Many of the second-year Physical Therapy students participated in Legislative Day at the State Capitol in Lincoln on Wednesday, February 3rd. The event jointly sponsored by the Nebraska Physical Therapy Association and the Nebraska Medical Association promoted the national program, “Exercise is Medicine.” This program promotes health and wellness through increasing physical activity and exercise as well as the benefits of exercise in the management of many chronic conditions. Students staffed education booths in the Rotunda of the Capitol, and provided information and answered questions from the public and legislative personnel. In addition, PT students teamed up with local PT clinicians to meet with Senators and their staff, distributed pedometers, promoted the benefits of exercise as well as the other educational materials available at the booths. The PT students did a remarkable job representing UNMC, the SAHP and the Physical Therapy profession to our state legislators and the public. Joe Norman, Kathy Volkman, and Bob Fuchs represented the UNMC PT faculty.
Kirk Peck, PT, PhD, President of the Nebraska Physical Therapy Association speaks with the PT students prior to making rounds to the senators’ offices.
PT students: First Row: Allyson Malzahn, Deniece Petersen, Brett Kollars; Second Row: Lindsey Heiting, Amy Brenden, Crystal Hollatz, Brant Loose, Scott VanCura, and Dustin Davidson.
Bob Fuchs (PT faculty) with PT students Andrea Bowen and Airon Seitz.
PT students Liz Pavlik and Margo Hardy at one of the education stations in the Rotunda.
PT students: Dustin Davidson, Brandon Wehenkel, Brett Kollars and Brant Loose.