How Hospitals and Medical Practices Are Helping To Reduce Physician and Healthcare Worker Burnout An Interview With Jake Frankel One is organizing daily operations and building schedules that optimize efficiency. They can also create support groups and work buddy systems that can serve as an outlet for staff frustrations and a forum to discuss conflicts and challenges. It is also important to encourage nurses to take breaks and time for themselves. So, for example, hospitals could introduce a mandatory vacation day policy with a quarterly check to make sure their staff is taking the time they ..read more

Searching for a satisfying career that helps people enhance their health and quality of life? If so, speech and occupational therapy may be promising career paths for you. As two popular professions in the healthcare industry, SLPs and OTs enjoy rewarding, well-paid careers—while making a lasting difference in the lives of their patients.1,2 Both speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and occupational therapists (OTs) aim to improve the well-being of their patients. While there are similarities between the two career paths, there are also radical differences. Read on as we unpack the speech ther ..read more

If you want to become a physical therapist, investing in an academic degree or professional training sets you up for a successful career. However, now more than ever, it’s important to weigh physical therapy program costs and benefits of such a significant investment. Plan for your academic future by identifying the upfront cost of DPT programs, determining how to fund your education and calculating the return on your investment (both in salary and job satisfaction). If you’re considering a career as a physical therapist (PT), you’re probably wondering: how much is PT school going to cost? Le ..read more

Do you want to help people move better and regulate pain as a licensed physical therapist? If so, you’ll want to set yourself up for success as early as possible. You will need to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from a program). But prior to gaining admission at any schools good for physical therapy, you must first complete a bachelor’s degree. While you can theoretically enroll in one of the top physical therapy programs with a bachelor’s degree in any subject, some majors are more relevant to a physical therapy career than others. —those which allow you to complete prereq ..read more

At the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS), Teresa Gingles, PT, USAHS DPT 2011, embarked on a journey that would lead her to become a beacon of hope and advocate for an aging population. Dr. Gingles is a 2023 Alumni Force for Good Contest Winner. The alumni video competition celebrates the incredible impact that USAHS alumni are making in their communities. Dr. Gingles describes this recognition as validating her passion for empowering older adults. See her video submission below: For her, this award serves not as a feather in her cap but as a solid foundation upon which ..read more

In a world where aging is often associated with decline, Kaelee Brockway, PT, DPT, EdD, and Keegan McKay, OTD, MOT, OTR, are inspired to challenge these ideas and invest in older adults. Their joint efforts with local community organizations and dedication to engaging students in the process are reshaping the future for seniors. Breaking barriers in aging perception Dr. Brockway, assistant professor of physical therapy (PT), and Dr. McKay, assistant professor of occupational therapy (OT), both at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) Dallas campus, bring a wealth of expe ..read more

The story of Bethany High, a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS), is a testament to passion, perseverance and purpose. High is pursuing dual interests – Olympic-level trap shooting aspirations and a graduate health sciences degree. Her introduction to trap shooting began seven years ago, a pursuit sparked by a chance encounter with a family friend. “I was instantly in love with everything about shooting sports,” High says. From her humble beginnings in 4-H, she met a coach who introduced her to Olympic Bunker Trap shootin ..read more

Katie Hohman Advocacy is about taking action and garnering support to bring change or awareness to a cause or issue. Through small but significant steps, such as writing letters, mentoring or speaking publicly, advocacy can occur in many impactful ways. Regardless of the chosen path, anyone can become an advocate with the goal to make things better—whether it’s by influencing and guiding healthcare policies, being involved in a professional association or through volunteerism and community service. Take it from Katie Hohman, PT (tDPT ’10). She has owned and operated a private physical therap ..read more

With her philosophy of “Encourage the heart, lead by example and inspire a shared vision to maintain the highest standards,” Jessica Hovland, DNP, RN, CPAN, NE-BC, PMGT-BC (DNP ’20) is taking her innovation and leadership learnings and putting them to practice. Dr. Hovland graduated from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with an emphasis in nurse executive leadership. When pursuing her DNP, her research involved blending multimodal analgesia and virtual reality (VR) to offer surgical patients a non-opioid treatment option to ..read more

Alli Yingling (MOT ’19) on her graduation day. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Alli Yingling (MOT ’19) fell in love with occupational therapy (OT). Working toward a psychology degree, she interned at a large pediatrics clinic that employed physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. “After spending time with the owner, who was an OT, I decided I liked the philosophy behind occupational therapy,” she says. “I also enjoyed seeing the confidence build in the kids I was working with and watching them blossom and come out ..read more