O.T. Link Program in Occupational Therapy • Washington University School of Medicine • Summer 2013
Issue Highlights:
Usability, Not Just Accessibility
Terrain Tracker App
Disability and Community Participation Laboratory
David Gray, PhD, has a grand plan to create a global, searchable online map for persons with disabilities. As the head of the Program in Occupational Therapy’s Disability and Community Participation Research Office, he wants to create a database that maps out locations and environments in terms of David Gray usability versus accessibility. “A building or location can be accessible in broad terms, and even be ADA-compliant, but it may not be usable to those with certain impairments,” Gray explains. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know how truly usable buildings or environments might be before you get there? We want to create a map like Google™ and do for usability what they did for GPS.” Gray has led efforts in his laboratory to map barriers to increase community participation for people with mobility impairments for more than a decade. In 2004, he and his team created a series of lists that could be checked to determine if a location was, in fact, usable to persons with a specific impairment. Called the Community Health Environment Checklist
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(CHEC), they enabled occupaFran Cohen Award tional therapists and occupaPage 4 tional therapy students to Alumna Bobbie Vergo objectively assess locations, Page 5 scoring them from zero to 100 Students Attend CGI-U based upon set criteria. As Page 6 interest in the CHECs grew, a training program was developed so that other students and professionals could assess areas in their own cities. “We’ve certified many occupational therapists who have scored about 1,000 buildings in a dozen cities so far,” says Gray’s research associate Jessica Dashner, OTD ‘02, OTR/L. How many more buildings need to be assessed? “About a million more,” she says, hoping that interest blossoms across the Jessica Dashner country. “We currently are developing a free online training program so that more people can get involved.” The team also created a specialized assessment called the
We’ve Got an App for That—Terrain Tracker
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Tracking the Usability of Communities for those with Mobility Impairments
Keep your eye out for a new app in iTunes. Called the Terrain Tracker, the double T icon is the gateway to the Program in Occupational Therapy’s efforts to help create a free database that details the usability of communities specifically for those with mobility Terrain Tracker App Icon impairments. “The target market is anyone who uses mobility devices, such as a manual or power wheelchair, a walker, cane, even crutches,” says Lisa Garrett,
OTD/S ‘14, who is working on the project in the Disability and Community Participation Research Lab. “You would be able to upload images and information or search the app based upon the type of mobility device being used and where you want to go.” Terrain Tracker was initially developed in 2008 by James Kugler, a Washington University in St. Louis biomedical engineering student. After graduation, he partnered with the Program in Occupational Therapy for a research grant focused on testing the usability of the touchscreen app among individuals with spinal cord injuries. Program researchers CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Occupational Therapy
Program in Occupational Therapy Campus Box 8505, 4444 Forest Park Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108-2212 (314) 286-1600 / (800) 279-3229 (314) 286-1651 (TDD) wuotinfo@wusm.wustl.edu • ot.wustl.edu
M. Carolyn Baum
From the Director
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ust a few weeks ago we bid farewell and success to our 2013 graduating class! While it is always hard to say goodbye, our students leave these halls as alumni well prepared to lead in the field of occupational therapy. This is because our Program empowers students to realize success, something that was evident this past semester as six of our students were accepted to the prestigious Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI-U). Reflecting upon her experience at CGI-U, Cambey Mikush, OTD ‘13, noted, “CGI-U is an opportunity to turn your passion into action by committing to take steps to finding solutions to pressing global issues.” We are so proud of these students (six of only 1,200 worldwide to be accepted to CGI-U in 2013) and know that this experience will inspire them throughout their careers. You can read more about each of these wonderful students and their experience with CGI-U on page 6. Erin Sanborn, OTD ‘13, not only saw success at CGI-U, she was recently honored as the first Program in Occupational Therapy student to win the Rosalind Kornfeld Leadership Award, typically awarded to graduating female MD or PhD students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership to women within the community. The award is presented by the Academic Women’s Network at the university, and only two winners are chosen each year. We are excited for and exceptionally proud of Erin. You can read more about our outstanding students at the newly redesigned ot.wustl.edu. The website launched in March and is the result of efforts by many people: alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends, and we are so thankful for all who contributed. One of the features I am very excited about is the Toolbox, found on the top navigation bar. The Toolbox provides cloud storage in which our graduates can store files such as practice models, interventions, resources and assessments. I encourage you to explore and register for this feature, which we offer to our graduates at no cost. I want to also recognize the kindness of Mr. Gerald Cohen, husband of the late Fran Cohen ‘51, a Program
graduate and dear friend for many years. He has generously gifted $50,000 to the Program in her honor, and we are so grateful. The gift will be used to award a student scholarship each year in Fran’s name. Her legacy will live on in this way, and we are honored by the generosity and kindness of the Cohen family. You have a lot to catch up on in this issue of OT Link. Faculty member David Gray, PhD, and his Disability and Community Participation Research Office, have made groundbreaking strides for the mobility and participation of those living with disability. You’ll also read about graduate Bobbie Vergo, OTD ‘10, OTR/L, who is helping to build an occupational therapy clinic in Indiana, the many student activities from this spring, and of course we touch on the 2013 AOTA Conference where Tim Wolf, OTD ‘07, MSCI, OTR/L was officially sworn in as a Director on the AOTA Board of Directors. I am so proud of the things you are accomplishing every day as graduates. Please keep us informed on the work you are doing – we love to share in your success! M. Carolyn Baum, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology and Social Work Elias Michael Executive Director, Program in Occupational Therapy
Tim Wolf Named to AOTA Leadership Post Timothy J. Wolf, OTD ‘07, MSCI, OTR/L, has been elected as a Director on the Board of Directors of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In this role, Wolf will work with the full 14-member Board of Directors to establish and enhance the strategic Tim Wolf direction of the 96-year-old organization. “I am grateful that my colleagues have given me the opportunity to serve our profession in this role and I’m looking forward to getting started this summer,” Wolf says. His three-year term begins July 1. Wolf, an assistant professor in the Program in Occupational Therapy and in the Department of Neurology at Washington University, is also Primary Investigator of the Performance, Participation, and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory. The laboratory researches interventions aimed at improving participation in home, work, and community activities in patients who have had a neurological injury. Wolf is sworn in at AOTA 2013.
USABILITY CONTINUED FROM COVER
TERRAIN TRACKER CONTINUED FROM COVER
CHEC-DO to assess usability of physician’s offices. Dashner is teaching her first-year occupational therapy students to perform the CHEC-DOs and already has a waiting list of physicians to participate. Adds Gray, “On a broad scale, what we’re trying to do is maximize the environmental facilitators for different levels of impairment and help people participate in their communities.” Efforts to enhance community participation and usability are ongoing throughout Gray’s laboratory. Clinical specialist Sue Tucker, MSOT ‘02, OTR/L, ATP, is researching ways to quantify and create a rehabilitation program for spinal cord injury patients to help strengthen muscles and improve driving ability. Carla Walker, MSOT ‘00, OTR/L, ATP, also a clinical specialist, is focused on creating an occupational therapy Dashner and Gray assess a facility. program for pregnant women who have a mobility limitation. Already she’s working with several obstetricians and a leading disability services agency to identify needed services. Gray, meanwhile, teamed with instructor Kerri Morgan, MSOT ‘98, OTR/L, ATP, and research assistant Megan Gottlieb to research how assistive technologies can enable persons with disabilities to succeed in the workforce. Morgan also is researching ways to quantify clinical outcomes and establish best practices for wheelchair seating and mobility evaluations. On the horizon is a collaborative effort to launch an innovative usability program in an app store such as iTunes®. (see story, page 1). Targeting those who have mobility impairments, the app is in the final stages of prototype testing and will enable users to upload and share images and information about community usability. “We’re close to getting this system up and running,” says Gray. “I believe it will be a lifetime achievement. It’s that significant.” “It takes energy and tenacity to run this laboratory,” he adds. “If we can change mindsets to the term usability, we will increase community participation and engagement. That’s been my lifelong goal.”
identified several design changes. “One thing we didn’t expect was that some users couldn’t tap to select a button because the screen interpreted their movement as a scroll or swipe,” says Garrett. “We also had to eliminate pinch zooming and add a delay timer so that those who wanted to take photos and upload them to the database had time to do that regardless of their limitations.” Currently, the prototype Terrain Lisa Garrett demonstrates Terrain Tracker. Tracker enables users to report obstacles in their community while on their daily commute. Ultimately, as more assessments are added to the database, the goal will be to map out an entire city on the basis of usability. Garrett, who gave a presentation on Terrain Tracker at the 2013 AOTA annual conference, says, “We’re definitely pushing to get the app ready this year. The more people that use it and upload their own photos and information, the more we can create a truly global database of usability.”
Lisa Garrett, OTD/S ‘14, and Kelsey Luedtke, OTD/S ‘15, present the Terrain Tracker app at AOTA 2013.
Please Donate to the Program in Occupational Therapy Scholarship Fund
Please help support future occupational therapists with a donation to the Program in Occupational Therapy Scholarship Fund. A gift to the Program fills an immediate need by lessening the debt burden on our students, allowing them to focus on their education and training. Donations also may be made in honor or in memory of an individual. Checks should be payable to Washington University and mailed to: The Program in Occupational Therapy Washington University School of Medicine 4444 Forest Park Ave., Campus Box 8505 St. Louis, MO 63108
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Spotlight: Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD/S ‘13, MSOT ‘97, OTR/L
Post-Professional OTD Student and Clinic Administrator, Program in Occupational Therapy My work allowed me to interact with doctoral level occupational therapists, both academically and clinically, and I noticed a distinct difference in their engagement of evidence and their capacity to create new models of care. As I prepared to forge into emerging areas of community occupational therapy, I sensed there was more knowledge that I needed that could not be fulfilled through continuing education and experience alone. I feel the PPOTD will assist in bridging the gap. My ultimate goal is to increase occupational therapy community leadership roles and presence in local and national settings as it relates to public health and health disparities. With the knowledge gained so far in this program, I am well on my way.
Alumni News Student Award Established in Memory of Fran Cohen
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t was a love that endured from the time they were five and six years old, having met on the playground of their elementary school. Gerald and Fran Cohen savored life together — he as an attorney, she as an occupational therapist and advocate for those with disabilities. Fran, a 1951 alumna of the Program in OccupaFran Cohen tional Therapy and former research assistant and faculty member, made it her mission to keep herself active and encourage others to engage in life.
Cohen (far left) with students from the class of ‘51.
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“We were married for 58 years and she was my best friend and companion,” says Gerald. “She was proud to be an occupational therapist. She was innovative, imaginative, and way before her time in how she cared for and helped others.” Diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissues, Fran passed away last July at the age of 83. To honor her life and accomplishments, Gerald established the Fran Cohen Endowed Student Award Fund in Occupational Therapy. The award, which includes a monetary stipend and a certificate, is given to a graduating occupational therapy student who has demonstrated leadership and creativity in applying occupational therapy knowledge to people with disabilities. Candidates also must show promise in the areas of community health and community service. Gerald pre-
sented the first award to Joe Brey, OTD ‘13, during graduation ceremonies on May 17. “Fran Cohen has had a presence in our Program for many years. She was a teacher, a research coordinator and colleague. Now with the love and generosity of her husband, her spirit will be with our Mr. Cohen and Joe Brey at comProgram and our students mencement. forever,” says Program Executive Director Carolyn Baum, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. After graduating from the Program in Occupational Therapy, Fran worked at Firmin Desloge Hospital (now Saint Louis University Hospital). There, she took over part of the rooftop to plant a raised vegetable and flower garden for occupational therapy patients. She later helped residents with disabilities in both public and private nursing homes to obtain their GEDs. In 1996, she co-founded the DisAbility Project, an acting troupe that featured actors with and without wheelchairs. To date, the troupe has played before more than 80,000 people. “She worked for more than 60 years of her life and we raised four children,” says Gerald. “She was active up until the month before she died, even talking about obtaining her doctorate degree in her late 70s before she was diagnosed with the cancer.” “She thought that occupational therapy was the greatest profession and that the Program in Occupational Therapy was the best occupational therapy school in the country,” he adds. “That’s why I wanted to honor her by creating this student award. I want her energy, optimism, innovation and passion for life to be remembered.” If you would like to honor Fran Cohen’s life and make a contribution to the Fran Cohen Endowed Student Award Fund, please contact Paul Schnabel, Director of Medical Development, at 314.935.9725 or by email at paul_schnabel@wustl.edu.
Alumni News Career Paths - Bobbie Vergo, OTD ‘10, OTR/L
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOBBIE VERGO
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A young client interacts with therapist Bobbie Vergo.
prepared me to work in an interdisciplinary setting,” she says. “I look back with pride on my years at the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine, knowing that my time there was very well spent and has helped to get me where I am today!”
The Lure of the Doctoral Degree Those that transfer into the doctoral track have differing ideas on why they make the switch. “Unlike most other occupational therapy programs, the MSOT and OTD tracks have parallel educational tracks in the first two years with the Steve Taff exception of one class,” explains Steve Taff, PhD, MSOT ‘97, OTR/L, Associate Professor of Professional Programs. “We have an incredibly strong master’s program that is ideal for students who know that they want to pursue a general practitioner’s degree and work in a clinical setting. Other students want to pursue more knowledge about evidence-based practices and become intellectually stimulated while here and want higher clinical skills or to be more involved in research and academics.” “I didn’t know what the OTD degree was when I first applied,” says Rachael Baum, OTD/S ‘14, who transferred to the doctoral program after her first year. “I believe it will open more doors in the future. I am not necessarily Rachael Baum interested in teaching or doing research, but I hope to have a private practice and/or provide services to older adults living in the community.” Taff adds, “We give our students the option to obtain either degree, and that’s rare to be able to do that.”
PHOTO BY BOB BOSTON
obbie Vergo, OTD ‘10, OTR/L, is helping to build an occupational therapy clinic program “from the ground up,” working as an occupational therapist for Collaborating for Kids, a pediatric therapy company based in Indiana. Vergo, a 2010 OTD graduate from Bobbie Vergo the Program in Occupational Therapy, says the launching of a new clinic program is both exciting and daunting. “It’s been a fantastic challenge because I’ve had to get all of the assessments, therapy tools and paperwork set up, which took a lot of time, and had to do that with limited resources,” she says. Collaborating for Kids is in a growth phase, having been established only a few years ago initially to provide early intervention therapy for families in Indiana’s First Steps program. Last year, the organization opened its first clinic to offer outpatient occupational, speech and physical therapy services as well as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism. “We work closely as a team to make sure each child gets what he or she needs,” Vergo says. “We recently added a child psychologist to our team and have a close relationship with a nutritionist and a doctor who is studying brain maps of children with autism and are receiving ABA. A vision therapist also just moved next door, so the name “collaborating” couldn’t be more accurate!” Vergo was drawn to Washington University because of the many opportunities available to students in the OTD program, specifically teaching and advanced clinical experiences. “While there, I often heard about OTD graduates who went out and carved a niche for themselves in some area of the world and basically created their own job description and salary,” she says. “I really wanted that for myself. To be able to go for just one extra year to earn a doctorate degree was too tempting to pass up and the program allowed me to make my degree truly unique so that I can be a valuable asset to any clinical team.” A focus on research and evidence-based practice while in the doctoral program instilled in Vergo the importance of keeping current in her profession and with occupational therapy literature. “It’s so important to do that because I can educate families and even my co-workers on the benefits of occupational therapy,” Vergo adds. “The OTD program prepared me with the theoretical knowledge, confidence, and drive to be able to build an occupational therapy clinic program. The emphasis on teamwork and collaboration with other disciplines also
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Student News Six Program Students Selected to Participate in CGI-U
CGI-U Student Participants from the Program in Occupational Therapy.
Joseph Brey, OTD ‘13, is designing an educational program that encourages self-management of chronic health conditions in older adults. Megan Carlson and Katherine Wycoff, both MSOT/S ‘14, want to offer hand therapy services to underserved St. Louis residents in a mobile clinic. These students were among six from the Program in Occupational Therapy invited to participate in the sixth annual Megan Carlson Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI-U) held this year on the campus of Washington University in early April. CGI-U is an ambitious program created by former President Bill Clinton that brings together undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to address global challenges such as Katherine Wycoff education, public health, environment/ climate change, and human rights. It mirrors an annual meeting of global, business, and philanthropic leaders. Because both programs prompt action, participants are required to submit an action plan tackling one or more of the global issues. Kelsey Luedtke, OTD/S ‘15, is heading to Jericho as part of her CGI-U action plan. She is partnering with an organization to arrange caregiver support groups for those who take care of an individual in a wheelchair. Her goal is to provide peer encouragement while also Kelsey Luedtke offering evidence-based training on issues such as transitioning and positioning wheelchair users. “Listening to President Clinton and the countless other speakers was such an honor and they challenged me to think deeper about my commitment and the ways to encourage its sustainability and help make it grow,” she says.
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Cambey Mikush, OTD ‘13, is passionate about global health issues, particularly those that pertain to women. She wants to create a multifaceted and sustainable rehabilitation program in Niger, West Africa to help women with obstetric fistula. An estimated 3.5 million Cambey Mikush women in developing countries develop obstetric fistula, which is a hole that occurs between the bladder or rectum and the vaginal wall, resulting in leakage of urine and feces. “I plan to visit a hospital in Ethiopia in June to observe and volunteer in a reintegration program and then will travel to Niger in the fall to complete an occupational therapy needs assessment. My hope is to empower these women and help them overcome the physical and psychosocial issues they face.” CGI-U sessions designed to help students move from action plans to reality featured both industry leaders and other students. “Although I learned a great deal from the workshops, I was most moved by the panel discussions and motivation exemplified by fellow students,” says Erin Erin Sanborn Sanborn, OTD ‘13. Sanborn, who already has experience in global health issues after conducting health and malnutrition assessments in Burkina Faso last year, has a CGI-U action plan to develop a collaborative occupational therapy curriculum between the Program in Occupational Therapy and Malawi College of Medicine, which is planned to open in 2014. As part of her doctoral work, Sanborn will be developing curriculum for the program at Malawi College of Medicine this fall. “The networking with fellow attendees was particularly invaluable,” says Carlson. “We found it much easier to talk openly with other students about the challenges in implementing a commitment than it is to speak with experts. Katherine and I have never attempted something like this, so we may have been a little naïve in formulating our initial plan. But this shows us that we need to find a solid mentor to help guide us so that’s the next step toward getting the mobile hand clinic going.” “Everyone wanted to see every commitment succeed,” says Brey, who will head to Washington, D.C. for an apprenticeship to Joe Brey implement his healthy aging course. “I left CGI-U with a renewed faith for creating meaningful change in our communities.”
Student Happenings
OT Scholarship Day
PHOTO BY BOB BOSTON
The 2013 OT/PT Job Fair was a great success!
Keland Scher, MSOT ‘13, performs for students. To read more about Keland and his use of clowning arts in occupational therapy: http://bit.ly/YAmlqn
Students volunteered at Caring Solutions to build houses.
Faculty, students and staff enjoyed the 5th Annual OT Scholarship Day presentations on April 19, 2013 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center.
Social Circle Relay for Life offered students the opportunity to give back this past April.
Tweets We Love: “@WUSTLOT knows how to throw a rocking alumni reception!! Proud to be a WUSTL grad!!! #AOTA13 #promotingOT” - @R_Dargatz_OTD Find Us Here: www.facebook.com/OT.WUSTL www.twitter.com/WUSTLOT LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/140ro2T http://pinterest.com/wustlot/
Smiling students and faculty at the 2013 AOTA Alumni Reception.
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Program in Occupational Therapy Washington University School of Medicine Campus Box 8505 4444 Forest Park Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108-2212
Occupational Therapy
Students and Faculty at commencement 2013!
PHOTO BY RAY MARKLIN
PHOTO BY RAY MARKLIN
Commencement 2013
Brittany Perez, OTD ‘13, is hooded by Dr. Gray. PHOTO BY RAY MARKLIN
Please visit us at ot.wustl.edu and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest for more Program news & photos! Meg Glassman, OTD ‘14, Stephanie Zaepfel, MSOT ‘13, and Kandice Hardney, MSOT ‘13.
The Program in Occupational Therapy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.