A.T. Still University (ATSU) has been recognized for its online master of public health program. Offered by ATSU’s School of Health Management, this program was ranked No. 15 of the top 20 in the United States by TheBestSchools.org.

The 20 Best Online Master of Public Health Degree Programs were chosen based on quality, type of course offered, faculty, awards, rankings, and reputation, including the school’s reputation for effectively providing online degree programs.

The mission of ATSU’s master of public health program is to prepare public health professionals for leadership in advancing public health, addressing health disparities locally, nationally, and globally, and promoting individual and community health and well-being.

Two ASHS alumni have been selected for the 2012-13 ASHS Alumni Awards in recognition of contributions to their professions, communities, and alma mater.

Bethany Rogers, MS, ATC

The Distinguished Service Award was awarded to Bethany Rogers, MS, ATC, ’07 for her work in bringing athletic training services to youth in inner-city schools. With the majority of youth not having access to athletic trainers, those dealing with sport-related injuries can often end up in a lifetime of inactivity, increasing the risk for obesity and related conditions. As CEO of the Student Athlete Foundation of Kansas, Rogers has helped provide this essential service to a population that already has limited access to healthcare. Her dedication to the underserved truly represents the lasting impact on society through professional and voluntary accomplishments that the Distinguished Service Award symbolizes.

Tom DiDonna, DHSc, ’10 is the recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his commitment to improving global health. His extensive volunteer experience with organizations such as Operation Smile and Helping Babies Breathe has earned him considerable admiration around the

Tom DiDonna, DHSc

world. His passion for training other healthcare professionals has not only inspired them, but it has given them the advanced skills needed to improve and sustain the health of their own communities. The Humanitarian of the Year Award honors those who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, enthusiasm, and leadership through volunteer service.

Both alumni will be presented with their awards at their respective alumni events in 2013.

Jeffrey Alexander, PhD

Jeffrey Alexander, PhD, associate professor, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences-Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) program, has received the 2012 ATSU Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) Scholar of the Year Award. He was presented with the award on Dec. 10 at the ASHS faculty assembly meeting.

Dr. Alexander was honored with the award for demonstrating excellence in his scholarly activities, including publications, presentations, and grant activity.

“Dr. Alexander is well-deserving of the Scholar of the Year Award,” said Helen Ewing, DHSc, MN, RN, director, DHSc program, associate professor, ATSU-ASHS.  “His reputation, experience, and productivity in the areas of advancing the health of the elderly through research and dissemination of knowledge, and facilitating DHSc students’ research projects are admirable and deserve recognition. We are proud to have Dr. Alexander as a member of the DHSc team.”

Faculty, staff, students, and their families are invited to participate in Relay for Life being held on the ATSU Mesa campus May 4-5, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Relay for Life is an organized, overnight community fundraising walk for the American Cancer Society.

“It’s not too early to start thinking about becoming involved either as a volunteer, organizing a team, or joining a team,” said Bridget Spooner, ATC, AT, ATSU Relay for Life event chair.

Teams will camp out on the front lawn of the main administration building, and members of each team will take turns walking around the front sidewalk. Food, games, and activities will provide entertainment and build camaraderie.

To volunteer in helping to organize the event, or for more information contact Bridget Spooner.

To donate, start a team or join a team, go to relayforlife.org or relayforlife.org/atstillu.

You can choose to donate to the university, to a team or specific individual, or start your own team.  Registration to start a team is $10, with a $5.00 discount registration fee until Dec. 31. Each team member is to raise a minimum of $100.00.

A.T. Still University (ATSU) faculty and staff hosted the University’s inaugural Interprofessional Education (IPE) Collaborative Case Competition in early December.

The Collaborative Case Competition was designed to give professional healthcare students an interprofessional teamwork experience and to gain insight into the collaborative practice competencies. Teams of students from a variety of disciplines were given the opportunity to teach, share and learn from each other while conducting an analysis of the collaborative efforts during the care of a patient/client. At the end of the process, they presented their findings and recommendations for enhanced collaboration to a panel of judges representing leaders from various disciplines within the healthcare programs.

The case was designed to reveal the complexity of the healthcare delivery and the need for collaboration between healthcare professionals in order to reach the best health outcomes for clients/patients.

Interprofessional education is an important initiative interwoven throughout ATSU’s strategic plan. It is an essential step in preparing collaborative, practice-ready health professionals who have learned about, from, and with each other to provide and promote a team approach to patient care and improved patient health outcomes.

Seven interdisciplinary teams of students representing nine programs from ATSU’s Arizona and Missouri campuses and Arizona’s Grand Canyon University (GCU) nursing program participated. Each team was tasked with preparing and presenting their respective analysis of the same hypothetical case developed by faculty advisors spanning all of ATSU’s health sciences schools, GCU, and Missouri’s Truman State University.

Prizes were awarded to the top three teams. The William McKinney Award for first place went to Stephen Leonard, PT, ’14; Caroline Lindsey, AuD,’16; Rebecca Tansey, D2; and Mariam Ter-Stepanian, OMS II.

Second place went to Jake Moore, OMS I; James Ruport, PT, ’15; Jessica Villarreal, GCU nursing, Michelle Weber, AT, ’14; and Brianne Wright, AuD, ’14.

Two teams were awarded third place – Grace Abruzzo, PT, ’14, and Dulce Harju, PT, ’14, and also Shoshanna Abels, OT, ’15; Suzie Aparicio, AT,’14; MaryAnn Chrzaszcz, OMS II; Kathryn Collins, PT, ’15; and Michelle Hamilton, OMS II.

“The integration of IPE within ATSU’s strategic plan is vital to student learning, intrinsic to ATSU’s mission, and yields positive results in terms of patients’ healthcare outcomes,” said ATSU President Craig Phelps, DO, ’84. “I am grateful for the cooperation of the faculty and students in planning this important learning–centered experience and am proud of the students, faculty, and staff who participated.”

The competition was an initiative driven by the Student Committee on Interprofessional Education (SCIPE) led by ATSU students Adam Bennett, D3, also a public health with dental emphasis student at ATSU’s School of Health Management, and Rochelle Zangen, PA, ’13, with hopes that it will develop into a national competition represented by many universities.

“The competition introduced the basics of collaborative care and some of the real-world difficulties interprofessional teams encounter,” said Bennett.

Barbara Maxwell, PT, DPT, MSc, vice dean for IPE considers the inaugural competition a tremendous success. “The teams showed a clear understanding of the collaborative competencies and dedication to collaboration in action. Team reflections identified many of the barriers to collaborative practice and stressed the importance whole person healthcare,” said Dr. Maxwell.

More information on the case and participants can be found at atsuccc.weebly.com and a photo gallery from the case competition is available at the official ATSU Facebook page.