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| BRIDGE Bulletin |
A Highlight of the BRIDGE Physical Therapy Mentors
Physical Therapy is a thriving component of BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic’s collaborative care largely due to three dedicated mentors who have helped guide the student efforts since day one. At the onset, a core group of Physical Therapy students bonded together with high hopes, many goals, and a slight sense of uncertainty with how they would manage to juggle school and running a clinic. Fortunately, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (SPTRS) Faculty and Staff at USF Health were eager to assist.
When the idea of a student-run clinic was first proposed to Dr. William Quillen, Director of SPTRS, he challenged us to look at the uncertainty not as a roadblock, but rather as an opportunity for creative freedom. Dr. Quillen next pledged that he would support the student initiative in any way he could to ensure our visions become reality. He has backed up that promise by providing equipment, finances, technological resources, educational materials, and, most of all, countless hours serving as a preceptor and mentor during Tuesday night clinics. Ever since acting as a preceptor the first night we saw patients, Dr. Quillen has set the tone for all future preceptors.
Another leader who has helped both at the clinic and behind the scenes is Dr. Janice Pitts, Academic Faculty. When approached early on, Dr. Pitts readily offered to act as Academic Mentor for BRIDGE Physical Therapy. With Dr. Pitts’ many responsibilities acting as a Professor and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, it is amazing that she has found time to provide as much mentoring as she has. Dr. Pitts has been essential for the clinic growth. She has investigated resources for grants and fundraising, provided input for development of the target population and clinic flow, and advocated strongly throughout USF Health. Her enthusiasm and encouragement has directly led to fellow faculty and staff learning more about BRIDGE and volunteering as preceptors. As the type of person who has a mind for community outreach and an open door for students, Dr. Pitts is a valuable and appreciated mentor for the clinic.
Before there were mentors at the clinic, preparation needed to be done. In order to determine how best to serve the community’s physical therapy needs, the Physical Therapy steering committee originally observed the clinic flow of the medical students, mapped out its own clinic flow, and created an optimal setting for integrative patient care. It was during this time that Dr. David Newman, Clinical Faculty and Coordinator of USF Physical Therapy Center was called upon for input. Dr. Newman showed immediate enthusiasm for the student initiative and offered critical input on refining the target population, mapping out the physical therapy treatment space in the clinic, and creating a unique collaborative model for clinic flow. This model, which allows patients to be seen by physical therapy, social work and medicine teams throughout the course of their visit, is at the heart of BRIDGE’s comprehensive patient care.
The Physical Therapy Steering Committee gives many thanks to the three mentors mentioned above and the additional volunteer preceptors who have devoted their time in order to help keep the clinic growing. Those preceptors include Dr. Dolly Swisher, Dr. Marilyn Moffett, Dr. Jacqueline Osborne, Dr. Renee Trombley, Dr. Allison Zager, and Mrs. Jeannie Stephenson.
Pictured above from left to right: Dr. Quillen, Dr. Pitts, Dr. Newman
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