 

The nine students from the departments of Speech-Language Pathology and Physician Assistant Studies and the School of Nursing also had the opportunity to engage in cultural experiences: They visited temples, learned about Ayurveda and yoga, bathed and fed elephants at a rescue sanctuary and even attended a wedding.