February 25, 2014

SLU AT Program Director Writes Article in NATA News on Interprofessional Education and Athletic Training


Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program Director Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC wrote an article for the March 2014 issue of the National Athletic Trainers' Association's "NATA News" magazine entitled "Interprofessional Education and Athletic Training, A Logical Fit".  Dr. Breitbach serves on the NATA's Executive Committee for Education (ECE) and participated in the ECE's development of the "Future Directions in Athletic Training Education" document in 2012.  He has coordinated the ECE's work group of 23 educators who have developed the white paper entitled:  "Interprofessional Education and Practice in Athletic Training" which is due for dissemination by Summer 2014.

February 21, 2014

Therapeutic Modalities Lab Gets an Upgrade and SLU "Pays Forward" to the Community


The Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training in the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University utilizes the Therapeutic Modalities Lab in the Allied Health Building on the Medical Center Campus for many classes.  On February 20, 2014 the fixed height tables in the lab were replaced with 18 adjustable height (hi-lo) tables giving the lab a total of 22 adjustable height tables.  This is the first phase of a lab remodel that also includes technology enhance which allows linking between two other PT/AT labs for synchronous lab sessions in multiple rooms.


The lab is kept busy with many PT and AT classes. One of the biggest classes to use the lab is DPT/MAT 430, Therapeutic Modalities, where over 100 PT and AT students learn together in a class that utilizes technology, lectures and 4 lab section of around 25 students each.  Dr. Jason Bennett (PT faculty) and Dr. Tony Breitbach (AT faculty) have served as course coordinators for the class.  The class also utilizes both PT's and AT's as lab instructors.

This remodel has also allowed the Department of PT & AT to "pay forward" in the community.  The fixed height tables were offered to clinical sites on an "as-is" first come-first serve basis.  The following sites received fixed height tables:
Health Resource Center PT Clinic - http://medschool.slu.edu/hrc/
Bishop Dubourg High School AT Facility
Lutheran High School-South AT Facility
Parkway Central High School AT Facility
St. Mary's High School AT Facility
Triad High School AT Facility
Webster Groves High School AT Teaching Lab

February 19, 2014

Team of SLU AT Students Finish First in Missouri AT Quiz Bowl


Three athletic training students from Saint Louis University finished first in the Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association (MoATA) Quiz Bowl competition to qualify for the district competition in West Des Moines, Iowa on March 28, 2014.

MoATA holds a Quiz Bowl competition yearly to determine Missouri's representatives for the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Association (MAATA) Quiz Bowl competition in March.  The winners of the district Quiz Bowls qualify for the national competition at the National Athletic Trainers' Association Clinical Symposia and AT Expo in June.  These Jeopardy-style competitions require teams of 3 to answer questions on all of the Domains of Athletic Training.

SLU's Quiz Bowl team is comprised of second-year professional students Cat Costello, Nick Gastorf and Tyler Wood. They will graduating with a Master of Athletic Training degree in May of 2014.

Cat Costello

Nick Gastorf

Tyler Wood
Congrats Cat, Nick and Tyler! Good luck at the MAATA Quiz Bowl!

February 14, 2014

Seeking Sunshine to go with Sweet Tea and a Smile...


Can you believe we’re already almost half-way through the spring semester?  Soon registration will begin for summer and fall courses and the snow will be just a memory.  

Snow…What a wild ride we’ve had this year with it!  I LOVE snow, but even I am ready to see green grass, budding trees, and people with allergy medicine once again.  It would be fine with me if we didn’t see any more snow for another 10 months.  The groundhog says that’s not going to be the case. We’ll see…..


Missing the green grass and flowers which adorn the Medical Center Campus!
Have you ever really thought about the components of the front desk area in an office?  

The front desk area of an office must maintain a certain appearance.  There is usually a front desk or some other sort of check in area, at least one computer and telephone, a copier, one or more filing cabinets, and the front desk worker.  

In the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program office, that front desk worker is me.  It is my pleasure to welcome guests, students, and faculty members to the office with a friendly hello and a warm smile.  Is the person you have an appointment with tied up at the moment?  I am happy to chat with you until they are ready.  I would love to hear about where you are from or what you plan on doing over the next break.  

There is one more thing you will always find in my front desk area.  It is extremely rare for this item not to be found there.  It’s southern-style sweet tea.  I drink it so much that, after seeing me come in with two, large cups of McDonald’s sweet tea per day, the AT Program faculty members thought it would be beneficial for me to have my own iced-tea maker for Christmas a couple of years ago.  Now, I brew my own tea several times weekly.  Some people always have coffee in their hand (at least in the morning).  

For me, it’s sweet tea all the way!

"News From the Front Desk" by Jennifer Baine is a regular column that features a look inside the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program.  Jennifer greets all of the program's visitors and works with the faculty to make sure our students have the best possible experience.

February 12, 2014

SLU Chapter of National Athletic Training Honor Society Inducts Newest Members


Saint Louis University's Alpha Iota Chapter of Iota Tau Alpha, the National Athletic Training Honor Society, inducted new members on February 10, 2014.  The ceremony took place in the Wall Auditorium in the Education Union on the SLU Medical Center Campus.  Following the ceremony, there was a presentation on "Mental Health and the Athlete" by Timothy Neal ATC and Michael Ross PhD. 

Over 120 students and professionals attended the keynote presentation.
Timothy Neal and Dr. Michael Ross during the keynote presentation.


Mr. Neal is the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at Syracuse University. He is prominently involved in the development of position statements and policies for athletic trainers with regard to management of mental health in athletes.  Dr. Ross is a professor in the Department of Psychology at SLU. He serves as the Faculty Athletics Representative and teaches a course in the AT program titled: "Psychology of Sport and Injury".



2014 Iota Tau Alpha Inductees

UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERS
Michael Aaron (MAT Class of 2015)
Nana Fujishiro (MAT Class of 2017)
Collin Peterson (MAT Class of 2017)
Stephanie Ross (MAT Class of 2017)
Rachel Spika (MAT Class of 2016)

GRADUATE MEMBERS
Jessica Buschjost (MAT Class of 2014)
Hilary Stepansky (MAT Class of 2015)
John Runde (MAT Class of 2014)

SLATS, the SLU AT student association, provided pizza after the ceremony.

February 04, 2014

AT Students Practice Medical Procedures in the SLU School of Medicine Clinical Simulation Lab


Practice makes perfect through clinical simulation.

Located on the Saint Louis University Medical Center Campus, the Athletic Training (AT) Program has access to many outstanding facilities and experiences.  One of the best facilities in the SLU School of Medicine's Clinical Simulation Lab.

Wes Burch, Education Specialist, explains how military physicians training in the Clinical Simulation Lab's C-STARS "tent" which simulates a battlefield medical station.
The Clinical Simulation Lab provides a realistic, safe learning environment for students, clinicians and healthcare professionals at all levels of practice. Highly sophisticated technology supports the "hands on" practicing and perfecting of medical diagnostics and skills training. Its resources are being aggressively integrated into the resident and medical student curriculum as well as incorporated into the educational training of healthcare professionals from multidisciplinary specialties.

Wes Burch demonstrates proper suturing technique.
The SLU AT students were instructed in and practiced suturing technique and assessment of core body temperature using a digital thermometer with a flexible thermister.  Although, suturing is not commonly in an AT's scope of practice, we commonly assist physicians in the procedures. Practicing this technique better prepares the AT student for this role.

SLU AT students Josh Harris and Tony Mosello practice administering and assisting with suturing.
The School of Nursing also generously provided a model for our students to use to practice measuring core temperatures according to the latest protocols and standards. For more information go to the Korey Stringer Institute website:   http://ksi.uconn.edu/emergency-conditions/heat-illnesses/exertional-heat-stroke/

Dr. Tony Breitbach instructs on the proper use of a flexible thermister to measure core body temperature.