Category: Outreach

Dr. Steve Elmer wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the Mining Journal on April 15, 2024 about the importance of physical activity and urging Senator Gary Peters and Senator Debbie Stabenow to support “Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act” so that physical activity becomes a national priority. This bill would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue issuing physical-activity guidelines at least every 10 years based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge.

To read the full letter, please visit the Mining Journal’s webpage.

Michigan Tech is among 145 campuses honored worldwide

Houghton, MI – Michigan Tech University is one of only 145 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine® for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. Students and faculty that deliver the “UP and Moving” Program housed in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology helped the university to earn a silver level designation for the fourth consecutive year from the Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) program.

“We are thrilled to recognize these campuses’ commitment to make movement a part of daily campus culture and give students the tools to cultivate physical activity habits that will benefit them throughout their lives,”said interim CEO Katie Feltman.“ These campus programs are nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine®: making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.” 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in at least 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each week along with two days of muscle strengthen activities. To facilitate physical activity, the UP and Moving program offers free virtual home-based workouts to keep students, staff, faculty, and community members active. The home-based workouts include both aerobic exercise (i.e., walking) and muscle strengthening exercise (i.e., weightlifting), do not require any specialized equipment, and are easily adapted to fit a wide range of ages and ability levels. The live workouts are also recorded and available to watch anytime on the program’s website.

The UP and Moving Program was created in 2020 by a team of students supervised by Steven Elmer, Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology. During the past year, workouts were led by a diverse group of Michigan Tech students from several countries around the world including the United States, Canada, France, and Nigeria.

EIM-OC calls upon universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health and encourages students, staff, and faculty to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community. EIM-OC launched its recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses for their efforts to create a culture of wellness. Schools earn gold, silver, or bronze status based on their activities. Of the 145 campuses recognized, 83 received Gold, 44 received Silver and 18 received Bronze. All Gold, Silver and Bronze universities and colleges will be highlighted on May 29 at the Exercise is Medicine® recognition ceremony at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting.

As a silver level campus, the UP and Moving program has helped engage students, staff, and faculty in educational and wellness initiatives and make movement part of the daily campus and community culture. “Our program aims to achieve gold level status by working with local health care providers to establish physical activity as a health vital sign,” explained Elmer. “We are also working to raise awareness and support for U.S. Senate Bill 397 – “Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act” which would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to issue physical-activity guidelines for all Americans every 10 years based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge.”

The American College of Sports Medicine co-launched Exercise is Medicine® in 2007 with the American Medical Association. Exercise is Medicine® is committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health, is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions and should be regularly assessed and included as part of health care. To learn more about Exercise is Medicine® and the UP and Moving program, visit their websites.

Kelly Kamm (KIP) has been selected to serve on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS’) Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Hub Advisory Council.

Kamm, the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation Endowed Assistant Professor, focuses her research on understanding the determinants of health in young children and the elderly in rural populations, then works to develop and test interventions that improve health behaviors. She specializes in scalable, cost-effective interventions to improve health in communities with limited resources.

The advisory council’s work begins later this month. Kamm is eager to get started. “I’m excited to help represent the Upper Peninsula since social determinants of health play such a critical role in protecting and promoting health in our communities,” she said.

The SDOH Hub Advisory Council will guide the implementation of SDOH Hub pilot projects in communities across Michigan in 2024 and develop recommendations for future SDOH Hub initiatives.

According to the MDHHS, the pilot projects “bring community members, health care professionals, social service providers, government partners and business leaders together to address the social determinants of health and improve health equity.” Each pilot project will receive resources and technical assistance provided by MDHHS and contracted partners.

MDHHS said that over time, the Hub pilots’ aim is achieving “the overarching goal of the Roadmap to Healthy Communities: Improve the health and social outcomes of all Michigan residents while working to achieve health equity by eliminating disparities and barriers to social and economic opportunity.”

Visit the MDHHS’ SDOH Hubs page for more information on the program.

Central Michigan University doctorate of physical therapy students from the Houghton/Michigan Tech campus cohort volunteered for a community-wide sled hockey event in Houghton, MI earlier this month. Over 100 people came out to learn the sport of sled hockey, which is an inclusive way for people of any ability to get on the ice and play. The KIP department has been a sponsor of the event for the past two years.

Sled hockey entails sitting on a sled with two blades and propelling via picks on the ends of two short hockey sticks. Other than being in the sled, the rules are essentially the same as stand-up hockey. Students were essential in making the event a success, doing everything from running the registration table to assisting participants who tipped over in their sleds or pushing those who couldn’t self-propel. People with and without physical disabilities were able to play hockey together without barriers. The DPT students were amazingly helpful and gained valuable experience with adaptive sports. It was an incredibly fun day!