USask Medical & Physical Therapy Alumni

Over the years it has been a real privilege to be associated with the School of Physical Therapy. Faculty and staff have consistently made a huge effort to make clinical lecturers like myself feel welcome and supported.  This speaks to both the value the school has for clinicians in the community as well as the integrity and commitment of those who work at the school. Over the years the school has gradually solidified itself as the centre of the Physical Therapy universe in Saskatchewan. It has done this with the diligent assembly of an excellent curriculum, nurturing relationships with public and private clinical settings, delivering a high standard of research, fostering continuing education, and always providing great support to alumni.The school has also established itself as a prominent force within the College of Medicine and the University overall. The list goes on. In the grand scheme of things, none of this is a surprise. Liz Harrison established a vision years ago and with the tireless efforts of herself, Angela Busch and many others they have created an amazing story of success. It has been wonderful to witness this evolution first hand and to have been part of it – even in a small way.

I am shocked by the relentless passing of time; however this is softened somewhat by watching our kids grow up. As our oldest Callan heads through his senior year of high school, Kathy and I are constantly amazed at the enthusiasm and wonderful perspective of young people. Sometimes we think we learn more from them than they do from us. Nonetheless we try to parent well and Callan, Jadyn (grade 9) and Sophia (grade 6) seem to find their way successfully through their young lives. Similarly, I am impressed every year by the quality of young physical therapy students that come to the Masters program and eventually join the ranks of our profession. As an aging alumnus, it is comforting to know that the future of our profession is in good hands and that the passion we have had for our profession is reiterated by the next generation.
It is also a very exciting time for all of us as we witness the development of the new School of Physical Therapy scenario. No doubt there will be some very interesting times ahead. It will ultimately position the school well to meet the challenges of the future. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Perry Kimber
Class of ‘88

Meet our Faculty

Brenna Bath

Brenna Bath joined the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Physical Therapy faculty in September 2011. Brenna completed her BScPT at the U of S in 1998, her MSc in 2006 and has just successfully defended her PhD. She obtained her Diploma of Advanced Manipulative Physiotherapy in 2001 and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapists. She has prior clinical experience in public and private outpatient orthopaedic settings. Brenna has been a clinical faculty member at the School since 2007 and has taught in musculoskeletal, research methods and professional practice courses. She is coordinating/ teaching Musculoskeletal IV and Professional Practice IV in the MPT program.

In her doctoral research, funded by a CIHR fellowship, Brenna is using a biopsychosocial framework to evaluate multidimensional participant and primary care provider outcomes as well as predictors of success associated with a spinal triage assessment program delivered by physiotherapists in collaboration with orthopaedic surgeons. In this project Brenna is also examining the concordance between physiotherapists and surgeons with respect to diagnosis and management recommendations. Outside of her PhD work Brenna is exploring patterns of primary health care utilization and equity of care access among people with chronic back conditions in Canada. Her planned program of research will focus on neuromusculoskeletal conditions and encompass the following inter-related themes: differential diagnosis, interprofessional collaborative models of care, access to health services (related to wait times and rural residence) and knowledge translation.

Her teaching areas at the school are beginning with Musculoskeletal 4 and Professional Practice 4.

Stephanie Madil

Stéphanie J. Madill

Ph.D. (Queen’s University), M.Sc. (Queen’s University), B.Sc. (PT) (UniversityofAlberta)

Stéphanie Madill joined the faculty of the School in July 2011, coming from Montreal where she recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship under the direction of Dr. Chantale Dumoulin at the University of Montreal. She defended her Ph.D. in September 2009. The topic of research was to describe the biomechanical differences in pelvic floor closure between women with and without stress urinary incontinence, and the effects of pelvic floor rehabilitation on pelvic floor muscle function in older women with stress incontinence. In addition to pelvic floor biomechanics, her research interests include incontinence in special populations and wound care.

Stéphanie has worked in long-term care, inpatient rehab, home health, prisons and schools in Lloydminster, Alberta, Lawton, Oklahoma and Farmington, Missouri before moving to Kingston, Ontario to pursue graduate studies. At Queen’s University she taught burn and wound care, electrotherapy, amputations, pelvic floor rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS in the School of Physical Therapy.

She began teaching Lifespan II in October and is taking on Electrophysical Agents in 2012.

Sandra Webber

Sandra Webber joined the School of Physical Therapy at the University of Saskatchewan in July 2010 after completing her PhD earlier that year at the University of Manitoba. Prior to undertaking her PhD, she taught for a number of years in the School of Medical Rehabilitation (Department of Physical Therapy) at the University of Manitoba. Sandra was fully funded by a CIHR fellowship during her doctoral degree which focused on mobility issues in older adults and the importance of strength/ power for function. Her current research interests include measuring physical activity levels in patients before and after knee-joint replacement and investigating how physical activity measures relate to functional mobility, self-reported symptoms/function, and objective biomechanical parameters. She taught Evidence-Based Practice II in the spring of 2011 and began Evidence-Based Practice I, Lifespan I, and Foundations II in September of 2011. Sandra ended her first year at the School by being awarded the SHRF 2011-2012 New Investigator Establishment Grant.

Faculty and Staff Retreat and Planning Day

In April of 2011, staff and faculty had the opportunity of a day to pause and reflect on the past three years of a busy transition to the MPT program. The morning was spent on the curriculum and moving forward with decisions following extensive evaluation over three years. The afternoon included all staff and provided an opportunity to discuss ways to make our great team even better! These opportunities for growth and development are very much appreciated within the fast paced, non-stop program.

Awards presented to our Faculty 

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)/Provincial/Territorial Citation award 2011 was presented to Dr. Angela Busch and Dr. Liz Harrison at the June CAOT Annual Conference in Saskatoon.

The School of Physical Therapy is proud to announce that two faculty members succeeded in obtaining the 2011 New Investigator Establishments and Equipment Grants through the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.  Both proposals were highly rated in the peer review process and address clinically important areas of research in the health of seniors and rehabilitation.

Dr. Webber’s grant ($109,725) is entitled “Determining the safety and efficacy of using a lower body positive pressure treadmill to enhance exercise tolerance in older adults after total knee replacement.” In this study, individuals 8-12 weeks post total knee replacement will participate in exercise tests on a new “anti-gravity” treadmill that uses an air pressure-controlled chamber around the lower body to partially lift the user from the treadmill belt and therefore reduces loads on the lower extremities. These devices overcome many of the disadvantages associated with partial-loading in water and difficulties related to unweighting using a treadmill harness system. The specific goals of Dr. Webber’s project are to 1) determine cardiovascular and metabolic responses under positive pressure conditions in this patient population; and 2) compare walking tolerance and gait biomechanics under full and partial weight conditions. Establishing the cardiovascular safety and musculoskeletal benefits of this new technology may lead to the development of novel protocols to promote physical activity earlier after joint replacement and stimulate other rehabilitation applications relevant for older adults.

Dr. Kim’s grant proposal is entitled, “Rotator cuff tearsinseniors: An integrated approach using computer modelling and ultrasonography to improve prevention and treatment”.

Honouring our Students

Every year the School of Physical Therapy, thanks to the generosity of alumni and special friends of the School, honours many deserving students for their hard work and special talents at 2 ceremonies: Graduation and our Fall Awards Ceremony. Here are some of the messages we received from our students about what the awards mean to them!

The generosity of donors to the MPT program at the  U of S made a significant impact on my education experience.  The time-consuming nature of the MPT program prevented me from working as I focused on my studies.  I had a large financial need in order to pay for tuition, books and living expenses.  I was very fortunate to receive awards during my 2 years at the U of S that have greatly reduced my financial strain, helped with student loans, and ultimately assisted me in achieving my goal of becoming a physical therapist.  I am truly grateful for the kindness and generosity of donors as I now have the privilege of working as a physical therapist in Swift Current Saskatchewan.

Recipient of the Arthritis Society Wallace Graham Memorial, Craven Sports Services, Arthritis Society Talmage E. Hunt Gold Medal

Marlyn Hermanson, 2010 MPT Graduate

Dear Award Donors,

I was very honored to receive the Ivan and Margaret Toutloff Bursary and the Elisa Rieder Memorial Award. This support has helped me fulfill my dream of becoming a Physical Therapist.

I was raised with my older sister on a farm east of Innisfail, Alberta. My parents farm and have purebred Maine-Anjou cattle. My father manages a heating and plumbing business in Red Deerand my mother works at home. I was a member of the Knee hill Valley 4-H Beef club for a number of years and I still enjoy showing my family’s cattle when I can. I also enjoy figure skating. I started figure skating when I was 3 and skated up until Grade 11 when I injured my ankle while skating and needed physiotherapy. It was through this experience of needing physiotherapy which made me realize how interesting an occupation it was.

Once done high school, I attended Red Deer College to obtain my Kinesiology Diploma. I finished my Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at the beautiful University of Saskatchewan. I was delighted when I was accepted into the University’s Master of Physical Therapy Program. I am in my last year of completing this program. I look forward to giving a unique contribution to health care by promoting, restoring, and prolonging physical independence by enhancing patients’ functional capacity and encouraging them to assume responsibility for their own health.

The Physical Therapy Program is continuous schooling. Therefore, I attend school eleven months of the year. Unfortunately, it is very heavy and intense leaving no time to work without taking away from my studies. Living away from home has been an additional expense for me. It means a lot to have you donate to the program to help me and other students achieve our goal of becoming a Physical Therapist.

Sincerely, Alana Shannon, Master of Physical Therapy Student, Class of 2011

Receiving the Arthritis Society Entrance Award and D. Ronald Bell Arthritis Physical Therapy Student Award has been such an honor, and I feel so fortunate to be recognized amongst the many well-qualified applicants. The generosity of those at the Arthritis Society will go a long ways towards helping me financially and undoubtedly, the award itself is such an incredible inspiration for me to continue towards my goals in physical therapy. To the Awards Committee, and to all the wonderful members of the Arthritis Society that make this scholarship possible, I thank you again, with all sincerity.”

Sincerely, Jung Eun Choi, MPT Class of 2012

Students raised over $8,000 through individual donations on Shinerama Shine Day in September. Their overall fundraising goal for Cystic Fibrosis research remains at $20,000.00 and they plan to continue to fundraise in order to reach it! We are very proud of our students who support many good causes amongst their busy schedules.

Student – Staff Barbeque

The faculty and staff were treated to a barbecue put on by the students in June of 2011.  It was lucky to have an indoor venue this year as the rain poured down. Luckily it did not deter the students who were flipping the burgers!