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Greetings from the Rock! This year, our Rockhurst PT program celebrates its 40th anniversary! Take a look at what is going on in the DPT program at RU. Please stay connected with us at the following social media accounts and our website!

ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY PHYSICAL THERAPY ADVISORY BOARD

The Physical Therapy program has worked with the É侫ÊÓƵ Advancement team in the formation of the RU PT Advisory Board. The board's role is to supply advice and guidance, to serve as an advocate for the Department of Physical Therapy in the community, and to work to support the achievement of the Physical Therapy Department's strategic initiatives.

The board has begun fundraising for the PT Advisory Board Scholarship and looks forward to it supporting one or more DPT students in the future. Once the scholarship is fully endowed, it will be awarded annually with the ability of renewal. Additionally, the PT Advisory Board has prioritized developing events and learning activities to connect alumni with students and faculty. | Meet our board members HERE.

Watch a video from our PT Advisory Board . Hear from Ellen Spake, PT, Ph.D., the first chair of our PT program in a video . It is a call for all of us to come together and dream BIG!

This past year, we adopted a new management system for placing students in clinicals. The name of the system is EXXAT. They recently moved to their newest version called Prism. Prism is more user friendly for everyone using the system from the students, faculty, and staff to the clinical coordinators and clinical instructors.Ìý

• Within Prism’s many features, we store all contracted site information including, but not limited to, staff information, slot offers, requirements, locations, and addresses. Students are able to fill in a wish list, add their demographics, and add some information specific to their interests- among other things. We can also place students at desired locations, send confirmation emails to both students and sites, and send surveys.Ìý

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• If you have any updated staff, requirements, or documents, please either send them to Lora ColombattoÌýor make updates yourself after you receive the March mailing. In that email, you will receive a personalized link which will allow you to make any necessary changes and slot offers.Ìý

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• This fall, we had the opportunity to work in a clinical setting for five weeks. Having a five-week rotation was great timing to get good practice with our hands on skills before heading out to long-term clinicals in April.
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• This past semester we went into nine different classrooms of fifth through eighth graders, teaching kids about the neuroscience of pain, why we have pain and how physical therapy can help. We had a blast with students and were pleasantly surprised by their participation and questions. It was a great experience!
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• This fall, Sedgwick Hall, which houses the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, opened and we’ve been able to have multiple learning experiences in the Seelos Simulation Center. The first thing we got to do was participate in a code blue training with nursing students in one of the simulation labs. This was very helpful in preparing us for situations we might encounter on rotations. Another great opportunity was teaming up with nurse practitioners to teach them some ortho screens they would be able to do for their patients. We’ve loved having such a great space to learn and practices hands on skills in the sim labs.
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• We had a lot of success this fall with one of our service projects to create homeless care kits. We raised $1,000 dollars to make the kits and distribute them.
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• A few of our classmates, who are pursuing their strength and conditioning certifications, have had the opportunity to work with Rockhurst student-athletes. It’s been a cool experience for students to apply their CSCS knowledge and get to work with athletes!
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• Lastly, our class has enjoyed various social events together like a float trip, Royals game, and a sand volleyball tournament over the past summer.

Exercise Science Program Faculty: Jana Arabas, Dave Heller, Nicole Moodie and Liz Zayat

Physical Therapy Staff: Lora Colombatto, PT clinical education administrator, and Angela Grojean, operations administrator.

Aubrey Bennett, '22 DPT, with É侫ÊÓƵ President Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., at December 2022 Commencement at Midland Theatre

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UNIVERSITY UPDATES NEW PRESIDENT FOR RU, SANDRA CASSADY, PT, Ph.D. Our program is thrilled to have Sandra Cassady, PT, Ph.D., as the 15th president of É侫ÊÓƵ. Cassady is the first woman and first lay person chosen to serve as president since the Jesuit university’s founding in 1910. Read more HERE. Joe Burbee, DPT Class of 2023, participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony of the "Transformed" Sedgwick THE TRANSFORMATION OF SEDGWICK HALL On Friday, June 3, 2022, Sedgwick’s newest chapter began, with a ribbon cutting for a $23 million renovation and a new life as the new home of Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, which became part of Rockhurst in 2019. Inside is 55,000 square feet of space, with classrooms, faculty and staff offices, an interfaith meditation room, conference rooms, common areas and the state-of-the-art Blessed Seelos Simulation Center, where students in the nursing program and health science programs can take part in immersive patient care situations in different settings, all directed discretely by evaluators.Ìý Our DPT students will have the opportunity to have their acute care and cardiopulmonary courses in the lab spaces as well as participate in many simulation experiences. Read more HERE. MARK YOUR CALENDAR Ellen Spake Lecture Series: Session II, March 8, campus White Coat Ceremony:ÌýMarch 24, St. Francis Xavier |Ìý 2023 Family and Alumni Weekend:ÌýSept. 28-Oct. 1, campus Ìý

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