UAB DPT Alumni Newsletter January 2015

Physical Therapy Alumni News December 2014

Sharon E. Shaw Endowed Scholarship Fund Raising Project Although Sharon Shaw, DrPH, the Department of Physical Therapy chair from 1999 – 2013 is no longer teaching on campus, her lessons will endure for years to come. In her honor The UAB School of Health Professions is creating the Sharon E. Shaw Endowed Student Scholarship in Physical Therapy. By raising $50,000, this scholarship will support deserving students and continue her tradition of serving the underserved. So even in retirement, with your generosity, she will continue to touch the lives of PT students and faculty.

Inside this issue: Lowman receives The SHP Excellence in Teaching Award

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UAB PT Faculty Delitto named inaugural Gossman Lecturer

3 Gilbert 1st UAB PT student elected President of APTA Student Assembly

Please support the Sharon E. Shaw Endowed Student Scholarship in Physical Therapy

PT Class of 1984 Reunion Department of PT Graduates the UAB DPT Class of 2014

UAB PT leads the way in promoting national program on health for people with disabilities

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Sharon first came to UAB in 1971 and from day one, she understood the importance of continuing relationships and education. The creation of this scholarship in her honor will continue the legacy she built during five decades in Birmingham.

She long served as a role model for students and colleagues wishing to make a difference in the lives of others. Her contributions and appointments throughout her career have been significant. Sharon's collaborations and engagements have been consequential to those who are most in need. And she always encouraged students and faculty to have a positive impact in every facet of their life.

Please join your classmates, colleagues and friends and give to the Sharon E. Shaw Endowed Student Scholarship in Physical Therapy. To honor Sharon's work for the underserved, scholarship funds will support educational expenses of UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy program students who demonstrate a talent for and a desire to use their PT skills to promote the health of underserved populations in Alabama.

5 Even in retirement, Sharon's legacy of serving continues

For Sharon - teaching matters. Learning matters. Education matters. Tomorrow matters. We ask that you think about tomorrow - today - and make an impact that matters. Please visit the Shaw Scholarship webpage by clicking here and contribute today.

PT Chapter of the UAB National Alumni Society Dr. Cecilia Graham was named as 2014 Distinguished Alumnus for the School of Health Professions a the University of Texas Medical Branch

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UAB Physical Therapy Program Celebrates 50 years

UAB DPT Clinical Education Tip Lein earns ALAPTA prestigious Marilyn Gossman Professionalism in Physical Therapy Award

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Beth Curry receive’ s UAB Physical Therapy Alumni Leadership Award Dale Yake Named a Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient

8 Physical Therapy students win Lakeshore’s Amazing Race “MDA Summer Camp” by Jennifer Christy, PT, PhD

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Alumni Advisory Committee David Bryson (‘89) Karlie Brantley (‘08) Jonathan Delk (’99) (President, PT Chapter of the UAB National Alumni Society) Chantel Jones (‘07) Danna Kay King (‘86) Cheryl Knowles (‘82) Donald Lein (‘88) Tana Lieb (‘09) David Morris (‘90) (Faculty representative) Sonya Pearson (‘06) Reid Warren (‘10) Jenny Wilson (‘08)

On Saturday, May 17, 2014, the School of Health Professions celebrated the UAB PT program's 50th anniversary with a dinner and reception at The Club in Birmingham. In addition to alumni from nearly every class of graduates, many of the founding members were in attendance including Joan Bergman, the first physical therapist hired by University Hospital, who initiated the UAB PT program.

The UAB Physical Therapy program, which began in 1964, graduated the first class of baccalaureate degrees in 1967 before there was a University of Alabama at Birmingham.

L/R: Geneva Johnson, Jo Clelland, Betty Canaan, Cara Adams, Joan Bergman

The first Physical Therapy program director was Miriam Jacobs, who worked with Dr. Jonas Salk as he developed the polio vaccine. The second director, named in 1968, was Marilyn Gossman who would guide the PT program for 30 years until her 1998 death due to breast cancer. Following her as Chair was Sharon Shaw who served from 1998 until retiring in 2013.

Over the first 50 years, the UAB PT program has made indelible marks on the physical therapy profession through clinical care, research, teaching and service. Over the next 50 years the department will continue to evolve and shape the future of physical therapy and the future of healthcare.

Current DPT faculty pose with Dr. Delitto

As part of the weekend long festivities, Anthony Delitto, Ph.D., PT, FAPTA, gave the inaugural Marilyn R. Gossman Endowed Lecture on Friday, May 16, 2014, in Volker Hall on the campus of UAB. See more on page 3 This event marks the first of Annual Alumni Weekends to be planned for May of each year. The 2015 Alumni Weekend is scheduled for May 15-16, 2015. See more in this issue.

Attendees enjoy dinner

Photos from the event are at www.flickr.com/photos/uab_shp/sets

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Physical Therapy Alumni News

Lowman receives The SHP Excellence in Teaching Award At the 2014 School of Health Professions Awards Luncheon, held on February 28, 2014 at the UAB Alumni House, John Lowman, PT, PhD received the Excellence in Teaching Award. This award is given to faculty members who exhibited success in developing effective teaching methods, courses and teaching materials that generate student learning, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and research. Congratulations to Dr. Lowman.

John Lowman, PT, PhD, CCS (center) pictured with Harold Jones, PhD, SHP Dean (right) and Jonathan Waugh, Ph.D., RRT, RPFT, CTTS, FAARC (left)

UAB DEPARTMENT OF PT FACULTY (2014)

Pictured L/R on top row Patty Perez, PT, DScPT, 2000, Assistant Professor; John D. Lowman, PT, Ph.D., 2005, Assistant Professor; C. Scott Bickel, PT, Ph.D., 2006, Associate Professor; Jennifer Braswell Christy, PT, Ph.D., 2002, Associate Professor; David M. Morris, PT, Ph.D., 1991, Associate Professor and Interim Chair; Donald Lein, Jr., PT, Ph.D., 2010, Assistant Professor. Diane Clark, PT, DScPT, 2007, Assistant Professor, Program Director and Interim Chair; Pictured L/R on bottom row Cecilia L Graham, PT, Ph.D., 2002, Associate Professor; David Brown, PT, Ph.D., 2012, Professor and Program Director for PhD in Rehabilitation Science; William K. Ogard, PT, Ph.D., 1996, Assistant Professor; Tara S. Pearce, PT, DHS, Assistant Professor; Not pictured Diane Clark, PT, DScPT, 2007, Assistant Professor, Program Director; Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; .

Support your Department of Physical Therapy Below are gift opportunities for the Department of PT. Sharon Shaw Endowed Scholarship Fund Physical Therapy Gifts Physical Therapy Scholarship Gifts Marilyn R. Gossman Endowed Lectureship Shirley A. Shaddeau Memorial Scholarship Endowment Bergman-Pinkston Endowed Professorship To donate to the Department of Physical Therapy, please click here.

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Delitto, renowed PT researcher, is inaugural Gossman Lecturer As part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the UAB Department of Physical Therapy, Anthony Delitto, Ph.D., PT, FAPTA, gave the inaugural Marilyn R. Gossman Endowed Lecture on Friday, May 16, 2014, in Volker Hall on the campus of UAB. Delitto, associate dean for research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, is recognized around the world for his accomplishments and contributions to the PT profession. His lectureship, titled “Opportunity in the Perfect Storm,” touched on the evolving landscape of Physical Therapy as well as his work with Gossman. “When I entered the PT profession, Marilyn was already known for having built UAB into an educational force in the PT world so I am honored to be the first Marilyn R. Gossman Endowed lecturer,” said Delitto, an unprecedented six-time winner of the highly regarded Steven J. Rose Award.

Anthony Delitto, PhD, PT, FAPTA

The inaugural Gossman Lectureship, sponsored by TherapySouth, was attended by physical therapy professionals and students from around the state. As part of the ceremonies, Marilyn Gossman’s family (pictured to the left) was recognized and were presented with a framed copy of the resolution endowing the lecture series by Harold Jones, PhD, Dean of the UAB School of Health Professions.

Delitto, who has served on numerous appointee committees and task forces for the American Physical Therapy Association, is a professor in Pitt’s Department of Physical Therapy and vice president of education and research for the Centers for Rehab Services.

He has held APTA leadership positions in Illinois, Missouri, New York and Pennsylvania. In 2008, he was given the Mary McMillan Lecture Award which is considered by many to be the most prestigious honor bestowed on a PT in the United States.

“We are honored to have Dr. Delitto as the first Marilyn Gossman lecturer,” said Diane Clark, PT, DScPT, interim chair, UAB School of Health Professions PT department. “He has been and will continue to be a true pioneer in physical therapy. I am confident that his lecture will provide numerous ‘gems’ that will benefit the UAB academic and clinical community.”

Alumni News Needed

Marilyn Gossman, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, was aUAB physical educator, researcher, and influential leader who served as chair of the We are looking for news items about PTtherapist, Alumni.

If you know of UAB PT department for more than 30 yea mrs. In 1998, Gossman died of breast cancer. news items (e.g., promotions, awards, births, marriages, etc..) please Beginning Delitto’s selectionPT, in 2014, PT department will choose a renowned therapist, who has made profound forward them towith David Morris, PhDtheatUAB morrisd@uab.edu. contributions to the physical therapy profession, to give a lecture that is open to the public in honor of Gossman.

The 2015 Gossman Endowed Lecture will (e.g., take place on May 15, 2015. Theyear lecturer be announced early in 2015.

Please submit appropriate identifiers maiden names, ofwill graduation) soWATCH thatMORE: alumni will recognize classmates. video profile of Marilyn their R. Gossman and lectureship

Gilbert 1st UAB PT student elected President of APTA Student Assembly Fred Gilbert, a University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Therapy second-year student, has been elected president of the American Physical Therapy Association Student Assembly Board of Directors. He is the first UAB student ever elected to the assembly's top office.

Gilbert (pictured right, holding "n"), who was elected at the APTA National Student Conclave, told the assembly he will “transform the student assembly by optimizing involvement to improve the student experience.”

Dhara Shah, another second-year UAB PT student, joins Gilbert on the APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors as a student (SPT) delegate. She is also the first UAB student to hold that national office.

In her statement to the assembly Shah (pictured right, holding "s") said she will conduct webinars and more in her efforts to make sure “ALL students can be involved in legislative decisions.”

The APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors were elected at the National Student Conclave which was held October 30 – November 1, 2014, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gilbert and Shah will serve the 2014-2015 term.

UAB PT students at APTA National Student Conclave

Another UAB student, Dominique Forte (pictured left holding “c”) was slated for APTA student assembly secretary. While she did not get elected, Dominique represented UAB well in the election process. David Morris, PT, PhD, Interim Department Chair stated “We are so proud of our three UAB student candidates and we expect many great things from these future leaders.”

PASS IT ALONG While we try to maintain alumni contact information, our records are not always up to date. Please share this newsletter with any colleagues and/or friends who are alumni of our program. Also, please encourage them to send their name, current home/work address, and email address to www.uab.edu/shp/alumni . If you would like to join or pay dues that have lapsed, please contact SHPalumni@uab.edu

Physical Therapy Alumni News

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PT Class of 1984 Reunion Letter to PT Alumni On Saturday, August 16, 2014, the UAB Physical Therapy Class of 1984 held their 30th class reunion. For a handful, this was their first time back on campus since they graduated. The weekend was filled with many opportunities to reconnect and included a tour of the School of Health Professions Building and presentation of a generous gift from the class to support Department initiatives (e.g., student support, scholarships).

David Morris, Interim Chair, is presented with a generous gift from Chris Duncan on behalf of the Class of 1984

Members of the Class of 1984 pose with portrait of Marilyn Gossman

Department of PT Graduates the UAB DPT Class of 2014 Graduation ceremonies for the UAB DPT class of 2014 were held on November 18, 2014 at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on the UAB Campus. The names of graduating students and home towns are listed below. Congratulations to our new DPT alumni.

Ashley Akers - Hoover, AL Kelly Atkins - Iowa City, IA Brianna Bailey - Elba, AL Chris Baker - Springville, AL Jessica Brook - Mobile, AL Kayla Brook - Clanton, AL Rachel Brown - Huntsville, AL Taryn Cappadona - Kennesaw, GA Stefanie Carie - Cullman, AL Rebecca Chancey - Montgomery, AL Daniel Clements - Homewood, AL Laudrey Cody - Red Bay, AL

Joshua Cooke - Fredericksburg, VA Chris Davis - Birmingham, AL Bridgette Dean - Ramstein, Germany Michael DuBois - Mobile, AL Hilary Dukes - Hartselle, AL Ann Duplantis - Vestavia Hills, AL Brooke Elmore - Gordo, AL Allison Hart - Pelham, AL Christie Hart - Hingham, MA Laura Hester - Birmingham, AL Katie Hubinger - Cullman, AL Ashley Huffstutler - Longview, TX

Haley Johnson - Red Level, AL Allison Kneip - Mobile, AL Justin Knight - Smithville, MS Nathaniel Lang - Blountsville, AL Ashley Lynch - Anniston, AL Chris Mills - Auburn, AL Tiffany McKleroy - Lincoln, AL Meghan Morales - Peachtree City, GA Rebecca O’Neal - Mountain Brook, AL Carlie Powell - Montgomery, AL Lindsay Powell - Homewood, AL Terry Rhoades - Springville, AL

Ryan Richardson - Hoover, AL Rebecca Rodgers - Gurley, AL Lauren Roy - Clanton, AL Matthew Sexton - Trussville, AL Ian Singletary - Vestavia Hills, AL Drew Stanford - Hoover, AL Meredith Syx - Guntersville, AL William Temple - Luka MS Aimee Webster - Louisville, KY Aaron Weeks - Birmingham, AL Shedel Williams - New Orleans, LA

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Physical Therapy Alumni News

UAB PT leads way in promoting national program on health for people with disabilities The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Therapy is the first in the state of Alabama to launch the national I Can Do It, You Can Do It (ICDI) program for health promotion for individuals with disabilities. The PT program, housed in the UAB School of Health Professions, has partnered with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition per the recommendation and encouragement of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Student Assembly.

Thirty-seven students from the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy program are working with more than a dozen students at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind’s Helen Keller School. The PT students are helping the AIDB students learn to enjoy physical activity and make healthier eating choices.

“We are one of the few schools in the country that are offering this program and we are really excited because we want to lead the way in getting more Physical Therapists interested in community health efforts,” said David Morris, Ph.D., interim chair, UAB Department of Physical Therapy. “We know everyone benefits from physical activity and making good nutrition choices but it’s particularly challenging for people with disabilities.”

I Can Do It You Can Do It program pairs UAB PT students and AIDB Helen Keller School students

This is an opportunity for us to empower youths with disabilities and teach them ways that they can take ownership of their physical activity, their nutrition, and we want to be the starting block for something they build on throughout their life,” said Fred Gilbert, second-year DPT student.“Plus, this is a good way for us to learn to commit to inclusion. So rather than building programs just for people with disabilities, we will incorporate people with disabilities into programs that already exist.”

“This is very important for these children,” said Dominique Forte, second-year DPT student. “Sometimes they believe that they might not be able to do something or they may not feel safe doing an activity. But we’re here to prove to them that you can do this. You can do anything that you want to do! We, as mentors, may have to slightly adjust the activity, but our mentees are capable of completing any activity that they want.”

The ICDI program is a ten week course. Each week during that period, the UAB DPT students visit the AIDB Helen Keller School and work directly with their students. In addition to the nutrition aspect, they help the students with physical activities ranging from dancing for warm ups and playing chase for running. And they work with the students individually as well as in a group setting.

A lot of times people see all these kids and they see different disabilities and they think well they can’t do anything together so we’re trying to teach them that this is a group; this is a community; and a disability is just another characteristic like hair color,” said Gilbert. “A disability is not something that should set you apart. A disability is something that everybody has and it is something that you get to learn from. Hopefully we’re teaching them how they can come together.”

“The thing that has been most impressive about this is the creativity and the enthusiasm that our students from UAB have been bringing to get the AIDB students engaged in the program,” said Morris. “We can talk about this in the classroom all the time, but it really takes getting out there in the real world and actually doing it to build the student’s confidence and to show that this effort really works to improve the health of the community.”

The ICDI program, part of the President’s Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program, is in partnership with UAB through August 2016. The UAB PT department is ranked 19th in the nation according to the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings.

WATCH: The I Can Do It, You Can Do It program changes lives

We want to hear from you The UAB department of PT is interested in hearing about the professional accomplishments of our alumni.

Please share any significant professional accomplishments by emailing them to David Morris, PT, PhD at morrisd@uab.edu

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Physical Therapy Alumni News

PT Chapter of the UAB National Alumni Society

Ashley Akers Kelly Atkins Brianna Bailey Chris Baker Jessica Brook Kayla Brook Rachel Brown Camille Bryson David Bryson Angela Hightower Cameron Taryn Cappadona Stefanie Carie Rebecca Chancey Daniel Clements

Laudrey Cody Hali Colvert Joshua Cooke Chris Davis Bridgette Dean Jonathan E Delk Michael DuBois Hilary Dukes Ann Duplantis Allison Edwards Brooke Elmore Mary-Evelyn Feibelman Stephen Foster Michelle Gutierrez

Christie Hart Laura Hester Katie Hubinger Ashley Huffstutler Wesley James Chantel Jno-Finn Kendell Jno-Finn Haley Johnson Allison Kneip Justin Knight Nathaniel Lang Deborah LeCroy Ashley Lynch Tiffany McKleroy

Chris Mills Meghan Morales David Morris Rebecca O’Neal Carlie Powell Lindsay Powell Terry Rhoades Ryan Richardson Rebecca Rodgers Lauren Roy Michael Schaefer Matthew Sexton Sharon Shaw Ian Singletary

Leigh Smith Emily Donohue Speer Drew Standford Meredith Syx William Temple Elizabeth Thorn Aimee Webster Frances Wedge Aaron Weeks Samantha Wheeler Beth Whitehead Kathryn Whitfield Shedel Williams Jennifer Wilson

Wishing you a Happy New Year from the UAB Department of Physical Therapy

Dr. Cecilia Graham was named as the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus for the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston.

She provided the commencement address for the UTMB School of Health Professions graduation ceremony on August 15, 2014. Using the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” as inspiration, she provided 4 brief points or “Truths” about happiness in a health care career - connection, awareness, respect and engagement Dr. Graham will also present the 2015 Pauline Cerasoli lecture at the APTA Combined Sections meeting in Indianapolis in February . The title of the upcoming lecture is “Coming into Focus; The Need for a Conceptual Lens. “ The lecture will take place on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm at the APTA Combined Sections meeting Dr. Cecilia Graham , PT, PhD

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UAB DPT Clinical Education News Clinical education tip Change is constant and typically favorable in our clinical education program. We recently hired Tara Pearce, PT, DHS to help with clinical education and teach examination and intervention of patients with neurological conditions. Many of you have already worked with Tara recently or in the past. She was this program’s previous ACCE until she moved away from Birmingham several years ago. In addition to being an ACCE, her clinical education background also includes being a CI, CCCE, and an instructor of the APTA Clinical Instructor Credentialing Course. We welcome her back and are excited to share her vast experience in clinical education with our current and potential clinical education faculty and sites.

We are currently undergoing a transformation of our Clinical Education Website. We have referenced this website in all of the emails that I have sent to our CIs and CCCEs over the years. Hopefully you have accessed this resource and found it helpful. However, when we recently reviewed this website, we found some of the material outdated and other areas that we wanted to enhance. We have added Tara’s contact information, created a new page for clinical education resources, renamed some pages for easier navigation, posted some new documents like the UAB created CI and CCCE assessments (located on the Clinical Education Resources page ), and updated some material like the document concerning benefits for CIs and clinical education sites. By mid-December, we will be posting Clinical Education Tips published in this newsletter, providing a catalog of the narrated clinical education project PowerPoints as well as past projects researched by our students, and placing a new catalog listing the presentations that we have filmed of the invited speakers for our PhD program seminars on our website.

We have visions of adding other educational resources to our website in the near future. Please access this website and let us know what you think over the next year. Your input helps us make positive changes in our clinical education program. Thanks for all of your help and suggestions.

Lein earns ALAPTA most prestigious honor Donald Lein, PT, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earned the Alabama Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association's Marilyn Gossman Professionalism in Physical Therapy Award for 2014. The award is considered the ALAPTA's most prestigious honor and was given to Lein at the ALAPTA annual conference on Saturday, August 23, 2014.

Lein, academic coordinator of clinical education in the UAB Department of Physical Therapy, is also an alumnus earning his Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Master of Science in Physical Therapy at UAB. Lein is the 10th PT with UAB connections to win the honor. That list includes Beth Whitehead, PT; Cara Adams, PT; Donald Hiltz, PT; Janet Nesin, PT; Patty Perez, PT; Patrice Murphy, PT; Sharon Shaw, PT, DrPH; David Morris PT, PhD; and Barbara Bradford, PT, MPH.

Donald Lein, PT, PhD 2014 ALAPTA Gossman Award winner

The award is given to those demonstrating outstanding professionalism in any of the areas of physical therapy service, practice, education and/or research. It is named after Marilyn R. Gossman, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, who is known as "the mother" of the UAB PT program.

UAB alumna Cindy LaPorte also took home honors from the conference. The UAB Master of Science in Physical Therapy graduate earned the 2014 ALAPTA Leadership Award.

Beth Curry receives UAB Physical Therapy Alumni Leadership Award The UAB Department of Physical Therapy announces Beth Curry is the recipient of their 2014 Alumni Leadership Award. Curry, who earned a Masters of Physical Therapy from UAB in 1984, currently serves as Chief Program Officer (CPO) for Lakeshore Foundation.

Curry was selected for her leadership as a long-time rehabilitation administrator, her many years of service to the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy and her active role in developing programs that promote fitness and wellness for individuals with disabilities.

Past winners of this award include Nancy White, Beth Whitehead, Sheree York, Rick Clendaniel, David Morris, Betty Denton and Ellen Strunk.

“A lot of wonderful, effective and influential people have graduated from UAB’s PT program so this means a lot to be included among the ranks of people that I respect,” said Curry.

Curry began working as a staff physical therapist at Lakeshore Hospital in 1984, where she ultimately served as the Director of Therapy Services (most years with the name Beth Dozier). In 2008, she joined Lakeshore Foundation in her current role as CPO; plus, she serves as a Health Care Specialist for the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD). From 1997 – 2002 she was an appointed member of the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy.

“Marilyn Gossman, Shirley Shaddeau and Dot Pinkston were so influential to me when I was in school and then beyond,” said Curry.

“Most of my career has been about leadership and I learned so much about integrity, leadership and communication skills from them.

Those lessons and their influence helped mold who I am today.”

Curry recieved the award during the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy graduation ceremony on Nov. 18, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center on UAB’s campus. Beth also addressed the graduates and attendees at this ceremony.

Beth Curry

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Physical Therapy Alumni News

Dale Yake Named as Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Dale Yake (PT Class of 1992) was named as one of the SHP Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients at the Alumni Award Ceremonies held on Friday October 3, 2014 at the UAB Alumni House. Yake is founder and Chief Executive Officer of PT Solutions Physical Therapy, a rehabilitation company spanning across seven states, with seventy-five points of service from Illinois to Florida. PT Solutions includes freestanding outpatient clinics and joint ventures with hospitals to develop outpatient clinics and manage inpatient rehabilitation. Additionally, Yake serves as PT Solutions’ Orthopaedic Residency Program Director; the program is a yearlong postdoctoral program that also publishes clinical research based on physical therapy efficacy.

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Yake is a graduate of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. In 1992, Yake graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a degree in physical therapy, and he later earned a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University School of Health Related Professions located in Provo, Utah.

Yake has been involved in the physical therapy profession since graduation from UAB in multiple roles, including: Physical Therapy Association Secretary, Delegate, Governmental Affairs Chairperson and efforts to raise awareness of physical therapy and advocacy for its continued development. Furthermore, Yake worked as a physical therapist in the PGA, LPGA, Women’s Tennis, NHL, MLB, and NFL ranks in his career.

Dale Yake, Distinguished Alumni Award

Outside of the profession, Yake has a passion for endurance sports and is a four-time Ironman triathlete, and Yake and his wife, Emily, who is also a UAB graduate, have developed The Race Because Foundation to raise money for disadvantaged and/or physically challenged children. Yake has served on the Board of Directors for the Arthritis Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and American Heart Association.

Yake’s relationship with UAB continues with his clinical teaching, and PT Solutions frequently employs and trains a multitude of UAB graduates.

Yake and his wife live in Marietta, Georgia, and have three children, Abigail, Aidan, and Finley. Yake’s time at UAB continues to influence decisions that impact society to improve the healthcare of our youth and advance physical therapy through an expectation of clinical excellence and investigation. “I am forever grateful for the influence my faculty at UAB has had on my clinical and professional view, particularly the late Marilyn Gossman.”

Physical Therapy students win Lakeshore’s Amazing Race Four students from the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Alisa Courtney, James Crockett, Krysta Posid and Will Scogin, won the 2014 Lakeshore’s Amazing Race. Their team, sponsored by AMBUCS Birmingham, beat 29 teams in a race to complete 13 interactive challenges around the Lakeshore Foundation’s 45-acre campus in Birmingham. And they helped the Lakeshore Foundation raise more than $58,000.

The PT team only learned they were competing in the race two days before the event.

“What set us apart from the other teams was our teamwork,” said James Crockett, a first-year student in the DPT program. “The DPT program really emphasizes collaboration through team-based learning (TBL) and that strengthened our ability to work with each other efficiently and effectively.”

Posid, Crockett, Courtney, Scogin and AMBUCS Executive Director Bog Lochamy Photo Courtesy: Lakeshore Foundation

The 13 interactive challenges were designed to give the participants a glimpse at what life is like for those with disabilities. The events included wheelchair tennis, bicycling with only hand pedals, a 4x200 wheelchair relay, blindfolded yoga, one-arm kayaking and Scooter Bowling (two members on scooters, two members pushing into oversized bowling pins).

“There was no specific order to complete the tasks and we were not told where each station was so a lot of the race dealt with deciding where to look and whether or not to wait at a station or come back to it,” said Crockett. “We won by less than a minute, so if we had done anything differently it may not have worked out for us!”

Posid, Crockett in Scooter Bowling

Crockett also credited classmates that supported the team at the event with providing “the extra push we needed.” Lindsay Boggan, Samantha (Sam) Brenz, Alyssa Glover, Erin Lehnert, Wes May, Jacob McGregor and Tara Scogin, also first-year DPT students, were the ‘cheerleaders’ of the DPT team.

The DPT program is based in the Department of Physical Therapy within the School of Health Professions. The UAB / Lakeshore Foundation Research Collaborative is a world-class research program designed to conduct and promote comprehensive rehabilitative science research.

AMBUCS Birmingham, who sponsored the winning PT team, is a non-profit that helps children and others with disabilities achieve mobility and independence through AmTryke therapeutic tricycles and much more. You can find them online at http:// www.birminghamambucs.org/.

The Lakeshore Foundation has helped advance and promote physical fitness for people with disabilities since 1984. Learn more at http://www.lakeshore.org/.

Scogin in Wheelchair RaceThe victory earns the DPT team a Birmingham Barons suite package for a 2014 game.

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“MDA Summer Camp” by Jennifer Christy, PT, Ph.D. Jennifer, please come to the cabin and rub my legs and my back!” This common request, made by the campers at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Summer Camp, is music to my ears since I know it is because the kids have been active all day swimming, riding the zip-line, dancing and doing other fun activities that they would not typically do.

I am beyond privileged to serve as the Camp Physical Therapist each year at a week-long camp for children with neuromuscular diseases.

As a new graduate physical therapist in Louisiana I treated children of all ages and abilities who had disorders that affected their movement. My job was to help them to move better, feel better and meet their movement related goals. Among my patients were two brothers with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy who introduced me to a whole new world, the MDA Summer Camp.

Jennifer Christy, PT, Ph.D. and camper

The MDA is a non-profit organization devoted to research and service for individuals who are diagnosed with a form of neuromuscular disease. Currently the MDA covers 91 types of diseases. The MDA also funds SUMMER CAMP!

Summer Camp is a haven for the campers, who look forward to camp week all year. The camp is staffed by MDA staff as well as volunteers to include a counselor for each camper, medical doctors, nurses and physical therapists. To pass through the gates of camp is to leave the cares of the world behind and to enter a world where there is no DISABILITY, only ABILITY. The campers have a large range of abilities and diagnoses. Some are ambulatory while others have difficulty moving their legs and arms. Regardless of ability, if a camper wants to do an activity, the volunteers make it happen and make sure that the campers are having a good time and are safe. The campers are positive, gracious and rarely complain. The volunteers leave with a sense that they have gained more than they have given.

MDA Summer Camp at Camp ASCCA MDA

My service as the Camp PT for the Alabama MDA Summer Camp is supported by the UAB Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions and 2014 marked my 18th camp. As the Camp PT, I instruct the counselors on proper and safe lifting and transfer techniques, as well as how to perform daily range of motion and stretching exercises for the campers.

I am also available to help the counselors who become sore and tired from the physical work involved with the day to day requirements of caring for campers. Camp is held at the Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults (Camp ASCCA) located on Lake Martin, a facility unlike any that I have ever seen. Camp ASCCA is completely wheelchair accessible. Every camper has the opportunity to participate in activities such as zip line, horseback riding, swimming, tubing, fishing, canoeing, arts and crafts, and archery.

When I return to UAB each year after my week at camp, I cannot help but incorporate camp experiences into teaching moments for the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, to hopefully encourage the students to become MDA camp counselors when they graduate. This year, the UAB Occupational Therapy students and faculty attended the carnival at camp where they provided fun adapted games which the campers loved.

A UAB DPT graduate, Alison Barnard, class of 2010, served as a counselor for 3 camps. Alison was recently accepted to a PhD program at the University of Florida where she will conduct research related to Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. Alison and I both look forward to camp each year where we are refreshed by the invaluable life experiences and relationships that cannot be experienced anywhere else.

Alison Barnard, Jennifer Christy and camper

Department of Physical Therapy SHPB 360 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294 Phone: 205-934-3566 Fax: 205-975-7787

We’re on the Web www.uab.edu/pt