SHRS Blog

Dave Wert, vice chair of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Education, notes, “One of the key benefits of our hybrid option is that this is not a transition from what used to be a ‘traditional lecture program’ to a ‘COVID-pandemic remote learning environment.’ Rather, our hybrid program was specifically designed to be an online program for online learners who want to become practicing clinicians.” 

SHRS had a strong presence at the Conference of the National Collegiate EMS Foundation (NCEMSF). EM students, faculty and alumni attended to hear some of the biggest names in EMS education and research speak on a number of topics. The event was held in Pittsburgh from February 25-27.

Deciding on the path that’s right for you can be challenging. There are many choices of graduate professional programs, and the overlap among these choices can be confusing. Read about some factors that set Pitt’s Counseling program apart.

No matter how hard we try, motivation is not there 100% of the time. Even if the career you’re chasing is your dream career, it’s not always easy to stay productive. However, as we all know, it’s necessary that we continue learning and growing even when we aren’t feeling motivated at the moment. Over the past three years, I’ve learned some ways to both increase motivation and work through the rough patches. 

Does your provider look like you? This may matter more than you think. In an analysis of more than 100,000 patient surveys, University of Pennsylvania researchers found that when patients are of the same race as their providers, there was a better chance of receiving higher patient experience scores. This may be problematic as the health care workforce needs to be further diversified to mirror the racial composition of the country. The Assistive Technology (AT) industry is similarly insufficiently diverse and facing similar challenges. 

Did you know that the International Seating Symposium, or ISS, is the largest seating and mobility conference in the world? We’re admittedly a bit biased with our organizing team hailing from the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. This expansive symposium is led by our Master of Rehabilitation Technology (MRT) instructors Drs. Mark Schmeler and Rachel Hibbs - and we think this year’s event was the best yet. 

It’s the New Year, a time when many resolve to eat healthier, be more active, or lose weight. Motivation soars as we reflect over the past year and set our intentions for the next year. However, as the daily grind sets in and time goes on, intentions often fade and we find ourselves back to old habits. To help you stick to your goals this year try these 5 simple strategies.

I am thrilled to introduce our newest core faculty member for the Advanced Practice Provider Leadership Certificate Course co-sponsored by the UPMC Office of Advanced Practice Providers and the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences—Kathryn Reed, PA-C. Kathryn is an assistant professor and vice chair for Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. 

Here’s your inside scoop for all-things having to do with the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification! The ATP certification is managed by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Per the RESNA website, “the ATP certification recognizes demonstrated competence in analyzing the needs of consumers with disabilities, assisting in the selection of appropriate assistive technology for the consumers' needs and providing training in the use of the selected devices.” 

Pitt’s Health Informatics program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is a perfect intersection of medicine, technology and business. The undergraduate program offers students a comprehensive education focused on health care data science. One of the biggest misconceptions about the field of health informatics is that it’s only for students who excel at computer programming and technology, but this is far from the truth! 

If you’re reading this and already in the field, no doubt you consider yourself to be at least one, if not all, of the following: a problem solver, creative, an innovator, tenacious, empathic and a change-maker. Most likely, you’ve had to forge your own path as assistive technology can be very complex, a bit niche and it may not have as clear-cut a pathway as other health care or technology professions.

When you study health informatics with Valerie Watzlaf, you learn from one of the leaders in the field. Not only has she conducted extensive research across the discipline, but she has also led at the national level, serving a three-year board term and as president in 2019 of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) which represents over 100,000 HIM professionals.