Welcome everyone to the Summer 2008 newsletter from the School of Rehabilitation Science (SRS), McMaster University.

We may have experienced a rainy spring and summer, however, the weather did not dampen the climate of exciting events and activities that developed over the past few months.

On September 2, 2008, the SRS will welcome approximately 140 new professional occupational therapy and physiotherapy master's students, 6 research master's students and 5 PhD students. Faculty and staff are working full throttle to finalize plans for Orientation Week, September 2 - 5 and for the start of class on September 8.

Over the summer, the SRS welcomed new faculty and bade farewell to long-standing faculty. As we move forward with new initiatives, the achievements of our retiring faculty in conjunction with contribution from our new faculty will continue to advance our establishment as a school committed to collaborative research, education and service. Read more about this in the Good and Welfare section.

The OT and PT Classes of 1993, 1998 and 2003 celebrated their respective 15-, 10- and 5-year class anniversaries on June 7, 2008. The event was well attended with many alumni promising to keep in touch with their classmates more frequently and organizing more get togethers! Details of the Reunions are available in the Activities section.

We are working on new collaborative projects with institutional and community partners and many faculty have already received new research grants. The summer has also been livened by many of our faculty, associates and students being presented with respective awards and scholarships. More information on these achievements are available in the Awards section.

I would like to wish each and every one of you a successful fall, and for many of us at the School, a great start to a new academic year!

Remember to stay connected and share your recent activities with us.

As always, we welcome your feedback and... stories - send them to lawm@mcmaster.ca

With warm regards,

Mary Law, Associate Dean, School of Rehabilitation Science

UPCOMING EVENTS

10th ANNUAL HELEN SAARINEN LECTURESHIP

The Helen Saarinen Lectureship was established as a memorial to an outstanding colleague who was dedicated to the advancement of rehabilitation practitioners in general and physiotherapists in particular. As the founding Chair of the Physiotherapy Program, Helen's leadership, knowledge and compassion served as a paradigm for two generations of students.

10 th Annual Helen Saarinen Lectureship
and
SRS Recognition Awards
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 - 4:00 p.m.
IAHS - B102
Reception to follow

The Helen Saarinen Lectureship Committee is pleased to announce that Dr. Barbara Cooper, Professor Emeritus, Occupational Therapy and former Associate Dean (SRS) is the 2008 Helen Saarinen Lecturer. Dr. Cooper has combined her background in Occupational Therapy, her love of art and recognition of the impact of the environment on people to advance our understanding of the importance of the world around us. As a combined OT/PT graduate from the University of Toronto, Dr. Cooper went on to receive her B.A. in Art and Art History and her B.A in Art (painting). While working as a clinician using art therapy with adolescents, Dr. Cooper went on to received her MHSc and ultimately her PhD in Architecture (Environment-Behaviour Studies).

ACTIVITIES

2008 CLASS REUNIONS

The OT and PT classes of 1993, 1998 and 2003 celebrated their respective 15-, 10- and 5-year Reunion on Saturday, June 7, 2008.

The weather was bright and sunny, with blue skies smiling down on the alumni and their families. As classmates greeted each other animatedly, here and there, one could hear bouts of laughter amidst gasps of wonder (or surprise!) as former grads hugged each other and commended one another on how well one “still looked” or the fine looking family one had in tow! Approximately 115 people attended the luncheon BBQ in the backyard of the Mohawk-McMaster Institute of Applied Health Sciences building (IAHS). After the luncheon BBQ, several alumni took a tour of the IAHS and the newly built David Braley Athletic Centre. Many of the alumni and their partners/spouses attended the Reunion Dinner that evening in Convocation Hall. The evening concluded with door prizes, class reunion pictures and everyone promising to keep in touch and maintaining strong connections.

The SRS would like to thank the 2008 Reunion Planning Committee for their effort and time on a successful event:

Class Reps:

Rob McCall, PT'93,
Linda Pillinini, OT ' 93
Taffina Marley, PT ' 98
Angela and Ian Bladon, OT ' 98
Giacomo Fabrizio, PT ' 03
Brianno DiRezze, OT ' 03

Student Reps:

Julia Williams, OT1
Nicole Sorichetti, OT1
Candice Kwok, PT1
Fiona Cheung, OT2
Chantal Beaudry, OT2
Carolyn McIntyre, PT2

Staff Reps:

Helena Collins, Program Administrator
John Pophan, Alumni Advancement Officer

OT/PT Class of 1993

OT Class of 1998

PT Class of 1998

OT Class of 2003

PT Class of 2003

PRECEPTOR WORKSHOP

On May 13, 2008, the SRS hosted a Preceptor Workshop for clinical preceptors who have served as mentors and role models to our occupational therapy and physiotherapy professional master’s students. Approximately 35 clinical preceptors attended the workshop. The preceptors were invited to a luncheon and provided with workshop folders and a gift. The workshop featured two guest speakers. The first speaker was Mary Beth Bezzina, a part-time faculty member at the University of Western Ontario, and an occupational therapist who worked for many years in the hospital and community sectors as a clinician and as a professional practice leader. She also coordinated the development of the Preceptor Education Program. The second speaker was Neera Bhatnagar, MLIS, the Reference coordinator in the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University, who is an expert searcher and actively involved with researchers working on systematic reviews and practice guidelines. Neera is also involved in the exploration of the use of educational technologies and PDA (personal digital assistant).

Toward the end of the workshop, a general overview of the SRS’ process on appointments, re-appointments, promotions and lapses in the School was presented by Liliana Coman, faculty member in the Physiotherapy program and SRS Department Education Coordinator. We encourage our clinical associates to apply for or renew their professional associateship with the SRS. The workshop concluded with a Preceptor Celebration/Reception and door prizes.

“WHEN APPLE IS A BAD WORD”

Mary Forhan, faculty member in the Occupational Therapy program, SRS, facilitated a professional issues forum on obesity at the 2008 Conference of the Canadian Association of Occupational therapists in Whitehorse, NWT in June 2008. To check out the content behind the intriguing title, click on the following link:
http://ch-weightwisemd.blogspot.com/2008/06/when-apple-is-bad-word.html

AWARDS

Congratulations and Best wishes to the respective recipients on their achievements!

The 2008 Student Unsung Hero Awards. Presented to the following students for their special contribution to the Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy Programs that goes above and beyond the call of duty in the areas of education and research:

OT:

Amanda Baumann
Kathryn Decker
Terence Ho
Saroj Singh
Valerie Taylor
Robert Wojkowski

PT:

Joanna Ball
Jennifer Bond
DeAnna MacArthur
Michael Major
Julie Reid
Nicole Sullivan

Ontario Graduate Fellowship. Presented to Shirin Hosseinpour, Year 1 PT. The Ontario Graduate Fellowships were established in 2005 with funds from the Government of Ontario to fund exceptional graduate scholarships at McMaster University. The maximum value is $4000 per term and are awarded by the Scholarships Committee of the School of Graduate Studies.

Ontario Graduate Scholarships. The Ontario Graduate Scholarships, valued at $15,000 annually are awarded through a province-wide competition. The recipients in 2008 are:

OT:

Lara Gysbers
Saadia Amanulla
Sheena Kennedy
Rebecca Cruickshank

PT:

Holly Ryder
Shawna Druchok
Jenna Smith
Lisa Ditchburn

The CIHR Doctoral Research Awards. Presented to the following PhD students:

Lubna Daraz and Vince DePaul each received the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships. The award to each recipient is $30,000 per year for 3 years.

Heather Colquhoun and Alison Douglas each received Doctoral Research Awards of $21,000 per year over 3 years.

Carrie Hand has received a Doctoral Research Award which is a partnership between the CIHR Institute on Aging and the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation. The award is $21,000 per year over 3 years.

Special Award for Research. Presented by the Ontario Physiotherapy Association Awards Committee to Anita Gross, professional associate, SRS, for her demonstration of leadership in scholarly activities, in particular, her significant contribution to research within the physiotherapy profession.

Award of Distinction. Presented to Sue Barreca, SRS professional associate by the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for being a strong and persistent advocate in clinically relevant physiotherapy research in the areas of stroke care, a supporter of clinical education of physiotherapy students and highly respected by her peers and colleagues for her practice excellence.

McMaster University Faculty Association Award (MUFA) for Outstanding Service. Endorsed by faculty who have had the privilege of working with her, the 2007 MUFA Award for Outstanding Service was presented to Penny Salvatori, OT faculty and founding Chair of the OT program for her devotion to serving the University community. The nominated candidate is considered for how he/she has enhanced the University's reputation, provided excellent service, demonstrated innovation and made a strong impact on the University.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHTS!

Congratulations to the following investigators:

Joy MacDermid and Co-investigators Dave Walton (PI), Robert Teasell, Warren Nielson, Hilary Reese, Lenerdene Levesque, Tamara Nailer and Jennifer Toland, were awarded $5000 from the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada Alun Morgan Fund for the project, “Validation of a New Prognostic Tool for Acute WAD” for one year (2008-2009).

Joyce Tryssenaar Sheryl Boblin, Eric Staples, Margaret Black, and Christine Patterson for receiving $20,,000 from the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN) for a project entitled, “An Evaluation of the Implementation of Online Interprofessional Courses as a Component of the MN/NP Program”.

MEET OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER

Sara Gallagher

Sara graduated from McMaster in 1996 with a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Physiotherapy after a memorable two years of study. The experiences she enjoyed played a key role in her future at McMaster.

After graduation, she embarked on a career in orthopedic private practice in the Hamilton and Brantford areas. The focus of her practice is manual therapy, exercise prescription and acupuncture. During this time she also helped her husband (Paul Jager, PT) and business partner (Rob McCall, PT) open their own private physiotherapy clinic in Dundas – Highland Physiotherapy. She continues to play an active role in the marketing and day to day activities of the clinic. In 2003, she enrolled in the Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science program at McMaster, a thesis-based graduate program and plans to graduate with an MSc degree in the Fall of 2008. Sara has also recently accepted a position with the Ontario College of Physiotherapists and she is conducting / performing Quality Management (QM) assessments across Ontario as part of the College QM team.

Sara acknowledges that “the positive experiences that I had at McMaster inspired me to pursue my MSc degree and to continue to be involved with the McMaster physiotherapy program”. Since graduating she has been active in her clinical practice as a clinical preceptor for many McMaster physiotherapy students. This inspired her to become further involved and in 2007 she joined the SRS Physiotherapy Program at McMaster as the Assistant Academic Clinical Coordinator of Education. In this role she works closely with the Academic Clinical Coordinator of Education to oversee the clinical education placements of the physiotherapy students and also helps to further develop the clinical education component of the program. In addition, as part of her role Sara spends time as a PBT tutor in Units 1, 2 and 6 and she is looking forward to her new upcoming role as the Unit 6 CL Assistant Coordinator.

Clinically and professionally, Sara's interests include the management of orthopedic disorders, in particular injuries to the lumbar spine and lower extremity. She also has an interest in outcome measures in this area and would like to pursue further research with regards to this.

Ancaster is home to Sara, her husband Paul, 3 year old son, Vaughn and their two dogs. The family enjoys the hiking trails that Ancaster and Dundas has to offer. She also enjoys spending time with her horse, reading and gardening.

Sara is very proud to be associated with the McMaster SRS program, it has become a ‘constant' in her life since 1994. She enjoys her role with McMaster SRS because it provides her with the opportunity to work with colleagues of the highest caliber and be part of a program and university that is recognized worldwide for its teaching and leadership role in the field of evidence based practice (EBP). She would like to encourage anyone thinking of becoming involved with the McMaster SRS to consider tutoring or facilitating a workshop because although it is often challenging as a clinician to be involved in education activities because of time constraints, the benefits are worth the challenge.

The SRS would like to thank Sara for making the SRS her ‘constant' other home and appreciate her contribution and participation in many areas of the academic and clinical spheres of the School and Physiotherapy program, and wish her the very best in achieving her MSc(RS) this fall.

GOOD and WELFARE

Best wishes and congratulations to...

Class of OT 2007 - Become involved in your program... Mary Edwards and Lorie Shimmell

Congratulations on almost 1 year in practice since your graduation last year!

You may be looking for additional challenges in your roles as OTs and you will be eligible very soon to begin a precepting role with current students. There are excellent professional and personal benefits that exist by being involved with the School in this way, and we would warmly invite you to consider this new venture! When you are ready to learn more, please contact Lorie Shimmell at shimmellj@mcmaster.caor by telephone: (905) 525-9140, Ext. 26561. Looking forward to working with you in this!

Another 3-year term!

Seanne Wilkins has been approved for reappointment as Assistant Dean (RS) effective July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2011. The SRS would like to thank Seanne for continuing in this important academic leadership role and look forward to working with her in the upcoming year.

New Bilingual CDROM

In May 2008, after several years in the making of this product, Pat Miller, Nicole Paquet and Maria Huijbregts launched the new bilingual CDROM for the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment in Ottawa.

Certificates for achievement in Faculty Development

Liliana Coman, Deb Stewart, Brenda Vrkljan and Laurie Wishart were recognized with Certificates for Achievement in Faculty Development at the FHS Faculty Development event in April 2008. They have achieved certification in the Faculty Development BEST Pathway, Level 1, due to their completion of multiple faculty development programs.

Student presentation at International Conference in Tuscany!

Bonny Jung and Jackie Bosch were proud to announce that their Peace through Health (PTH) student EBP group were accepted for a presentation at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in Tuscany, Italy. Heather Hammond, OT'08 presented on behalf of the team: Kelly Ash and Saroj Singh, classmates of Heather, 3 medical students, Jackie Bosch and Bonny Jung.

The End of an Era.. Maybe not!

On July 24, 2008, at the McMaster University Club, faculty, staff and university colleagues came to bid Penny Salvatori farewell and congratulate her on her retirement. As always, Penny looked beautiful, poised yet a bit teary eyed as her career in OT, life as a wife, mother and grandmother, and her many academic accolades unfolded in a visual presentation that took her and the entire audience back through time to that auspicious afternoon. In honour of her retirement, many colleagues made a contribution to the COTF Legacy Fund for McMaster University.

Penny's career in OT started in 1977 when she was appointed “teaching master” in the former OT program at Mohawk College. Her many mentors in her life include Ken Finkel (pediatrician and Medical Director of the old CP Centre who hired “me as a new U of T graduate to work in children's rehabilitation at Chedoke and also introduced me to the notion of self-assessment, problem-based learning, and small therapy groups”; Barbara Cooper, first Associate Dean, SRS, who encouraged her to apply for a teaching position at Mohawk College; Muriel Westmorland, also a former Associate Dean, SRS, who hired her as a “teaching master” in the OT program at Mohawk College and negotiated a part-time position faculty position for her at McMaster; Peter Rosenbaum, Associate Director, CanChild, who supervised her graduate work in the MHSc program at McMaster; Mary Tremblay, Acting Associate Dean, OT/PT, when the first BHSc programs in OT and PT were established in 1990 at McMaster; the late Helen Saarinen, founding Chair of PT, and Penny's partner in developing the BHSc curricula; and Mary Law, current Associate Dean, SRS, for her strong personal support over the past several years. In addition, Penny also thanked the OT and PT faculty and the administrative staff for their support over the years.

On September 2, 2008, Penny graciously accepted to continue her role as the OT/PT admissions chair until next Spring and work on some ongoing research projects.

A very special Congratulations and Best Wishes to Penny and a huge thank you from all of us as she begins her new era...but will somehow keep us all engaged and a bit curious about what new intentions she may map out in her ‘semi-retirement'.. Knowing Penny, she will do it with a twinkle in her eye and bold strides!

GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT

Welcome to new faculty appointments!

In July 2008, Verna Pillai began her new role as Assistant Professional Practice Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Program, SRS. Her contract position will focus on supporting the clinical fieldwork required for OT students professional preparation to practice.

Verna is an occupational therapist who has worked clinically at HHS for most of her career, and has also worked in Palestine with the United Nations Association of International Service. She has been the OT Student Placement Coordinator at HHS since 2003, and prior to this, she was the Profession Leader. Verna brings a great deal of experience as a preceptor and a strong interest in student education.

On July 1, 2008, Monica Maly joined the SRS as a full-time (tenure-track) anatomy faculty. Monica's teaching activities will focus on OT and PT anatomy, foundation skills and resource sessions.

Monica Maly received a BSc in PT, an MSc and a Doctorate of Philosophy at Queen's University. Prior to July 1, Monica was an Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. Her teaching experience has included the development of several courses, particularly in the area of clinical biomechanics and functional anatomy. As a physiotherapist, Monica's clinical practice focused on musculoskeletal rehabilitation and work hardening with injured workers. Her major research interests and research funding centres on the interactions between biomechanics and motor performance for persons with knee osteoarthritis. Earlier this summer, Monica received news that she had been awarded an NSERC grant. The SRS is delighted to have Monica join the School and look forward to working with her in the upcoming years.

On October 20, 2008, Lynne Geddes will assume the position of Acting Assistant Dean (PT). Lynne is currently an Associate Clinical Manager in the SRS at McMaster University and Senior Manager for Therapy Health Care Inc in Burlington, Ontario. Lynne is a clinical and educational leader in the area of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy and has developed an excellent curriculum in CVR for McMaster's PT program. Together with Penny Salvatori, she has studied moral judgement in OT and PT students. While her time allocated to research is not large, Lynne has demonstrated considerable success in obtaining grant funding, and has 19 peer-reviewed publications, one book chapter and 21 peer-reviewed abstracts. In 2007, Lynne was honoured with the Award of Distinction from the College of Physiotherapists in Ontario.

As of October 20, 2008, Lynne will be working with the School 4 days per week and at Therapy Health Care for one day per week. Lynne will be maintaining her teaching commitments for the fall term and we will plan to fill her other teaching commitments later in the academic year. We wish Lynne the very best when she assumes her new role this fall and continues her commitment to the McMaster PT program.

BEYOND GRADUATION...

Summer Adventures in Whitehorse...submitted by Alia Pfeiffer, PT'03

“I have wanted to go to the Territories ever since my undergrad at McMaster. Something about the remote wilderness, and the ideals of an untouched land were calling me. I wanted to experience being even further north, and the near 24 hours of daylight. Almost 5 years after graduating, the timing was right. I am now in Whitehorse for a summer locum from May-September.

Whitehorse, known as the ‘wilderness city', is a vibrant town of 23 000 people and it's population is increasing at a rate of 1000 per year. The average age is 35 for women and 32 for men. The main industries are mining and tourism. 80% of the town work for either the Federal or the Territorial government, and thus are well educated and have great benefit packages (ideal for private practice billing purposes!!) The town is mainly comprised of outdoor enthousiasts who chose to come to Whitehorse for the active lifestyle. Whitehorse has amazing skiing and biking trails. In the valley of the Yukon River, it is surrounded by mountains, and is thus a close drive to hiking, camping, paddling (lakes, rivers, the oceans, whitewater), and most other outdoor activities.

I am doing a locum at Physio Plus. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Canada Games Center, a facility built to host the Canada Winter Games of 2007. It has many windows, with a panoramic view of the mountains, and is staffed by 5 Physiotherapists, 1 Athletic therapist and a Kinesiologist. The owners of the clinic are Anne Milton & Mandy McClung. They are McMaster graduates from the first graduating class of 1992, both participated in the Northern Studies Steam. The clinic is a great place to work, and offers a range of services to the many active clients of the area.

I am loving my life in Whitehorse, and feel extremely fortunate to have such a portable career.”

Thank you for sharing life in the great north with us Alia! You have shown us that the spirit of one's practice is integral to the success and satisfaction of one's professional practice!

Ontario's North enjoys the Mac ‘touch'...submitted by Julie Young (nee Crago), PT'04
“My name is Julie Young and I graduated from the McMaster Kinesiology program in 2002 and then I graduated from McMaster's Physiotherapy program in 2004. For my first two years of employment, I worked in a private orthopaedic clinic in Owen Sound and Collingwood. I enjoyed my experience there and gained clinical experience from the other Physiotherapists but I knew that I always wanted to run my own private physiotherapy clinic.

My husband and I moved to a small but beautiful town called Meaford which is on Georgian Bay in between Collingwood and Owen Sound. This town has 4 chiropractic clinics and physiotherapy only in the hospital so we thought Meaford would be the perfect location for me to fulfill my dream of running and owning my own clinic. With my husband's help, we renovated an empty space in a beautiful red brick building which has views of the bay in April 2007 and we were up and running in May.

It didn't take long at all for the good word to spread around town and to the local family doctors and by the end of July I was working full time hours and looking for a second part time Physio who started in September 2007. I treat patients of all ages but Meaford is a very popular retirement area so my main demographics are patients aged 50-70 who want to continue living an active lifestyle.

I found the skills gained in a self directed, problem based program helped me significantly when I was in the planning stage of opening the clinic and each day as I face new challenges. I also found the unit six project of creating a business plan a very valuable project for preparing me for the “real world”. I look forward to maintaining a relationship with McMaster University by offering a clinical placement opportunity.”

Julie, thank you for your story. Another reason for us to be proud of our graduates who are both enterprising and wonderfully skilled to serve communities such as Meaford!

Thrilled to present at World Congress'08...submitted by Swapnil Rege, PT'07
In May 2008, Swapnil Rege attended World Congress in Ottawa, with co-presenter Oren Cheifetz to present their study on “Knowledge and Preferences of Exercise in Individuals with Breast Cancer”. He was happy to meet his former faculty instructors: Laurie Wishart, Pat Miller, Paul Stratford, Linda Woodhouse and Lynne Geddes at Congress, and feels proud to be part of this well-known cadre of outstanding McMaster physio educators and clinicians.

“The purpose of our research (which was a final project in the PT program) was to determine the knowledge individuals with breast cancer have related to the effects of exercise on their health during and after treatment. We also wanted to know whether individuals were interested in an exercise program and if so, what their preferences were related to the exercise program”.

Well done Swapnil and all the best in your new role as a board director with the New Brunswick Physiotherapy Association.

IN MEMORY OF...

The faculty, staff and alumni from the SRS were shocked by the news of the untimely death of Alison Lall (nee Fisher) OT’97 and her family members in Calgary in early June 2008. We remember Alison very fondly as a quietly confident and exceptionally talented student occupational therapist. On June 13, 2008, Alison’s family held a funeral service at Lakeside Church in her home town of Guelph, Ontario. On behalf of the School and the Occupational Therapy program, a donation was made to the Alison (Fisher) Lall Trust at McMaster University.

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