SHRS Blog

Kim Peterson, assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) Health Informatics (HI) program, is passionate about where the world of HI will take us. “We have tons of electronic health information. Now, how do we get the data out and analyze it to make sense of it?” After 25 years directing health information management (HIM) at local hospitals and working alongside fellow Pitt HI researchers, Peterson is convinced that “the cure for cancer is in the data. ...

It's officially Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 to October 15 and is recognized as a time to celebrate the history and culture of Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States. I can't help but reflect on how my Latinx heritage has influenced so much of my life! ...

“What’s the game-changing need right now in rehabilitation research?” poses Beth Skidmore, associate dean for Research and professor of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). The answer to her and many others in the field is clear ...

On August 24, 2022, the expansive windows of Bridgeside Point filled classrooms with an abundance of light as School of Health and Rehabilitation Science (SHRS) researchers participated in the third annual Rehabilitation Research Retreat. It was as if the bright afternoon sun symbolized a new phase reuniting them together in person for the first time since the inaugural virtual retreat in 2020.

One of the few Health Informatics (HI) programs in the United States is at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and it is transforming the future of health care. In June—in recognition of its leadership and innovation in the growing field of health data science—the HI program received a one-year $300,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). ...

When I was first applying to colleges, I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I knew I wanted to work in the medical field and be a physician assistant (PA), but didn’t quite know how I would get there or what undergraduate degree would set me on the right path. 

“Anybody who is different is looked at and stared at. That happens around the globe,” observes Sue Whitney when asked how society views children with cerebral palsy (CP).  

As co-director and professor of the Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), Whitney has decades of experience teaching students and working with adults and children who have neuromuscular movement disorders. For children, a life of independence and prosperity could easily be disregarded by society. Their ungainly stance and inability to control subtle motor skills, like hand movements, elicit stares and often relegate them to a life of constant caregiving by family and special education classes in school. “It’s really hard for parents,” Whitney continues. “I think it’s especially hard because these kids grow older and become adults, and I think people are nicer to children than they are to adults. We need to train children to be productive members of society so that they can be employed.” 

Kori Morgan completed the APP course last fall and is a nurse practitioner at UPMC Central PA in the Primary Care division. Currently, she is the program manager of the Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). Read more about her time in the program.

As an alumna, instructor and now vice chair of Post-Professional Education of Pitt’s PT Department, I am uniquely situated to share the many benefits of the University of Pittsburgh’s Master of Science in Physical Therapy program. I joined the physical therapy profession after becoming inspired by the innovative work in the field of orthopedics and sports medicine that was occurring under the direction Dr. Freddie Fu and James (Jay) Irrgang at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine. They were leading the way in new surgical and rehabilitation techniques that I wanted to be a part of. 

David Gill is a recent graduate of Pitt’s Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program and a veteran of the U.S. Army. Gill had an honorable career in the military prior to discovering his interest in health informatics; a passion that brought him to our Department of Health Information Management. He is now the chief of Patient Administration at Keller Army Community Hospital in West Point, NY. We asked him a few questions about his health informatics journey to where he is today.

Student engagement refers to the manner in which students behave by taking advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom that ultimately allow for stimulation. It has become an increasingly important measure of social and academic success. Experiences like research, Co-Op, internships and community service allow Master of Rehabilitation Technology (MRT) students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to hands-on, real-world situations.