UTHSC College of Health Professions Magazine - Spring 2021 by University of Tennessee Health Science Center

HEALTH PROFESSIONS THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SPRING 2021

Advancing Our Mission

SAVE THE DATE Here’s your chance to give back to UTHSC. Join us on Tuesday, April 27, to support our health care heroes—students, faculty, staff and researchers, who have served behind the scenes and on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. On UTHSC Giving Day, make your gift of any amount to help your university continue to serve the citizens of Tennessee and beyond.

givingday.uthsc.edu

UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Kennard Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE Dean, College of Health Professions Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM Senior Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies James A. Carson, PhD, FACSM Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs Hassan A. Aziz, PhD, FACSs, MLS(ASCP)cm

< Growing the Research Portfolio

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs Richard Kasser, PhD, PT Chair, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology Ashley Harkrider, PhD Interim Chair Diagnostic and Health Sciences Hassan A. Aziz, PhD, FACSs, MLS(ASCP)cm

Advocating for > Diversity and Inclusion

Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy Anne H. Zachry, PhD, OTR/L Interim Chair, Department of Physical Therapy Richard Kasser, PhD, PT Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Bethany Goolsby, JD

< Applying Health Care Data to Outcomes

Senior Director, Advancement Services & Annual Giving Cherisa Lewis Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Affairs Chandra Tuggle Associate Director of Development College of Health Professions Ariel O’Brien Director of Alumni Programs, College of Health Professions Natassha Works

Assistant Director of Alumni Programs Nahosha Braziel-Adams

Supporting Student > Research Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA Editors Peggy Reisser, MASC Heather Witt Contributing Writers Peggy Reisser Amber Carter Jackie Denton Heather Witt Designer Adam Gaines On the Cover: Alexandria Harris, a master’s student in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Photographer program, works in the COVID-19 testing Natalie Brewer laboratory in the 930 Madison Building on the Memphis campus.

25 All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073701(006-210377)

From the Dean COVID-19 has slowed, but not stopped the College of Health Professions’ march toward achieving our goals for programmatic growth, research, and community impact. We have continued to deal with social distancing, wearing face masks, converting to digital and remote instruction, multiple Zoom meetings each day, and having smaller, but more classes to teach. Nevertheless, we had 622 students enrolled in our college in the fall of 2020 and 272 students graduated virtually in May and December 2020, and have continued to achieve outstanding pass rates for licensure. The strength of our college comes from the souls and dedication of resilient faculty and staff and outstanding students, who have come to us from both our state, and states and countries beyond the borders of Tennessee. We are excited that for the first time in many years, we have approval to begin a new Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Human Health Sciences and a Master’s of Science degree in Pathologists’ Assistant. Both degree programs will be administratively housed in the Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences (DDHS). To reduce financial barriers for students who wish to come to UTHSC to train, we were excited to obtain approval to reduce the out-of-state tuition for our training programs in DDHS, as well as in-state tuition in one program. We established an “Every Student Office” to help recruit and track students from their earliest point of interest to graduation and help them at each step along the way. The Office of Research in the college has helped faculty develop 46 research proposals with record funding requests that exceeded $20 million, with an additional $40 million grant proposal requests with faculty in other colleges. The grant proposals varied from projects to address autism, speech and language, hearing loss, recruiting and mentoring students from high schools and underrepresented groups, mobility, behavioral health, rehabilitation, injury repair, stroke, cancer recovery, to name just a few. Federal research funding for multiyear grants of $4.7 million from the Department of Education, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health was awarded to our college faculty, and another $1.1 million was awarded to collaborators from other colleges working with our faculty, of which $1.5 million was distributed for research in 2020. This outstanding achievement demonstrates the dedication and abilities of our world-class faculty. Phase 1 of the building renovation for the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville is finished. The department will be moving into this new state-of-the-art space in the UT Conference Center near the Knoxville campus very soon. Despite COVID-19, our college has continued to advance, but we still have much to do in 2021. Our COVID-induced hiring freezes have prevented us from recruiting new faculty, as we had wanted. However, that is about to change. Soon, we will be conducting faculty searches to replace several retirements and vacant positions. We will also recruit a new Director of Diversity and Inclusion, who will lead efforts that will help establish diverse and inclusive student and faculty environments for recruitment and retention and also help to establish policies for social justice in our college. We will be recruiting faculty to teach in our existing and new programs and faculty who will help advance our research programs. This will be an exciting year, as we reestablish our plans for college growth and impact. We appreciate and value your support, as we work together to embrace change today that will fuel growth for tomorrow. Thank you for your part in helping us take additional strides, as we seek to train a wider workforce of health care leaders, clinicians, and researchers, who will impact health care delivery and allow us to better impact our communities, our state, and our world. Be healthy and be safe!

Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM Dean of the College of Health Professions 2

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

From the Chancellor In my State of the University Address in November, I was proud to announce that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is weathering the pandemic in a lean, but strong fashion. We have maintained our budget and expanded our mission, even as we have adjusted to the new normal of life during the pandemic. We have graduated all students, residents, and fellows on schedule, met all our clinical obligations, and continued to keep our research enterprise growing. Over the last year, UTHSC awarded more than 1,000 degrees. Our students have a 95% graduation rate and a 95% first-time board pass rate. We have generated record sponsored program revenue (all-source nonclinical grants and contracts) of $309 million, the largest of any public institution in the state, as well as clinical revenues of $306 million. The College of Health Professions has done an excellent job in helping the university achieve its academic and clinical missions. The college can be applauded for adjusting its delivery of both academic and clinical programs so that it could continue to function safely during the pandemic. Beyond that, the college has continued its strategic mission for growth across its program offerings, research, and patient care. Dean Alway continues to lead the college in exciting new directions. He is resolute in his goal to move the college toward a ranking in the top quartile of institutions in the United States. He has positioned the college for even greater success post-COVID-19. I am so pleased to acknowledge our achievements, but I am also mindful that they could not have happened without the generous support and engagement of our outstanding alumni. It is clear that 2020, “The Year of Pandemic,” was challenging for UTHSC, the state, and the nation. We face many new challenges and hurdles, as we continue to conduct our crucial mission. We will meet them all. I invite you to take pride in the strides made by your college and your university, and to join us as we move into the future. Sincerely,

Steve J. Schwab, MD Chancellor The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

BY THE NUMBERS

622 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

243

AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH PATHOLOGY ENROLLMENT

62 BS ASP 109 MS SLP 72 AUD

PASS RATE

100% PRESENTATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

121

183

27 MLS/CLS 12 MCP 36 HIIM

PASS RATE WITHIN FIRST

PASS RATE

DIAGNOSTIC AND HEALTH SCIENCES ENROLLMENT

PHYSICAL THERAPY ENROLLMENT

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ENROLLMENT

98.3%

YEAR AFTER GRADUATION

100%

PASS RATE

100% MLS/CLS

MCP

PUBLICATIONS

MLS

MCP

PRESENTATIONS

16 HIIM

PUBLICATIONS

272

TOTAL GRADUATES

83 117 74

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

BACCALAUREATE

MASTERS

DOCTORATE

College of Health Professions

RESPONDS TO THE PANDEMIC Covid-19 has required CoHP faculty, staff, and students to dramatically change the way they work, learn, and communicate. Here are some of the ways the college has adapted to meet the challenge. • The college launched a CoHP Coronavirus Information website to keep faculty, staff, and students up to date on information relevant to department responses to the pandemic. • More than 300 people joined a free webinar hosted by the college’s Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences on “The Role of Laboratory Testing in the COVID-19 Pandemic.” • Faculty from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Diagnostic and Health Sciences helped at the UTHSC Mobile Food Pantry. • Occupational Therapy students have been sewing masks for first responders. The OT students committed to making 1,000 masks for the institution. • Programs adapted curriculum and events by offering online classes, setting up Zoom study sessions, and hosting virtual open house events. • Charisse Madlock-Brown, PhD, MLS, a faculty member in Health Informatics and Information Management, is coleading one of the clinical domain teams of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). The team’s goal is to identify questions that validate current research or answer new questions for local policy around COVID-19, the impact of groups experiencing resource challenges, and the impact of the pandemic on inequalities. • Jerusha Kumpati and Alexandria Harris, master’s degree students in the Diagnostic and Health Sciences program in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, were included as co-authors for an article in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation. The article was titled “Heterogeneous antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain and nucleocapsid with implications for COVID-19 immunity.” • The Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences hosted a webinar titled “Telemedicine in the time of COVID-19.” The webinar drew more than 200 participants from across the state. • The Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center began offering therapy via telehealth, as a result of the pandemic. OT students are able to participate in the sessions by observing the telehealth services. Since sessions can be recorded, students are able to have more time for group discussions and debriefing around telehealth visits. “Moving quickly from in-person sessions to telehealth sessions has greatly

impacted my learning as an OT student in many ways,” student Sarika Maymoundok said. “I was able to use the skills we were taught in school, such as adaptability, quick thinking, and using the resources around me to make this happen for our clients. Transitioning to telehealth has been watching all of our hard work unfold for something greater than us all.”

UTHSC VERSUS THE PANDEMIC The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been a leader in the fight against the coronavirus locally, nationally, and beyond. Providing expert information, guidance, and clinical care to the public, the university across all its colleges, has shown its value as the state’s public academic health care institution. Highlights from the UTHSC COVID-19 Effort: • Convened the first press conference in Memphis to reassure the public that steps were being taken to prepare for and combat the coronavirus. Faculty have continued to be a trusted source locally and nationally on pandemic response. • Launched a website, uthsc.edu/coronavirus, a one-stop resource for the public with the latest information about the virus, as well links to national, state, and local organizations monitoring its spread. The site is also available in Spanish at: uthsc.edu/coronavirus-es/ • Opened a drive-through testing site for COVID-19 at Tiger Lane at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in collaboration with the Shelby County Health Department and the City of Memphis. It was one of the city’s first and largest public testing sites. • Established a lab on campus in the 930 Madison Building to analyze COVID-19 test samples to speed up diagnoses in the community. It is one of a limited number of such laboratories at academic institutions across the country. • Convened several virtual coronavirus community forums to help the public understand and cope with the virus. • Hosted the director of the CDC for a virtual conversation about the coronavirus and public health response. • Following the state’s guidelines and priorities, UTHSC began administering vaccinations on the Memphis campus on December 19 to residents, students on hospital rotations, campus first responders, and faculty who provide inpatient services. The university has distributed first- and seconddose vaccinations to members of the campus community, based on the state’s priorities. Students are volunteers in the Shelby County vaccination workforce. UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

ASP Department Perseveres Through Pandemic-Related Challenges By Amber Carter

Last year, four patient clinics led by the faculty and staff of the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville were closed from mid-March to June due to the increasing COVID-19 cases across the state. Since reopening with strict guidelines in place, clinicians and students have faced many challenges. “Reduced access to lip-reading, decreased volume of a speaker’s voice, and the inability to read subtle facial cues, are just a few of the issues we’ve had to tackle with patients,” explained Julie Beeler, CCC-A/SLP, program liaison for the department. “However, we will continue making adjustments as needed for improved access to sound, providing education about listening in difficult conditions, and helping patients to improve all types of language that might help them understand and communicate their messages.” In the audiology clinic, Clinical Assistant Professor Jennifer Hausladen, AuD, sees school-age children and adults, who

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

need hearing aid services. Masks have created multiple issues for her patients. “Most of my patients have hearing aids that sit behind the ear, which is also where the elastic strap of many cloth or surgical masks sit,” she said. “The elastic straps often get tangled with the hearing aid when a mask is removed, and several patients have lost hearing aids while removing a mask.” Dr. Hausladen has also had to adjust to social distancing requirements. “To state the obvious, it is impossible to be socially distant while looking in someone’s ears,” she said. “I usually have two students in the room with me during appointments, in addition to the patient and their parent or caregiver. There are now four to five people in a 7-by-12foot room during that time. Having a limited capacity places additional stress on patients and families as well.” To mitigate the issues, Dr. Hausladen and other clinicians have provided curbside appointments, which were implemented when the clinics were closed. “Our high-risk

patients have appreciated this very much,” she said. “It also helps that hearing aid manufacturers are able to ship repaired hearing aids directly to patient homes.” Speech-language pathology patients have also experienced hardships due to personal protective equipment. “Research has shown that mask use reduces the loudness of the speaker’s voice significantly,” said Emily Noss, MA, CCCSLP, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and clinical associate professor, who is also interim co-director of Clinical Education for Speech-Language Pathology. “Now that we are open again, many of our patients find it difficult to communicate when masks are worn. Lipreading is key to learning speech and language, so we have worn clear face masks and face shields as needed. Also, communication is vital in social settings, because it improves skills. The pandemic has certainly changed that for our patients.” While working remotely when clinics were shut down, speech-language clinicians began teletherapy practices. The option is still being offered, and has been well-received by patients. “A session that may have previously been an in-person, clinician-directed session, may now be led by the parent or child using learning tools in their home,” Noss said. First-year audiology student Chloe DeRosa was diagnosed at age 3 with a severe-to-profound bilateral hearing loss and has been wearing cochlear implants ever since. The pandemic has challenged her academically and personally.

“My main obstacle has been learning to listen again,” she said. “I’ve had to stop relying on speech reading and body language. I often experience auditory fatigue to the point where I must take my processors off for longer periods of time throughout the day, when I am not around people. “ To cope, DeRosa has made use of communication aides and resources. “I have a Roger Select System that I use in clinic, which is a personal microphone,” she said. “I also have my supervisors and colleagues wear a clear mask or a clear shield, if communication gets especially difficult. My family and friends sometimes act as translators and interpreters when it gets too hard, since their voices are familiar to me. In the clinic, people are usually understanding of communication barriers, so I am not afraid to speak up if I am having constant communication breakdowns.” In spite of their challenges, the department remains committed to providing top-notch clinical care. “When something matters to us, we always find a way to make it happen for our students and patients,” Noss said. “This situation was no exception.” “Little things make a difference to a person who is struggling,” Dr. Hausladen added. “Everyone is struggling in some way during this pandemic and a little extra patience goes a long way.”

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS – GRANT AWARDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 Administration of the College of Health Professions

$663,241

Audiology and Speech Pathology

$101,860

Clinical Lab Sciences

$2,000

Health Informatics and Information Management

$145,613

Physical Therapy

$666,108

TOTAL $1,578,822

CoHP Gains Momentum in Research Efforts By Jackie Denton The College of Health Professions is working strategically to raise its research profile, as it seeks to elevate the ranking for programs across the college into the Top 20 nationwide. “If you want to raise the profile, research in the college is an important piece of the rankings,” said James Carson, PhD FACSM, senior associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies. A current goal is to increase federal grant funding for the college, and the first step is to submit more and stronger grant proposals. The college is already gaining momentum in grant proposal submissions, which have increased steadily over the last few years. Despite research restrictions in 2020, faculty submitted 60 grant proposals that requested over $64 million in funding. Just four years ago, faculty submitted 18 grant proposals and requested $6.8 million from funding agencies. “We’ve worked over the last two years to create and strengthen the resources available to our college’s faculty that allow for more efficient and stronger research grant submissions,” Dr. Carson said. The College of Health Professions Office of Research offers faculty pre-award support for grant submissions, including grant planning, budget development, sponsor compliance and formatting, commercial development, and guidance on institutional resources available including scientific writing services and core facilities. To this end, the college hired Marquette D. Beechem, MPA, as grants and contracts coordinator. She works closely with faculty in all aspects of the grant submission process. The college is also hosting workshops and seminars to assist faculty on issues related to research. Dr. Carson is available to help faculty with grant writing and editing.

The formation of the Center for Muscle, Metabolism and Neuropathology (CM2N), within the Division of Rehabilitation Sciences allows multidisciplinary faculty to come together to generate research projects and grant applications with a focus on aging, cancer, and neuromuscular dysfunction. As the COVID-19 pandemic is resolved, the college’s Office of Research is also planning to establish a clinical research laboratory and reestablish faculty recruitment efforts for faculty appointments in specific research areas of need. Dr. Carson said there is a real need nationally for PhDs to teach and conduct research in the health professions disciplines. The college is addressing this need through the establishment of a Rehabilitation Sciences PhD track in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program through the College of Graduate Health Sciences. “We are trying to create a pipeline of our DPT students, who will then move into our Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program,” Dr. Carson said. “Ideally, this will take DPT students after they graduate, who will then conduct their research here with our faculty. Earning their PhD in the Rehabilitation Sciences will make them extremely competitive for faculty positions in physical therapy programs across the country.” “I think our faculty have shown great initiative and ingenuity during these challenging times,” Dr. Carson said. “They’ve successfully kept up with their research efforts by conducting studies, submitting grants, and publishing results in peer-reviewed research papers. The pandemic has certainly impacted our faculty and efforts to grow research in the college, but we are well-poised to ramp up and expand our research efforts as it is resolved.”

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

White Coats for Black Lives Demonstration Held at UTHSC Several hundred students, physicians, health care and hospital workers, and community supporters, gathered at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at noon on June 5 for a display of solidarity themed “White Coats for Black Lives.” The demonstration, which included members from CoHP, was organized by UTHSC medical students and residents and the Bluff City Medical Society and included participants from across the colleges at UTHSC. It began with the crowd kneeling silently for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate the time George Floyd was pinned down by police and unable to breathe before he died on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. “That 8 minutes seemed like a long time, but it was a lifetime,” observed Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer for UTHSC, in welcoming the group to campus.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

“Today, you have begun the fight toward the biggest health pandemic of our lifetime, which is racism,” said Keith Norman, vice president of Government Affairs for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “Racism is a public health crisis. Give yourself a hand for being a part of the solution.” He led the gathering in a prayer. “I pray you will turn to your faith and allow your faith to lead you,” he said. “We may not have the same practice of faith, but we all believe racism is wrong and what we witnessed 11 days ago must be stopped.” LaTonya Washington, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAP, FACP, FHM, president of the Bluff City Medical Society said, she was encouraged to see the diversity of the crowd. “This is the beginning,” she added. “Our work has just begun. So, this is a call to action. If you see injustices, please stand up, say something and call it out. There is no way we can overcome this alone.”

CoHP’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion The College of Health Professions is dedicated to continually strengthening its commitment to equity and diversity throughout its programs. Some important work over the past year.

CoHP Interdisciplinary Team Receives “One UT” Grant A team of CoHP faculty was awarded a One UT Collaboration and Innovation Grant for Project TRIUMPH, or Tennessee Recruitment to Increase Underrepresented Minorities into Professions of Health. The project aims to create a University of Tennessee mentoring program that will serve as a pipeline to increase admissions of students from underrepresented minorities from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, into the Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology programs at UTHSC. Almost 300 proposals were submitted to this one-time grant competition and final selections were based on program innovation, collaboration, impact, and alignment with the UT System Strategic Plan. The team for the TRIUMPH project will consist of faculty members from the College of Health Professions, including Kim Carter, PT, ScDPT, NCS; Shannon Hughes, PT, DPT, EdD, OSC, MTC; Carol Likens, PT, PhD, MBA; and Myra Meekins, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, from Physical Therapy; Stephanie Lancaster, EdD, MS, OTR/L, ATP, CAPS, from Occupational Therapy; and Erinn Finke, PhD, CCC-SLP, from SpeechLanguage Pathology.

Coalition for Diversity

People are looking for change, said Elizabeth Clayton, a second-year medical student. “We have to break down institutional racism that exists through prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors in our justice system, health care system, educational system, and all forms of media,” she said. “This does not stop at this protest. We must continue to examine our own hearts and minds. We must continue to hold each other accountable and continue to have uncomfortable conversations, if we’re to create new systems that benefit everyone.” “I was really moved to see all the support for the White Coats for Black Lives protest,” said OT student Erica Smith. “I can only hope and pray for a better tomorrow.”

CoHP faculty member Stephanie Lancaster is serving as vice chair of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), a national non-profit organization focused on addressing issues of systemic racism and health care inequity within the field of occupational therapy. Currently, there are almost 100 COTAD Chapters, including the UTHSC COTAD Chapter, which was the first chapter in Tennessee. According to their national website (cotad. org), “COTAD chapters are designed to support occupational therapy students to work together to develop and promote diversity and inclusion within occupational therapy education programs and in the profession.” UTHSC COTAD Chapter Chair Alli Nance says, “I am a strong advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it is important to me as a Black woman to be a part of the conversation. As chair, I enjoy working with the COTAD Chapter committee to plan events that are educational and fun, which also prepare us to be wellrounded future OT practitioners.”

Social Determinants of Health Research Charisse Madlock-Brown, PhD, MLS, a faculty member in Health Informatics and Information Management, is a co-lead for the Social Determinants of Health team of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

Epps Exemplified Leadership in Simulation Education By Jackie Denton

In 2018, UTHSC opened the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS). The more-than $39 million building ushered in a new era in health care education for the UTHSC campus, including the College of Health Professions. The 45,000-square-foot building is dedicated to improving the quality of health care delivery through education, research, assessment, and enhanced clinical skills. It uses standardized patients (people trained to portray patients), high-fidelity patient simulators (manikins costing from $15,000 to $220,000), and virtual reality technology and settings. At its helm was simulation education visionary and advocate Chad Epps, MD, who was recruited to UTHSC in 2016 as the Executive Director for CHIPS. Dr. Epps passed away unexpectedly in December 2020. A tribute to Dr. Epps written by colleagues for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare said, “Dr. Chad Epps’ journey in health care simulation touched countless lives in his role as a mentor, educator, leader, collaborator, and friend.” His colleagues in the College of Health Professions echo these sentiments and emphasize his lasting impact to the education of students in the past, present, and future. “Dr. Chad Epps was a strategic thinker, a visionary who was brilliant, innovative and creative,” said Hassan Aziz, PhD, executive associate dean for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs and interim chair of the Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences. “He contributed much to the development of the CHIPS and the creation of new academic programs that would utilize and benefit from this innovative technology. He generously gave us his knowledge, his expertise, his skills. He led in such a way that he exemplified leadership. He gave energy, commitment, and inspiration to his staff and to others with whom he worked.”

The departments of Physical Therapy and Occupation Therapy are among the programs in the college that use CHIPS for simulation training. CHIPS has three floors which house different simulation experiences, including bed-skill stations, a virtual reality room, a simulated home environment, an acute-care setting, 24 patient exam rooms, and a community pharmacy setting. Students receive training in bed mobility, bed transfers, mechanical lift transfers, bed-to-wheelchair transfers, apartment modifications, and more. Other training experiences include completion of a patient history with a simulated patient, assessing and adapting the home environment, and practice with getting patients out of bed and over to a chair with multiple lines, tubes, and equipment, while monitoring and assessing patient safety and provider biomechanics. “The CHIPS center has been a great place to apply and practice what I have learned in my classes,” said Clare Sauser, second-year MOT student. “It is a unique environment that helps me grow as an occupational therapy student,” Jacque Bradford, EdD, DPT, CHIPS simulation educator and assistant professor, and former faculty member in the College of Health Professions, said CHIPS influences learning outcomes and patient safety by offering a safe place to perform skills during pre-licensure education and to gain competency in skills prior to providing care to real patients in the clinical environment. The center has been extremely valuable in continuing clinical education during the coronavirus pandemic. The center and its staff have worked tirelessly with faculty to modify in-person simulation to a virtual, telesimulation environment. The shift has allowed students to gain experience in telehealth and improve communicationbased skills.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

ASP Heads to the Great Outdoors In response to the pandemic, the ASP Department started an Outdoor Clinic partnering with Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville during the fall 2020 semester. Speechlanguage therapy was conducted outdoors, which allowed for better social distancing and safer practices. With the graduate students, environmental educators, and faculty collaborating to make the best use of the outdoor environment, the children made fantastic progress. Parents were pleased with the changes, too, including the bonus that siblings were able to freely wander the nature center grounds, while patients received speech therapy. The idea for the outdoor clinic at Ijams Nature Center came about after the annual one-week summer camp collaboration with The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I really missed getting outdoors. I have been an avid fan of outdoor education for about 25 years and see the value it poses for facilitating development of speech and language skills,” said Tricia Hedinger, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, a clinical associate professor in speech language pathology.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

As a result, the clinic sought new ways to bring kids outside. After reaching out to Ijams Educational Director Jennie McGuigan, collaborators quickly determined the Outdoor Clinic would be mutually beneficial and rather easy to initiate. When parents of selected patients were presented with the concept of the Outdoor Clinic, every one of them accepted the invitation to participate. Attending therapy at Ijams provided children an opportunity to move away from the screens currently used for therapy indoors, and instead use the outdoors to build communication skills. The attendance rates at the Outdoor Clinic were exceptionally high. “Communication therapy can take place just about anywhere,” Hedinger said. “We met rain or shine.” The outdoor clinic also gave the graduate students an opportunity to put their clinical skills to use in a different environment. They used their knowledge learned in graduate school and combined it with education provided by the environmental educators at Ijams to make optimal use of the natural surroundings. Students were also able to conduct a one-hour educational presentation to the staff at Ijams on adapting teaching styles for children with speech, language, and hearing challenges.

Mission Trips Fuel McCormick’s Passion to Serve Internationally By Amber Carter Third-year audiology student Molly McCormick has made it her mission to serve others in need. For the last two years, she and her husband, Matt, and several others have traveled to Amazonas, Brazil, on mission trips with Amazon Outreach, a nonprofit, faithbased mission organization, to assist with the physical and spiritual needs of the underserved population of the Amazon River Basin. McCormick was excited to return to Brazil in December. “One thing that keeps me wanting to go back is that we hear so often that they are so grateful that we would come all that way to provide for them and help them without wanting anything in return,” she said. “They simply can’t understand why someone would do that for them, as the people living on the river are so often forgotten. Hearing that makes all of it worth it.” While there, McCormick served as a member of the medical team, treating more than 70 patients in various villages over a five-day period. Her duties included

cleaning out impacted ear wax, treating vestibular (inner ear) issues, and assisting physicians and nurses in diagnosing middle-ear pathologies. “Impacted ear wax was the most common issue I treated,” she said. “However, I was surprised I didn’t see more balance cases, considering their living environment.” When she was not attending to health care needs, McCormick assisted with other activities, such as community worship services with villagers, vacation Bible school, haircuts, nail painting, bracelet making, and more. “That’s my favorite aspect of mission trips,” she said. “You get to see a country and the people there for what they really are, not just what tourism wants you to see. There’s the team bond as well. It’s a really applicable life lesson that working together as a team makes you more effective and efficient, both in work environments and everyday relationships.”

Former Green Beret Looks Forward to Career in Physical Therapy By Jackie Denton At the age of 19, David Watson set a goal to become a member of the Green Berets in the U.S. Army Special Forces. “Going to college or joining the military was something that was bred into me,” he said.

dropped. “With my dad, I saw a person not pursuing athletic goals, but functional goals, instead. This taught me that through PT, I can help the general population achieve a greater level of independence,” Watson said.

Watson, now a first-year student in the DPT program in the College of Health Professions, tried college for two semesters. Then, he decided to sign up for the military with an opportunity to be selected for the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Before Watson and his wife moved to Memphis, he was completing an internship at a physical therapy clinic in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked with patients who had progressed from skilled care to maintenance or post rehab.

After two-years of training, he was successful, and just before he turned 22, he became a Green Beret. At the time, he was about eight years younger than anybody else in his unit. Shortly after joining, Watson was deployed to Afghanistan. On one mission, he successfully led a team of 75 to 90 soldiers from several different units.

Through his internship, Watson experienced the patientcare dynamic that a career in physical therapy offers. “I had one client who was a 94-year-old lady,” he said. “I was able to connect with her. I shared my life, and she shared her life. Initially, it wasn’t like that. I witnessed an emotional transition. She changed from arriving somewhat reluctantly, to pulling up with a big grin on her face. That is when I thought, if this is my career, and I actually have the technical foundation to where I can provide greater care and a higher level of service to people, I can’t see that not being fulfilling.”

“I realized at the end, that mission was the culmination for me,” he said. “It was the realization that each individual phase of training that I considered as check-offs, all were contributing to something much more complex and greater than just the subject of study. This made me realize, I shouldn’t say to myself that college isn’t for me. Instead, I should be pursuing education always.” After the military, Watson went back to college to earn his undergraduate degree in kinesiology. Watson said he has experienced several moments throughout his life that have validated his choice of pursuing a career in physical therapy. He recalls during his time in the military seeing someone in a different unit receiving physical therapy after a major injury. “I saw him not only heal from his injury,” he said. “I saw him achieve greater athletic goals post injury.” He also saw the benefits physical therapy had on the health of his father, who has Type 2 diabetes. Before PT, his father had difficulty moving around. Within three months after physical therapy, he saw that his father was able to walk a quarter of a mile and his insulin level had

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He said he gets chills thinking about how all these experiences came together to bring him to the position he is in today. He researched physical therapy programs, and coincidently, one of the owners of a small outpatient clinic that was a part of his internship, was an alumna of the UTHSC physical therapy program. “She spoke highly of it,” he said. After being accepted into the DPT program, Watson and his wife, a nurse, moved to Memphis. After graduation, the couple hope to maximize their time in Memphis and in Colombia, South America, where his wife is from, to serve rural communities and rural populations. “As far as who I am today, I’m still pursuing not just academic goals, but character goals,” he said. “In my terms, it’s pursuing maturity and faith. Physical therapy brings my interests and my goals together into that.”

UTHSC Student’s Data Application Influencing Health Care Outcomes During Pandemic By Amber Carter Leigh McCormack, an online PhD student in the College of Health Professions, is using her technology startup to make a difference in health care outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. McCormack, who is focusing her studies on health policy in the Health Informatics and Information Management program, is the CEO of Base Camp Health. Headquartered in Chattanooga, the company studies the social, behavioral, and motivational qualities of health care-seeking individuals to determine why they seek care, so that interventions can be put in place to help mitigate poor outcomes. Assessment methods include advanced analytics, such as natural language processing and machine learning to uncover social barriers to health care found in location information, administrative claims, electronic health records, and clinical notes. “I noticed a huge void in understanding the holistic individual, as it pertained to health care utilization and outcomes,” McCormack said. “At Base Camp Health, we want to help health care organizations to get the most value out of their own data assets.” McCormack analyzes all populations, with a particular focus on the underserved. “You truly have to look at everyone to assess who is vulnerable or underserved,” she said. “Those terms are relative depending on who you are speaking to.”

When the pandemic hit, health care organizations were forced to evaluate data differently due to ever-changing statistics. Base Camp Health’s solution was Ascend, a data application that evaluates COVID-19-specific patient information. The web-based app is a daily use tool that takes user inputs, population trends, and COVID prevalence data to estimate an individuals’ risk of exposing others. Employers and schools purchase a subscription that allows their respective organizations to utilize the platform to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their facilities. There are currently about 60 organizations that are active. “We saw an opportunity to put our work around risk evaluation using disparate data sources into action,” McCormack said. “Our work in social determinants of health was critical in understanding the analytics needed to make this product meaningful to organizations.” The organization has been collecting data for several months, mainly from schools and employers, and plans to dive deeper into trends regarding COVID-19 exposure. There are also plans to continue once the virus is controlled. “We are designing our roadmap to determine how to use what we’ve learned to create a more valuable tool post-COVID,” McCormack said. “Once I finish my studies, I plan to use the gained knowledge to keep innovating to solve problems for vulnerable populations.”

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A Passion to Help By Heather Witt Elijah Lightfoot, MOT, was introduced to the profession of occupational therapy in his grandparents’ home. When he was a child, Lightfoot’s grandmother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, received treatment from an occupational therapist in her home. He recalled how the treatment helped not only his grandmother, but the entire family, cope during her illness. A few years later, Lightfoot remembers a “real light bulb going off” during a moment when he was able to help his mom feel better after a long day of work. She was required to sit at a computer for long hours and often came home with a sore neck and shoulder pain. To help out, Lightfoot would massage his mom’s neck and shoulders. He always enjoyed seeing the relief it brought and loved being able to help her feel better. One day, she told him, “you should get paid for this.” That comment inspired Lightfoot to find a career that would allow him to help people feel better. Lightfoot was offered the opportunity in high school to shadow a local occupational therapist. After hearing her story and seeing the difference she made in her patients’ lives, he knew that he had found his path. He attended the University of Tennessee for undergraduate studies, and then applied to the UTHSC Occupational Therapy program. As a Memphis native, Lightfoot was happy to have the opportunity to remain close to friends and family, while pursuing his degree. In fact, he was so sure that UTHSC was the place for him, that he didn’t apply

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to any other programs. He was accepted, and his journey toward a fulfilling career of helping people began. While enrolled in the OT program, Lightfoot completed his Level II fieldwork rotation at Greenhouse Ministries, a community based behavioral health site in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He said the experience was “eye-opening,” because it allowed him to see how OT could enhance the lives of patients struggling with a variety of mental health issues. He worked with a wide variety of patients, from those struggling with homelessness, to adults seeking to improve their career skills. Lightfoot credits this fieldwork experience for helping prepare him for his current role as an occupational therapist at Knoxville-based Peninsula Behavioral Health, a division of Parkwest Medical Health. One of two occupational therapists on staff, Lightfoot was instrumental in establishing the OT program at the facility that addresses the behavioral health needs of youth and adults receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. At Peninsula Behavioral Health, he works with patients in group and individual settings to help them master such critical life skills as coping, anger management, decision making and boundary setting. As with other occupational therapy programs, the goal of Lightfoot’s work is to foster independence, improve overall wellbeing, and help patients successfully participate in their communities.

Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center Hosts Virtual Art Show and Auction The Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center held its fourth-annual Art Show and Auction October 23-25. For the first time, the art show and auction were held online. The event raises funds for the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center, the only studentrun, pro bono occupational therapy clinic in the Mid-South. The clinic opened in 2016 and provides occupational therapy services at no cost to children of families that are uninsured or underinsured. The event raised $4,373. “Every dollar we raised from the art show went directly to providing occupational therapy services for children who otherwise would not receive those services,” said Anne Zachry, PhD, OTR/L, chair and associate professor in the UTHSC Department of Occupational Therapy.

Lancaster Receives Excellence in Education Award from TNOTA Stephanie Lancaster, EdD, OTR/L, ATP, CAPS, program director for the UTHSC Department of Occupational Therapy, received a 2020 Excellence in Education Award from the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA). Dr. Lancaster was one of two educators in Tennessee recognized with the distinction, which is based on student nominations. “It’s such an honor to have received this award,” Dr. Lancaster said. “I’ve learned so much about teaching – both in a classroom and outside of one – since I began working at UTHSC in 2013.” In nominating her, a student described Dr. Lancaster as “sensitive to the anxieties her students face, as they embark on their journey to becoming occupational therapists, while simultaneously encouraging personal and educational growth.”

Kasser Named Interim Chair of Physical Therapy Richard Kasser, PhD, PT, has been named interim chair and program director for the Department of Physical Therapy. In addition to this role, Dr. Kasser will continue to serve as assistant dean for Student Affairs in the college. Graduating from the UTHSC College of Health Professions with a physical therapy degree in 1991, Dr. Kasser has been employed with UTHSC since 1992. “We are fortunate to have someone with the experience and leadership skills of Dr. Kasser to direct the Physical Therapy program during this interim period,” Dean Alway said. “I have the utmost confidence that Dr. Kasser will build upon the strengths and continue the momentum that we have developed in the department, as we move toward Top 20 national rankings and meritorious community impact.”

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Blackman Honored at Black Student Association Awards Ceremony

Doettl and Mitchell Receive 2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards Steven Doettl, AuD, CCC-A, a clinical professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, and Anita Mitchell, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, were among the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards. Presented annually by the Student Government Association Executive Council, the awards are given to faculty members from each college. Honorees are chosen by their students to receive the awards, which are among the highest of faculty honors that can be given on campus. Winners received a plaque and a $2,500 stipend.

White Coat Ceremonies This year’s White Coat Ceremonies looked a little different, but the excitement was still the same. Students from two CoHP programs celebrated their move into clinical practice with socially distanced outdoor ceremonies. During the October White Coat Ceremony for the PT Department, nine Doctor of Physical Therapy students took a pledge of professionalism and received their white coats. In October, 40 Master of Occupational Therapy students also received their white coats.

Keiona Blackman, a secondyear student in the MS Clinical Laboratory Sciences (MS CLS) program, was among students honored at the Black Student Association’s annual Awards Ceremony and Presentation, which was held virtually in February. The event celebrates the accomplishments of African American students at UTHSC. The awards ceremony, which debuted in 1992, is an important tradition for the campus and reflects the diversity and inclusion mission of the university and its students. Faculty said they have found Blackman to be an extremely hardworking student, who has sought to excel in the MS CLS program. She volunteers with First Baptist Broad Church in Memphis to feed the homeless and is also a mentor for Reach Memphis for high school sophomores. During the pandemic, Blackman has helped students in Shelby County Schools adapt to the virtual learning process and made herself available to front line workers by providing childcare.

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Hassan Aziz Named President-Elect of American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science Hassan Aziz, PhD, FACSs, MLS(ASCP)cm, executive associate dean for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs and interim chair of the Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences in the College of Health Professions, has been named president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science. The American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science provides advocacy, standards setting, education, and personal and professional development for clinical laboratory science practitioners. Dr. Aziz will hold the position for a year before assuming full presidency. “I am extremely honored to serve in this capacity,” Dr. Aziz said. “The trust shown to me by the colleagues, who nominated and elected me, fills me with confidence and energy to get to work.”

Hedinger Co-Authors Book on Stuttering ASP Clinical Associate Professor Tricia Hedinger has co-authored a book about childhood stuttering, titled “BullyBlossom.” Knoxville businessman, Thad Cox, who authored the book with Hedinger, shares his memoir of growing up as a stutterer and experiencing episodes of bullying. Hedinger noted, “A lot of kids never get a chance to meet another child who stutters. The reason we wrote this book is to help kids feel connected with other kids’ experiences.” The book also contains anti-bullying tips for children and their parents.

Equine Exploration Day On October 31, ASP partnered with a local non-profit horse rescue called Faith-n-Friends to host “Equine Exploration Day” for speechlanguage clients. Each family in attendance rotated through several horse-related stations, where their children were treated to hands-on experience, learning more about horses and allowing children to tap into some of their communication strengths. Faculty and graduate students worked alongside rescue staff members to ensure the family time was memorable. In a time when so many social events for children have been canceled due to the pandemic, this safe experience allowed the clients to have some family-centered fun with trusted providers in a nonclinical environment.

Finding His Voice

Steps of Support

Author and long-time friend of ASP, Vince Vawter, spent the evening on October 29 hosting a “kids-only” virtual meet andgreet with a group of children who stutter. Two SLP graduate students, Emily Bultman and Annalee Johnson, under the guidance of clinical associate professor, Tricia Hedinger, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, planned and moderated this event. Vawter spoke about his own experiences as a person who stutters and read from his Newberry award-winning novel “Paperboy,” before taking questions from the group. Vawter shared many nuggets of wisdom, including “I realized that instead of chasing fluency, I should find my own voice.”

Members of the Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences laced up their shoes in support of the 2020 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, the department raised more than $1,500 to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, an organization that funds Alzheimer’s research and provides care for individuals with the disease. Due to the ongoing pandemic, participants completed the walk individually in their own neighborhoods.

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New Endowment Fund to Support Student Interprofessional Research By Heather Witt Even in retirement, William R. Frey, PhD, former dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences, now the College of Health Professions, continues to ‘pay it forward’ for students. A generous gift commitment from Dr. Frey has enabled the establishment of the Dean William R. Frey Interdisciplinary Student Research Endowment in the college. The new endowment will be used to support student interprofessional research in CoHP and will be awarded on a competitive basis for a project or projects that make impactful research with a therapeutic outcome. Dr. Frey’s connection with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center goes back many years. When he joined the UTHSC family in 2003, Dr. Frey brought with him some 29 years of teaching and administrative experience at academic institutions that include the University of Illinois, St. Louis University, Ohio State University, University of St. Francis, and St. Mary’s College of California.

president of the Alpha Eta Society, the largest scholastic honor for allied health professionals. In 2009, Dr. Frey retired from UTHSC. As noted at the time by Interim Chancellor Hershel P. Wall, MD, “During Bill’s tenure as interim dean, each of the programs within the College of Allied Health Sciences has flourished.” Former Interim Chancellor Wall said he considered Dr. Frey “a pivotal force” in the expansion of the college’s programs. In 2016, Dr. Frey received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Illinois, College of Applied Health Sciences, in recognition of his many contributions to the health sciences.

In January 2008, after having served three years as interim dean, Dr. Frey was appointed as dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences at UTHSC. When asked about the motivation behind his most recent gift to UTHSC, he emphasized his belief in the importance of continued education, innovation, and collaboration. “I have always believed in the team approach to quality health care,” he said. “This research fund will provide students from multiple professions an opportunity to learn early in their careers about the important contributions from other professions. In addition, they will experience the joy of discovering new knowledge. Hopefully, some may be motivated to continuing to look for new approaches and innovations after they graduate. Plus, I know I have been blessed by the good will of others in my career. Now I can pay it forward.” While at UTHSC, Dean Frey was recertified in 2007 as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s foremost professional society for health care leaders. That year, he was selected as the national

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Congratulations to Our Graduates! The following students received their degrees in May and December 2020.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH PATHOLOGY

Gabrielle Jayme-Marie Anderson Mary Grace Barger Nicole Catherine Block Kathryne G. Bowles Hannah Victoria Bristow Melissa Ann Brooks Lauryn A. Bruce Tatum Alexandria Carver Kathryn Marie Cassidy Carrie E. Cates Meghan Taylor Clark Kayce Marie Clifton Mary Cortland Cocke Marklee K. Cook Sawyer Millicent Emerson Shelby Marie Fromm Isabelle Katherine Gelfand Rachel Marie Gerber Lauren Michelle Gibson McKenzie Gifford Peyton Margaret Goeman Margaret Elaine Goethals Chandler Barry Graybeal Cailin Elizabeth Hannon Alayna Faith Howell Rachel Catherine Idem Annalee Elizabeth Johnson Emily K. Johnson Morgan Allie Kaess Skylar Mara Kelley Kayla Rochelle Ketron Alison C. Kilgore Emma C. Koonce McKenzie Yarboro Krebs Jennifer Nicole Kunin Suzannah Nicole Le Katherine Elizabeth Lingle McKayla Jean Locke Carly Madison Mayer Macy Lynn Maynard Kaitlyn S. McGruther Heather Elizabeth Menninger Lynsey Renay Miller Brance Scott Moss Abigail Gates Mynatt Kelsey A. Neeley

Ashley Irma Njalle Kayla Danielle Norman Maribel Del Carmen Paredes Allyson M. Parks Nikita Pramod Patel Ashley Anne Patton Meagan Kalei Phillips Michelle Kos Polanczyk Sarah Margaret Puryear Abigail Katherine Reber Casey Kathryn Rogers Gabriella Marie Romanoski Ragan Elise Rushing Katharine R. Saldutti Jennifer Marie Scoggins Allyn Elizabeth Swenson Blair Ann Tinker Carly Therese Truex Aubrey Renee Vittatoe Natalie Rose Wallace Robinson Daniel White Ashley Brooke Whited Addison Kate Willard Kaelyn Wilson Rachel Lea Wilson Ashley Nichole Yank Morgan Marie Yoder Julia M. Young

Carriann Bingham Samuel Bowker Diana Chaparadza Jessica C. Chavers Joseph T. Chun Allison Coomer Bryona Chanel Davison Aaron A Donkor Tyler James Finocchio Kaye Kizer Frye Haley Gust Michelle Lynn Hanacek Brian Thomas Henderson Ashley Renee Johnson Shelley Diane Lawrence Cindy Kay Lemon Nathan Jay Matlock Amanda Lee Metzler Hunter Morris Kaitlin Polly Muzammel Rizvi Danielle Elizabeth Sager Shelby Lynette Smith Vikki R. Tatum Mariko Thel Cody Tyler Kent Owen Tyler Patricia Vaughn

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE

MASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Javad Allaftajer Brenna Colleen Bishop Reba Melinda Howell Larisa Dmitriyevna Khaydrova Thanh Cong Nguyen Kimberly Michelle Stewart Cassidy Madison Victory Jennifer Sherrill Washington Shaterricka Lashay Williams

MASTER OF CYTOPATHOLOGY PRACTICE Victoria LeeAnn Hodges Charis McNamara Master of Health Informatics and Information Management Teresa Caroline Allen Shazia Ashraf

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Rachel Elizabeth Alderton Reagan Elizabeth Arnwine Sarah Emily Barnes Ashley Paige Boehm Madison Evans Campbell Allison Elaina Cave Laken LeeAnn Clark Amanda Jennings Courts Lauren Miller Crowder Kelsey Malloy Dial MaKensie Rae Dudley Anna Catherine Garrett Emilia Plamenova Georgieva Kelsi Rae Gray Andrew Boyd Hamrick Allison Hayes Elizabeth Tharron Hayes Ella Madison Hayes Julia Paige Hill

Houstyn Nicole Hodson Victoria Danielle Hudgings Ashlyn Dixon Kennedy Jessica Michelle Kirk Emily Nicole Lawson Eryn Lobo Ashten Elizabeth Maldonado Claire Elizabeth Grace Mallicoat Amanda Claire Mapes Martha Lane McAlister Morgan Petersen Hannah McLeod Phillips Courtney Alissa Pinkard Joseph Morgan Quinn Juli Elizabeth Stolpmann Amber Lynn Truhitt Katlyn Avery Walker Kelsie Anne Wasiluk Kaylie Brooke Wehner Kayla Rene’ Wright

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE Alexandria Marie Harris Jerusha Joanne Kumpati Sofia Oliva Poojaben Patel

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY Hannah Elizabeth Bartlett Lauren Rachel Beeler Shannon Margaret Briscoe Emily Kathryn Byrd Olivia Helen Campbell Emily Elizabeth Clelland Abagail Marie Cunningham Savannah Decker Kristen Eskridge Mary Katherine Flowers Megan Gulliford Erin Elizabeth Gustafson Olivia Herd Abigail Higgins Cameron Alyssa Hinch Hannah Joy Holman Cassidy Nicole Hossack Danielle Beverly Jackson Stephanie Leigh Jarek Elizabeth Anne Klein Kaylee Marie Levidiotis Kathryn Nicole Macon Elizabeth Ann Manning Makenna Marx

Christina Grace Oakley Eleanor Porter Meredith Ann Powell Lindsey Nicole Pulliam Karly Rae Rogstad* Jennifer Grace Sanders Olivia Rose Savage Rachel Lynn Sinclair Victoria Grace Slemmer Charity Vantelle Smith Laura Reed Smith Saskia Splane Emily Suzanne Stiner Jessica Elizabeth Stone Lauren Ashley Thompson Kaitlyn Leilani Turner Abigail Grace Walkup Eliza Joy Wiseman-Floyd

DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY Allison Anderson Jessica Marie Bulley Micaela Harper Capps Claire Alexander Coote Mary Alice Cox Shannon Carroll Faulkner Stella Dominique Herard Allyson Marie Lambert Mary Katherine Martin Amy Nicole Mashburn Kayla Marie Sue Morse Corrin E. Mottern Kylie Ann Pearson Tyler P. Phillips Conner Noelle Rouch Morgan Denise Stansberry

DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Cayla Brooke Allen Connie Nicole Watson Phoebe Jo Bauer Ashton Grace Beckner Kenneth Pate Bishop Allyson Black Megan Scott Bolton Bryce Jared Bossin Garrett Kelley Bowdle Brendon John Boyd Brendan Dale Bradley Alexa Rae Brainard Nicolas Cleavland Brewton Zachary David Bridges Hannah Reagan Cornelius Colton Grant Davis

Brianna Christine Donnell John Daniel Eaton Anna Easterling Evans Laura Ann Fleck Amelia Mary Floyd Ellen F. Garner Michelle Lynn Hammett Hunter Edward Harris Jordan Michelle Hebert Joshua Holden Haley Austin Holt Taylor Rose Jenkins Cara Rose Levi Noah Konner Lindsey Tanner William Linz Martha Ruth Manning McKenzie Alexandra McClanahan Ellen Caroline Mitchell Matthew Reymar Moser Natalie Grace Musselman Henry Joseph Nagem III Samantha Jean O’Neill Jacob Alexander Odom Kadra Ford Pace Drake Thomas Parker Taylor Elyse Pegg Sarah Darcy Rogers Karlee Beth Russom Bethany Poore Scott Cody Everett Skrabak Danielle Nicole Spencer Erin Dunseath Story Elizabeth Camille Curry Sueing Yichen Sun Sean Eric Surber Corey Lee Todd Robert Andrew Van Cleve Hazel Mahesh Jyoti Vazirani Mary Louise Wayne Meredith Grace Williams Laura Jean Wilson Jeremy Allen Wooten

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Student Leaders Honored The College of Health Professions is proud to recognize the following students honored during 2020 Spring and Fall Commencement.

ALPHA ETA SOCIETY Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science Brenna Colleen Bishop Reba Melinda Howell Thanh Cong Nguyen

MASTER OF CYTOPATHOLOGY PRACTICE Charis McNamara

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE Alexandria Harris Sofia Oliva

MASTER OF HEALTH INFORMATICS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Teresa Caroline Allen Joseph T. Chun Cindy Kay Lemon

MASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Regan Elizabeth Arnwine Madison Evans Campbell Lauren Miller Crowder Makensie Rae Dudley Anna Catherine Garrett Victoria Danielle Hudgings Kelsie Anne Wasiluk Kaylie Brooke Wehner Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology Kristen Marie Eskridge Olivia Brooke Herd Hannah J Holman Charity Vantelle Smith Laura Reed Smith

DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY Claire Alexander Coote Amy Mashburn

Morgan Denise Stansberry Doctor of Physical Therapy Kenneth Pate Bishop Brendon John Boyd Zachary David Bridges Hannah Reagan Cornelius Anna Easterling Evans Cara Rose Levi Natalie Grace Musselman Danielle Nicole Spencer Corey Lee Todd Meredith Grace Williams Laura Jean Wilson Saskia Splane Jessica Elizabeth Stone Abigail Grace Walkup

Faculty Nominees Stephanie Lancaster Kunal Singhal

HONORS GRADUATES AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY HIGHEST HONORS Rachel Catherine Idem Emma C. Koonce McKayla Jean Locke Allyson M. Parks Katherine R. Saldutti Allyn Elizabeth Swenson Morgan Marie Yoder HIGH HONORS Tatum Alexandria Carver Kathryn Marie Cassidy Marklee K. Cook Shelby Marie Fromm Cailin Elizabeth Hannon Annalee Elizabeth Johnson Kayla Rochelle Ketron Allison C. Kilgore McKenzie Yarboro Krebs Katherine Elizabeth Lingle

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Carly Madison Mayer Macy Lynn Maynard Kaitlyn McGruther Lynsey S. Miller Maribel Del Carmen Paredes Ashley Anne Patton Sarah Margaret Puryear Casey Kathryn Rogers Robinson Daniel White Kaelyn Wilson HONORS Gabrielle Jayme-Marie Anderson Mary Grade Barger Kathryne G. Bowles Melissa Ann Brooks Lauryn A. Bruce Meghan Taylor Clark McKenzie Gifford Morgan Allie Kaess Skylar Mara Kelley Jennifer Nicole Kunin Suzannah Nicole Le Abigail Gates Mynatt Nikita Pramod Patel Meagan Kalei Phillips Abigail Katherine Reber Gabriella Marie Romanoski Aubrey Renee Vittatoe Natalie Rose Wallace Addison Kate Willard

MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE HIGHEST HONORS Thanh Cong Nguyen HIGH HONORS Reba Melinda Howell Larisa D Khaydrova HONORS Brenna Colleen Bishop Cassidy Madison Victory

CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE HIGHEST HONORS Alexandria Marie Harris Sofia Oliva HIGH HONORS Jerusha Joanne Kumpati

CYTOPATHOLOGY PRACTICE HIGHEST HONORS Charis McNamara HIGH HONORS Victoria LeAnn Hodges

Allison Elaina Cave Kelsey Malloy Dial MaKensie Rae Dudley Anna Easterling Evans Andrew Boyd Hamrick Ella Madison Hayes Victoria LeeAnn Hodges Victoria Danielle Hudgings Ashlyn Dixon Kennedy Jessica Michelle Kirk Charis McNamara Claire Elizabeth Grace Mallicoat Morgan Petersen Hannah McLeod Phillips Joseph Morgan Quinn

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY HIGHEST HONORS Madison Evans Campbell Lauren Miller Crowder Anna Catherine Garrett

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AWARDS

HIGH HONORS Regan Elizabeth Arnwine Makensie Rae Dudley Kelsie Anne Wasiluk Kaylie Brooke Wehner

Victoria LeeAnn Hodges Charis McNamara

PHYSICAL THERAPY HIGHEST HONORS Brendon John Boyd Anna Easterling Evans Cara Rose Levi Danielle Nicole Spencer Meredith Grace Williams Laura Jean Wilson HIGH HONORS Kenneth Pate Bishop Alexa Rae Brainard Zachary David Bridges Hannah Reagan Cornelius McKenzie McClanahan Natalie Grace Musselman Corey Lee Todd

THE IMHOTEP SOCIETY Graduating Members Rachel Elizabeth Alderton Reagan Elizabeth Arnwine Ashely Paige Boehm Garrett Kelley Bowdle Madison Evans Campbell Laken LeeAnn Clark

MASTER OF CYTOPATHOLOGY PRACTICE

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE Brenta G. Davis Outstanding Clinical Laboratory Science Graduate Student Award Alexandria Marie Harris

MASTER OF CYTOPATHOLOGY PRACTICE Cyrus C. Erickson Award in Cytotechnology Charis McNamara

Gerre Wells Gourley Award in Histotechnology Victoria LeAnn Hodges

MASTER OF HEALTH INFORMATICS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Tennessee Health Information Management Association Outstanding Student Award Shelby Lynette Smith

HEALTH INFORMATICS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Cindy Kay Lemon Hunter Morris Danielle Elizabeth Sager

MASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Achievement Award in Occupational Therapy Regan Elizabeth Arnwine

MASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Emily Nicole Lawson Martha Lane McAlister Courtney Alyssa Pinkard Juli Elizabeth Stolpmann Kayla Rene Wright

Leadership Award in Occupational Therapy Courtney Alyssa Pinkard

The Rosemary Batorski Community Service Award in Occupational Therapy Rachel Elizabeth Alderton

PROGRAM AWARDS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE Frances Guthrie Outstanding Student Award in Medical Technology Reba Melinda Howell Kimberly Michelle Stewart

DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY The Outstanding Physical Therapy Student Award Brendan John Boyd Meredith Grace Williams

Ayers Award Natalie Grace Musselman

Alice Scott Hitt Faculty Award in Medical Laboratory Science

Physical Therapy Faculty Award Anna Easterling Evans

Jennifer Washington Shaterricka Lashay Williams

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone! Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs. Your gift in any amount will make a difference. Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society! For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516 30

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

Thank You for Your Membership in the 1911 Society The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s 1911 Society recognizes philanthropic support, which is critical to our mission of educating students, conducting innovative research, and improving health outcomes.

Sustaining Partners, who give annually at any amount for five or more consecutive years; and Lifetime Partners, who make cumulative commitments of $25,000 or more during their lifetime.

Named for the year the Health Science Center was founded, the 1911 Society celebrates the generosity of our community. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels: Annual Giving Partners, who make a donation of $100 or more in any given fiscal year;

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs wishes to thank all donors for their commitment to the College of Health Professions and to the university. For details go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911. To make a gift, please visit giving. uthsc.edu/give or call 901.448.5516.

We are grateful to the following Sustaining Partners for their consecutive gifts through FY20.

Delilah C. and Walter E. Clark Judy Clifft Barbara and Michael J. Connolly Andrea R. and Johnny R. Crisler Judith Gayle Davis Mary Ellen Duffy Peggy and Jerry J. Faerber LaDonna L. and Stephen H. Falwell Jami E. Flick Cheryl Springer Fowler Denise M. and Mark A. Fredette Lori S. Gonzalez Ren S. Hammer Ashley Harkrider Mary Anna and Steve Hoelscher Michael W. and Michelle L. King Stephanie B. Lancaster Dawna E. and Randal F. Lewis Carol Likens Jill L. Passano and Kevin Joseph Reilly Sajeesh Kumar Kamala Raghavan Elaine Perry Robinson Debra W. and Gary D. Salansky Dudley P. and Joan Schaefer Yvonne B. and James C. Sensenig Coleen and Dion Stevens Katrina and Randy Stevens Vanessa S. and M. James Torrence Mr. Joe Wayne Walker, Jr. Amber Lynn and Jeromey Shane White Kelly Rene Yeager Anne H. and Michael S. Zachry

FOUNDATION PARTNERS (20 YEARS+) Christine L. and Richard J. Kasser Rebecca and Jeremy Reynolds

CORNERTONE PARTNERS (10-19 YEARS)

Michael L. and Chandra D. Alston Carol Sue Bloomquist Loretta L. Bunn Vicki Lynn Davidson Barbara Lynn DuBray-Benstein Gail P. and C. Thomas Fennimore Lenard A. and Nina Q. Grice Jewell Baker and George M. Lee Sheila R. and Keven Littleton Timothy D. Lockey Joy A. and Mark W. McMaster Cheryl D. Gunter and Paul A. Rabe Regina and Charles Remaklus III Jaimie and Kevin T. Reneau Shirly Newberry Ritter and Harold T. Ritter Marilyn Albright Roofner and Larry C. Roofner

ARCHWAY PARTNERS (5–10 YEARS) Rhonda K. Allen Sherry Denise Ashe Carol and Jerome J. Barthelemy II Janice E. Beard Julie A. and George Beeler Kendal Lee and Richard Booker

UTHSC COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS | SPRING 2021

CoHP Advisory Board Established The College of Health Professions Advisory Board launched in January to assist Dean Alway in developing opportunities that are consistent with the missions of education, research, clinical care, and public service. This work ties directly into the dean’s priorities and strategic plan for the college. We are grateful for the time, talent, and financial support provided by our advisory board members. They are: • Ashley Nations Bradford (DPT, ’09) physical therapist and clinic manager, Rehab Etc. •K im Coffey (BS, ’77; BS Physical Therapy, ’78; MEd, ‘87) physical therapist and owner, Pediatric Physical Therapy Services • Denise Higdon (BS, ’91) WorkSite Consultants • Barbara Dubray-Benstein (PhD, ’03) faculty emeritus, UTHSC • Mary C. McCain - Professor Emeritus (BA ’69, MPA ’82,)

Remembering Long-Time ASP Faculty Who Passed Away Dr. James Wylie Thelin, PhD, age 77, died January 18, 2021. He was a professor in the department for 19 years. A graduate of Rice University, Dr. Thelin completed his professional education at the University of Iowa. Dr. Samuel Britton Burchfield, PhD, age 79, passed away December 29, 2020. He was a professor in the department for 35 years. Dr. Burchfield received his bachelor’s degree at East Tennessee State University, his master’s degree at the University of Tennessee, and his PhD at Michigan State University. Dr. Carl William Asp, PhD, age 89, passed away December 6, 2020. He was a professor in the department for more than 40 years. Dr. Asp completed his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees at The Ohio State University.

Thank you to our Legacy Society Members! Mr. Curtis and Mrs. Leigh Chesney Barnes Ms. Linda A. Caldwell Estate of Sharon Diane Carney Dr. Brenta G. Davis Dr. Denise P. Descouzis Dr. William R. Frey Miss Judy W. Griffin

Estate of Judy Duane Haston Mrs. Denise F. Harvey Estate of Mary L. Luper Estate of Charles S. and Lucille H. Moon Estate of Raymond Skinner Estate of Dr. Tyler Young

Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind? With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear

Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s more than 50 years of dedication as a student, faculty member, and administrator at UTHSC are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors. For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.

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2021 GOLDEN GRADUATE HOMECOMING SAVE THE DATES October 20-23, 2021 | Memphis, TN Honoring the graduates of 1970 and 1971 from all six UTHSC Colleges The Office of Alumni Affairs recognizes the importance of celebrating with your classmates at the Golden Graduate Homecoming in October. We are excited and working diligently to plan an event that is safe and enjoyable for you. Due to uncertainties related to COVID-19, we are unable to predict circumstances that could occur in the future. Our goal is to ensure the safety and health of all alumni and their families. However, changes to our plans may become necessary. Please save the dates in October and watch for updates as we continue the planning process. For more information, contact Nahosha Braziel-Adams in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at nbraziel@utfi.org, 901.448.4959, or visit www.alumni.uthsc.edu.