April 18, 2008

New Faculty Added to Athletic Training Education Program

by: Donn Walker
314.977.8015
mailto:dwalke18@slu.edu

ST. LOUIS - Mike E. Cannon, M.D., assistant professor of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University and a SLUCare physician, has been appointed medical director for SLU's new athletic training education program. In addition, Darcy L. Downey, an instructor of kinesiology and athletic training at the University of Texas at Austin, has been appointed clinical coordinator of athletic training education at Saint Louis University.

"We're very fortunate to welcome these two talented professionals into the athletic training education program," said Tony Breitbach, assistant professor and director of athletic training education at SLU. "Dr. Cannon brings with him a wealth of professional experience and a strong dedication to teaching. And Darcy's energy, passion and broad variety of experiences will be a major asset to the program and to our students."

The new athletic training education program - part of the Doisy College of Health Sciences - will enroll its first students in fall 2008.

Students who begin as freshmen will spend their first three years completing required liberal arts and science prerequisites. They'll also take part in Doisy College's interprofessional education initiative - a series of classes in which Doisy students learn about a broad variety of health careers and issues.

If in good standing after the first three years, students will then move into the final two-year professional phase of the athletic training program, studying human anatomy and kinesiology, clinical sciences, and the principles of athletic training in depth. Students will receive a bachelor's degree in exercise science at the end of the fourth year, and a master's degree in athletic training at the end of year five.














Dr. Mike Cannon

Cannon, whose appointment is effective immediately, will oversee medical aspects of the new athletic training education program, including medical content within the curriculum.
"SLU's new athletic training education program is a unique, seamless combination of an undergraduate degree in exercise science and a master's degree in athletic training," Cannon said. "That curriculum design, combined with Doisy College's interprofessional education initiative, sets this program apart from other athletic training programs."















Darcy Downey (courtesy of University of Texas)

Downey, who will begin her new role at SLU in July, will teach in the athletic training education program and serve as its clinical coordinator, overseeing the field experiences in which students work at various clinics and athletic training facilities in the St. Louis region.
She has been an instructor at the University of Texas since 2003. In addition, she has served as the athletic trainer for the university's women's rowing program since 2005.

Previously, she was an instructor and athletic trainer at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She also worked at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where she served as an athletic trainer for the Cleveland Rockers of the Women's National Basketball Association.

Long a leader in educating health professionals, Saint Louis University offered its first degree in an allied health profession in 1929. Today the Doisy College of Health Sciences offers degrees in physical therapy, athletic training, clinical laboratory science, nutrition and dietetics, health informatics and information management, medical imaging and radiation therapeutics, occupational science and occupational therapy, and physician assistant education. The college's unique curriculum prepares students to work with health professionals from all disciplines to ensure the best possible patient care.

LINKS:
Darcy Downey's bio at the University of Texas: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/atep/downeypage.htm

Dr. Cannon's bio at SLUCare:
http://www.slucare.edu/index.php?page=discoversearch&action=display&id=1

Original article link:
http://www.slu.edu/x22429.xml

April 11, 2008

A Grand Day!


A picture of the brick with my daughters' names inscribed that I purchased for the Arena plaza.

The Grand Opening of Chaifetz Arena, was simply that, grand!

Everything turned out better than I would have hoped and there is so much excitement on our campus!

We are especially excited about the arena, because our students will get to use it as their laboratory.

To see the article about that go to:

http://www.slu.edu/x22340.xml

To see the local media coverage of the event, follow the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia5eNK_zBso

http://www.slu.edu/x22358.xml

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/slu

http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/Sports/Detail?contentId=6275461&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=6.10.1

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/sports_article.aspx?storyid=143979

http://www.kmov.com/video/topvideo-index.html?nvid=234896

Billikens.com posters impressions of the arena:

http://www.billikens.com/forum/index.php?s=b3c1984b091ff144df53b33840a9a693&showtopic=14929

On a personal note, this is a very proud day for me. I worked in SLU Athletics for 7 years and loved every minute of it. But I did know that West Pine Gym was an antiquated facility and we just made the best of it. Today, I went back to West Pine to turn in my keys and pick up the rest of my stuff from the Athletic Training Room. I am so happy for JB, Miya, Theresa, Angie and all of the athletic staff as they move into the facility that they and the Billiken athletes deserve.

If you attended the Grand Opening, I would love to hear your impression of the arena and specifically its sports medicine facilities. Please post a comment!

April 03, 2008

FOX 2, part deux


I was interviewed on FOX2 TV again today, this time I was with John Pertzborn and Randi Naughton. They described their personal experience with the "Runner's High" and I talked about the physiology behind it.

Check it out at: http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=6207572&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

Congrats to Jonathan Burch ATC, Assistant AD & Director of Sports Medicine, and his staff, Theresa Hummel ATC, Miya Sullivan ATC and Angie Wills ATC on their impending move to Chaifetz Arena. The Chaifetz Arena grand opening on April 10th...for details go to:
http://slubillikens.cstv.com/trads/chaifetzopening.html
Jonathan and his staff serve as clinical instructors for our program and the Chaifetz Arena Sports Medicine facility serves as a clinical site.

Congrats to Rick Larsen ATC, Anna Braun ATC and Mike Berry ATC at Washington University, where they recently were crowned NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Champions. Washington University is a clinical site for our program and Rick and his staff serve as clinical instructors.


We also welcome Dr. Mike Cannon as our Medical Director for the Athletic Training Education Program. He is a Primary Care Physician who is trained in Sports Medicine and also teaches in the SLU Medical School. More info on Dr. Cannon will follow....