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The OUHSC College of Allied Health at OU-Tulsa offers the Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Sonography; Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degrees. OU-Tulsa is the only campus in eastern Oklahoma that offers these degrees.
The mission of the College of Allied Health is to promote a culture that develops health professionals who enrich the lives of diverse people and communities through interprofessional education, discovery, and care. With a vision to be a leader in improving quality of life so people and communities thrive.
Located in the heart of midtown Tulsa, the OU-Tulsa campus features a number of student amenities. For students in our Allied Health programs, none are more important than our state-of-the-art lab and training facilities, which offer the hands on experience required to succeed in these fast growing, ever changing fields immediately following graduation.
The purpose of the Professor Paws Project is to expand clinician knowledge and promote community awareness about service dogs through the utilization of a full-time facility dog at the OU-Tulsa. The Professor Paws Project provides an interactive hands-on learning experiences for students, health care professionals, and the community about the benefits of service dogs.
An activity lab focused on promoting healthy daily activities to adults with chronic conditions as well as their caregivers. The goal of Health-PAL is to help older adults living with functional limitations a way to incorporate occupational therapy into their everyday lives.
Contact:
Office of Academic & Student Affairs (OASA)
405-271-2131 | ahinfo@ouhsc.edu
Our facilities at OU-Tulsa includes four teaching laboratory spaces and two research-service spaces. The teaching laboratories include an activities of daily living space complete with a fully functioning kitchen, a bedroom, a pediatrics area, and a bathroom that can be customized to any configuration. Another laboratory space is devoted to splinting and small group work, and the remaining two spaces are geared toward teaching cutting edge hands-on musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation skills.
The two research-service laboratories are comprised of the Health Promoting Activity Lab (Health PAL) which studies various methods of supporting individuals as they age, and the Professor Paws Program that examines how service dogs can positively influence quality of life and well-being. All of these laboratories are equipped with state of the art technology to optimally support learning and skill acquisition.
The purpose of the Professor Paws Project is to expand clinician knowledge and promote community awareness about service dogs through the utilization of a full-time facility dog at OU-Tulsa. Oftentimes, health care professionals, students, and potential service dog users do not understand the benefits of service dogs.
Lack of knowledge can lead to underutilization of service dogs and create barriers for people who benefit from the use of service dogs. The Professor Paws Project addresses these issues by providing interactive hands-on learning experiences for students, health care professionals, and the community about the benefits of service dogs.
Additionally, we are in the initial stages of starting an annual practicum placement for graduate students within the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, as well as designing and implementing an interdisciplinary graduate level elective on human/canine interactions. Our long-term goal is to one day have a truly interdisciplinary graduate level certificate.
The Professor Paws Project works toward educating people who could directly benefit from the use of a service dog. Funding for the course at Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges came from the United Way’s Innovation Grant. The course covered topics such as the benefits of service dog partnerships, the populations of people who could be helped the most by a service dog, the service dog application process, and the laws surrounding service dog ownership.
The Professor Paws Project works toward educating clinicians about the benefits and barriers of a service dog partnership. The Professor Paws team presented to clinicians and students from across the state at the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association state conference. Increased understanding of service dogs among clinicians creates a support system, increases advocacy, and decreases barriers for service dog users. Clinicians play a key role in recommending and providing resources about service dog partnerships.
The Professor Paws Project provides educational outreach to the general community in Oklahoma. Increasing the knowledge and understanding about the benefits and laws surrounding service dog partnerships in the community will result in a reduction of barriers for service dog users. The Professor Paws team has presented to local schools, scout troops, non-profit organizations, and continuing education courses.
Visit our Professor Paws Facebook page for upcoming events, resources, and program infomation.
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The Health-Promoting Activity Lab (Health-PAL) is part of the OUHSC Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at OU-Tulsa. The goal of Health-PAL is to improve participation and reduce disability in adults with chronic conditions and their care partners through the use of health-promoting daily activities. The lab’s projects deliver empowering and goal-oriented treatment to older adults with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations and find innovative ways to integrate occupational therapy into existing healthcare systems. Tara Klinedinst, PhD, MSOT serves as director of Health-PAL.
