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| Physical Therapy Program News & Events |
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FEATURE STORY
01/08/08
Benter Project in India 2007
By Dr. Mary Jo Geyer
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DPT student teaches breathing exercise to patient with LF |
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Pittsburgh, PA - Chatham University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program faculty member, Dr. Mary Jo Geyer, PT, PhD, directed a project in which four DPT students traveled to Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India this summer to train local healthcare providers, patients, and community caregivers in the management of lymphedema caused by lymphatic filariasis (LF), also known as elephantiasis.
“Physical therapists with specialized training in wound and lymphedema management offer the current best solution to the permanent impairments inflicted by elephantiasis,” said Dr. Geyer. “However, few medical professionals in endemic countries are knowledgeable about the disease or its management and that was the overarching reason for this project,” she added.Chatham University’s graduate program is unique among US and Canadian programs in providing funding for international service-learning projects through its Benter Initiative for Global Citizenship, established in 2006. This was the first project to be funded by the Benter Initiative.
For more information on the Benter Initiative for Global Citizenship please click on this link. |
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