Archived DPT Fort Lauderdale Current Events

NSU DPT Class of 2024 Student Alessandro A. D'Innocenzo Elected PCHCS SGA President

Congratulations to NSU DPT Class of 2024 student Alessandro A. D'Innocenzo, SPT, ATC, LAT on his election to the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences (PCHCS) Student Government Association (SGA) presidency. Alessandro states, "Through the role, I am able to bring in my perspective on initiatives as well as represent the Department of Physical Therapy. This role has made me grow as a leader and bring new ideas to the table. SGA will be a learning process, however, I am excited to bring new ideas and have the opportunity to work with different colleges to represent Nova Southeastern University. I am excited to be representing the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences and look forward to the new adventure this role will bring." Congratulations to Alessandro! We are so proud of you!

NSU DPT Class of 2022 Leads Dania Beach Clean Up

In honor of Physical Therapy month on October 2020, Shannon Poole, SPT, NSU DPT Class of 2022, took the lead in organizing nearly 20 students to pick up debris on the North and South ends of the Dania Beach pier. This initiative included clean up on the beach and also included a few snorkeler's that went out into the ocean to pick up pollution! Thank you to the class of 2022 for serving the community and helping to keep our South Florida beaches clean!

Congrats to Nate Sirkis and Kelsey Jones who were elected to the PCHCS Student Government Association E-board!!

Congrats to Nate Sirkis and Kelsey Jones who were elected to the NSU Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences (PCHCS) Student Government Association (SGA) E-board! Nate was elected as president and Kelsey as interprofessional education chair. We are so happy to have PT representation on the board and are especially proud of Kelsey and Nate!

NSU DPT Class of 2023 Welcomed to the PT Profession in a Virtual Pinning Ceremony

On September 9, 2020, the NSU Professional DPT (PDPT) program held a virtual pinning ceremony to welcome the class of 2023 to the profession of physical therapy. The student mentors from class of 2022 gave words of wisdom as the class of 2023 mentee donned their pins. The new incoming class then recited the pledge and their commitment to the vision and mission of the NSU PDPT program. Congratulations to the class of 2023!

NSU DPT Program Awarded the 2020 CHCS Alumni Engagement Award

The NSU DPT Program was awarded the College of Health Care Sciences (CHCS) Alumni Engagement Award for their efforts in donating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and recognition of their Alumni Spotlight highlighting graduates who are managing patients on the front lines of the pandemic.

The NSU DPT Class of 2022 wishes the graduating Class of 2020 well with Zoom selfies!

The Covid pandemic has changed the face of higher education, including graduation. Despite this, our DPT students remain committed to supporting each other. A perfect example of this is the the DPT class of 2022 helping to make the graduation celebrations a little more special for the graduating class of 2020. The class took Zoom selfies to wish the graduated well as they embark on their careers in physical therapy! So proud of our students supporting each other!

NSU DPT Team Leads Successful Fundraiser for Moving Day Broward County - Virtual Walk to benefit the Parkinson's Foundation

The NSU DPT program in Fort Lauderdale, consisting of 40 team members, led by faculty member Dr. Rania Massad, raised nearly $2700 in 12 days for the Moving Day Broward County - Virtual Walk to benefit the Parkinson's Foundation. In the United States, 50,000-60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are diagnosed each year, adding to the one million people who currently have PD. The physical therapy community plays a pivotal role in supporting individuals with PD, as well as their families, caregivers, and friends. This money supports bringing national awareness to the challenges individuals with Parkinson's Disease face every day and provides resources to improve the quality of care for those living with the disease. the NSU DPT team is the top team in Broward with a week left to go and has done so all remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic! We congratulate the NSU DPT Team on this effort! To learn more visit http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/NSUPTSharksinMotion

DPT Students Participate in the Annual Boca Raton Boating and Beach Bash for People with Disabilities

On March 1, 2020, NSU Fort Lauderdale DPT students volunteered their service at the Annual Boca Raton Boating and Beach Bash for People with Disabilities. Located at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton, Fl, this event provides opportunities for people of all ages and different abilities to experience adaptive beach activities and boat rides from captains who donate their boats and time to this cause. Under the leadership of Dr. Kim Smith, the students help manage traffic on the dock and assist participants in and out of the boats safely. For more information on the Beach Bash, visit https://boatingbeachbash.com/

Fort Lauderdale Professional DPT Ethics Bowl Team Earns Runner Up in the Annual 2020 NSU HPD Ethics Bowl

The Fort Lauderdale Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Ethics Bowl team earns runner up in the annual 2020 Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Health Professions Division (HPD) Ethics Bowl held on Feb 27, 2020. The team defeated Pharmacy Fort Lauderdale in the first round and Physician Assistant Fort Lauderdale in the second round. The team went on to face the West Palm Beach Nursing team in the third round and showed extremely well with judges commenting on their appropriate use of ethical terminology, earning runner up. Congratulations to the team on this accomplishment! (Team pictured L to R: Kishan Patel, John Hollnagel, Mamoon Bukhari, Marissa Stahl, Francesca Matarazzo) Mentors (not pictured): Whitney Yoder, Alexa Bianca, Kayla-Ann White, Alex Kais, Michael Veloz)

NSU DPT Students Participate in Miles for Smiles Event in Broward County

Each year the College of Health Care Sciences Pediatrics Club has the opportunity to Volunteer for the "Kids Committee" at the Miles for Smiles fundraising event for the Broward Children's Center. This fundraiser supports the children and young adults who live in the BCC group homes because they require 24 hour nursing care. Broward Children's Center is is strong clinical partner of Nova Southeastern University's physical therapy programs and is committed to providing quality health care to the children and families of the Broward County community in addition to extending learning opportunities to students in the College of Health Care Sciences. This year the club had 25 students volunteer to push a child for the event and we hope to see this number continue to grow at next years Miles for Smiles Walk With Courage. Thank you Broward Children's Center for your commitment to challenging the standards of our health care community and to all of those who donated and participated in this years event!

NSU DPT Students Participate in Fall Screenings for the Global PT Day of Service

NSU DPT students participated in balance screenings for older adults on October 23, 2019 for the Global Day of PT service. This initiative was in collaboration with NSU's Life Long Learning Institute (LLI) which serves lifelong learning passions of retired adults. The LLI has been in existence since 1977 and is a division of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. To learn more about the Global PT Day of Service visit http://ptdayofservice.com/. For more information on the NSU LLI visit https://osteopathic.nova.edu/lli/index.html.

Academic Year 2019-2020 Student Government Leaders

A big thank you to all our student government leaders who serve as elected officers for their class.

Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences and Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing Collaborate on an Interprofessional Simulation Experience

Students from the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program collaborated in an interprofessional simulation experience. The learning objectives of the experience centered around interprofessional teamwork and communication. Small groups of students provided care to a simulated patient in the acute care setting. During this collaboration, students gained knowledge in their own ability to provide safe and efficient care as well as participating as an active member of the health care team. Each small group debriefed following the patient encounter and a large group debrief was held at the end focusing on interprofessional teamwork and communication. Student commented “I think the scenarios were well done and helped with the interactions between the different health professions”; “I appreciated the inter- professionalism and working together towards a common goal”; “It was a great opportunity to assess the importance in collaboration with physical therapist and nurses and gauge our skills when working as a team.”

DPT Fort Lauderdale Class of 2022 welcomed at 2019 White Coat Ceremony

NSU DPT Fort Lauderdale program held their 16th annual White Coat Ceremony on July 16, 2019. The new incoming class of 2022 (pictured) received their white coats from their mentors signifying their official induction as a student physical therapist. Highest Academic Achievement award recipients were Kyle Ashworth and Tyler Dolan for the class of 2021 and Nicholas Frears for the class of 2020. The Service to the Community and Profession award went to Nicole Linden for the class of 2021 and Maya Betz-Otero, Nicholas Frears, and Sydney Renaud for the class of 2020. The Altruism award was presented to Carly Jones for the class of 2021 and Keelan Mullins-Zugelder and Eric Moogerfeld for the class of 2020.

DPT Students Jaclyn Stermer and Bryan Sterling Present Research at NSCA Conference in Washington DC

Congratulations to Jaclyn Stermer and Bryan Sterling, 3rd year students in the professional DPT program. Jaclyn and Bryan, under the direction of their faculty advisor, Dr. Morey Kolber, presented their research capstone study entitled THE EFFECT OF COMBINED STEM CELL AND PLATELET RICH PLASMA ON PAIN, FUNCTION, AND PERCEIVED CHANGE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS at the 2019 National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Conference in Washington DC.

Annual Interprofessional Orientation Scavenger Hunt Winners!

This year a team of 3 OT students (Lacy Rohr, Alicia Siciliano, Alex Carney) and 2 PT students (Danny Kim, Kevin Hohmann) were the winners of the Annual Interprofessional Orientation Scavenger hunt. Each group member from"Team Kevin's Birthday" took home a swag-bag filled with useful goodies. Congratulations team!

Congrats to our Class of 2019 Research Capstone Groups

**Fitness Outcome Measures of a Community Wellness Program for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder- Faculty Advisor: Melissa Tovin; Students: Brittany Inerfeld, Jenna Rosenfield, Regina Reda, Ian Carroll, Autumn Bland, Stephanie O'Leary ** **Neurological Boot Camp: Longitudinal Study of Learning Effect/ Transfer of Knowledge from Classroom to Clinic- poster presentation at ELC Jacksonville in Oct 2019; Faculty Advisor: Leah Nof, Debbie Stern, Alicia Fernandez; Students: Kevin Troung ** **The Reliability and MDC for Common LE Muscle Length Tests- Faculty Advisor: Kelby Kalpan and Ovi Olivencia; Students: Justin Dages, Courtney Duda, Gina Godinez ** **(Examining ICF Related Factors to Address Obesity and Physical Activity Among High School Adolescents From Medically Underserved Populations (MUP)- Presented poster at CSM 2019 in Washington DC-Faculty Advisor: Annabel Nunez Gaunaurd; Students: Sara Chinoy, Brendan Bak, Jay Chan, Cody Richardson, Jillian Szymanowski, Ashley Wilson** **The Influence of Weightlifting Gloves on Functional Lifting Performance: A Preliminary Study- presented at NSCA conference in Indianapolis in July 2018 - Faculty Advisor: Morey Kolber; Students: Emily Passint, Mike Marquis, Dominic Mascia** **Barriers to vestibular rehabilitation therapy adherence among individuals with vestibular dysfunction – A systematic review-Faculty Advisor: Shilpa Gaikwad; Students: Morgan Goodwin, Courtney Cave** **Untitled- Faculty Advisor: Peter Sprague; Students: Eric Sveinsson, Michael Jones, Lanell Ty Culver**

Ethics Bowl - Class of 2021 Team wins 3rd place

Congratulations to the NSU DPT 2019 Ethics Bowl team who advanced to the 3rd round of the HPD Ethics Bowl competition in March. The team did a wonderful job articulating the legal and ethical issues surrounding each case. They were recognized for 3rd place with bronze medals. Class of 2021 Ethics Bowl team members include Alexa Bianco, Whitney Yoder, Kayla-Ann Wilkes, Alexander Kais, Michael Veloz. Also, a special thanks to their Class of 2020 mentors, Sydney Renaud, Bryan Sterling, Stephen Withers, who supported them along the way and Dr. Smith for her guidance and leadership in this effort!

NSU DPT Research Capstone Students win 'Social Responsibility' Award at APTA CSM 2019

Congratulations to Dr. Nunez-Gaunaurd's DPT class of 2019 research capstone group who won the Social Responsibility Award at APTA CSM 2019 in Washington, DC for their poster presentation entitled Examining ICF Related Factors to Address Obesity and Physical Activity Among High School Adolescents from Medically Underserved Populations (MUP). Research capstone student participants include Jay Chan, Sara Chinoy, and Jillian Szymanowski.

Class of 2019 Students Present Research Capstone Project at 2018 NSCA Conference

Third year DPT students, Dominic Mascia and Emily Passint, traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana on July 13, 2018 to present their research capstone research project at the annual National Strength and Conditioning Association National (NSCA) Conference. These two students, along with Michael Marquis (not pictured) completed this Senior Capstone project under the guidance of NSU faculty Dr. Kolber to examine the effect of weight lifting gloves on functional lifting performance entitled "The Influence of Weightlifting Gloves on Functional Lifting Performance: A Preliminary Study." This research study analyzed the deadlifting performance with and without weight lifting gloves with 90 healthy participants. When analyzed as a complete sample, the results found a statistically significant difference while using the weight lifting gloves compared to without the gloves. However, when analyzed by male and female, not statistical significance was found. Overall, it was determined personal experience using weight lifting gloves was the most important factor, thus it comes down to personal preference of using weight lifting gloves.

Research Capstone Group Helps Community

This year’s capstone group members Brendan Bak; Jay Chan; Cody Richardson; Jillian Szymanowski and Ashley Wilson did an excellent job at the wellness screening for high school adolescents. This is an effort to further examine health disparities and promote health wellness participation among adolescents from medically underserved population. In April 2018, In addition to collecting performance outcome measures, HS students are surveyed regarding their physical activity and diet. High school students also wear Fitbits for a total of 4 weeks to assess number of steps/days and to challenge each other on daily step count. NSU DPT students worked together with DPT student volunteers from the University of Miami. Together they collected outcome measure data related to Fitness and Function on 56 students from a Broward County High School.

DPT Team Participates in 12th Annual HPD Ethics Bowl

The 12th annual HPD ethics bowl was held on April 4, 2018. The DPT Class of 2020 team showed well!