REHABILITATION SCIENCES God has continued to abundantly bless us since my last update. Yes, there have been trials, but those have challenged us to think outside the box and allowed us to grow. Overall, 2021 and 2022 have been “normal” with no need to transition back to online learning. We are very thankful for God’s provisions of health and safety. I hope you enjoy this edition of our annual magazine. Examples of our students’ servant hearts are on display in the articles about the 5k fun run to raise funds for the pro bono HERBIE clinic, our mission work in Tanzania, and our volunteer work at Village SDA Church’s lifestyle immersion program. An example of our inquisitive minds can be read in the story about our first inductees into the National Physical Therapy Student Honor Society. Finally, our family spirit shines in the “backyard” project, and we hope you choose to support us in our fundraising efforts. We are thankful for our alumni, parents and friends who continue to support our school and students. We are blessed by the stories of our alumni and would love to hear from you. Please contact me if you would like to be featured in our next magazine or know of a notable alum who should be recognized. Remember to follow us on social media!
Kim Ferreira, PT, PhD, MSPT ’98 Associate Professor, Chair, School of Rehabilitation Sciences
Donations to support the Backyard Project are welcome. www.andrews.edu/go/give/backyard
Serving the Underserved By Rogelio Pulido, DPT ’14
Physical Therapist, Homecare Dimensions, Brownsville, TX
Since graduating from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in 2014, I have had the privilege of serving patients in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), more specifically in Brownsville, Texas (the place where Elon Musk has been sending his rockets into outer space). The community I have served in for almost eight years now is located on the border with Mexico. I moved to the RGV on a travel assignment for pediatrics to fill in for a therapist on maternity leave, then I moved on to sports medicine, and I now have—for the past four years— been working in home health. I have really enjoyed working with my patients in this area of the country, which I have found to be unique in many regards. There definitely was an element of culture shock coming this far into south Texas, even for me being Hispanic. I found that the RGV has a unique blend of Mexican and American cultures, even with the demographics being very homogenous, with 93% of the 48 / The Pulse 2022
population being Hispanic or Latino according to the 2020 census. I go through entire days in which I do not speak a word of English in communicating with my patients and the families that I work with. This is one of the most impoverished areas of the country, and with that there is a great need for providing education, as lack of health literacy is a real barrier to care. This has placed me in a unique position of being a patient advocate in many cases in which patients do not know how or are hesitant—for a number of reasons—to voice their concerns regarding their health issues. In closing, I am grateful for my training at Andrews, and for the privilege of being able to be the hands and feet of Christ in my current line of work.
