School of Health Professions News: Spring 2024
Students and faculty travel to Nicaragua, as well as publish, present and meet with legislators
A dedicated interdisciplinary group of 41 health professionals and Shenandoah University health profession students recently completed a one-week service and learning trip to Leon, Nicaragua, to provide health care to eight rural communities. The teams consisted of physician assistant studies, pharmacy and physical therapy students supported by local physicians, a physical therapist, a registered nurse, pharmacy residents, and physician assistant and pharmacy faculty. The team also provided oral health preventive care for several hundred children, which was made possible by a grant from the nccPA Health Foundation. Approximately 100 patients were seen each day amongst the two teams and hundreds of prescriptions were filled.
Shenandoah Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Sarah Sidar ’23, OTD, and Assistant Professor Alysha Skuthan, Ph.D., OTR/L, ASDCS, authored “Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of Providing Services for the Acute Postpartum Population,” which was published recently in the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. Read the article online at https://loom.ly/8FXvqTU.
Shenandoah’s Division of Occupational Therapy was well represented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Inspire Conference held in Orlando, Florida, in March. Shenandoah presenters included Tippi Geron, OTD, OTR/L, CCM, on “Caregiver Training: New Opportunities for Reimbursement”; Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Alysha Skuthan, Ph.D., OTR/L, ASDCS, on “ReboOT and Return to Doing Intervention Pathway for Post-Concussed Youth: A School-Based Occupational Therapy Programming Manual”; and Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Sarah Sidar ’23, PP-OTD, OTR/L, BCB-PMD, on “Sex in the Classroom: Incorporating Sex & Intimacy Occupations Into Entry-Level OT Curricula” and “Embedding Pelvic Health Content Into Entry-Level OTP Curriculum” and, with Dr. Skuthan, on “OTPs’ Perceptions of Providing Services for the Acute Postpartum Population: A Qualitative Study.”
In February, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program’s 2025 cohort traveled to Richmond, Virginia, to participate in the Medical Society of Virginia’s Lobby Day. It spent the day speaking with representatives and advocating for increased Medicaid reimbursement, expanding the SafeHaven program, additional restrictions on prior authorization, and funding for the physician loan repayment program.
Shenandoah’s Master of Science in Athletic Training students participated in Hit the Hill Day in Richmond in February. The students and their professors spent the day talking with senators, delegates, and lobbyists to help push a bill to benefit athletic trainers.
