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COMMUNITY SERVICE, ENGAGEMENT, AND IMPACT
During an alternative spring break, Doctor of Audiology and Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in a service-learning experience in Tyrrell County, North Carolina
Community Engagement, Service, and Impact
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STUDENT FEATURE
Department of Allied Health Sciences’ Students and Faculty Participate in Interdisciplinary Spring Break Trip to Tyrrell County, North Carolina
Students and faculty members from the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Division of Physical Therapy traveled to Tyrrell County, North Carolina, for an interdisciplinary service-learning trip over spring break. Tyrrell County is in the Northeast corner of the state, and it is a relatively under-resourced area when it comes to dedicated health care resources needed for a healthy population.
During this year’s trip, a record 25 students kept a rigorous schedule, and juggled logistics as interprofessional teams offered health promotion and physical fitness activities at the schools, risk screening for falls, blood pressure and polypharmacy at the local senior center, home visits for people with complex health challenges, audiology screening and more. DAHS faculty on the trip included Vicki Mercer, an associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Hannah Siburt, an assistant professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Meredith Braza, a Doctor of Audiology student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said the experience taught her about social determinants of health in the classroom. “This trip inspired me not only to foster interpersonal relationships with my patients but also influence policy surrounding equitable health care access,” Braza said. “I will undoubtedly carry the kindness and communion of Tyrrell County into my career and beyond.”
Vicki Mercer, PT, PhD, is also the director of the Human Movement Science curriculum and Hannah Siburt, AuD, PhD, is a clinical audiologist at the UNC Hearing and Communication Center.
Deborah Radisch ’76, ’97, received an award from the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science to mark her service to the state as a distinguished alumna of the program.
Career Path in Forensic Pathology
ALUMNI FEATURE
North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner Deborah Radisch Speaks about Medical Technology; Career Path in Forensic Pathology
Deborah Radisch, a 1976 alumna of the then medical technology program, spoke to a crowd of donors to the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science about her education and career path, most recently serving as North Carolina’s chief medical examiner. Her role as chief medical examiner has led to her involvement in several high-profile cases, including the trial of Michael Peterson, a Durham novelist and former mayoral candidate who faced murder charges following the death of his wife, Kathleen, in 2001. Radisch said her family moved to North Carolina in 1969, and she chose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill as an undergraduate student because of the reputation of its medical technology program.
- DEBORAH RADISCH ’76 ’97
“I was lucky, and I got in,” Radisch said. “I decided that was what I wanted to do.”
Radisch said her background in medical technology positioned her well to pursue medicine. She also credits William McLendon ’52, ’56, for whom UNC Health Care and UNC Hospitals’ McLendon Laboratories are named, with encouraging her to apply to medical school.
“He would make time to meet with us,” Radisch said. “He’s the one who said to me: ‘We have no time to waste. Let’s go for medical school.’”
Radisch said her training in medical technology taught her tangible skills, such as coordination and dexterity.
“That came from plating specimens and learning how to unscrew a vial cap,” she said. “I still remember the moment I thought ‘This is great; I can do this.’” During her time in the program, she also learned confidence and professionalism. “We were treated so well and with a lot of respect from our faculty,” Radisch said. “I don’t think I could be where I am today without my training. I’m very lucky that my training set me up for what I think was my very lucky niche in life.”
As chief medical examiner, Radisch and her colleagues’ work involves conducting autopsies, a task she compared to facilitating a laboratory test. In her role, she also works with medical students, law enforcement, and defense attorneys to educate and to train. “As the labs become more specialized, the training becomes more specialized,” Radisch said. “The dedication of the people in this program preparing their graduates for these challenges is admirable.”
Susan Beck ’92, the division’s director, said one of the best parts of her job is seeing graduates like Radisch succeed.
Radisch has served as chair of the North Carolina Child Fatality Prevention Team and received her Master of Public Health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health in 1997. She also served in the United States Army Reserve for nearly ten years.
Colleague and friend Margaret Johnson ’76 said that Radisch has dedicated her life to her career.
“The people of North Carolina are indebted to her service,” Johnson said. Following her talk, Radisch received an award from the division to mark her service to the state as a distinguished alumna of the program.
“I am always amazed and impressed with what our graduates do with their talent and their degrees. I am also amazed and humbled by the support we get from our graduates. They care deeply about the education of current students.” Beck said.
Deborah Radisch, MD, MPH, is a clinical professor in the UNC School of Medicine Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. William McLendon, MD, is a graduate of the UNC School of Medicine. Susan Beck, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, is the division director.
Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Team Hosts Week-Long Program for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Young adults from the Triangle with intellectual disabilities experienced an inaugural week-long skills camp in July tailored to support them as they transition to adulthood thanks to an interdisciplinary University collaboration called the Higher Education, Employment, Living Success (HEELS UP) Summer Intensive.
The program is part of the recently established HEELS 2 Transition organization, an interdisciplinary collaboration among the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Allied Health Sciences, the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, UNC TEACCH Autism Program, and the School of Education.
The intensive program focused on five important skill areas: career exploration, self-management, goal setting, independent living skills, and community safety. Participants learned practical strategies in each area through interactive roleplay activities and discussions to help them successfully navigate the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of adult life. Over the course of the week, 10 participants engaged in learning activities with graduate students from the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Participants practiced skills involved in cooking and kitchen safety, laundry, using a planner, job searching, and effectively responding to emergencies.
Stephen R. Hooper, associate dean and chair of the DAHS, said these types of learning intensives are important for young adults as they move into young adulthood.
“All adolescents need to learn these skills,” Hooper said. “Some need additional supports to move their development forward. […] HEELS UP provides one mechanism for making this happen, and I am excited to see how his program will mature and become even more impactful in the coming years.”
The Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, led by Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC, is ranked #9 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is led by Nancy Bagatell, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA; its program in occupational therapy is ranked ninth according to U.S. News.
- DARA CHAN
About the Week
The week culminated in final presentations from students about their strengths, interests, and goals in front of an audience of their families, University faculty and staff, and other supporters. Participants exhibited confidence and excitement about taking the next steps toward their adult life aspirations, empowered with the skills and strategies they learned during the week.
“I think one of the living skills that Lucia learned is that being an adult is hard and requires help,” Maria said. “This was great.” Dara Chan, program director and assistant professor in the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, said the interdisciplinary nature of the program allowed for integration expertise from departments and units across the University, along with a community partner, Participant Lucia Romano, who has worked “Faculty and graduate students from each at Weaver Street Market and Harris Teeter, area were involved in developing curriculum, Need said she learned how to look professional and how to practice interviewing. Lucia hopes to materials, and program implementation,” Chan said. “It took months of planning, but it become a professional dancer. “Ever since was well worth it. I think everyone involved Content or imagesI can remember, I have been interested in performing in front of a crowd,” Lucia said. “I gained from the program week.” hope to continue applying what I learned here.” One parent noted their child had gained confidence to take more responsibility in Lucia’s mother, Maria Romano, said the his life, such as setting reminders on his week challenged her to think about ways phone without an adult prompt. Parents their family can help Lucia become more also reported gains, such as increased independent. confidence, independence, and enhanced social interactions.
Physician Assistant Studies Students Return to Wise, Virginia, to Serve Through Remote Area Medical Program
Seven students and two faculty with the Physician Assistant Studies program returned to Wise, Virginia, in an effort to provide health care through Remote Area Medical(RAM), a nonprofit mobile medical clinic. RAM delivers dental, vision, and medical care to underserved and uninsured populations at no cost. This year, RAM provided care to more than 1,100 patients, including nearly $650,000 worth of services over the course of three days.
The PA program joined other health care practitioners and community partners to get hands-on experience across the health care spectrum. Meg Beal, an assistant professor in the PA program, said RAM provided an opportunity for PA students to implement what they’ve learned in the classroom.
Because of a philanthropic collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, the DAHS is working to bring the first-ever RAM clinic to Wilkes County, North Carolina.
“Watching students develop greater confidence and learning new skills, while in the throes of caring for patients, is such a joy to be a part of,” Beal said. “Service-learning is invaluable in medical education, and the patients we served were so grateful.”
Kristen Brooks, a first-year PA student, and native North Carolinian said she chose to attend the RAM trip out of a desire to help others. “I love getting to know the patient, their background, all about their families, and building rapport with them. I want them to appreciate they are just as significant as any other patient,” Brooks said. The RAM experience provides an opportunity for PA students to provide care for patients in a resource-limited setting, in which they must take medical histories, conduct medical exams, and work with faculty to determine appropriate treatment plans, among other tasks.
Paul Chelminski ’95, ’03, professor of medicine and the PA program’s director, said students learn more than they initially perceive thanks to service-learning experiences like RAM.
“They, of course, learn about medicine by providing care to individuals,” Chelminski said. “They also learn about the remarkable resilience, resourcefulness, and solidarity of poor and underserved communities that rally to meet the needs of their citizens.”
Beal said the RAM experience allows for teaching opportunities for students that cannot be replicated in the classroom or in a wellresourced medical environment.
“It truly feels like an experience where the heart of medicine is at the forefront,” Beal said. “Sharing that with our students is so meaningful.”
Paul Chelminski, MD, MPH, FACP, has served as PA program director since the program’s inception in fall 2015. Meg Beal, PA-C, serves as the PA program’s associate director of clinical education and spearheads rural and interprofessional initiatives.
Uzma Khan and Interprofessional Education Team Receive Second Place Honors at Annual CLARION Competition
Uzma Khan, a second-year graduate student in the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, received second place recognition alongside her team at the annual CLARION National Case Competition, a student-run program at the University of Minnesota dedicated to improving health care through interprofessional collaboration and leadership.
Khan, an international student from New Delhi, India, said she was the only student representing the field of clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling across 17 interdisciplinary teams. Through the challenge, Khan said she learned insight into patient care.
“As a future health provider, it helped me practice health care based on an integrative biopsychosocial model, rather than only a social or medical model,” Khan said. “I learned about collaboration and approaching a problem from so many perspectives.” Since 2005, students from across the nation have participated in an annual case competition that aims to achieve a holistic perspective on patient safety and health care improvements. Each year, students are presented with a case consisting of a complex problem that requires teams to perform a root cause analysis and develop an intervention that specifically addresses the presented problem.
This year, teams were tasked to address the rise of individuals experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and their resulting poor health outcomes.
The UNC-Chapel Hill team assessed county-level data along with case studies of individuals experiencing homelessness, and they identified that chronic, unmet health issues, met with a bottlenecked system for accessing resources, exacerbated many preventable and treatable conditions.
- UZMA KHAN
Angela and Marty Rosenberg ‘Step Up’ for Multiple Sclerosis Research at UNC-Chapel Hill
In fall 2005, Angela McCaffrey Rosenberg ’88, and her husband, Marty, answered two lifechanging telephone calls within the span of three hours. The first phone call announced the birth of their granddaughter, Parker; the second officially diagnosed Angela with multiple sclerosis, a debilitating, and difficultto-treat neurological disease.
“Everyone’s heard the phrase ‘I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news,’” Angela said. “That summed up that day pretty well.”
Since Angela’s diagnosis, the Rosenbergs have solidified their legacy as champions of research and patient care for multiple sclerosis. Together, they launched the MS STEP UP program more than ten years ago, with the first cohort of MS-trained students graduating in 2010. Recently, they have both endowed the Angela and Marty Rosenberg MS STEP UP Endowment for Multiple Sclerosis and Neurodegenerative Diseases in Physical Therapy, a long-lasting step toward improving health care and patient outcomes for people living with MS.
The program and fund grew out of a need to fill a void in health care and in education, one which Angela saw firsthand during her time as both a student of physical therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University and as an associate professor in the UNC School of Medicine Division of Physical Therapy.
The lack of expertise in treating people with MS perplexed her; there were so few physical therapy specialists who treated movement issues stemming from MS. “I felt a need and a desire to do what I could to improve the
- ANGELA MCCAFFREY ROSENBERG ’88
health care landscape,” Angela said. “MS is a shape shifter, but it impacts movement, which is a physical therapist’s bread and butter.”
Her solution to tackling this issue came in the form of creating the MS Standardized Treatment and Education Program with University Partners (MS STEP UP) program, designed for physical therapy students to learn more about MS and how to diagnose and treat issues in patients that stem from the disease, such as with gait, balance, and other mobility issues. As an educator in physical therapy, Angela identified what academic content MS experts would need in order to succeed. She worked in concert with an interdisciplinary group of professionals and community members with MS to build the MS STEP UP curriculum with support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In composing the program’s mission and objectives, she valued insight from colleagues and faculty in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, where the physical therapy program is housed. Recent MS STEP UP graduate Jessica Anderson, DPT, said she hopes to foster increased awareness and knowledge of MS within the Latinx population, to develop educational resources for health care professionals, caregivers, and to ensure optimal care for those living with MS.
“This scholarship has allowed me the time to focus on my clinical skills by taking advantage of experience outside the classroom,” Anderson said. “I am extremely grateful for this support.”
Audrey Osinski ’14, adjunct faculty and clinical preceptor, directs the program, which is supported by faculty members and a volunteer leadership team.
Deborah Givens, PT, DPT, PhD, is the division director.
To make a gift to this fund, visit uncmedicine.org/Rosenberg
- JESSICA ANDERSON, DPT
