CHCS Perspectives Winter 2014

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2014 – Page 50 Physical Therapy TAMPA Values provide a strong foundation for individuals, institutions, and professions, especially those of us in the health professions. NSU is founded upon eight core values: academic excellence, student centered, integrity, innovation, opportunity, scholarship/research, diversity, and community. Likewise, the American Physical Therapy Association describes seven core values of physical therapists, including accountability, altruism, compassion/caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty, and social responsibility. In 2013, students in the Hybrid D.P.T. Program in Tampa demonstrated community, altruism, compassion/caring, and social responsibility by assisting individuals in the United States and internationally. Please read the stories featured below of three D.P.T. students who gave of themselves—and received much in return. LEARNING Through Action: The Gift of Helping Others This past June, five third-year PT students (Kantica Arora, Jennifer Clarkson, Jessica Estrada, Jocelyn Hall, and Lisa Todd) and three faculty members (Mary Blackinton, Ed.D., PT, director of physical therapy and associate professor, Keiba Shaw, Ed.D., associate professor, and Vanessa Brockhouse, D.P.T., PT, laboratory assistant) from the Hybrid D.P.T. Pro- gram in Tampa participated in the NSU College of Osteopathic Medi- cine medical outreach trip to Jamaica. Nicole Quint, Dr.OT, OTR/L, assistant professor of occupational therapy and a veteran of the Jamaica trip, served as our OT-PT team leader. Our PT faculty members and students were part of an interprofessional team that included osteopathic medicine, dental, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and optometry. Physical therapy services were provided at a va- riety of sites, including a correctional facility, schools, churches, an early stimulation center, and community centers. We had the opportunity to treat and interact with patients as young as 6 months to those over 90 years old. Smiles, and sometimes tears, were brought to our faces as we witnessed the impact a single visit could make, such as watching a young child leave with a huge smile on his face after receiving a new pair of shoes he des- perately needed, or seeing a woman in her 90s walk for the first time after suffering a stroke. Physical therapy was able to help those with muscu- loskeletal injuries, people post-stroke, children with developmental dis- abilities, and even a patient with a wound. Prior to going to Jamaica, we participated in fund-raising to help fi- nance the cost of the trip for each student. Dr. Brockhouse and her hus- band Mike were instrumental in having more than seven large cartons of equipment donated from local physical therapy clinics, patients, and ven- dors. Patterson Medical, an equipment vendor, also provided donations that were put to great use in Jamaica, as were the many slightly-used shoes donated by the wonderful employees at NSU-Tampa. While in Kingston, the PT team was able to meet with a group of NSU graduates from the T-D.P.T. Program that are physiotherapists in Jamaica: Learning to be Resourceful: Jamaica Medical Outreach Trip By Jocelyn Hall, Class of 2015 D.P.T. class of 2015 students Kantica Arora and Jennifer Clarkson assist with positioning at a developmental daycare center. Class of 2015 students Jennifer Clarkson, Kantica Arora, and Lisa Todd chat with a client about her mobility concerns.