SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2024 JOE FINNELL DISTIGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

The UCA Department of Physical Therapy is seeking nominations for the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their professional careers. The honoree(s) will be recognized at an event in the Spring on campus (details forthcoming).

Criteria for Selection:

The award is open to any alumna or alumnus of the UCA Physical Therapy program who graduated 10 or more years ago. This individual is or was a licensed physical therapist (PT) or physical therapist assistant (PTA) and has earned a PTA or PT degree from UCA (ie. AS, BS, MS, DPT, or PhD degree).

Past Recipients:

Susan Appling, Nat Grubbs, Mary Anne Hart, James A. Hoyme, Cecile W. Kimmer, Barbara J. Lovett, William S. Quillen, Nancy Reese, Chris Throneberry, Lisa VanHoose, Mala H. Waller, Glenda Winborn.

Deadline for submission is Monday, March 1, 2024.

More details at https://uca.edu/pt/jfdaa/

PhD ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Meet physical therapist and notable alumnus of our PhD in PT program Staffan Elgelid. Staffan currently resides in Rochester, New York, and is a full-time tenured professor of physical therapy at Nazareth University. He continues to see clients as a Feldenkrais practitioner and teaches yoga therapy programs. Since his time at UCA, Staffan has co-written four books on yoga therapy, has created four DVDs on strengthening and yoga, and has presented at workshops across the world. He has also worked at the track and field world championships.
While earning his PhD in PT at UCA, Staffan was also an instructor in the UCA DPT program. He says he loved teaching the students and has fond memories of working with other faculty members and learning from them. Staffan also enjoys visiting UCA whenever he is traveling in the area, which was most recently in spring 2023.
When it comes to advice for current and future DPT students, Staffan says health and wellness field is wide open to PTs because we can practice without referral, so he encourages PTs to seize that opportunity. “If you decide to stay meek and not let people know how great you are, we will not move forward as a profession.”

 

Congratulations to two outstanding UCA Physical Therapy alumni making a difference in the profession of physical therapy.  Gabe Freyaldenhoven ’98 and Nat Grubbs ’87 each received awards during the recent state association meeting held October 6-8, 2023.

Bill Taylor, President of APTA Arkansas, presented the awards on October 7th during the 7th Annual OPTimize Conference and Exhibition held in North Little Rock.

Nat Grubbs ‘87 is the Recipient of the Roy Lee Aldridge Jr. Passion for the Profession Award from APTA Arkansas

This award is for significant participation and contribution by a PT or PTA to physical therapy in Arkansas. The award recipient is someone that has made achievements in promoting physical therapy in the state, an ambassador for the profession, and embodies an overall passion for helping people through physical therapy.

Nat is an alumnus from the UCA Physical Therapy Class of 1987, owner of South Arkansas Rehabilitation in Monticello, long-time clinical partner for UCA, former UCA PT faculty member and recent recipient of the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023.

Photo Credit:  Austin Fortinberry

Gabe Freyaldenhoven ’98 is the 2023 Recipient of the Greg Wren-APTA Arkansas Legislative Award Presented by APTA Arkansas

Gabe Freyaldenhoven, PT, DPT, received the 2023 Greg Wren – APTA Arkansas Legislative Award.  This award is for significant contribution to physical therapy in Arkansas in the legislative arena; Gabe worked with lawmakers to increase reimbursement rates for pediatric therapy, he also has worked on legislation that allows private practice clinics to see adult Medicaid patients, and he serves on a national consortium that works with national payers for reimbursement of therapy services.

Gabe is an alumnus from the UCA Physical Therapy Class of 1998, owner of River Valley Therapy & Sports Medicine in Russellville, co-owner of McMaster Physical Therapy Clinic in Conway and Greenbrier, long-time clinical partner for UCA and currently serves on the Clinic Advisory Committee for the UCA DPT Program.

 

Dr. Bill Bandy Receives the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Arkansas Component Service Award  

Bill Taylor, President of APTA Arkansas, presented the award to Dr. Bandy on October 7, 2023 during the OPTimize Conference and Exhibition held in North Little Rock this year.  OPTimize is in its 7th year and serves as the annual conference of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

This award is for a PT/PTA who has exhibited an exceptional history of service to the APTA Arkansas Chapter. The nominee must have completed a continued history of service to this State Association spanning 10 years or more, with evidence of lasting impact on the Association and/or its members.

Dr. Bandy is faculty member at UCA, a Fellow of the APTA and is a Member of the Arkansas Chapter of APTA providing service to the Chapter for over 35 years and is currently serving as Chief Delegate.  He is also a former two-term president of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and in 2006, Dr. Bandy was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the APTA. In 2010 Dr. Bandy was awarded the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA.  In 2020, he was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow by the APTA, and became only the second recipient from Arkansas to receive this prestigious award.

Photo Credit:  Austin Fortinberry

UCA DPT Grads Named PT of the Year, CI of the Year and Student Clinician of the Year by the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.  

APTA Arkansas Awards were announced this month at the 2023 OPTimize Conference and Exposition, the annual state meeting of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

The conference was held on October 6-8 in North Little Rock.  Bill Taylor, President of APTA Arkansas, presented the awards on October 7th.  Dr. Brian Odom, Assistant Professor in the UCA Department of Physical Therapy, serves as Vice President of APTA Arkansas.

Dr. Elizabeth Huett received the 2023 Outstanding Physical Therapist Award.  Dr. Huett is an alumnus from the UCA DPT Class of 2015 and currently a physical therapist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock where she also serves as a clinical instructor.

Dr. Jansen Stein received the 2023 Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award.  Dr. Stein is an alumnus from the UCA DPT Class of 2020 and a clinical partner serving as SCCE and Clinical Instructor at Baptist Health Therapy Center in Maumelle.

Photo Credits:  Austin Fortinberry

Dr. Erin Woodward received the 2023 Outstanding Student Clinician Award.  Dr. Woodward is graduate of the UCA DPT Class of 2023, recipient of the UCA Clinical Excellence Award, the Academic Excellence Award and inducted into the PT National Honor Society in 2023.

 

APTA releases landmark report, “Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the U.S..” Choosing physical therapy helps Americans live better lives and could save the health care system millions of dollars annually, ultimately providing more resources for better services to individuals and communities nationwide. Physical therapy helps Americans avoid complications from surgeries, long recoveries, and the risks of overuse of prescribed opioids and other medications.

The report can be downloaded from here.

 

UCA Physical Therapy faculty, students and alumni will be presenting research at the upcoming APTA Arkansas OPTimize Conference and Exhibition being held in North Little Rock, Arkansas during the dates of October 6 – 7, 2003.  Complete details of the meeting can be found at Arkansas Physical Therapy Association – Home Page (arpta.org).  The following research presentation titles and authors will be presented:

Dr. Melissa Allen will be presenting about the TAP program with DPT students Amanda Bennett and Ryan Ozanich.  Title: Engaging DPT Students in Dementia Care: A Pilot Model for Community-Based Interprofessional Engagement.  Authors: Melissa Allen PhD, DPT, PT; Amanda Bennett, SPT; Ryan Ozanich, SPT; Kerry Jordan PhD; Michael Gallagher PhD; January Schultz PhD; Richelle Weese SLP-CCC.

Dr. James Fletcher and Dr. Chris Driedric will be presenting “Digital Inclinometry of Shoulder Extension Active Range of Motion and Biceps Brachii Muscle Length in Asymptomatic Adults: Intrarater Reliability and Differences in Magnitude.”  Title: Digital Inclinometry of Shoulder Extension Active Range of Motion and Biceps Brachii Muscle Length in Asymptomatic Adults: Intrarater Reliability and Differences in Magnitude.  Authors: James Fletcher PT, PhD and Chris Driedric PT, DPT, OCS

Dr. Lori Mize PT, DPT, WCS will be presenting “A Pilot Study: Does Art Analysis Training Affect Student Tolerance to Ambiguity?”  Title: A Pilot Study: Does Art Analysis Training Affect Student Tolerance to Ambiguity?  Authors: Lora Mize PT, DPT, WCS, Haley Campbell SPT, Robert Robertson SPT, Abigail Authment SPT, Ashley Mahan SPT, Peyton Cope SPT.

Dr. Leah Lowe PT, DPT, PhD, PCS will be presenting published work in the area of pediatric experiential learning.  Title: Current Evidence in Experiential Learning in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education.  Authors: Leah Lowe, PT, PhD, PCS, Emily Blanchard, SPT, Meredith Bowers, SPT, Lauren English, SPT, Sam Dugas, SPT, Braxton Funk, SPT, Meredith Flowers, DPT, PhD, PCS, and Charlotte Yates, PT, PhD, PCS.

Dr. Rachel Scott will present project on exercise completed with Drs. Taylor, Fletcher, Allen and McGee.  Title: Comparison of Two Different Methods for Measuring Chronotropic Response to Exercise in People with and without Classification Criteria for Obesity.  Authors: Rachel Scott, PT, DPT, CSCS, J. David Taylor, PhD, PT, James P. Fletcher, PhD, PT, Ruth Ann Mathis, PhD, PT, Melissa Allen, PT, PhD, DPT, NCS, Jacquie Rainey, DrPH, MCHES, Margaret McGee, PT, PhD, PCS.

Dr. Charlotte Yates PT, PhD, PCS will be presenting research in experiential learning in wound management.  Title: An exploration of experiential learning in wound care.  Authors: Brian Odom, PT, PhD; Cayla Bass, SPT; Mallory Fortinberry, SPT; Anne Moellers, SPT; Kendra Pascoe, SPT; Taylor Phillips, SPT; Leah Lowe, DPT, PhD; Charlotte Yates, PT, PhD.

Drs. Lowe and Fletcher were invited to speak at the Arkansas State Orthotic and Prosthetic Association Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. On August 18th, 2023, they presented the educational session, “From Muscle Strength to Muscle Length: Assessment and Documentation of Underlying Impairments.” The focus of the educational session was accurate assessment and documentation of impairments at the body structure and function level with clear connection to movement and mobility at the activity and participation level from a professional and interprofessional perspective.

Second year DPT students worked through simulations for their Complex Patient Management in Physical Therapy course this summer.  Dr. McGee and Dr. Davis provided simulation experiences in the Integrated Health Sciences building with volunteers to serve as patients during the course.  And, for the final lab practical exam held in the PT Center, Drs. McGee and Davis got a little help from third year students, now graduates, and faculty who volunteered their time to portray patients.  We appreciate the volunteers providing an enriched experience for the students!

Dr. Bill Bandy has been appointed to the Onsite Review Team for the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). The teams are part of the accreditation process that focuses on assuring programs deliver, and participants complete, quality programs to support continuous improvement that enhances patient care and advances the profession. Dr. Bandy brings nearly 40 years of academic experience to this role and we are excited about this opportunity for him to engage and represent UCA on a national level. Dr. Bandy joins Dr. Charlotte Yates as an Onsite Reviewer for ABPTRFE. Dr. Bandy is a Board-Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA and a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UCA.

He has published three books and over 45 manuscripts, primarily on the topic of reliable and valid physical therapy performance tests used frequently in musculoskeletal physical therapy. Additionally, Dr. Bandy volunteered on the Sports Medicine Team for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also a former two-term president of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and in 2006, Dr. Bandy was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the APTA. In 2010 Dr. Bandy was awarded the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA.

In 2020, he was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow by the APTA, and became only the second recipient from Arkansas to receive this prestigious award.