The Greater Lynchburg Community Trustand the Bedford Community Health Foundation recently made awards to University of Lynchburg’s doctor of physical therapy program to provide training equipment.
The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust has awarded $7,543 to acquire 80 items – including wheelchairs, therapy balls, tumble forms, and balance discs – that will be used to train entry-level students in therapeutic interventions for patients of all ages who might experience neurologic illness or injury. The equipment will also allow the faculty to provide hands-on and didactic training to community groups regarding positioning, transferring, and handling of children and adults with neurologic dysfunction.
The Bedford Community Health Foundation awarded $2,600 to purchase a technology system to assist in training of therapeutic activities for children with developmental disabilities and infants with medically fragile conditions. Video technology will allow students a means to record their interactions with young children for peer and instructor review. This technology could potentially be used by fellow clinicians who do not have access to a pediatric clinical specialist at their locations. Many of the LC students have expressed an interest in pursuing pediatric specialization.
“We are so excited to have the community’s support of our program training physical therapists,” said Dr. Kevin Brueilly, director of DPT. “Their financial gifts provide us an opportunity to supply the physical therapists of tomorrow with all the tools they need to learn so that they can one day provide the professional care needed to allow their patients to function at their maximum independence.”