Pharmacy faculty members published

SpinelliSmall FrameSmallTwo faculty members in the College of Pharmacy have been published recently in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, a professional journal for pharmacy education.

Dr.  Alisa Spinelli, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, had a manuscript published earlier this year entitled, “Assessing the Value of a Pharmacy Student First Aid Volunteer Experience at a Large Venue Sporting Event”.  The article was written with co-authors, Dr. Randell Doty and Dr. Melonie Stanton from the University of Florida.  Their research assessed the perceived value to pharmacy students in volunteering at first aid stations during University of Florida home football games.   The study concluded that the volunteer opportunity significantly improved the confidence of pharmacy student participants in providing patient care activities and recognizing patients who were experiencing a medical emergency.

In November, Dr. Tracy Frame, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, published an article entitled, “Student perceptions of a Self-Care course taught exclusively by team-based learning and utilizing Twitter”, which was co-written with Dr. Kelly Wright and Dr. Melody Hartzler from Cedarville University in Ohio.  The objective of their research was to assess student perceptions of the use of team-based learning (TBL) and Twitter in an Introduction to Self-Care course.  Overall, their study revealed TBL use in the course as favorable, but course improvements were needed, such as increasing the course to three credit hours and reshaping the use of social media to better engage students in discussion beyond the classroom.

PT Professor appointed to Scientific Advisory Committee for Performance Health

VoightSmall2Dr. Michael Voight, Professor of Physical Therapy, has been appointed to Performance Health Academy’s 2015 Scientific Advisory Committee, one of eighteen individuals from around the world who have expertise in physical therapy, chiropractic, exercise science, athletic training, and massage therapy.

Performance Health is a leading manufacturer of rehabilitation and wellness products sold in the U.S. and over sixty countries. The Company markets its product offering under such brand names as TheraBand, Biofreeze, Cramer, Bon Vitaland Thera°Pearl. The Performance Health Academy was formed to scientifically document the benefits of resistance exercise and pain relief and guide the company in its development of new products and exercise programs. The Academy web site is a unique resource that connects healthcare professionals and consumers to the ever growing body of knowledge on exercise.

Interprofessional Workshop offered for graduate health science programs

interprofessional-orientation-139-300x185At the beginning of the spring semester, first year graduate students in the College of Health Sciences & Nursing had their first experience working and learning together under the guidance of more than 25 volunteer faculty.  Using a case study approach, nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy graduate students worked together to design the best treatment plan for an elderly patient with complex health problems. The new students then tackled the “Marshmallow Challenge,” a fun and creative exercise designed to encourage teams to experience simple but profound lessons in collaboration, innovation and creativity.

College of Health Sciences & Nursing Dean Dr. Cathy Taylor said, “According to the World Health Organization (2010), ‘interprofessional education (IPE) occurs when two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.’ Emerging evidence links interprofessional (IP) teams to better patient outcomes. As we move into the next phase of healthcare reform, licensed professionals must be able to work effectively in teams and communicate vital patient information clearly.”

Pharmacy professor featured in health information technology textbook

BlashSmall2Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Dr. Anthony Blash was recently selected as one of 13 professionals featured in the 2014 publication of Careers in Health Information Technology, a health information technology (HIT) textbook by Brian T. Malec.

The text describes the depth and breadth of job opportunities and careers currently available in HIT and helps readers enter and advance within the expanding field. Blash is featured in the chapter, “HIT Careers in the Education and Training Sector.”