News Archive

2021

WMU Behavioral Health Services receives $10,000 EMDR Grant
WMU Behavioral Health Services has received a $10,000 grant for training and treatment of Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR).

Incorporating Therapy Dogs into CTAC Assessments: A Pilot Study
Sociology professor, Dr. Angie Moe, has begun to bring her therapy dogs (Sunny and Oreo) to the Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center.

September is Deaf Awareness Month

2020

New resources avalable for parents of children with hearing loss
Was your child recently diagnosed with a hearing loss? Would you like access to resources to help with hearing aid management?

Patient Spotlight - Seeing through a whole new light

 

2019

Unified Clinics hold interprofessional educational activities for students
During the spring 2019 semester, several faculty members in the College of Health and Human Services held Interprofessional Educational activities for student clinicians in the Unified Clinics.

Video, Audio Learning Tool (VALT) now available at the clinics
Thanks to a $1.5 million state appropriation from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in 2018, the Clinics were able to upgrade their audio/visual equipment.

Vision Clinic purchases equipment for improved patient eye care
The Western Michigan University Vision Rehabilitation Clinic has recently purchased state-of-the-art eye testing equipment to enhance patients’ experiences.

2018

New occupational therapy student experience at Senior Day Services
Prior to the beginning of the fall 2018 semester, WMU occupational therapy master faculty specialist, Berit Miller, arranged to have her OT 3840 class visit participants in a both an adult and pediatric community setting. WMU Senior Day Services was chosen to be one of the programs that the students visited during the semester.

Student Spotlight - Bailey Wright
The Western Michigan University Unified Clinics created a new internship this semester for a master's level medical social work (MSW) student. Bailey Wright was selected to be the first MSW intern in this exciting new role.

WMU's Unified Clinics receives $1.5M state appropriation
Western Michigan University is slated to receive a $1.5 million state appropriation for its Unified Clinics, a multi-specialty group practice that annually serves more than 5,000 patients in Southwest Michigan and beyond and operates under the auspices of the University's College of Health and Human Services.

Golf outing benefits individuals with hearing loss
The 2nd Annual Student Academy of Audiology Golf Outing was held in August to raise money for hearing service scholarships for low-income patients in the Charles Van Riper Hearing Clinic in the Unified Clinics at Western Michigan University.

Creating a functional therapy space with giant blocks
Occupational therapy students and faculty worked with staff at the Unified Clinics to create a unique new space in the Occupational Therapy Clinic to be used for working with children who have sensory disorders. The space was constructed with large, plastic, interlocking bricks.

Speech-Language clinical fellow awarded Faculty Scholars Award
Dr. Suma Devanga, Speech Language Pathologist-Clinical Fellow at the Western Michigan University Unified Clinics, has secured the WMU's 2018 Support for Faculty Scholars award to conduct a research on aphasia treatment. The focus of this research is to study the communicative changes from a conversation-based treatment on adults who have been diagnosed with aphasia due to a stroke or brain injury.

Patient spotlight: Karys' story
Sara and Daryl Huinink's daughter Karys was born with hearing loss. Read more to learn about Karys' life changing treatment she received at the WMU Charles Van Riper Language, Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Unified Clinics and the WMU Student Academy of Audiology sponsor MayFest
The Unified Clinics and the WMU Student Academy of Audiology were pleased to be sponsors of 2018 MayFest, a fundraiser for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Association in Grand Rapids in May.

New clinical practicum benefits students, community members
Beginning this semester, speech language pathologist (SLP) Kathy Rigley-Rowell, along with three SLP graduate students and one undergraduate SLP student, initiated a clinical practicum experience at WMU Senior Day Services.

Faculty clinicians, graduate students collaborate to provide interdisciplinary service
Dr. Alyssa Eminhizer, Audiologist, and Kathy Rigley-Rowell, Speech/Language Pathologist, both from the Unified Clinics, have teamed up to provide aural rehabilitation for their patients.

Speech/language pathology students to participate in fundraiser
Kathy Rigley-Rowell, NSSLHA advisor, and Cary Cekola, MSHF board member, both speech/language pathology faculty clinicians at Western Michigan Universities Unified Clinics will be accompanying speech/language pathology students for a fundraiser in Kalamazoo on March 23 that will benefit local and national organizations.

Social work faculty member, student intern start Wellness and Recovery group
Dr. Jennifer Harrison, social work faculty member and Behavioral Health Services clinician, along with a MSW student intern, have launched a new recovery group. The Wellness and Recovery group is for adults at any stage of readiness who are working to make changes to enhance their wellness and recovery. The group meets every Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Behavioral Health Services clinician receives Global Engagement Award
Dr. Jennifer Harrison, assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Behavioral Health Services clinician has received a 2018 Global Engagement Award.

WMU OT clinic coordinator, alumni revise essential OT text
Developmental and Functional Hand Grasps is a popular text for occupational therapists and OT students, published in 2002 by Sandra Edwards, WMU OT professor emerita, along with WMU OT alumni, Donna Gallen and Jenna McCoy-Powlen. Dr. Michelle Suarez, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Unified Clinics OT coordinator, joined the authors in working on the book's second edition.

2017

Audiologist takes graduate students to Project Connect
Dr. Alyssa Eminhizer, audiologist for the Charles Van Riper Language, Speech and Hearing Clinic in the Unified Clinics recently accompanied her Au.D. students to Project Connect 2017.

State approves two contracts with CTAC for continued training
The Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center (CTAC) at Western Michigan University was recently awarded two separate contracts from the state.

Audiology clinic partners with foundation to get patients hearing aids
Faculty and students in the Audiology Clinic, part of the Unified Clinics at Western Michigan University, work diligently to assist low-income individuals to help them get hearing aids at no charge from the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

WMed students observe Unified Clinics
Over the next seven months, more than 100 level I and level II students in the WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine will observe both the vision and audiology clinics in the WMU Unified Clinics.

Connie Black-Pond gives keynote at conference
The Western Regional Area Health Education Center hosted the Building Trauma Informed Organizations Across Disciplines conference in May. CTAC's Connie Black-Pond delivered the keynote at the event.

SLP students present at conference
Anna Poggensee and Brittany Barnes, both graduate students in speech-language pathology, presented their work at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s annual conference in March.

Pair present at Aphasia conference

Two speech-language pathology clinicians from Western Michigan University’s Aphasia Communication Enhancement program (ACE) presented at the Aphasia Access' 2017 Leadership Summit in March.
Feb. 17

Autism Evaluation Center sees 100th patient
The Western Evaluation Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders saw its 100th patient in January. Located in Western Michigan University’s Unified Clinics on the Oakland Drive Campus, the center is part of WMU's multifaceted Autism Center of Excellence.
Feb. 17

Behavioral Health Services awarded reaccreditation
WMU’s Behavioral Health Services has been given a glowing review as part of a three-year reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. 
Feb. 6