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Community Clinics

Sacramento State's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program offers five Community Clinics, a pediatric treadmill training experience, and simulation labs. All clinics, experiences, and labs are run by students under the direct supervision of licensed faculty.

Each clinic is part of the laboratory component of a patient care course. Participants in the clinic are volunteers from the community who come to campus for free physical therapy care delivered by a student under the supervision of a licensed faculty member.

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Adult Neurologic Clinic

This clinic is part of a 2-semester adult neurorehabilitation course sequence and is offered free of charge in the spring semester. The clinic consists of 8 visits, which are offered on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, over the course of a month. The first visit is held via Zoom, and all other visits are in person. Volunteers with a neurological diagnosis provide their own transportation to campus and commit to all 8 visits.

Common diagnoses are Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinson’s disease, Spinal Cord Injury and Multiple Sclerosis. The clinic includes an examination, hands-on treatment and preparation of a home exercise program. Clinical care provided by student physical therapists is supervised directly by a faculty supervisor.

Research results demonstrate that participation in this clinic improves clinical self-efficacy of physical therapy students.

For additional information about this clinic, contact Dr. Mattern-Baxter at (916) 278-5766.

Orthopedic Clinic

This clinic is part of a three-semester orthopedic course sequence and is open to community members as well as Sacramento State students, faculty, and staff, during the fall and spring semesters. Conditions treated include acute and chronic joint and spine pain and injuries, and post-surgical orthopedic care.

Appointments are from 11 a.m. to noon or noon to 1 p.m. on Fridays during the fall semester. Patients are generally seen for four sessions, including a complete examination, hands-on and exercise treatment and a home exercise prescription.

For additional information or to schedule an appointment, contact Dr. Bill Garcia or (916) 278-5567.

Amputee Clinic

This clinic is part of a course centered on rehabilitation of individuals that have had a limb loss. It is open to community members within and beyond Sacramento State, and runs one day a week, for 4 weeks, during the fall semester. Part of what makes this clinic unique is the “one stop care” delivered by more than 60 student clinicians - including physical therapy, social work, nursing, speech language pathology, prosthetics, physicians, and recreation therapy - mentored by their respective faculty. This allows learning on all sides, with the outcome being optimal care in a real-world environment.

For additional information about this clinic, contact Dr. MacLeod at (916) 278-5445.

Pediatric Clinic

This clinic runs for 5 weeks during the fall semester. Parents bring their children with neurodevelopmental problems to Easter Seals Sacramento as pediatric volunteers. Third-year students perform an initial evaluation, provide treatment and design a home exercise program for the family.

For additional information about this clinic, contact Dr. Mattern-Baxter at (916) 278-5766.

STEPS Clinic

Geriatric Wellness, Balance and Fall Prevention Clinic

This clinic is part of a geriatric physical therapy course and will have a total of five face to face and five telehealth sessions scheduled throughout the Fall semester. This is an interprofessional clinic with students and faculty from physical therapy, nursing, kinesiology, gerontology and psychology departments.

Older adult volunteers from the community participate in activities to optimize their health and wellness and improve their balance and decrease risk of falls.

For additional information about this clinic, contact Dr. Rolando Lazaro at rolando.lazaro@csus.edu

Supported Treadmill Exercise Program Sacramento State / Easter Seals

STEPS is a group-based program for young children with developmental delay.

Children with a variety of diagnoses who show signs of walking readiness are referred to STEPS by their treating physical therapist. In STEPS, children walk on mini-treadmills with the help of their families and STEPS personnel.

For additional information about this clinic, please contact Dr. Elaina Blankenship at (916) 844-4228 or via email at elainab@myeasterseals.org.

Simulation Labs

The Simulation Learning Center [SLC] has multiple labs where students practice clinical skills while working with patient simulators [robotic mannequins] in acute and intensive care settings.

The SLC has adult and pediatric patient simulators, as well as a birthing mother. Labs are designed to physically replicate the appearance of a hospital patient room complete with a hospital bed, patient monitor and all of the appropriate lines & tubes on the patient simulator.

The high-fidelity of the physical design and patient simulators authentically replicate the clinical experience of working in a hospital for the student without compromising patient safety.

Working together, physical therapy and nursing students gain invaluable experience responding to simulators exhibiting unexpected and adverse events during treatment.

Research results demonstrate that physical therapy students have increased confidence and willingness to work in acute care and intensive care units following these simulation labs.