Welcome Jason Bennett !

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Jason Bennett Joins Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Department as a Full-Time Faculty Member

Jason Bennett MPT, SCS, ATC joins Saint Louis University’s Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training this month. He will serve as a faculty member in both the Athletic Training Education Program and the Program in Physical Therapy. He will serve as course coordinator for MAT 524/525: Musculoskeletal Assessment and Management I/II in the Athletic Training Education Program.

Mr. Bennett is finishing work on his doctorate from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He received a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Clarke College and Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin—Platteville after studying athletic training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mr. Bennett comes to SLU with a wide-range of experiences in athletic training and physical therapy. He has worked with a number of St. Louis area sports organizations, including a stint with the River City Rage Arena Football Team in 2009. . He has practiced as a physical therapist for PRORehab and currently practices at the SLU Student Health & Counseling PT clinic.

Jason has been an adjunct instructor in both the athletic training and physical therapy programs, and his role in both programs with be expanded in this new position. His experience, knowledge, and skill as an dual credentialed practitioner will be a great asset in the education of athletic trainers and physical therapists.

“Jason has served as an adjunct instructor in our program and we look forward to expanding his teaching role,” said Dr Mark Reinking, SLU Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Department Chair. “He is also a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner who has stayed active as both an athletic trainer and physical therapist.”

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 and athletic training, clinical laboratory science and cytotechnology, 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.

SLU Night with the Cardinals

Thursday September 16th was "SLU Night with the Cardinals" at Busch Stadium.  Many of the Athletic Training students enjoyed the festivities!  Attending college in a city like St. Louis gives our students many exciting opportunities like this one.

Students Attending the Cards Game with Dr. Tony Breitbach, AT Program Director
Back Row: (from left) Hannah Love, Shannon Kane, Stephanie Riedy, Erin Eisenhard, Jessica Girdler, Tim Clohisy
Front Row: (from left) Jack Hogan, Dr. Breitbach

Welcome Back Students!

It is great to have the students back on campus!

Seeing the students return causes me to reflect on how our program's memorable acheivements.

We have grown by leaps and bounds since the program was first approved by the Board of Trustees in 2007.

In three short years the following has occured:

• Three full-time faculty members and one shared faculty member hired. (one each in 2007-2010)
• Administrative Secretary position hired in 2008.
• Admitted first freshman class and first professional class in 2008.
• Enrollment grew from 30 students in fall 2008 to 74 students in fall 2010.
• Clinical sites grew from 2 clinical sites in fall 2008 to 10 in fall 2010.
• Chartered the Alpha Iota Chapter of Iota Tau Alpha, the National Athletic Training Honor Society at SLU in 2009.
• Hosted the Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association State Meeting on our campus in 2009.
• Sucessfully gained full CAATE accreditation in spring 2010 for a 5 year maximum initial accreditation.
• Graduated first Master of Athletic Training class in May 2010.
• Every SLU student who attempted to take the Board of Certification Examination in Summer 2010 passed on first their attempt.

We look forward to even more growth in the future!

Our next milestone is that our first group of freshmen, the MAT Class of 2013, enters the professional phase of our program this summer.

We have been truly blessed!

Go SLU!

Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC

Director, SLU Athletic Training Education Program

Hey, Hey, It’s True! There’s been another addition to the SLU ATEP!

By: Jennifer Baine

Hello everyone! I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Jennifer Baine and, as of July 22, I am the new ATEP administrative secretary. I have plenty of administrative experience, but I am new to SLU, so please bear with me as I settle in to the new position. I promise to give 110% to make things go efficiently and effectively for students and faculty. My goal is to have a program that runs as seamlessly as possible so that those within it are proud to be a part and those outside can see the cohesiveness of our program which makes it run so smoothly.

Please know that you can always contact me whatever you may need that falls within my realm-- setting up meetings with faculty, general questions I may be able to help with (or direct to the correct person), clothing orders, forms, etc… My door is always open to you…….as long as it is during normal business hours. 

Jennifer’s Bio:
Raised: North Judson, Indiana (nearest large town: Valparaiso, IN—Chicago, IL within a 2 hour drive)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Judson,_Indiana)

Family:
Married with two daughters. One daughter is currently entering her freshman year at Oklahoma Christian University (http://www.oc.edu/) and the other in her junior year in high school. We are a homeschool family. The one entering college graduated from homeschooling and the one in high school is still homeschooled. We use a DVD based curriculum, which allows her father and I to work during the day and I go home and grade papers and give tests/quizzes in the evening. It is a very good program and both of our kids have excelled in it.

Background:
After getting married almost right out of high school, I also got pregnant right away. So, my husband and I got a taste of the real world and how hard it is to make ends meet very early in life. It didn’t take long to see that we weren’t situated to earn what we needed to be a family. So, we turned to Uncle Sam. My husband enlisted and over the next five years we had 17 different addresses—including two in Germany-Frankfurt and Heidelberg (http://www.neuschwanstein.com/).

A few years later my husband was able to leave the military and now has a good job with potential for great advancement within the foreseeable future. It was a job offer that couldn’t be passed. Enter: St. Louis (13 years ago). I have either been working in the health care field or doing daycare most of my life. I’ve found that I had a love/hate relationship going on in both arenas. I was last working at a physician’s office where things didn’t work out and…presto—hello SLU. And, believe me, I feel blessed to be here.

SLU Physician and AT Student appear on FOX2 morning show

Dr. Scott Kaar and SLU AT student Lizzy Kienstra appeared on the FOX2 morning show on Friday, July 30, 2010.  The topic was "Preventing Sports Injuries".


View the video here:
http://www.fox2now.com/videobeta/1af5bf8b-b49a-4f52-9d05-fd6c29646f93/News/Preventing-Common-Sports-Injuries

Adventures in Sports Medicine

The faculty of the SLU Athletic Training Education Program and the Billiken Athletic Staff hosted a program in Sports Medicine for the Adventures In Medicine and Science (AIMS) Program at Chaifetz Arena.  The students received hands-on instruction in techniques to learn more about athletic training and sports medicine.

AIMS students observe as SLU Athletic Trainer Jonathan Burch conducts a Swim-Ex workout with Men's Basketball Student-Athlete Brian Conklin.

The AIMS Program is an outreach program of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.  For more than 20 years, AIMS has offered summer workshops for high-achieving students who have an interest in becoming medical professionals.  These experiential programs feature observations of live surgery, extensive study of human anatomy, and exposure to multiple facets of careers in medicine.  The workshops are an outstanding way to help young people determine their future plans for study in college and beyond.

Faculty for the programs include surgeons and medical professionals from across the community who conduct laboratories, lectures, tours and dissections.  Students eligible for admission are entering their junior or senior year of high school, or freshman year of college in fall, 2010. 

SLU Faculty Participate in NATA Annual Meeting

The 2010 National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Annual Meeting and Symposium was held in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from Tuesday June 22-Friday June 26.

SLU faculty members participated in the symposium. Dr. Kitty Newsham presented a Case Study: "Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis in an Intercollegiate Athlete with SSRI" and Dr. Tony Breitbach serve as the moderator for a Feature Presentation: " Navigating the Emerging Student-Athlete 'Perfect Storm': Managing Mental Health Problems and Responses at the Collegiate Setting."

In addition to the educational presentations, the annual meeting provide faculty and students opportunities to network with colleagues and learn about new products and innovations from exhibitors.

SLU Athletic Training Students and Faculty Cover Nike Hoop Jamboree

The Nike Hoop Jamboree has been held for the 12th year at Saint Louis University, hosted by the St. Louis Eagles Basketball Club.  The Hoop Jam brings in over 100 top basketball players aged 15 and under for basketball instruction and leadership development.  Many athletes from this camp have went on to play in the NBA.  The SLU Athletic Training Education Program has worked with Nike and the Eagles to provide for the camp. 

Hoop Jamboree Medical Staff: (back row) Tony Breitbach, Ann Schmerbauch, Jason Bennett (front row) Diane Schlesselman, Meghan Gehrs, Emily Monahan (not pictured) Darcy Downey, Kitty Newsham, Kellie Black, Jacob Blasingame, Ilene Chambers

St. Louis native and New York Knicks player David Lee addresses the participants at the Hoop Jam.

Summer Internships Underway for SLU AT Students

SLU athletic training students take MAT 590 Athletic Training Field Experience during the summer between their two years in the professional phase of the program.
The course is based in a summer internship experience and this year's internships are very exciting:

Jacob Blasingame - St. Louis Rams Football Club, St. Louis, MO

 

Geanie Butts - Disney/ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orlando, FL

Mollie Cole - University of Missouri Baseball, Columbia, MO

Meghan Gehrs - Gateway Grizzlies Baseball Club, Sauget, IL

Laura Gosewisch - Nazareth Academy, LaGrange Park, IL

Emily Monahan - AC St. Louis Soccer Club, St. Louis, MO

Diane Schlesselman - KC Explorers Professional Tennis, Kansas City

Ann Schmerbauch - River City Rascals Baseball Club, O'Fallon, MO

Welcome SLU MAT Class of 2012!

The SLU Master of Athletic Training class of 2012 began professional classes this week with ANAT 400 Gross Anatomy and MAT 501 Principles of Athletic Training.  There are 5 SLU students and 4 post-baccalaureate transfers in the class.  Best wishes and welcome to the professional phase of the program!

Faculty and Class of 2012 (from left) Heather Allen, Kitty Newsham, Kacey Morrison, Caitlin Werkmeister, Darcy Downey, Justin Lynch, Scott Peters, JJ Hannigan, Samantha Peltzer, Leah Egeland, Tony Breitbach, Kemba Noel-London

ATEP Celebrates Graduating Students

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Education Program graduating the first Master of Athletic Training students in SLU history at the Doisy College of Health Sciences precommencement ceremony on May 13, 2010 and the University Commencement on May 15, 2010.  The MAT graduates celebrated at dinner with the program faculty and their families after precommencement.
Kellie Black, Ilene Chambers, Heather King and Eric Sass received the MAT degrees.  Jacob Blasingame, Meghan Gehrs and Emily Monahan received their Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degrees, they will get their MAT degrees in May 2011.

SLU Athletic Training Students wait for their name to be called at the Doisy precommencement at Chaifetz Arena.

 Program Director Tony Breitbach read the names of the graduates.

Emily Monahan and Meghan Gehrs are all smiles on graduation day!

MAT graduates pictured with program faculty at celebration dinner at the Square One Brewery in Lafayette Square near campus.

Best wishes Ilene, Heather, Kellie and Eric!

SLU Faculty Answer Questions on FOX2 Morning Show

Sports Medicine Experts Answer Viewer Questions

(KTVI - FOX2now.com) - Got a pulled hamstring, shin splints or tennis elbow? Whether you're a serious athlete or just exercising at home, injuries can be a problem. But there's help. The professionals from Saint Louis University answered questions about sports injuries Monday morning. 

Tony Breitbach did the webchat and Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Kaar, Chris Sebelski and Mark Reinking answered phones.

 To see the video story click here

To see the chat transcript click here

SLU Athletic Training Student Reports from Summer NFL Internship

By: Jacob Blasingame

Jacob is spending the summer as an intern with the NFL's St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams’ off season workouts started this past weekend with a rookie mini-camp, and all of the rookies and first year free agents were there.  I will be interning with the Rams athletic training staff during the off season and preseason camps, and I got my first taste this past weekend.  At first it was extremely intimidating walking into the Russell Training Center Saturday morning, and thinking about working with professional athletes.  Our day started at 6am where we got the athletic training room ready for the day, and the players came in at about 7am to get taped.  Once I taped a few wrists and ankles my nerves calmed down, and it was like any other athletic training room with any other athletes.  They were just a whole lot bigger, and weren’t afraid to tell you when they didn’t like your taping.  I even got the opportunity to wrap the shoulder on one of the lineman’s, and my arms couldn’t reach around him.  

The majority of the day consisted of two practices.  During practice each athletic trainer and intern is assigned to a position and is to follow them around the fields.  Whenever they sprinted to the next drill, we sprinted too.  There is no walking on the football field, and that goes for the athletic training staff as well.  Our job was to give them water and bandage any cuts.  I was with the defensive backs for the day and the entire defense during team time.  Our day ended at 7pm, and we were back up there at 6am on Sunday to do it again.  It was a great first experience, and I am excited for the rest of the summer.  The team will have a series of OTA’s (organized team activities) throughout the summer and another mini-camp for all of the players that I will help out with, and then training camp starts July 25^th.