Summer/Fall 2020 CSU DPT Clinical Education Update

2020 has certainly been a challenging year thus far, but it has reminded me again just how fortunate we are at CSU DPT to have such amazing support from our clinical education partners.  Eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring created new and complex challenges for both healthcare and physical therapy delivery.  With safety and continuity of patient/client care as top priorities, it was appropriate for clinical education to take a bit of a “back seat.”  At the same time however, our clinical partners re-iterated their strong commitment to the clinical education of future physical therapists when it was feasible to resume.  I truly cannot begin to put into words my appreciation for ALL of you – every student, clinical instructor, site coordinator, and administrator.  Together, we have problem-solved and successfully navigated through numerous clinical cancelations, re-placing of students, evolving onboarding processes and safety procedures, and so much more.  I have felt the support of our PT community more than ever across the past 6 months.  I am looking forward to building even stronger partnerships and growing with new opportunities that the pandemic has presented (e.g. telehealth, different methods of teaching & learning in the classroom and clinic, etc.). 

I would also like to take this opportunity to share that we have made some adjustments to our clinical education experiences in accordance with guidance from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).  I have previously shared these changes via email with Site Coordinators, but want to make sure they are available to our entire clinical education community.  You can view tables showing a brief summary of the changes for 2020 and 2021 on this website by clicking on the tab marked “Calendar” or going to this link: http://csudptclined.blogspot.com/p/clinical-dates.html.  In summary, we did make the difficult decision that we will not “make-up” all weeks/experiences that were canceled due to the pandemic.  We are fortunate that our curricular plan includes a total # of weeks of clinical education that is well beyond the CAPTE minimum (and also above the national average).  While we are of course saddened that our students have lost some valuable clinical time, we are confident that we will successfully graduate students with clinical experiences of sufficient breadth and depth, and who demonstrate entry-level performance.   We know that changes across multiple DPT programs can be confusing, so please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at any time: k.vitak@csuohio.edu or 216-687-3903. 

Finally, unfortunately we will not be holding a formal Prestige Speaker event on campus on Monday October 19^th as originally planned.  We will be having a shortened Awards Program via Zoom at 6:30pm that evening; additional details to follow for those who may be interested. 

Thank you again for everything! 

Karen McIntyre, Director of Clinical Education

Cleveland State University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Fall 2019 CSU DPT Program Clinical Education Update

Since my last update, things at CSU DPT have been extremely busy, in a positive way!  I am happy to share a brief update with you. 

Curriculum Update: We have completed Phase 1 of a curricular revision, aimed at strengthening our current program & also improving access to students from different backgrounds.  We have moved several pre-requisites (anatomy, pathology, neuroscience) into the program, re-organized & streamlined other content to promote integration, and have reduced the total number of weeks of clinical education from 41 weeks to 38 weeks.  In order to provide meaningful clinical experiences for our students and optimize our clinical partnerships, we have also done the following (beginning with the incoming DPT Class of 2022):

• reduced our first full-time clinical experience from 10 weeks to 8 weeks
• combined our two terminal clinical experiences from separate 8 & 7 week placements into a single 14-week experience

The rationale behind these changes is too lengthy to describe here, but we carefully considered feedback from current students, alumni, faculty, employers, and also our clinical partners. Please note that these changes in clinical education experiences will begin to appear in the annual March mailing this coming March 2020 for summer 2021 Applied PT I clinical experiences only (the combined terminal placement for all students will begin in fall 2022).    

Now that we have successfully moved these important pre-requisites into the program, we are beginning Phase 2.  With this phase, we are looking even more broadly at the curriculum to design something that we believe will push us forwards alongside physical therapy practice & our evolving healthcare system.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Outstanding Clinical Educator Awards:  Each year at our Prestige Speaker event in the fall, we are excited to honor a clinical educator who has made a significant impact in the development of our CSU DPT students, and who has promoted the mission, vision and core values of our program through their clinical teaching.  Clinicians are nominated by students with final selection by the DPT faculty.  Although we have already honored these individuals at the event, I would also like to share this information about both the 2018 & 2019 award recipients here:

2019    Kevin Brochetti, PT, DPT, COMPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

            Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Dr. Brochetti graduated from CSU with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2013.  He subsequently completed Orthopedic Residency and Manual Therapy Fellowship Programs through the Institute of Therapeutic Sciences.  He is Board Certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in orthopedics.  Dr. Brochetti is employed by The Department of Veterans Affairs at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.  CSU is extremely fortunate that Kevin has sought opportunities to mentor future clinicians through service as a clinical instructor for our program.  He has committed to training highly motivated DPT students in orthopedics and manual therapy annually through our 15-week terminal clinical experience/specialty practicum.

Below is an excerpt from his nomination letter from one of our CSU DPT students:    

Dr. Brochetti has made an impact in my clinical education by expanding the horizon of the physical therapy profession for me. He has completed his residency and fellowship, so he is able to present an astounding amount of knowledge and information in a way that is easy to comprehend. Dr. Brochetti has a practice style that is rooted in patient-centered care, as he is compassionate towards his patients by treating each person as an individual rather than just another patient with knee or back problems.  He works hard on solving the puzzle of what is causing his patient’s pain and works to the best of his ability to engage the patient in the care that will help his/her recovery. The VA Medical Center treats a huge variety of patients with different cultures, races, and socioeconomic status. Dr. Brochetti takes an innovative approach to his treatment styles by utilizing many tools from his toolbox, those being functional dry needling, needling with e-stim, cupping, HawkGrips instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, and many more. He attends various continuing education courses throughout the year and is always current on the latest research topics. He attends a multitude of professional events in which he advocates for the PT profession. Dr. Brochetti has made a huge impact in my clinical education, and I believe he consistently demonstrates the CSU DPT Program’s mission, vision, and core values.

2018    William Mallory, PT, MSPT

            MetroHealth Medical Center - Parma

Mr. Mallory graduated from CSU with his Master of Science in Physical Therapy in 2006.  Bill has worked with our program in a variety of capacities, including service as a clinical instructor for over a decade with students across all clinical levels.  He has also worked with students as a part-time lab instructor and in service with our pro bono physical therapy clients through our partnership with the Preventative Care Center at Cuyahoga Community College.  Bill works for MetroHealth Medical Center at their location in Parma.  He received two separate nominations from students, and below are some excerpts from their nomination letters. 

“Bill has a strong background in exercise science, and MDT treatment approach, but he remains open and understanding about a student’s different approach and ideas towards treatment options which allows for a strong collaboration. He has inspired my professional practice moving forward because he leads by example and demonstrates high quality care with good return, success rates and high patient satisfaction with his clients.””

His experience as a clinical educator is unmistakable, as he is calculated in how he approaches each student in an individualized fashion, just as he provides individualized care in all of his patient interactions. His methodical approach to clinical education gradually guides students through individual mastery of the various components of clinical practice, leading to the ultimate reward of outstanding clinical knowledge and practice habits.  He is truly a catalyst for change in optimizing the health of his patients through his sincere effort to provide them with patient-centered care, valuable education, and many laughs and grins.”

We thank you both Bill and Kevin for your longstanding support of and service to our CSU DPT Program!

Fall 2018 Update

Happy fall to all!  I am excited to bring you a program/clinical education update from one of our second year DPT students.  I have asked students to do this from time to time because I feel like our clinical educators enjoy hearing directly from our students!  Thank you Nick for your willingness to share your experiences across the past year.   

Karen McIntyre, Director of Clinical Education, CSU DPT Program

Update from Nick Anderson, CSU DPT 2 student:

Spring 2018 started off by welcoming the DPT Class of 2020 with new student orientation and a dessert social. My DPT Class of 2019 excitedly moved into the role of “DPT 2’s” and began serving as mentors to the incoming students, offering valuable advice about how to navigate coursework and have fun at the same time.  We hope to pass on support the way our mentors in the Class of 2018 have for us. Although the spring was tough and filled with long nights of studying, one highlight was the ability for many of us to attend the APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting held in New Orleans in February. The experience was eye-opening for a lot of students and an incredible way to make connections for our future careers in physical therapy.

Upon return to CSU, we had some other experiences outside of the classroom that helped us keep focused on our “end goal” of becoming physical therapists.  Many classmates and I were fortunate enough to be able to participate with Dr. Katie Long and Dr. Mary Milidonis as they provided physical therapy treatment at Verb Ballets. This session allowed us to observe and then practice manual techniques on the dancers. After treatment, students could watch the dancers rehearse or see the actual show if there was one scheduled that night.  It was a great experience working with elite level athletes and being able to hone our manual skills.  Some of my classmates instead participated in a group exercise class for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center with physical therapists Dr. Amy Chan and Dr. Kathy Szirony.  Students were able to help the PTs set-up both obstacle courses and rotating stations targeting agility, strength, coordination, endurance, balance, and more.  The environment is very fun, all while the participants are pushed to improve function. We are so grateful to our community partners for these opportunities. 

Summer 2018 brought my DPT Class of 2019 to our first full-time clinical education experience.  These Applied PT I placements are 10 weeks in length and were in acute care, home health and outpatient settings. This was the first time we were able to work 40+ hours a week as a student physical therapist. From talking to other classmates, everyone had incredible experiences and were able to learn a lot from our Clinical Instructors and patients, while also learning a lot about ourselves. As summer wound down, we were able to enjoy some time together celebrating our accomplishments in the program thus far.  Our class planned a camping and canoeing trip during the few weeks we had off after clinical ended. Classmates and friends met up and had a great weekend to end summer and to relax before the start of coursework again.

 

Now that we are into the fall semester, our class has brought our valuable full-time experiences in the clinic with us back to the classroom. I believe our confidence has grown as student clinicians, which will show during our shared experience at Cuyahoga Community College’s Preventative Care Center. Each student will attend two sessions there and will work with an interprofesional team of students from Dietetic Technology, Medical Assisting, Occupational Therapy Assisting, and Physical Therapist Assistant Programs.  Exciting times for the DPT Class of 2019!  
                

Fall 2017 CSU DPT Program Clinical Education Update

We are having an exciting fall in clinical education at the Cleveland State University DPT Program, and we would like to update you on some of what we have been doing.      

APTA Best Practices in PT Clinical Education Report & CSU DPT Town Hall:  You have hopefully already heard about the discussions occurring at the national level following the spring release of the report from the APTA Best Practices in PT Clinical Education Task Force.  In early October, CSU held a local town hall meeting to answer questions and discuss this report.  We were grateful to have had approximately 20 individuals (local clinical partners and representatives from the university) participate in this event.  The feedback we gathered was subsequently shared with APTA’s Board of Directors, who is considering this report this month.  Thank you for making your voices heard through our town hall, as well as through the online survey which many of you also participated in. If you are interested in keeping up to date with these discussions, you can follow along at: http://www.apta.org/Educators/TaskForceReport/PTClinicalEducation/. 

Education Leadership Conference:  In mid-October, several of our CSU faculty and clinical educators participated in APTA’s Education Leadership Conference (ELC) down in Columbus.  The theme for this year’s conference was “Through the Looking Glass: Transforming Physical Therapy Education.”  As a member of the Ohio-Kentucky Consortium of Physical Therapy Programs for Clinical Education, CSU helped sponsor 11 clinical educators (CIs and CCCEs) to attend.  If you have never been to ELC before, I suggest you consider attending a future conference. It is an amazing opportunity for academicians and clinicians to come together and brainstorm about innovative ways we can educate our students.  I always leave feeling energized!  You can find more out about ELC at the Education Section website: http://aptaeducation.org, and please let me know if you have any questions.    

Prestige Speaker/Outstanding Clinical Educator Award – Dr. Therese Lord:  The end of October brought our annual Prestige Speaker Event to help celebrate physical therapy month and honor our clinical instructors from the past year.  This year we were thrilled to present our first annual CSU DPT Program Outstanding Clinical Educator Award to Dr. Therese Lord.  This award has been designed to acknowledge a clinical educator who has made a significant impact in the development of a CSU DPT student(s), and who has promoted the mission, vision and core values of the CSU DPT Program through their clinical teaching. Clinicians are nominated by students with final selection by the DPT faculty. 

Dr. Lord received her DPT degree from CSU in 2011, and has been a strong clinical partner to our program since she became a clinical instructor in 2013.  She has mentored 11 students across the past five years, and is an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor.  Therese is employed by University Hospitals and has been working primarily in the outpatient setting at Parma with some time in sub-acute rehab as well.  Vestibular rehabilitation is a prime area of interest for her, and she completed the Emory University Herman Vestibular Course in 2015.  She also completed her ITPT certification in 2015 to appropriately manage patients post-concussion.  As one of her former students noted in the nomination form, “Therese is continuously learning and improving her practice,” with additional training in instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, muscle energy, Kinesiotaping, pregnancy and postpartum care, and more.  Therese and her husband Paul are kept busy by their three children with one more on the way in 2018. Following is a brief excerpt from one of the student nomination forms that captures just a few of the reasons why Therese was selected this year: “Therese employs humor, laughter, games and compassionate listening to bring about healing.  She is committed to fostering improved health, function and mobility.  She teaches with wisdom, passion and humility.  It has been my pleasure to witness and participate in the therapeutic process that Therese creates with each patient.  I am thankful for her guidance and encouragement.  I am a better clinician because of her dynamic teaching, inspiring example and innovative mentorship.”

Thank you to Therese and to ALL of our clinical educators for your commitment to our CSU DPT students in 2017.  We look forward to continued collaboration in 2018! 

Karen McIntyre, PT, DPT – Director of Clinical Education, CSU DPT Program

                                       

Spring CSU DPT Program Clinical Education Update

As the flowers begin to bloom and the grass turns greener, springtime brings forth a reminder to me of the beauty of change.  We all know that change can sometimes be scary and intimidating; however, it is also critical that we continually evolve with new insight that we have gained.  I am currently away from the University on sabbatical and brainstorming some potential revisions to our DPT clinical education curriculum.  We already have a strong clinical curriculum, due largely in part to your valuable contributions as our clinical partners.  However, healthcare and education are constantly changing and we must make sure that we continue to be responsive and focused on the future.  Through my sabbatical work, I have enjoyed talking with many of our clinical educators about what is important to you in choosing to work with our DPT students and how we may be able to do things even better.  I am extremely grateful for the feedback I have received thus far, and I hope that I can continue to talk to many of you in the coming months.  If you have any ideas for us regarding our clinical curriculum, I welcome them!  Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your suggestions or if you have any questions at any time.  I am available via email at  k.vitak@csuohio.edu or via phone at 216-687-3903.

Thanks for all you continue to do!

Karen McIntyre

Director of Clinical Education - CSU DPT Program

Fall CSU DPT Program Clinical Education Update

As 2016 draws to a close, the DPT students have been keeping active in our community before the holiday season arrives. During the month of October, our 2^nd year student class took part in this year’s Global PT Day of Service in an effort to give back to the community and to celebrate National PT Month. The PT Day of Service was started the previous year as an opportunity for students, therapists, and other team members associated with the physical therapy profession to volunteer and give back to the community, bringing care out of the clinic and to the public for a day. This year the 2^nd year DPT class chose to collaborate with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Benjamin Rose Institute is an aging center that offers advanced services for seniors and their caregivers, including home-delivered meals, supportive housing, adult day services, partial hospitalization, social work, mental health services, and Senior Companions. The institute also participates in local research and education to better advocate for older adults in the community. For this year’s Day of Service, our students took the time to visit the Benjamin Rose Institute to provide blood pressure screenings and grip strength testing for those seniors interested in participating. Furthermore, this semester is the time that our DPT students volunteer at the American Cancer Society Joseph S. and Jeannette M. Silber Hope Lodge in Cleveland. The Hope Lodge provides a positive, comfortable environment and supportive accommodations for patients who are going through cancer treatment. It is a Cleveland State University DPT tradition to volunteer each year near the holiday season at the lodge, typically by providing a meal for patients and their families. This year, the 2^nd year class prepared and shared in a dinner with the Hope Lodge residents and family members.

2nd year student volunteers for PT Day of Service at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging

2nd year students at the Hope Lodge dinner

The first year DPT students have also been keeping busy by participating in volunteer activities throughout Northeast Ohio, including MedWish and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. MedWish is a non-profit organization that takes discarded medical materials and equipment to be repurposed and dispersed to humanitarian aid locations in underdeveloped countries. Our DPT students took the time this year to visit the distribution warehouse and assist in packing the newly repurposed medical equipment for shipment across seas. A trip to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank was also organized to assist with food collection, organization, and packaging of the groceries donated to the warehouse to prepare for distribution. The opportunity to volunteer and work with such groups allows our students to not only give back to the community here in Northeast Ohio, but also reach out and positively contribute to those in need on an international level.

1st year student volunteers at MedWish

1st year students volunteering at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank

At this holiday time, we would also like to take a moment and express our gratitude for the efforts of our clinical instructors over the past year!  We are extremely fortunate have such a talented and caring group of clinical instructors, and we look forward to more collaboration in 2017! 

Adriana Zalar, DPT Class of 2017

Karen McIntyre, Director of Clinical Education

Spring CSU DPT Program Clinical Education Update

DPT Program Professionalism Ceremony 

   

           

“Vulnerability is not weakness. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Brene Brown

This past week at CSU, we celebrated the 5^th annual DPT Program Professionalism Ceremony.  This event honors our 2^nd year students as they prepare to embark on their first full-time clinical education experiences in a little over a month.  It is truly a celebration of all they have accomplished in the program thus far, as well as the exciting possibilities that lie ahead in the next phase of their DPT education.  During the event, students receive white coats, which symbolize their professional duty to their future patients and their acceptance of the core values of physical therapy.  They also recite an oath and receive a blessing of the hands in front of faculty, peers, and their family and friends who have supported them.  In addition, a keynote address was provided by Mr. Edward Ash, PT, ATC, OCS, COMT, CSCS, winner of the CSU Viking Award in 2015. 

Mr. Ash provided our students with many “tips” as they prepare to head out into the clinic, including: the value of having a mentor across a professional career, the need for therapists to put their own feelings aside and focus on the patient, and remembering that what lies beneath the white coat is what is most important.  However, one final message from Mr. Ash that really resonated with me was his focus on how it is important for students to be vulnerable in the clinical learning process.  As the Director of Clinical Education, I certainly appreciate that while students are excited for their first clinical experience, it is also truly terrifying for them in many ways.  What exactly are students afraid of?  I have asked students to discuss this in the academic setting prior to their first clinicals, and students often note some of the following: not knowing the answer to a CI or patient’s question, saying the “wrong” thing, making a mistake, being unsuccessful, etc.  While I have fully understood their perspective and fears, I have also tried to stress with them that they often learn the most from those “safe learning mistakes” that their CIs allow them to make and grow from.  Mr. Ash emphasized to the students how they need to be more accepting of themselves and the fact that it is normal and “ok” to make some mistakes in the process.  As I think about the role of a clinical instructor, I think it is critically important that we as CIs help students to accept where they are, yet also to push themselves outside of what is comfortable in order to facilitate their continued development. As Dr. Brene Brown suggests, being vulnerable can be a catalyst to tremendous change!    

"For Pete's Sake - Be an Organ Donor" Drive

I want conclude this spring update with a quick moment of remembrance for our clinical education colleague, Peter Mosher, PT, DPT, OCS, former DCE at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH.  Dr. Mosher passed away in December 2013 while awaiting a lung transplant.  This April, our CSU DPT students are participating in the 2^nd annual "For Pete’s Sake – Be an Organ Donor” Drive, which challenges all PT & PTA schools in our region to register new organ donors on their campus.  If you are interested in becoming an organ donor, you can find additional information at: https://www.lifebanc.org/about-donation/ohio-donor-registry.html.   

Wishing you all a happy and healthy spring!

Karen McIntyre, PT, DPT – Director of Clinical Education