What’s New at SHMS

Last year, the Master of Science in Athletic Training program delved into the world of simulation for both formative and summative educational experiences using simulated patients and high-fidelity manikins. During the 2020 spring and summer semesters, however, COVID-19 necessitated the transition of those live events to virtual telehealth/telemedicine events. The events hosted virtually were 1) spine evaluation, 2) therapeutic exercise and modality intervention, 3) general medical simple evaluation, 4) general medical complex situation evaluation. Each included standardized patients and were recorded for student debriefing.

Two consequential changes to our program have been in how skills typically taught face-to-face are now being addressed in a virtual environment and the way students experience fieldwork. To meet the needs of students in a HyFlex learning environment, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy department integrated Simucase, a competency-based teaching technology into the curriculum. With the use of Simucase, our students were able to observe patients, review their cases and develop evidence-driven intervention. During the fall 2020 semester, second-year students participated in an intraprofessional Simucase collaborative with an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program. The collaboration headed by LaMar Bolden, DPS, OTR, provided an opportunity for students to develop a more in-depth understanding of the OT/OTA relationship and the importance of professional communication.

The program continues to capitalize on the IHS Campus’ resources to develop student learning. Preparing students to transition successfully from the classroom to third-year clinical experiences has been a new priority. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program added a new course, Clinical Education Seminar. Led by the directors of clinical education, concepts relating to experiential learning are detailed. Along with topics of evidence-based practice and communication, students practice patient-care skills that synthesize curricular elements to ensure each will perform safely and effectively. Meeting with members of the most recent graduating class provides excellent peer-to-peer role modeling. Students and clinical instructors report that this course enhances the transition to the clinical environment.

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant program was looking forward to increasing use of the highfidelity simulation center when the pandemic struck. Instead, the program made a major transition to a number of online platforms that simulated patient encounters. We were also thrilled to have two new faculty join us. Amy Gogtas, PA-C is a new director of clinical education with a background in ENT medicine, and Tiffany Fiore, PA-C joined us after practicing in orthopedic surgery (see page 19).

The department’s clinical education program continues to expand the integration of simulation-based training activities (standardized patients, high-fidelity manikins and computer-based skill training) into the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology curriculum. In conjunction with the in-class skill training program, domain-specific Experiential Training Opportunities (ETOs) and clinical practica across three different clinical settings, graduate students have multiple opportunities to accrue practice-related knowledge and skills and advance their competencies. Despite the pandemic-related interruptions to academic and clinical training, students in the program engaged in virtual simulation activities and training to deliver services through telepractice/telehealth modalities.

To address the many healthcare ethical challenges of COVID-19, Bryan Pilkington, PhD, developed and anchors a virtual ongoing series for the University and programs located on the Interprofessional Health Sciences campus titled The COVID Ethics Series (see page 8). The Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program successfully hosted its second annual Graduate Healthcare Management Case Study Challenge, which brought together 12 teams from CAHME-accredited colleges and universities across the region to participate in a single-day virtual competition demonstrating their critical thinking, leadership and professional presentation skills.