Western Upper Peninsula Health Department (WUPHD) has opened COVID-19 testing to the public, Monday through Friday, in Hancock from 10 am to 3pm. The location is 821 Water St, Hancock, MI 49930.
Find the flyer above for a QR code to complete a health screen.
Isaac Wedig and Dr. Elmer wrote a guest blog for the series on how physical activity is a vital component to combating COVID-19. They go on to write about their development of UP and Moving, the exercise program created to keep the community healthy, as a response to the pandemic.
With over 200 free virtual workouts and counting, they are furthering their message that “exercise is medicine.”
Steve Elmer has been named an American Kinesiology Association (AKA) Leadership Institute Fellow for the 2023 cohort.
The AKA Leadership Institute utilizes a mentoring model to provide exceptional training and networking for emerging faculty leaders. Fellows are limited to around 10 per year, and the AKA maintains a fellows-to-mentors ratio of no more than 2:1.
Elmer will begin the 12-month leadership program in January 2022.
This summer I had the opportunity to intern with Josh Hill, DPT at UPHS-Portage Rehab Center. My special project for the internship was the creation of a vestibular model. This model can be used in the clinic to demonstrate to the patient what occurs in the inner ear with the condition Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV occurs when a crystal from the otolith organs becomes dislodged and falls into the semicircular canals of the vestibular labyrinth. The crystals that fall into the semicircular canals respond to changes in head positions that they would not normally respond to causing the patient to feel dizzy.
The idea for my project arose in an appointment when Josh was trying to explain what causes vertigo in the case of BPPV. He shared, with me, instructions to create the model that would benefit patients’ understanding in these cases. I began the project by working with the 3D printing lab at Michigan Tech to print the base of the model. Mineral oil, clear plastic tubing, and crushed stone inlay were used to create the semicircular canals. The clear plastic tubing was increased in scale to represent the actual dimensions of the semicircular canals. The tubing was filled with mineral oil and a little crushed stone inlay. The small size of the stones in the mineral oil fall at the approximate speed at which the stones would move in the semicircular canals.
Follow the link here to watch a video of Rachel’s model in action.
Join us Thursday from 7:00-8:00pm ET for the COVID-19 Community Town Hall. Organized by the Health Research Institute at Michigan Technological University, the 60-minute Town Hall broadcast can be heard live at 7:00pm ET on 97.7 The Wolf (WOLV-FM) and 99.1 (WIKB-FM) and viewed through a Zoom Webinar and Facebook Live. The Town Hall can also be viewed on ABC 10 Sunday at 12:00pm EST. Town Hall moderators Steve Elmer and Kelly Kamm (KIP/HRI) will discuss a range of pandemic-related issues (vaccines, community transmission, mental health and well-being, and more). More information along with the Zoom link for the Town Hall can be found on the Health Research Institute’s COVID-19 Town Hall Series webpage.
With the beginning of the Fall semester around the corner, Michigan Tech in partnership with the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center will be holding walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics on campus. These clinics are open to all students, faculty, and staff.
The dates are August 24 during Orientation Week, and then September 1 and September 2 at the Rozsa Center Lobby from 3 to 5 pm. No appointment is required.
Please visit MTU Flex’s website for more information about the upcoming clinics and for additional information on quarantine guidelines and COVID-19 vaccination.
For those interested in Athletic Training, there is a great opportunity to gain some experience at Michigan Tech!
The Athletic Training Student Aid Program gives students the opportunity to work under an athletic trainer to acquire knowledge and skills related to the domains of athletic training, which can be valuable to all healthcare professions. Areas of opportunity in the ATSA Program include assisting in practice and game coverage, observing orthopedic injury assessments, and potential travel to MTU away games.
Please find the ATSA Program’s flyer and visit the program’s website for more information.
The 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics will take place August 10 through 13.
Jessica Pitts (MS, Kinesiology) and Dr. Carolyn Duncan’s (KIP) team will give two presentations during the virtual meeting. Below are the titles of each study and the colleagues who worked on them. Best of luck to all!
For more information on the American Society of Biomechanics and its annual meeting, visit the ASB’s website.
“Effect of Wearing a Backpack on Speed and Kinematics of Reactive Stepping”
Pitts, J., Verbrigghe, D., Siko, C., Smith, A., Elmblad, K. Komisar, V., Nussbaum, M. A., Duncan, C. A. (2021)
“The Influence of Huntington’s Disease on Reactive Balance Movement Latencies”
Pitts, J., Gainer, A., Seidowski, C., Gwaltney, C., Duncan, C, A. (2021)
If you are thinking about or are preparing to apply to doctorate in physical therapy programs, Michigan Tech University’s partnership with Central Michigan University’s DPT program is a fantastic option. Information on the program, requirements, and how to apply can be found in the flyer below. Also, find KIP’s website for even more information on this program.
Congratulations to KIP PhD student Jessica Bruning for receiving a 2021 Fall Fellowship from the Health Research Institute at Michigan Tech. She was among two other awardees chosen for this opportunity.