2013 UAB School of Health Professions Magazine

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HEALTH

PROFESSIONS 2013

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IT HAS BEEN AN incredible last few months for the School of Health Professions at UAB. The school is moving forward on a number of critical initiatives, and we have heard exciting, positive news on a number of fronts.

For example, during the last several months, we have heard that our Nutrition and Obesity Research Center and our Diabetes Research Center will be refunded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for four to five years each, making our school the only one in the country housing two such centers.

Additionally, we have been selected to be the home for the next five years of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s only National Center for Health, Physical Activity, and Disability and to a National Institute on H A R O L D P. J O N E S , P H . D .

Disability and Rehabilitation Research-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center. We were also informed that HRSA would be providing our programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, nuclear medicine technology, and clinical laboratory sciences with more than $2.4 million in funding over the next four years. Also, we recently learned that the longstanding NIH-supported Cancer Prevention and Control Program in the Department of Nutrition Sciences has been renewed for another five-year period. Altogether, this amounts to awards of $20 to $25 million over the next five years. We also received a number of exciting new individual awards.

The addition of the two new floors to the School of Health Professions Building remains on schedule—now more than 50 percent complete. At this point, we are approximately 25 percent of the way toward our building campaign goal of $6 million. Thank you to so many of you who have contributed thus far, and if you have not, please consider a gift.

This issue focuses on the growth of our efforts in rehabilitation sciences, especially in the arena of research and research education. Our rehabilitation programs (physical therapy and occupational therapy) have had a longstanding tradition in providing excellence in professional education but have lagged somewhat in developing a research footprint. In this issue, you will see how research efforts have exploded over the past two years—propelled forward by the development of the new Ph.D. program in rehabilitation sciences, the creation of the unique UAB/Lakeshore Foundation Research Collaborative,

On the cover: Three new hires in the School of Health Professions have

the addition of several nationally renowned investigators, and the research successes of our faculty. These advances are helping us to put the “third leg”

positioned the school to play a

onto the school’s research stool. I hope you will enjoy this issue of our maga-

prominent role in the future of

zine and that you will be as excited about our present and future as we are.

rehabilitation science. They are, from left, James Rimmer, Ph.D.;

We continue to appreciate all of the support you give to us as a school. If

David Brown, Ph.D.; and Brian

you have comments or questions, please contact us at SHPalumni@uab.edu.

Dudgeon, Ph.D.

Thanks again for all you do.

HEALTH

PROFESSIONS V OLUM E

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UAB Health Professions Magazine

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c o n t e n t s

Executive Editor Matt Windsor

Managing Editor Grant Martin

Executive Art Director Ron Gamble

2-3 Critical Issues Health-related headlines from around the school

Art Director Jessica Huffstutler

Production Manager

4-7 Cover Story

Joy Johnston

[ First-Rate Rehab ]

Writers

Key new hires put the school in position to become a national

Melanie K. Davis Rosalind Fournier Grant Martin Cindy Riley

leader in rehabilitation science.

Photographer Steve Wood

Editorial Board Katie D. Adams • Director of Development Matthew Bittle • Office Associate Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Michelle Brown, MS, MLS (ASCP) SBBcm • Clinical Education Coordinator and Assistant Professor Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Darrell E. Burke, Ph.D. • Associate Professor Department of Health Services Administration Deek Cunningham, MS, OTR/L, SIPT, ATP • Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy Melanie K. Davis, APR • Assistant Director of Communications

8-13 Feature Stories [ Building for the Future ] The School of Health Professions Building is taking shape and is on schedule to welcome students in the fall.

[ Research Roundup ] Do breakfast choices heighten your risk of heart disease and stroke?

SHP faculty take a closer look at the most important meal of the day. Also, new programs help children with disabilities and Down syndrome patients to live healthier lives.

Chris Eidson, MS, OTR/L • Assistant Professor Department of Occupational Therapy Harold P. Jones, Ph.D. • Dean

[ Student News ]

Lakesha Kinnerson, MPH • Program Manager I Department of Health Services Administration

SHP students start new traditions, earn national distinctions,

Beth Kitchin, Ph.D., R.D. • Assistant Professor Department of Nutrition Sciences Stacey McElrath • Assistant Director of External Relations Susan Miller, MS, RD, LD • Assistant Professor & Assistant Director, Department of Nutrition Sciences

and more.

14-15 Spectrum News from SHP programs, departments, and faculty

David M. Morris, PT, Ph.D. • Vice Chair & Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy Kathy Nugent, Ph.D. • Prog. Dir. and Assistant Professor Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences M. Paige Powell, Ph.D. • Assistant Professor Department of Health Services Administration

16-19 Alumni News Snapshots from alumni events of the past year, plus profiles of four exceptional SHP graduates

Amanda Sherman, Office Services Specialist III Department of Physical Therapy

20-24 Contributions

HEALTH

PROFESSIONS UAB Health Professions is published each year by the School of Health Professions at UAB. It is produced by the UAB Publications and Periodicals Group, Office of Public Relations and Marketing.

Critical ISSUES H E A L T H - R E L A T E D

H E A D L I N E S

Garvey Helped in Trials of New Weight-Loss Drug

Tim Garvey, Ph.D.

In July 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new diet drug tested in several clinical trials at the Department of Nutrition Sciences in the School of Health Professions. Tim Garvey, Ph.D., an endocrinologist and chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences, said the drug Qsymia will be an important new weapon in the fight to reduce American obesity and an epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Garvey was the primary investigator at UAB for a phase two and several phase three trials of Qsymia.

Reaction to Health-Care Reform Ruling The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 2010 health-care law last June with a majority opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion stating the law was a valid exercise of Congress’s power to tax.

M. Paige Powell, Ph.D., assistant professor of health care, reacted to the ruling on several local television and radio stations. “This is a big surprise to everyone,” says Powell. “It means that according to the Supreme Court, President Obama just raised taxes on everyone. It’s more rhetoric/classification than anything.”

In Alabama and some other states, expansion will come with difficulties, Powell says. “The state has been preparing for the creation of the exchange but has not passed legislation to create one.

Therefore, it may not be operational by 2013.”

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The Medicaid expansion will also come into effect in 2014. However, Powell says there was a major victory for the states that challenged the law. “Alabama, along with 25 other states, won the right to opt out of the Medicaid expansion without losing

all existing Medicaid funding,” she says.

An estimated 600,000 Alabamians will become eligible for Medicaid in 2014, meaning Alabama’s Medicaid program could potentially double overnight. There will be more than 500,000 newly eligible adults and 90,000 children. There may be as many as 700,000 total adults and children who enroll because some people are currently eligible for the program, yet haven’t signed up for various reasons; there are an estimated 100,000 people who are eligible now but aren’t enrolled.

HIM Faculty Training UAB Coders on ICD-10 For Joan Hicks, the one-year delay in the compliance deadline for the nationwide conversion to ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) code sets was fine with her. As the chief information officer for the UAB Health System, Hicks has a lot of behind-the-scenes work to get done before the new deadline of Oct. 1, 2014.

“We have to change out two systems that support Health Information Management (HIM) and then add two new HIM systems,” says Hicks. “Also our primary clinical system that supports the Health System will require a major upgrade.”

ICD-10-CM Revision codes for diagnostic statement from patients’ medical records include codes for diseases, signs and symptoms, and abnormal findings.

The ICD-10-CM diagnostic classification is for use in hospitals and physicians’ offices for statistical and reimbursement purposes. The coding and classification system for diseases in the United States

has not been updated in more than three physiology for the UAB HIM coders. decades while Canada and European “The new coding is more granular, countries have already implemented a which requires coders to have a more similar version of ICD-10. detailed knowledge of anatomical sites for One new feature in ICD 10-CM is the the various body systems,” says Clements, use of laterality. A coder director of the health can specify which hand information manageis injured, such as left or ment program in the right. With the new feaDepartment of Health tures, however, the number Services Administration. of codes increases.

“They have to be spe“UAB will see an increase cific in their coding, of 5,037 percent in-hospital such as identifying the procedure codes with the exact tendons, nerves, or new ICD-10,” says Hicks. even the specific parts “Currently, we have approxof the bones that have imately 24,204 codes, but been injured.” Now that it will increase to more than the preparatory training Kay Clements 1.2 million.” is done, the group is HIM faculty are training Hicks’s staff on learning the official guidelines and rules the ICD-10. Kay Clements, M.A., RHIA; for coding in ICD-10-CM. They meet Robert Garrie; and Midge Ray have all twice a month for face-to-face lectures, been certified as trainers. The HIM faculty and then have online assignments on just completed a review of anatomy and alternate weeks.

SHP Breaks New Ground in Lean, Six Sigma Training Last spring, the School of Health Professions teamed up with the Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE) to offer Lean and Six Sigma training, becoming the first health-care administration program to offer national certification through IIE in Lean health care.

Lean is a production practice that focuses on preserving value with less work, while Six Sigma is a process improvement set of tools and strategies.

In spring 2012, SHP offered a class that included Lean and Six Sigma material, and the final exam was the actual certification exam for Lean.

“For a number of years, we have offered a class focused on operations management,” says Darrell Burke, Ph.D., an associ-

ate professor in health informatics. “Recently, we modified the course and merged it with another course to incorporate more Six Sigma tools.”

With the continued uncertainty surrounding reimbursement for health-care services, Burke says that applying the skills necessary to improve processes affecting cost and quality is critical to the survival of health provider organizations. “Health-care providers are increasingly having employees enroll in classes to acquire these skill sets,” he says. “We are the only university that is an IIE qualified training provider for Six Sigma in health care.

Our syllabus, exams, and other material are all vetted by IIE. This allows UAB students to sit for the Green Belt Six Sigma Certificate exam.”

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FIRST-RATE

REHAB

SHP POSITIONED D TO TAK K E L EA D IN REHA A B ILITATIO ON SCIE ENCE

WHEN THE UAB SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS and the Lakeshore Foundation announced the formation of the first-of-its-kind UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative in 2009, job number one was to find the right person to serve as its inaugural director. The collaborative had a clear mandate—to spearhead groundbreaking research in rehabilitation science that brings together UAB’s research expertise with the Lakeshore Foundation’s life-enhancing programs for people with physically disabling conditions—but there was no preexisting model. The person chosen to lead it would play a defining role in plotting the course. “The first director needed to be capable of creating an exciting and compelling vision for the collaborative,” says Harold Jones, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Health Professions.

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BY ROSALIND FOURNIER

In Jones’s mind, one person who fit all those requirements was James Rimmer, Ph.D., a longtime faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and also director of two federally funded centers focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities. “Dr. Rimmer is arguably the most recognized and accomplished leader in the area of physical activity and disability in the world,” Jones says. “To be honest, he was my choice from the very beginning.”

The question was, could he be lured to Birmingham? Rimmer says he enjoyed great latitude, support, and staff at UIC to set his own agenda. And on a personal level, he and his wife were firmly ensconced in their life in the Windy City.

Instead, he signed on as a consultant to help in the search for the first Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences at UAB, and through that process, he grew more and more excited about the tremendous potential the position holds. “In my entire 32-year history in this field of work, this was the first position I encountered that was front and center of what I do,” Rimmer explains. He says he was also overwhelmed by the positive response he got from his contacts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other federal agencies when they heard he was considering the move to Birmingham.

“Everybody I spoke to said, ‘This is a great opportunity to work at a great institution.’” Rimmer started at UAB in January 2012.

The energy surrounding Rimmer’s hire and the new UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative reflects an even larger momentum to propel the School of Health Professions into the upper echelons of research for rehabilitation sciences nationwide.

That push also includes another major initiative for the school: the launch in 2011 of a new Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science, which ushered in its second wave of Ph.D. candidates this fall.

Jones says the SHP is now poised to build world-class programs

SHP’s first Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Rimmer, Ph.D., brings a wealth of experience—and two new research centers—with him to UAB. For more, see “Centers of Progress” on page 6.

in rehabilitation science that are in keeping with the stature of the school’s other renowned programs. Its health administration program is ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, and the SHP is the only school in the country to have both an NIH-funded nutrition and obesity center and an NIH-funded diabetes research center. But while the school’s occupational therapy and physical therapy programs have long been respected for the quality of the education they offer, Jones says it’s time to build on those strengths by taking research to the next level. That focus is already apparent with the addition of two new centers— the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) and the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RecTech). Funded by the CDC and the National Institutes on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, respectively, the new centers effectively double the number of centers located in the SHP. (See “Centers of Progress” on page 6.)

“Rehabilitation science is the next logical place for us to become research leaders,” Jones says, explaining that the field goes beyond acute care in the immediate aftermath of an injury or onset of physically disabling condition into what he calls “post-rehab,” the work to study, assess, and improve patients’ long-term quality of life. “And the Lakeshore collaboration, paired with the new Ph.D. program, offers an opening into what is arguably the most important emerging field in health care today.”

BREAKING THE MOLD Just as Rimmer heightens the profile of the UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative, the new Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science program comes with a top-notch recruit of its own in David A. Brown, PT, Ph.D., to serve as its inaugural director. Considered a leading expert in neurological rehabilitation, Brown was recruited

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from Northwestern University, where his research focused on locomotor and balance dysfunction of people with neurological impairments. Along with being heavily involved with Northwestern’s Movement and Rehabilitation Science Track of the neuroscience program, he had 15 years of experience working as a clinical physical therapist. He is also the founder of a research, development, and engineering firm, KineaDesign, L.L.C., a subsidiary of HDT Robotics, which specializes in human interactive mechatronics.

“Both temperamentally and in terms of background, Dr. Brown was a perfect fit to lead this new program,” Jones says.

At UAB, Brown saw an opportunity to build from the ground up a more dynamic, interdisciplinary Ph.D. program than he had experienced anywhere else. “The traditional Ph.D. model is that you take an individual and squeeze or mold them into something the program wants them to be,” he says. “As a former Ph.D. student who went through that process many years ago and has fought against it ever since, I made a promise that if I was ever in a position to change that way of doing things, I would do that. So this is now my opportunity. Similar to the rehabilitation process, our Ph.D. candidates will have the opportunity to actualize their own goals.”

Brown envisions the program as one that transcends boundaries. “Rehab science is, and should be, a very interdisciplinary field,” Brown says. “It requires not just a focus on a particular body structure or function area of the human body, but also how that body structure or function relates to a health condition or disease process, and how it relates to that person’s ability to participate in life.

“UAB shares my point of view about science and education in general—that science should be a collaborative and integrated process where people and information from a variety of fields can coalesce around the work of coming to a broader, greater under-

David Brown and Ph.D. student Carmen Capo-Lugo demonstrate the KineAssist Gait and Balance System, a device Brown developed to study balance and postural responses to challenging functional tasks.

standing of a problem,” he continues. “So I felt very excited and challenged by the idea of coming down here and putting together a program like that.”

In keeping with that mission, the first students accepted into the new Ph.D. program, which is housed jointly in the departments of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds and interests—from exercise physiology, physical therapy, music therapy, and experimental psychology— that all fall under the broad Centers of Progress umbrella of rehabilitation sciTwo New Centers Coming to SHP ence. In addition to working with the primary occupational When James Rimmer joined the SHP faculty, UAB gained more than just a nationally renowned scientist. It also got two new federally funded centers. and physical therapy faculty, A $3-million, three-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and the students are also encourPrevention will fund the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and aged to work with faculty Disability, which is located in Birmingham as part of the UAB/Lakeshore from other departments on Research Collaborative. The center focuses on the relationships between campus and beyond, includgood health and physical activity in people with disabilities. ing taking advantage of UAB’s Additionally, Rimmer recently received a $6-million, five-year grant from external relationships with the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The grant will the Veterans Affairs Medical fund the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Interactive Exercise Center and now the Lakeshore Technologies and Exercise Physiology Benefiting People with Disabilities Foundation to find research (RecTech). experiences that fit their needs and interests.

To read the full story, go to www.uab.edu/shp and search for “Rimmer.”

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A NEW FRONTIER For his part, Rimmer sees rehabilitation science as a field still in its infancy relative to its potential—a powerful statement given Rimmer’s own 30-plus years of experience at the forefront of health and exercise research for people with disabilities. Yet in the UAB/ Lakeshore Research Collaborative—or BLADE2S (BirminghamLakeshore Aging Disability Environment Exercise Study)—he envisions opportunities for research that cuts deeper and reaches farther than anything possible before now.

“It’s a chance to serve as a catalyst for answering long-term, critical questions about the effects of physical activity and other areas of health promotion across the lifespan for people with disabilities,” Rimmer says. “For instance, research has established that exercise is not harmful to people with disabilities. But we don’t know why there is still such a high rate of inactivity among people with disabilities. Is it the built environment? Attitude? Lack of access?

Secondary health conditions?

“The other part of the formula is building data and recommendations about the actual ‘dosing’ of exercise,” he continues. “There is a tremendous need to examine what types of exercise, how much, and so on produce the best results for different populations. Exercise is an elixir for depression, cardiometabolic disorders, osteoporosis, and many other disorders, but we don’t have clear answers in terms of what people with physically disabling conditions need to do to achieve similar results as the findings on non-disabled cohorts.”

He says one hindrance has traditionally been the challenge of recruiting large enough groups of study participants among people with disabilities. “Think about it,” he says. “If you’re an obesity researcher and need to find 500 women between the ages of 20 and 40 who are overweight, it’s a slam dunk. Now try doing that with 500 people with spinal cord injury when the total population of people with spinal cord injury is about 250,000 nationwide.”

Through the unique partnership with Lakeshore, however, researchers will have the built-in advantage of access to a large population of individuals representing a broad spectrum of physically disabling conditions who come to Lakeshore to make use of its stateof-the-art fitness and aquatics facility and to take part in recreational and education programs.

With several million dollars to build a research agenda and the potential to attract even more funding from other sources, Rimmer wants to invite researchers from across the UAB community who are interested in a specific disability group. “We need to have science that has a high level of inclusion, just like we need to have a high level of inclusion in health, fitness, and exercise,” he says.

Long term, Rimmer believes the UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative will become the epicenter of rehabilitation science nationwide. “With data that no one else has anywhere in the world, we could be the model,” he says.

DUDGEON TAKES HELM AS NEW CHAIR OF OT PROGRAM Continuing its momentum in building highly competitive programs in the rehabilitation field, the UAB School of Health Professions welcomed the arrival of Brian J. Dudgeon, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, as the new chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy in October.

A nationally known researcher in disability and rehabilitation, Dudgeon was previously an associate professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy at the University of Washington Dudgeon in Seattle. He also served as manager of occupational therapy at Seattle Children’s Hospital and staff occupational therapist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A National Institutes of Health- and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded therapist with research expertise in spinal-cord injuries and spina bifida, Dudgeon has assisted on national committees including the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, American Occupational Therapy Association Task Force on the Human Genome Project, and others.

“Dr. Dudgeon’s accomplishments as a faculty member at the University of Washington and his long history of national, state, and community advocacy on issues related to disability will complement our outstanding occupational therapy program,” says SHP dean Harold Jones, Ph.D. Dudgeon says the program—ranked 28th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in its 2012 list of best graduate schools—draws strength from its commitment to maintaining close ties with the occupational therapy community throughout the region. “Partnerships within the community will continue to be important to our success as a program,” Dudgeon says.

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Building for the Future S H P B U I L D I N G A D D I T I O N P R O V I D E S N E E D E D S PA C E A N D T H E L AT E S T T E C H N O L O G Y

A year after construction crews began adding two floors and 35,000 square feet of new space to the School of Health Professions Building, the project is on schedule to welcome students for the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

The expansion will provide state-of-the-art classrooms for the executive master’s and executive doctoral programs, create much-needed lab space for the Department of Physical Therapy, and allow consolidation of the Department of Health Services Administration into one building on the same floor for the first time.

SHP Receives $2.4 Million for Scholarships Four SHP programs received grants totaling $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to fund scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are enrolled in a health professions program.

The four programs—clinical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, physical therapy, and physician assistant—will award nearly 15 scholarships per program per year for four years in the amount of $10,000 to $15,000 each that will be applied toward a student’s tuition and fees.

According to the Bureau of Health Professions of HRSA, the majority of the counties in Alabama are designated as economically disadvantaged, and 35 of the 67 counties are classified as low-education counties.

“Minorities tend to be underrepresented in higher-skilled, higher-paid health-care profes8

sions such as nuclear medicine technology,” says Norman E. Bolus, M.S.P.H., director of the nuclear medicine technology program.

“Living expenses coupled with the high cost of tuition can be an insurmountable burden when disadvantaged students are unable to work due to the full-time nature of health professions programs.”

Just receiving a bachelor’s degree is often not enough, since some health professions require a graduate degree. “The availability of these scholarship funds will be critical for some students in making choices in career plans,” says Sharon Shaw, PT, Dr.P.H., chair of the Department of Physical Therapy.

“Financial assistance for doctoral training is a necessity for many students to pursue advanced degrees.”

Getting students to campus and completing their education is just one hurdle. The other is increasing diversity in the health professions workforce.

“The lack of diversity is a key barrier to ensuring a culturally competent health-care system at the provider, organizational, and system levels,” says Patricia R. Jennings, Dr.P.H., director of the surgical physician assistant program. “It diminishes our nation’s capacity to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and compromises our national capacity to advance the health sciences.

Increasing the number of program graduates from diverse communities is one important step in addressing the health-care needs of our diverse populations.”

Fund-raising efforts began last summer to replace the $6 million the school spent on the building expansion.

“While we still have a long way to go to reach our goal, I have been gratified by the many alumni who have shown their appreciation to the health administration program and the school through their generous giving,” says Harold P. Jones, Ph.D., dean of the school.

A campaign Web site was created to allow donors the opportunity to see the efforts of the project, naming opportunities, class challenges, and donation options. You can also watch the progress of the building through the school’s webcam at www.uab.edu/shpcampaign. If you would like to make a gift to the campaign, please go to the site and use the online option or print out a pledge form.

P L A Z A R E N O VAT I O N Students, faculty, and staff now have an outdoor spot to eat lunch, do work, or just relax. The plaza, between the School of Health Professions Webb Building and School of Nursing, was renovated with outdoor seating and huge planters with trees and flowers to spruce up the area.

Chapman inducted into Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame Robert C. Chapman, LFACHE, a 1972 graduate of the master of science in health administration program, was one of 12 people inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in July.

The 2012 class was honored not only for their work in medicine and health, but also as players in some of the most vital issues of their time.

Chapman retired as president and CEO of Medical Center East and its successor, the Eastern Health Systems, in 2007. Under his leadership, the organization grew into a private not-for-profit regional integrated health-care system consisting of three hospitals; a system of ambulatory diagnostic, occupational medicine, primary care, rehabilitation, and surgery centers; a family practice residency program; an independent- and

assisted-living facility; and a long-term skilled nursing home. He began his career in 1970 when the facility was called Birmingham’s East End Memorial Hospital.

Chapman held every officer position at the Alabama Hospital Association, including chairman of the board, and he also served on the board of directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and Coastal Insurance Group of Alabama. On the national level, Chapman has held leadership positions at the American Hospital Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives, where he is a Life Fellow. He received the Alabama Hospital Association’s highest award, the Gold Medal of Excellence, in 1987 and its Distinguished Service Award in 2006.

Chapman was one of the early graduates of the MSHA program in the Department of Health Services Administration as part of Class Six. He was an original member of the School of Health Professions Dean’s Advisory Board and served for two terms. He established the Robert C. Chapman Endowed Scholarship for the MSHA program in 2003. Although he has retired, he continues to serve as adjunct professor at UAB.

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RESEARCHROUNDUP Closing the Gaps NEW STUDY FOCUSES ON REDUCING D I S PA R I T I E S I N H E A LT H C A R E In today’s multicultural environment, efficient health care involves more than just clinical diagnosis, pathology, and treatment.

SHP professor Robert Weech-Maldonado, Ph.D., argues that it is more important than ever that hospitals develop greater cultural competency to ensure high-quality care for all patients.

Weech-Maldonado, the UAB L.R. Jordan Chair of Health Administration, has gained national prominence over the past decade for his work on health-care organizational cultural competency and how it relates to racial and ethnic differences in patient experiences and health disparities. His work has generated evidence in support of a “business model” where organizations benefit by eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the care they provide.

His most recent study was conducted along with Marc Elliott, Ph.D.; Rohit Pradhan, Ph.D.; Cameron Schiller, M.S.; Allyson Hall, Ph.D.; and Ron D. Hays, Ph.D. Their findings were recently published in the journal Medical Care.

“Previous studies have examined the impact of specific practices—such as the use of interpreters, recruitment and retention of minority staff, and diversity training—but few have examined

GOWER TO STUDY IF B R E A K FA S T C H O I C E H E L P S O R H I N D E R S FAT B U R N I N G You might want to think twice before grabbing a pastry or doughnut for breakfast. Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor in 10

the impact of systemwide organizational cultural competency on patient outcomes,” WeechMaldonado says. “Successful implementation of cultural competency requires an organizational commitment toward an approach that integrates cultural competency practices throughout a healthcare organization’s management and clinical subsystems.”

In this study, investigators combined Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys and Cultural Competency Assessment Tool of Hospitals surveys, resulting in information from 66 California hospitals and from 19,583 patients in 2006.

The study found that “hospitals with greater cultural competency have better HCAHPS scores for doctor communication, hospital rating, and hospital recommendation. Furthermore, HCAHPS scores for minorities were higher at hospitals with greater cultural competency on four other dimensions: nurse communication, staff responsiveness, quiet room, and pain control.”

The study concludes that “greater hospital cultural competency may improve overall patient experiences, but may particularly benefit minorities in their interactions with nurses and hospital staff.”

To read the complete paper, visit www.lww-medicalcare.com

the Department of Nutrition Sciences in the School of Health Professions, says research in animals suggests that eating a high-carbohydrate breakfast might turn off the body’s ability to burn fat throughout the day.

To find out if a highcarbohydrate breakfast has the same effect in humans, Gower received a $160,000 grant from the Egg Nutrition Center to study whether the kind of food eaten at breakfast can affect metabolic health.

“Morning appears to be the time of the day when your body is geared up to burn fat,” says Gower.

Studies with mice conducted by subinvestigator Molly Bray, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the UAB

School of Public Health, showed that fat intake at the time of waking takes advantage of the body’s natural inclination to burn fat at this time, and allows the animal to respond to different types of food later in the day.

Conversely, mice given a high-carbohydrate meal as the first meal of the day had an impaired ability to burn fat later in the day; they also were fatter at the end of the study, and their blood-lipid profile was worse. Gower says this study might translate to humans.

“Your first meal of the day appears to program your metabolism for the rest of the day,” says Gower. “If you eat a high-carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning, such as white bread or a doughnut, your body may shut off its fat-burning activity. That could lead to obesity and elevated triglycerides, which, in turn, could increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes.”

Vogtle Awarded Grant to Improve Weight and Activity of Kids with Down Syndrome

If 14-year-old Daniel Morson had his way, he would eat chicken fingers for breakfast every day. His mom, Jan Morson of Vestavia Hills, does her best to serve healthy foods to Daniel, who has Down syndrome.

“It’s a struggle,” says Morson. “His diet is limited to the same 10 foods. He’s never liked mushy foods like oatmeal, rice, or grits, and he won’t eat vegetables like peas or beans as I wish he would.”

Jan discovered Daniel does like fruit, so she makes him a smoothie for breakfast with strawberries, milk, and a few spinach leaves sneaked in there to provide some vegetables.

“He can’t even taste the spinach,” says Morson. “I just have to be careful not to make it too green or let him see me put it in the blender.”

People with Down syndrome have the highest obesity rates of any intellectual disability group, says Laura Vogtle, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UAB. “This group struggles with oral motor issues, their tongues are wider, they have trouble chewing, and they have gastrointestinal problems,” says Vogtle. “They tend to prefer the same, higher-fat foods such as fried foods and sweets and won’t advance to more textured foods.”

For the initiative, Vogtle saw the need to work with families to develop food and physical activity modifications to improve weight and activity outcomes for adoles-

cents with Down syndrome. She received a $45,000 Health and Fitness for People with Developmental Disabilities grant from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.

Vogtle is teaming up with other faculty members in the School of Health Professions, including registered dietitian Susan Miller, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition, and Haiyan Qu, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Administration. To identify participants and to share resources with families, Vogtle is partnering with Parent Advocates Down Syndrome (PADS).

“The parents will work with us through focus groups to identify existing barriers and successful strategies that have worked for them,” says Vogtle.

PADS Executive Director Susan Tolle says this is an area that has not received as much attention but is greatly needed.

Helping people with Down syndrome and their caregivers learn more about strategies to improve nutrition and physical activity should have the effect of “promoting personal health awareness, conscientiousness, and care, and increasing creativity for how a family approaches nutrition,” says Tolle. It

will also “become a proactive preparation for an improved quality of life and well-being as they mature,” she says.

Vogtle will offer a 16-week program for adolescents with Down syndrome and a concurrent parent group to create a program from these focus groups. First-year OT students and a nutrition graduate student will develop daily logs for the children to post their physical activity and what they ate.

Community programs and activities around Birmingham will be ranked, and these resources and others will be developed for parents and posted on the PADS Web site.

Tolle says there are several barriers when it comes to physical activities. “Besides time and cost, the availability of activities that incorporate the interests of the child, include social aspects, and balance their physical skill level with that of typical children can be hard to find,” says Tolle.

If the program is successful, Vogtle could receive more funding to eventually establish the program in other areas in the state.

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STUDENTNEWS Genetic counseling student receives Mayo Clinic internship

Hartline chosen to serve in national organization Jessica Hartline has been chosen to become the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s student representative. She is the first UAB undergraduate to be selected to represent all nuclear medicine students in the national organization. She will serve on several national committees for the next two years.

Hartline just completed her first year in the nuclear medicine technology program.

As a first-year genetic counseling student, Geoffrey Beek was one of a few students in the nation selected to intern with the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in summer 2012. The two-week internship included experience in cytogenetics, molecular genetics, and biochemical genetics with a primary experience in one of these areas. After completing the internship, Beek received a Certificate of Completion from Mayo School of Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Cardel finalist in national young investigator award

SPA students hold first White Coat Ceremony Fifty-seven members of the surgical physician assistant Class of 2014 were presented with their traditional short white coats by members of the Class of 2013. It was the first time the program has held a white coat ceremony.

The school also graduated its first classes in the executive doctoral program in December and graduated its first class in genetic counseling in May 2012.

Out of 900 abstracts submitted, Michelle Cardel, a recent doctoral graduate in nutrition sciences, was named as one of the top five finalists in the Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award. The award recognizes excellence in research by a young investigator based on the quality of the submitted abstract. Cardel also received the UAB President’s Diversity Graduate Student Award for her commitment and contributions to diversity on campus.

Respiratory therapy students win Sputum Bowl The Alabama Society for Respiratory Care’s (ASRC) annual Sputum Bowl Championship competition came down to UAB vs. UAB, and UAB won. Seven teams of respiratory therapy students from across Alabama competed for the state championship on March 5, 2012, during the ASRC Annual Conference in Birmingham. The winning UAB team included Jordan Unlap, Devon Fall, and Sterling Wimbish.

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Watch RT students compete in SIMWARS Respiratory therapy seniors Danielle Foster and Krystal Hughes were put to the test on their skills in the inaugural SimWars. Read more and watch them in action at www.uab.edu/shp or www.youtube.com/uabshp.

SHP Honors sweeps category at UAB Expo SHP Honors students swept the health sciences category number two at the fifth annual UAB Expo: An Exposition of Undergraduate Scholarships on April 20, 2012. Out of the 126 presentations, SHP had 15 students to present posters or give oral arguments.

1st-Miriam Van Dyke, Nuclear Medicine Technology, “Survey of Radiological

OT students inducted into national honor society Eight occupational therapy students were inducted into the Occupational Therapy National Honor Society, Pi Theta Epsilon, on April 18, 2012. The students were chosen in recognition of their scholastic excellence in OT.

Emergency Preparedness: Nuclear Medicine Technologists” 2nd-Emma Johnson, Respiratory Therapy, “Infectivity of M. Tuberculosis Genes mce 4C and D in Latent Tuberculosis” 3rd-Ashley Glaze, Respiratory Therapy, “Mce4 A and B Mediate Mycobacterium Survival in Latent Tuberculosis” Honorable Mention-Steven Milligan, Medical Technology, “PEGylation Potentiates the Effect of GHK on Fibroblast Proliferation”

PTs take oath

Forty-nine first-year students of the physical therapy Class of 2014 recited the pledge to uphold the ideals of their profession.

Run, Walk, or Roll with UAB OT 5K Race What started as just an idea by a couple of occupational therapy students has turned into a huge success. On Feb. 4, 2012, the occupational therapy students not only instituted thier inaugural fund-raiser but also raised awareness about the importance and purpose of occupational therapy. The Run, Walk, or Roll with UAB OT consisted of a 5K race at Heardmont Park. The race netted $3,500 that will help support the Student Occupational Therapy Association to provide students with scholarships for books, help support community organizations, and enable students to attend the OT national conference.

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{Spectrum}

News from SHP programs, departments, and faculty

SHP programs ranked top 30

by U.S. News & World Report All ranking programs in UAB School of Health Professions landed among the nation’s top 30 according to U.S. News & World Report. The latest rankings were released in the 2013 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” available online at www.usnews.com.

From left, School of Nursing Dean Doreen Harper; Chad Epps; program director Laura White; Todd Hicks; Stacey Smith; and SHP Dean Harold Jones

5th-Health Administration 19th-Physical Therapy

Nurse Anesthesia Program Moves to School of Nursing

25th-Physician Assistant

UAB’s nurse anesthesia program officially moved to the School of Nursing from the School of Health Professions to link it more closely to other advanced-practice nursing programs and better align its research, practice, and education outcomes.

The move, effective Aug. 1, 2012, was recommended and approved by faculty from both schools.

The Nurse Anesthesia Program was established as a hospital-based program in 1946, graduated its first class in 1947, and moved to the School of Health Professions in 1969.

Changes to the program were minimal, but will include the degree name.

“Instead of earning a master of nurse anesthesia degree, graduates will receive a master of science in nursing beginning with the December graduating class,” says School of Health Professions Dean Harold Jones, Ph.D. “Otherwise, students will see little change.”

28th-Occupational Therapy

New graduate certificate in health focused care for PTs and OTs In 2001, Kim Preskitt may have been working as the financial manager at Flexdigital, a direct mail marketing company, but the occupational therapist in her was noticing that the employees were setting themselves up for injuries. She saw employees improperly moving boxes, long computer use that could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, and standing for extensive periods of time with turning and twisting while working at the machines. Ten percent of the staff already had some sort of disability prior to their employment with Flexdigital. Preskitt saw an opportunity to work closely with the employees to keep them safe.

“I told the owners if they hired me as a full-time occupational therapist, I could lower their insurance costs through decreased accidents, add health and fitness wellness programs, and decrease employee absences,” says Preskitt, a 1996 graduate of the occupational therapy program.

Her title became occupational therapy/ health and safety director/finance manager.

One goal was to facilitate a safe and healthy work environment through motivation, education, and preventive body mechanics while producing savings at the same time for the company. She quickly saw a decrease in accident occurrences. Preskitt even gets 14

the employees motivated by encouraging walks and dancing while on the clock.

“The staff really likes it,” says Preskitt.

In January 2013, the school will begin offering a graduate certificate in health focused patient/client management for physical and occupational therapists.

“This certification positions PTs and OTs to add vitality to their practice by integrating concepts of health promotion and wellness into everyday clinical activities and developing clinical and community programs in these areas,” says Cecilia Graham, Ph.D., PT, program coordinator.

“The certificate will emphasize PT and OT roles in the promotion of healthy behaviors related to physical activity/fitness, nutrition optimization, weight management, smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, sleep health, and stress management. Promoting healthy behaviors in these areas is particularly important in people with disabilities.”

Since the program is geared toward

working clinicians or educators, the classes are offered online. There are five required courses, and students will take one course per semester.

“The format allows flexibility for workers to continue to practice full-time,” says Graham. “It also gives them immediate opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge in their clinical settings.”

Graham says students will walk away with skills in program development and marketing and a program ready for implementation. She says employers will benefit, too.

“These programs can result in improved patient outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, and enhanced value to the clinical services, and they can provide potential new revenue streams,” says Graham.

For more information about the program, visit www.uab.edu/ptotcert or contact Graham at (205) 934-5949 or cgraham@ uab.edu.

CLINICAL & DIAGNOSTIC SCIENCES Biotechnology program approved by trustees as a master’s degree After being offered as a certificate option in Clinical Laboratory Sciences since 2009, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the biotechnology program as a stand-alone master’s degree. The biotechnology program provides students with the training necessary to be a part of the industry’s specialized workforce with a strong knowledge base in science, technology, and research and industry-specific entrepreneurial skills that can translate scientific discovery into commercial products.

The UAB program partners with key constituents such as the UAB Research Foundation and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, to give students opportunities to work on real projects.

NEW FACULTY Bryan Breland, J.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, health care management program

David Brown, PT, Ph.D., professor and program director, Ph.D. in rehabilitation science program

Brian J. Dudgeon, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, chair, Department of Occupational Therapy

Stephanie McGilvray, M.M.Sc., PA-C, assistant professor, surgical physician assistant program

James Rimmer, Ph.D., director, UAB/Lakeshore Foundation Research Collaborative, Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences

Laura Rogers, M.D., professor, Department of Nutrition Sciences Jonathan Waugh, Ph.D., RRT, has been named as interim faculty director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. Waugh is a professor and coordinator for teaching enrichment in the respiratory therapy program.

Vivian Pijuan-Thompson, Ph.D., was voted as president-elect of the American Society of Cytotechnology (ASCT). Pijuan-Thompson is the director and associate professor of the cytology program. She is currently the Region 4 director for ASCT, covering nine states and Puerto Rico.

PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical Therapy Vice Chair David M. Morris, Ph.D., PT, received the State Legislative Commitment Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. He also received the Marilyn Gossman Professionalism in Physical Therapy Award from the Alabama Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

John Lowman, Ph.D., PT, CCS, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, was elected as the chair of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). ABPTS is an 11-member board that oversees the eight different board-certified clinical specialties in physical therapy.

HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION S. Robert Hernandez, Dr.P.H., professor and director of the administration-health services doctoral program, has been elected to the European Academy of Management Board as the United States representative for the next three years. Hernandez, the only American representative, is one of 31 board members.

Jessica Williams, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, health care management program

ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS Janelle Chiasera, Ph.D., chair, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences

Beth Kitchin, Ph.D., R.D., director, nutrition sciences minor program Susan Miller, M.S., R.D., L.D., interim director, dietetic internship program

Taraneh Soleymani, M.D., interim medical director, EatRight by UAB Jonathan Waugh, Ph.D., interim director, respiratory therapy program

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Mary Warren, Ph.D., OTR/L, has been named codirector of the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Callahan Eye Hospital. Warren is an associate professor and director of the graduate certificate in low vision rehabilitation. Warren also received Envision’s Excellence in Education Award for 2012. She was the keynote speaker at the Envision Conference, a first for an OT. Laura Vogtle, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, has been elected as director at large of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Her three-year term began Sept. 15, 2012. Vogtle is a professor and director of the occupational therapy post-professional program.

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ALUMNINEWS NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGY ALUMNI DINNER AND FUND-RAISER SUPPORT JR. ADVISORY BOARD SCHOLARSHIP FUND-RAISER

The Nuclear Medicine Technology Alumni Association chapter hosted its third annual alumni and fund-raiser event benefiting the Michael A. Thompson Memorial Scholarship Fund in October.

The SHP Junior Advisory Board is developing a student scholarship and is asking alumni to support it through an online fund-raiser. The fund drive will kick off with an event on Thursday evening, April

Meghan Webb, Channdara Thach, and Evelyn Mosquera

18, 2013. Please stay tuned for more information, and we look forward to seeing you in April!

GPHA ALUMNI RECEPTION More than 130 alumni and students from the graduate programs in health administration packed the annual alumni reception at ACHE in Chicago in March.

Jon Vice, Janet Holland, and John Holland

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Amber Lindars, Jon Baldwin, and Norman Bolus

Frederick Collins, Manish Vashi, and Vincent Turner

UAB E-mail Addresses for Life

HEALTH INFORMATICS ALUMNI/ STUDENT NETWORKING RECEPTION

PHYSICAL THERAPY ALUMNI EVENTS Physical therapy alumni were invited to two different receptions: one at the APTA conference in Chicago in February and another one during the ALAPTA Conference in Birmingham in August.

The MSHI program held its annual alumni and student networking reception in Birmingham in August.

(Above) Jenny Wilson, Kristie Gentry, and Adam Gentry at Birmingham reception (Left) Ann Newstead and Melinda Steadman Buehring at Chicago reception

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ALUMNI RECEPTION

Andrea Thompson, Kenyatta Thompson, and Janessa Sabatinelli

The Department of Occupational Therapy hosted an alumni reception during the AOTA Conference in Indianapolis in April 2012.

Linda White, Caleb White, and Prashant Koppolu Jan Rowe, Elizabeth Pugh, and Traci Swartz

Amanda Tarlton, Deek Cunningham, Linda Goodwin, Deb Oulette, Julie Natasi, and Beth Barstow

Amanda Dorsey, Stu Booth, Scott Kirby and Ryan Larson

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ALUMNI IN ACTION JOHANNA GILSTRAP (RT)

A

s far as respiratory therapists go, Johanna Gilstrap has a pretty impressive resume.

She is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) stationed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. In fact, she’s the first respiratory therapist to be commissioned. She serves as the respiratory therapy program manager within the Office of Safety, Health, and Environment.

“Anyone who is required to wear a respirator to protect against airborne contaminants on the job must come through the program for training and fit testing of the respirator(s) prior to initial use and annually thereafter,” says Gilstrap.

The program serves laboratorians, epidemiologists, veterinarians, and many other disciplines. Last year, the program had more than 800 employees enrolled.

Gilstrap arrived at UAB in the late 1990s not knowing what profession she would pursue. “SHP was unique because it offered a wide range of programs,” she says. “I knew I would find my calling there.”

After graduating from the respiratory therapy program in 1998, Gilstrap worked in a clinical setting at a teaching hospital for more than eight years, but she needed a new challenge. “I obtained a contracting position at the CDC, and I became more interested in the basic public health ethos of disease

Johanna Gilstrap

prevention and health promotion,” she says.

Gilstrap earned her master’s degree in public health and applied to the USPHS Commissioned Corps. She was called to active duty on January 6, 2012.

Rodger Brown (Executive MSHA) Mike Eskridge and Ethan White (PT)

F

or Mike Eskridge and Ethan White, providing outstanding patient care is a top priority.

Eskridge & White Physiotherapy in Birmingham—which offers injury prevention, rehabilitation, and fitness and wellness programs—serves clients ranging from Olympic athletes and competitive runners to stroke victims and joint replacement recipients.

“I enjoy the challenges of evaluating human movement, both healthy and dysfunctional, and applying training and/or treatment techniques to improve performance and function,” says White, who received his master’s in physical therapy from the SHP in 1993. “I decided to make manual therapy the focus of my practice while I was a student at UAB. A number of faculty were instrumental in exposing us to basic manual therapy techniques and theory.”

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Eskridge, a co-owner who graduated from UAB with a Bachelor of Science degree in Comprehensive Science, earned a master’s in physical therapy from the university in 1992. He specializes in manual therapy and treatment of mechanical dysfunctions in runners and triathletes, and has completed more than two dozen marathons himself.

Both partners take pride in the company they founded 13 years ago, although they admit it hasn’t always been easy.

“Starting a business is very scary,” says White. “I would advise anyone interested in doing so to make sure they have a unique skill set as a therapist. Make sure, if you are a new graduate, that you are in a clinical setting where you can learn and develop the skills necessary to differentiate yourself from others in your field.

“We’ve hired a number of UAB graduates over the years,” adds White. “Mike and I know that with UAB physical therapy graduates, we’re getting motivated and well-trained individuals who are a great fit to our business.”

When the president of North Mississippi Health Services wanted to expand the knowledge and leadership skills of his team back in 1999, he asked Rodger Brown to research top programs nationwide. For Brown, the program needed to broaden the horizon of executives already familiar with health care and accommodate the hectic schedules of business leaders and physicians.

“The program had to be of great value based on the dollars paid,” explains Brown, who graduated from UAB’s Executive Master of Science Health Administration program in 2002. “UAB was the clear choice for us. Interestingly, I had not planned on attending. Once I made my presentation to the president and we agreed on UAB, he looked me in the eye and said, ‘You are going, aren’t you?’ That decision has definitely given me a greater understanding of

Chirapa Raksakorn (CLS) ALUMNI NOTES

C

hirapa Raksakorn is using her training national affairs coordinator of her division, in clinical and laboratory sciences (CLS) which allowed her opportunities to parto help ensure the quality of medical devices ticipate in the Association of Southeast Asian Tracy Spray d’Auguste (left) with her husNations (ASEAN) meetings as a national a half a world awayband, through herd’Auguste, role with and Adam their son, delegate.

The the Food and Drug AdministrationSpencer (FDA) ofVann d’Auguste. ASEAN subcommittee is drafting documents, some of which are related to Thailand.

Raksakorn is responsible for drafting stan- clinical laboratory sciences. “I am thankful for all the professors dards and coordinating international affairs and staff members for the FDA’s Medical Device Control for their dedication Division. to students,” she says.

“My CLS degree really opened up my “Every class provided career opportunities,” she says. “With my me valuable experibackground with in vitro diagnostic devices, I ences and has brought understand how to draft laws and regulations me down an extraorregarding these devices.” dinary career path.”

Additionally, Raksakorn also serves as inter-

how health systems operate. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to attend UAB.” UAB’s Executive MSHA Program was created to prepare students for senior management positions in the health field.

It was established with busy executives in mind, requiring them to visit the UAB campus a total of eight days three times each year to earn their degree in just two years. When not attending campus sessions, students continue their studies through online distance learning. The program has thrived because of Brown’s efforts, with 29 people completing the curriculum so far, over the last 10 years.

“We use the UAB program as part of our leadership development and succession plan,” says Brown, who currently serves as vice president of human resources at NMHS. “Everyone who has graduated is a more successful leader, and many have been promoted due to the skill set learned.

UAB has a great reputation, especially in developing health-care leaders.

“The diversity of those attending, which included administrators, clinicians, and physicians, was a huge advantage.

Listening and understanding from those with different backgrounds has given me a whole new perspective of health care.”

Ian Bernard (HCM ’07; MSHA ’11) is a manager of anatomic pathology, 10th Medical Group, in the U.S. Air Force.

Meagan Cochran (GC ‘12) has a new job as a laboratory genetic counselor in the UAB Medical Genomics Laboratory.

Stephen Cohen (SPA ’84) started his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program at East Carolina University in July 2012.

Amanda Dixon (OT ‘01) passed her certified hand therapist exam and opened her own practice with co-owner Beverly Allen-Crain (OT, 1977) called Hand and Occupational Therapy Center, PC in Montgomery, Alabama.

LATONYA BUFFORD (HIM)

Amy Douglas (HCM ’10) is attending pharmacy school at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia.

L

Jeff Estes (MSHI ’01) was promoted to manager of IT Project Management at Viva Health.

aTonya Bufford serves as data manager for Rho, Inc., a contract research organization operating in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

As senior clinical data project manager, Bufford is responsible for clinical data monitoring of all data-related activities for sponsor-related clinical trials.

“We verify that data submitted during a clinical trial is accurate and in compliance with all federal guidelines for the collection, management, and storage of clinical data,” she says. “As data managers, we are tasked with the responsibility for a core aspect of clinical research by ensuring the integrity of data submitted to the FDA. “My time at UAB prepared me for my career by allowing me the ability to meet individuals in the field and expand my clinical research knowledge. I was able to learn in a setting that was conducive to fully understanding the material, as well as developing friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Mark T. Faulkner (MSHA ’93) was promoted to president and Chief Executive Officer at Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, Florida.

Angela Fuller Grace (HCM, ’11) entered into the MBA program.

Caroline Luck (Dietetics ‘10) is an independent nutrition and cooking blogger, http://dietitian-n-da-kitchen.blogspot. com/.

Kayla Danielle Reynolds (NS ‘10) works as a clinical dietitian at Cullman Regional Medical Center.

Devashish Saini (MSHI ’07) founded a chain of family practice clinics, Ross Clinics, in Gurgaon, India, to revive the family doctor, and plans to reach 100 clinics by 2014.

Emilee Shelton (Dietetics ‘08) became a certified diabetes educator and moved to Pensacola, Florida, to work with children on a wide range of nutrition issues.

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Contributions The School of Health Professions is grateful for the support provided by alumni and friends during the past year.

Private support has a tremendous impact on the school and its programs, enabling us to provide scholarship support to attract and retain talented students, purchase new technology for the classroom, enhance research capabilities, and provide programs for both student and faculty development, among other important needs.

We would like to publicly recognize and thank the following individuals, corporations, and foundations for their gracious financial support during the period of January 1-September 30, 2012. For information on how to contribute, please contact Katie D. Adams, SHP director of development, at (205) 996-5469 or by e-mail at katiedav@uab.edu.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences Lakeshore Foundation Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Scholarships Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Philanthropic Grants American Diabetes Association Susan G. Komen Foundation The Ellison Medical Foundation School of Health Professions Abbott Fund Ms. Lula M. Abron Ms. Stacey L. Akines

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Ms. Rosemary E. Aldersebaes Mr. David A. Aldrich Ms. Katharine Ezelle Hoyle Anders Mr. B. Ray Argo Ms. Gussie Arnett Mr. Derek L. Babin Mrs. Vernia P. Beavers Mr. John R. Belhumeur Ms. Martha B. Bennett Mr. Lezabriel D. Bernard Mr. Kevin C. Blair Mr. Robert E. Bodmer Mr. Michael J. Bolack Mrs. Bruce G. Boling Mr. William M. Borders Mrs. Mary J. Boyd Mrs. Natalie A. Brinkman Ms. Catherine W. Brock Mrs. Judy M. Brown Mr. Charles Stephen Burris Ms. Alison R. Burton Mr. Otis Garland Cash Mrs. Wendy W. Cornelius Ms. Alisha Lanay Cotton-Deed Ms. Peggy E. Crim Ms. Dawn Culver

Ms. Denise L. Daniel Mrs. Rhonda Bodenheimer Dantin Ms. Danetta P. Davis Mr. Michael S. Denny Ms. Laura L. Denver Mr. Paul Dial Ms. Kimberly A. Donohue Mrs. Karen H. Duncan Ms. Erin A. Ferguson Ms. Karmen M. Fischbach Ms. Jennifer M. Fisher Mr. Robert A. Folk Ms. Priscilla Williams Foster Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Friday Mr. Robert Anthony Funk Mrs. Robbie P. Gardner Ms. Cheryl Lynn Gasque Ms. Patricia A. Glance Dr. Mel C. Glenn Sr. Mr. Michael E. Glenn Mrs. Esther T. Gowder Mr. Mike Gullahorn Mr. William Dale Gunter Ms. Judy D. Hall Ms. Jacquelyn J. Hansen Ms. Tracie R. Hartley

Ms. Tracy Hartselle Mrs. Shirleen M. Harvey Dr. Edward L. Hawkins Sr. Ms. Patricia C. Hihar Ms. Kay K. Hood Ms. Michelle A. Hornberger Ms. Danna Denise Hyden Mr. Mark A. Isaacs Ms. Uchenna Iwuaba Mr. Eldridge B. Jenkins Dr. Kendell Jno-Finn Ms. Stephanie M. Joly Mrs. Irika Jones Mr. Kenneth Earl Jones Mr. William H. Jones Ms. Isile Kashoro Mr. Jeffery F. Killen Mrs. Joy Coker Kuebler Mrs. Sylvia Beal Kyle Ms. Stacey Lafiore Mr. Paul M. Lamprey Mrs. Jane G. Lancaster Mr. Nicholas C. Laster Mrs. Delavallade Cobb Lee Mrs. Charlotte Keahey Loar Ms. Rita Lynne Lookup Mr. Robert L. Mason Mr. Michael D. McBride Mrs. Stephanie McDonnell Ms. Harriet S. McQueen Ms. Deborah McShan Ms. Rachel D. Meadows Ms. Stacey Elaine Miller Mrs. Ashely R. Mitchell Ms. Gail S. Monson Ms. Diane M. Moore Ms. Dorian Speigle Morrison Mr. David A. Nash Mr. Huey T. Nguyen Ms. Lawanda J. O’Bannon

Mrs. Holly C. Palmer Mrs. Renee Perry Parsons Ms. Mary L. Patterson Ms. Rosalind Annette Patterson Ms. Sarah M. Payne Ms. Mary Frances Pearson Mr. Michael J. Pistey Ms. Claudia Ann Prater Mr. Thomas Ray Mr. Charles Edward Richardson Ms. Susan M. Rio Ms. Cynthia Lynn Robinson Ms. Mary Moore Robinson Mrs. Patricia J. Robinson Ms. Belinda G. Robison Mrs. Angela M. Romine Dr. Isabel Sanders Mrs. Cher M. Scorey Mrs. Susan L. Selman Mrs. Margaret B. Serio Ms. Jannie Shelnutt Dr. Ling-Ling Shih Mrs. Amarjit K. Sidhu Mr. Charles O. Slater Jr. Mr. Terry J. Smith Ms. Michele H. Snow Mr. Clinton M. Spencer Mr. George F. Stewart Ms. Beverly G. Stinson Ms. Gloria Stokes Ms. Tashema L. Syms-Batch Ms. Mattie K. Tarver Mr. Randy Thomas Mr. Terry T. Thomas Mrs. Paige Alaine Wallace Mr. Denis M. Walsh Ms. Patsy Tucker Walton Mrs. Paula C. Warren Mr. Ricky J. Warren Dr. Therese S. Waterhous

Ms. Susan S. Wathen Mr. Gordon D. Weidemann Mr. Robert L. Whatley Mr. Ronald J. Whitehead Ms. Catherine A. Williams Ms. Elizabeth H. Williams Ms. Gwendolyn Louise Williams Mrs. Patricia R. Yeager School of Health Professions Building Campaign Mrs. Susan King Abroms Mrs. Katie D. Adams Mr. Jason P. Alexander Mrs. Callie Andrews and Mr. Kevin Andrews Mr. and Mrs. Ross Armstrong Mrs. Michelle M. Banks and Mr. Larry Banks Mr. W. Scott Bence Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Beverly Ms. Neeysa Biddle Mrs. Liesl E. Bittner Mrs. Janet Perry Book Mr. Herman G. Brehmer Dr. and Mrs. T. James Bush Jr. Mr. T. James Bush III Ms. Nora S. Byrd Mr. and Mrs. Clay R. Carr Mr. and Mrs. John T. Casey Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Chapman Mr. Paul Clark Mr. Michael C. Conrad Mr. Adam Cook Mrs. Jamie Dabal and Mr. Robert Dabal Mrs. Cynthia Sullivan Davies Mr. and Mrs. Brian Davis Mr. James L. Decker Mr. Jon-David Deeson Mr. Jordan M. DeMoss

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Ms. Sarah K. Dillard ECG Management Consultants Mrs. Lynn S. Elgin Mr. and Mrs. Rusty English Ms. Kathryn A. Evans Mr. and Mrs. Cory M. Everett Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Faulkner Dr. and Mrs. Will Ferniany Mr. David Figliuzzi Mr. Coleman Foss Mrs. Julia H. Fretwell Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Garrigan Mr. Roger L. Gehri Mr. Matthew A. Gibson Mrs. Elizabeth Sandeman Girotto Ms. Jeanette M. Glenn Mr. Andrew J. Gnann Mr. David L. Gray Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Gribbin Mrs. Randa S. Hall Mr. Claude W. Harbarger Mr. and Mrs. Brandon L. Haushalter Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Heath Jr. Ms. Amanda Ashley Henson Mrs. Janet Holland and Mr. John Holland Drs. Shannon and Howard Houser Mr. Joseph E. Jacobs Ms. Lori Jones Jenkins JGCF Management, Inc. Dr. Harold P. Jones Mrs. Olivia O. Devault Kalin Dr. Narendra M. Kini Mr. John A. Kueven Drs. Amy and Rob Landry Mrs. Cynthia D. Lee Mr. W. Bryan Lee Mrs. Jan Dominick Levine Mr. XiaoFeng Liu Mr. and Mrs. Brian Maziarz Mr. Andrew McDonald Mrs. Stacey H. McElrath Mr. Brent A. McLean 22

Mr. Greg Merrill Dr. Stephen J. O’Connor Mr. David N. Parmer Mrs. Melissa F. Paschenko Ms. Rebecca J. Patterson Mrs. Lisa M. Pearson Ms. Jennifer Sirmon Peters Mr. Russell E. Pigg Ms. Pamela Lynn Pilcher Mr. Travis Pinnix RJ College Properties, LLC Mrs. Doris B. Reinhart Ms. Caroline H. Sarratt Mr. Jason Searcy Mrs. Sarah S. Seeds Ms. Andrea Serra Mr. and Mrs. Vinnie Sharma Dr. Windsor Westbrook Sherrill Dr. and Mrs. S. Douglas Smith Dr. Todd B. Smith Mr. Daniel L. Stanton Mr. Edward T. Stinson Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Stokes Mrs. Felicia Y. Tigner Mr. Sean C. Tinney Ms. Jacqueline Robinson Turner Mrs. Julia S. Ventress Mr. and Mrs. Jon E. Vice Mrs. Vanessa Walls and Mr. Larry Walls Mr. John B. Warner Mrs. Lisa G. Warren Mr. M. Scott Weeks Mr. Christopher L. Westbrook Mrs. Jean B. Wester Mrs. Gayle White and Mr. Michael White Mr. Benjamin H. Whitworth Mr. Michael D. Williams Mr. and Mrs. David C. Wilson Mrs. Suzanne Woods and Mr. Billy Woods Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Youree

DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC SCIENCES Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program Ms. Vanessa Brown Mr. Joseph M. Finkel Ms. Aubrey Jennings Mrs. Glenda F. Megginson Mrs. Sarah Sansom Mrs. Mary Susan Smith Mr. Thomas V. Stabler Cytology Program (formerly Cytotechnology) Mr. David W. Butler Mr. Allison Wrenn Michael A. Thompson Endowed Award Anonymous Donation Mr. and Mrs. Norman E. Bolus Mr. and Mrs. Royce Johnson Nuclear Medicine Technology Program Mr. William S. Morgan Sr. Mr. Timothy L. Ridley Mr. Jon C. Weaver Nurse Anesthesia Program Mrs. Sandra J. Barber Ms. Rena Fetner Cummings Mrs. Jeannie B. Dodd Mr. Mark W. Dunavan GE Healthcare Ms. Margaret E. Gjellum Mr. Bradley D. Jackson Mrs. Madalyn B. Rucker and Mr. William Rucker Ms. Wilma J. Thomas

Patricia Ann Amos Scholarship Mrs. Elizabeth L. Kirk Respiratory Therapy Program Mrs. Gayle D. Black Ms. Shalanda L. Brooks Mrs. Helen J. Clevenger Ms. Melissa C. Escott Mr. Joshua R. Painter Ms. Tchernavia R. Williams Ms. Apryl Wilson Surgical Physician Assistant Program Mr. Jay N. Altemus Mr. John W. Farrior Sr. Mr. Michael J. Fay Mr. James B. Hyatt Mr. Tommy L. Jackson Mr. Peter D. Littlefield Mr. William M. Parker Ms. Nadia Peritsalis Mr. Thomas W. Utsey Mr. David L. Wright DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BS in Health Care Management (formerly Health Sciences Program) Ms. Julie L. Buchanan Ms. Lilly S. Clopton Mr. Jerry D. Freeman Ms. Loretta T. Martin Mrs. Suzann M. Rupp Center for Health Services Continuing ED Symposium Sponsorship Gresham, Smith and Partners Integrated Medical Systems International, Inc.

Health Informatics Program Berner Research Initiative Westat Health Services Administration Restricted Gifts Ms. Doris L. Cunningham Mrs. Sheila Sumter Grant Mr. Jon E. Vice Mr. Joseph Webb HSA Case Competition Sponsorship UAB Health System Howard W. Houser Endowed Professorship Fund-raising Project Dr. Jim Burkhart Dr. Gerald L. Glandon and Ms. Roberta Shapiro Mr. Jon C. Hubble Mrs. Sara S. Patterson Ms. Midge N. Ray Dr. Donna J. Slovensky Michael D. Williams Endowed Scholarship Mr. Michael D. Williams Robert C. Chapman Endowed Scholarship Mr. Robert C. Chapman Sara S. Grostick Endowed Award Mrs. Deborah M. Laws Scott Ryland Memorial Endowed Scholarship Maj. Lee W. Bewley Stephen O’Connor Fund Dr. Stephen J. O’Connor

DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION SCIENCES Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Division Ms. Sheila J. Baker Ms. Lisa E. Bybel Mr. William H. Carpenter Ms. Heidi Carin Nielsen Kaufman Ms. Marilee Keim Ms. Melinda H. Whetsell Clinical Nutrition Research Center American Beverage Association MARS Incorporated EatRight Nutritional Guidance System Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Mr. Stewart M. Dansby Jamy Ard Clinical Support Dr. Jamy Ard Pi Ling Chang Research Support Dr. Pi Ling Chang Rebecca L. Bradley Endowed Scholarship Mr. Dan G. Bradley Jr. Mrs. Jo S. Cecil Ms. Diana M. Miller Roland L. Weinsier Endowed Support Fund for Nutrition Research Ms. Elizabeth Behn Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Kujawinski Porcelain Artists of the Treasure Coast Mrs. Carmen Prince Ms. Arlene P. Weinsier Ms. Lynn W. Wideman 23

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Carroline Amari Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Nancy C. Barnacastle Ms. Lisa Brown

Ms. Dorian Speigle Morrison Ms. Debbie Nations Ms. Felicia S. Sanders Ms. Marlieka Shields Ms. Patricia A. Smith Ms. Stephanie M. Wadsworth Ms. Joyce Ann Wesley

Low Vision Rehabilitation Ms. Aletha S. Highsmith

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Occupational Therapy Memorial Scholarship Dr. Jan A. Rowe

Marilyn R. Gossman Memorial Fund Mrs. Peggy H. Belmont Mrs. Christine M. Cedotal Mrs. Betty G. Denton Ms. Amy L. Gonzales Mrs. Paula V. Kalmeta Mrs. Kristi T. Renneker

Occupational Therapy Restricted Gifts Ms. Myra Bolton and Champion Rehab Resources, LLC Occupational Therapy Sponsored Scholarship Fund-raising Project (Helping Occupational Therapy Students Succeed) Ms. Lyndsay P. Bolen Ms. Ronecial N. Byrd Ms. Linda Diane Coleman Mrs. Cassandra Faye Cox Mr. Oliver J. Daniel Ms. Amy Davis Mrs. Cheryl P. Fluker Ms. Anne B. George Mrs. Shannon Haywood Ms. Dianne M. Issen Ms. Bettie B. Johnson Ms. Vicki M. McBurney

Physical Therapy Scholarships Ms. Virginia Kay Carlton Physical Therapy Program Ms. Stacey B. Baughn Mr. Gary R. Caddell Ms. Virginia Kay Carlton Mrs. Renee L. Clayton Ms. Susan S. Eliason Dr. Cecilia Graham

Mrs. Jessica C. Guyer Mrs. Wendy W. Harris Ms. Shannon Rae Hartley Mr. Samuel G. Hoskins Ms. Tina Isabella Mrs. Lindsay McNeal Ison Mrs. Tammy L. Jones Mr. R. Stanley Junkin Mrs. Mary Beth Kiker Moses Mrs. Susan N. Parker Mr. William C. Prince Mr. Michael Thomas Ryder Ms. Karen A. Scott Ms. Lynda L. Spangler Dr. Walter A. Stanley Ms. Regina T. Stavredes Ms. Myrna Elizabeth K. Swain Mrs. Lori M. Towery Mr. Monte S. Wright Shirley A. Shaddeau Memorial Scholarship Endowment Mrs. Jo Ann Clelland Ms. Judy W. Colvin Ms. Sue Shaddeau TherapySouth Sponsored Scholarship TherapySouth Greystone, LLC

The gifts and pledge payments listed above were received during the period of January 1 – September 30, 2012. Please forgive any errors or omissions. For corrections, contact the School of Health Professions External Relations Office at (205) 996-5469.

24

Why I Give “My respect for the MSHA program runs deep since I graduated 35 years ago. Through the years, I was awarded the Alumnus of the Year and served as the GPHA Alumni Association President. I’ve worked my way up in the health care industry now as CEO of MEDIC Regional Blood Center. But aside from my personal connection to the program, I have a more recent incentive to support UAB and the Department of Health Services Administration. My son, Ben, is currently a student enrolled in the dual MSHA/MBA program, Class 47. As I listen to him talk about his experiences, the program has certainly progressed over the years and has become extremely challenging.

Attending UAB has allowed us all to benefit from the reputation of the university, its faculty, and our JIM DECKER earned his Master of Science in Health Administration from

professional colleagues. I believe giving back is important

the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1977. He has supported the

to the program’s continued growth, success, and our

school several ways by serving his time as alumni association president

future generation, including my son, Ben.”

of the Graduate Programs in Health Administration (GPHA) and giving financially throughout the years including the building campaign. Jim is CEO of MEDIC Regional Blood Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

WEBB 624, 1720 2ND AVE S, BIRMINGHAM AL 35294-3361

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1256 Birmingham, AL

UAB SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS WEBB 624 • 1675 University Boulevard 1720 2ND AVE S BIRMINGHAM AL 35294–3361

2013-2014 SHP Junior Advisory Board Lily Li, CDS-Biotechnology

Laura Fagerman, HSA-Health Information Management

John McCarter, CDS-Biotechnology

Darius Morgan, HSA-Health Information Management

Courtney Sherman, CDS-Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Michelle Cardel, Nutrition Sciences-MS and Ph.D.

Evelyn Mosquera, CDS-Nuclear Medicine Technology

Emma Lane Isbell, Nutrition Sciences-Dietetic Internship

Ron Hamner, CDS-Respiratory Therapy and HSA-MBA/ MSHA

Stacy Bishop, Occupational Therapy

Ross Armstrong, HSA-Health Administration

Dewayne Hamilton, Occupational Therapy

Jeanette Glenn, HSA-Health Administration

Mallory Lee, Occupational Therapy

Christopher Jackson, HSA-Health Care Management

Maggie Worthington, Occupational Therapy

Cassandra McLendon, HSA-Health Care Management

Kate Stribling, Physical Therapy

Lucretia Johnson, HSA-Health Informatics If you are interested in applying for the SHP Junior Advisory Board, e-mail SHPalumni@uab.edu for more information.

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