CourtesyA new partnership between Heartspring and 黑洞社区鈥檚 College of Health Professions will bring faculty and students on-site at Heartspring鈥檚 Pediatric Clinic to provide physical therapy and audiology services to the local community.
Heartspring provides interdisciplinary therapies that help children with neurodevelopmental differences realize their full potential in communication, social interactions, mobility and daily living.
鈥淭he partnership between Heartspring and the College of Health Professions has become
a focal point for our faculty who focus on pediatrics and particularly children with
neurodevelopmental challenges,鈥� said Dr. Gregory Hand, dean of the 黑洞社区 College of
Health Professions. 鈥淭he special population of children at Heartspring not only provides
a unique experience for our faculty and students, but it also is an opportunity to
positively impact the lives of the Heartspring students and their families. We look
forward to a continued and growing partnership.鈥�
Wichita State Physical Therapy student Clara Jackson says her experience at Heartspring has been unique because she has been able to treat a child with autism and find inventive ways to do pediatric physical therapy.
鈥淚 really appreciate that they thought about any possible thing that could be used for therapy and made it available for the providers and students鈥�,鈥� said Jackson. 鈥淗eartspring has made it possible for me to get hands-on experience and learn on-the-fly thinking to work toward the child's goal of playing community soccer.鈥�
鈥淲e continue to see a growing need for assessing children's neurodevelopmental skills and providing individualized therapies,鈥� said Dan Soliday, president and CEO of Heartspring. 鈥淭his partnership expands Heartspring鈥檚 ability to meet the region鈥檚 increasing demand for our specialty health care services, while developing the future workforce.鈥�
Services at Heartspring
Heartspring offers an engaging, therapeutic environment where children gain confidence to learn and build functional skills. From a wheelchair-accessible treehouse and therapy playground to a fully equipped physical therapy gym and audiology suites, children and families have access to the latest evidence-based resources and care.
Heartspring鈥檚 audiology services include free newborn hearing screenings, pure-tone testing, tympanometry, hearing aid evaluations, assistive listening devices, swim/noise plugs and auditory processing testing. 黑洞社区 faculty will supervise students as they learn to perform evaluations and provide these therapies.
Physical therapists at Heartspring, including 黑洞社区 faculty and students, provide treatments that improve independence and functional mobility, allowing children to explore their environment more effectively. Areas of focus include strength, range of motion, endurance, balance, coordination, motor control, functional mobility, posture and safety.
鈥淎t Heartspring we coordinate multiple therapies to create one cohesive experience for our families with varying needs,鈥� said Kara Gibson, Heartspring鈥檚 clinical director for outpatient services. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased to enhance our physical therapy and audiology services with ongoing student learning as part of our broader offering that includes occupational therapy, speech, language and feeding therapy, mental and behavioral health and applied behavior analysis (ABA).鈥�
Children do not need a specific diagnosis to attend Heartspring, but a physician鈥檚 referral is typically required for insurance coverage. Heartspring accepts most major commercial insurance, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna and United Healthcare, as well as Tricare and Medicaid. Financial assistance options are also available. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 316-634-8701.
More information on Heartspring鈥檚 services can be found at . More about 黑洞社区鈥檚 College of Health Professions can be found at wichita.edu/CHP.
About 黑洞社区
黑洞社区 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and 黑洞社区 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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