UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., William Berndt, Ph.D, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and two other faculty members received top honors earlier this month at the 2002 UNMC School of Allied Health Professions Student and Faculty Awards Ceremony.
Dr. Maurer received the first Outstanding Leadership Award. Dr. Berndt received the Outstanding Service to the Allied Health Professions Award. Joe Norman, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy education, received the Teacher of the Year Award and Pat Hageman, Ph.D., associate professor and director of physical therapy education, received the Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award.
“This is the first year SAHP has ever given an Outstanding Leadership Award,” said Mary Haven, associate dean of SAHP. “We honor Dr. Maurer’s vision and dedication to making UNMC a world-class academic health sciences center by delivering state of the art health care, preparing the best educated health professionals and scientists, developing research centers of excellence, advancing UNMC’s commitment to community health and embracing the richness of diversity.
“In addition, Dr. Maurer supported valuable SAHP funding during budget hearings with the University of Nebraska Office of the President, Board of Regents and state legislature.”
Dr. Berndt provided enthusiastic, consistent support and advice, Haven said, for the transition of allied health programs from certificate to degree programs and from baccalaureate to advanced professional degrees. In addition, he was the advisor for the program directors and faculty during multiple accreditation processes and the institution of new allied health programs.
Dr. Berndt’s influence and knowledge assisted the complex problems of changing academic programs and getting approvals from the UNMC administration, NU academic officers, Board of Regents and the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. Besides these academic issues, Haven said, Dr. Berndt always was ready to fly to Kearney, Scottsbluff or elsewhere in the state to represent the administration at graduation ceremonies.
Before Dr. Norman joined the SAHP faculty in 1992, physical therapy students demonstrated below average performance in cardiopulmonary knowledge and skills. One of only 75 physical therapists board certified as a cardiopulmonary specialist, Dr. Norman manages to present complex material in an understandable way resulting in today’s physical therapy students excelling in cardiopulmonary knowledge. In addition to lecturing, Dr. Norman contributes time to clinical instruction at the VA Hospital and the College of Nursing mobile nursing center.
Dr. Hageman has received national recognition for her research on the assessment and training of balance and gait in individuals 60 to 100 years of age. She twice received honorable mention for excellence in research by the American Physical Therapy Association’s section of geriatrics. She has authored a number of articles and chapters in books related to rural health or physical measures in older adults. Dr. Hageman is co-investigator in a $1.1 million National Institute for Nursing Research grant titled “Promoting Healthy Eating and Activity in Rural Women.”
Year in review
SAHP began the academic year Aug. 23, 2001, with 156 new students, including 106 from Nebraska who represented 100 different Nebraska high schools. The annual awards ceremony is the biggest day of the year for all SAHP faculty and students. This year 87 students presented 42 posters in the 15th annual SAHP Student Research Forum, which preceded the awards ceremony.
“Our year began as always, with excited faculty and excited students,” Haven said. “Then came the Sept. 11 attacks, followed soon after by anthrax scares. The horrors of those days emphasized the importance of the helping professions — police, firemen and health care professionals.
“During all the chaos, Americans were reminded of the essentials of life — family, friends, spiritual values, bravery and service to others. A tribute cover to Sept. 11 by Physical Therapy magazine said it best — ‘above all let us be thankful that we are in a profession that helps mend those who others would harm.’ ”
The events of the past year made celebrating SAHP successes even more meaningful. We have a renewed sense of the importance of our mission, the education of tomorrow’s allied health care professionals, Haven said. In response to shortages of some of these allied health professionals throughout Nebraska and the nation, SAHP has increased the class size of the radiation sciences by 50 percent for next year and increased access to courses in medical technology and cytotechnology programs through distance learning courses.
Accomplishments abound
SAHP students passed their board, certification and licensure exams at a much higher rate than the national average. In fact, 98 to 100 percent passed on their first attempt. The physical therapy education program and physician’s assistant program were ranked by the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools report as 33rd out of 140 (physical therapy) and 8th out of 40 (physician assistant). This places them in the nation’s top 20 percent of graduate programs. Eleven SAHP students were recognized for winning national scholarships. Other faculty and student national honors were also highlighted.
Photos in descending order: 1) From left, Dr. Maurer, Dr. Berndt, Dr. Norman, Mary Haven, Dr. Hageman; 2) From left, SAHP administrative staffers Sue Miyeno, Sue Prushia and Fran Higgins organize the annual event.