Kansas Physical Therapy Association Student Special Interest Group
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Midwest Student Conclave 2017 Schedule
8:00-8:30          Registration
8:30-8:45          Welcome: Tommy Van Towle, DPT
8:45-9:45          Dan Lorenz, DPT
9:45-10:15        Unopposed Vendor Time
10:15-11:15      Panel: Emily Pierce, DPT, Nicole Hogan,                                    DPT, Deanne Yates, PTA & Cristin Noll, PTA. 
11:15-11:30      Break
11:30-12:30      Tom Knaus, OTR/L

Speaker Bios

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 Tommy Van Towle, PT, DPT, MBA  Mentor of KPTA SSIG

          Tommy Van Towle earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from the University           of Kansas Medical Center in 2012.  Tommy is an Acute Rehabilitation Supervisor for             the University of Kansas Health System. Tommy served as the Membership Chair of             the KPTA for 3 years, the Mentor for the KPTA Student SIG for the past 5 years, and is           a member of the KPTA Nomination Committee. He was also a member of the APTA              Early Career Member Task Force.

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        Dan Lorenz, PT, DPT, LAT, CSCS  Owner of Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation

                     Dan Lorenz is Kansas City’s only sports medicine fellowship-trained physical                                    therapist. He earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy with an Emphasis in Manual                        Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, FL.. He completed the Duke
                    University Sports Physical Therapy Fellowship
 from 2004-2005 where he focused on                     orthopedic and sports injuries, particularly of the knee and shoulder. Following the                       fellowship at Duke, he was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs as an assistant athletic                          trainer and physical therapist in 2005, a position he held until after the 2006-2007                        campaign. Prior to the Duke fellowship, he was an athletic trainer and physical                              therapist at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 2004 in the weeks leading up to the                      2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece. Dan has been a consultant for both MLB                          and NFL organizations on rehabilitation and strength/conditioning practices. He                            has served as a rehabilitation consultant for both the Kansas City T-Bones and                               the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club, and currently for Sporting Kansas City. Dan has                         been published numerous times in peer-reviewed journals including Sports Health, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Strength and Conditioning Journal, Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, and Physical Therapy Reviews, Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation as well as numerous articles in trade journals such as Physical Therapy Products and Advance for Directors in Rehabilitation.

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     Emily Pierce, PT, DPT  Team lead and student coordinator at Healthcare Resort of Shawnee Mission

              Emily Pierce hails from northern Idaho, graduating from the University of Idaho                     with a B.S. Biology. She earned her DPT from KU Medical Center in 2012 and                           completed her geriatric residency at the University of Minnesota in 2013, obtaining               her Geriatric Clinical Specialist certification in 2014. She spent two years as a travel               therapist in Washington state and North Carolina before moving back to Kansas                     City in 2016. She is a physical therapist team lead and student coordinator at the                   Healthcare Resort of Shawnee Mission in Overland Park, KS.

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   Nicole Hogan, DPT   Physical therapist at Children's Mercy Kansas City
                
                
Nicole Hogan is a board-certified physical therapist at the Sports Medicine Center                   at Children's Mercy Kansas City. Prior to working at Children's Mercy, Nicole                             worked at The Center in Colorado Springs where she treated athletes of all levels                   from high school to collegiate, professional and Olympic caliber. Nicole                                     graduated from Washburn University with her Bachelor's in Business                                         Administration in Marketing and Management and with her Associate of Science                     as a Physical Therapist Assistant. She obtained her doctorate in physical therapy                     at Wichita State University. 

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    Deanne Yates, PTA, MS, Assistant Professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College

            Deanne Yates is an Assistant Professor of physical therapist assistant education at Kansas               City Kansas Community College, Member of APTA/KPTA, and the Kansas PTA Caucus                         representative. She served as a member of the 2017 FSBPT  PTA national exam standard                 setting task force. Clinical experience includes sub-acute inpatient rehabilitation, skilled                   nursing, and outpatient PRN. She received an AAS for Physical Therapist Assistant from                     Kansas City Kansas Community College, Master of Science of Health and Wellness                             Education from Pittsburg State University, and is currently a Doctoral student studying                     Adult Learning and Leadership at Kansas State University.

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​  Cristin Noll, PTA,   Area Director of Operations for Rehabcare

           Cristin received her Associates of Applied Science PTA from Kansas City Kansas                    Community College in 1999 and has worked in the industry as a PTA for 18 years.              She is licensed in Kansas and Missouri. Cristin’s health care service spans over 26                years, including positions with nursing, multi discipline Rehab technician, Therapist            medical equipment consult, staff PTA, PTA/ Director of Rehab, and currently, Area              Director of Operations for Rehabcare, Division of Kindred Healthcare. As an Area                Director of Operations, Cristin manages business throughout the healthcare                        continuum, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, home                    health and wellness facets of healthcare. She interfaces with therapists,                                throughout the interdisciplinary team utilizing a variety of communication                            methods, due to the remote geography of her sites of service. Along with her leadership tasks, Cristin collaborates on clinical approaches, provides guidance in professional ethics and ensures patient satisfaction. Cristin feels healthcare today can be very challenging but believes PTAs can excel in a leadership role.  Cristin’s passion is Geriatric Rehabilitation, having worked with other populations in healthcare. Cristin prides herself on achieving strong working relationships with her peers and the clinicians reporting to her, ultimately striving to provide the best possible care to the she serves. Cristin is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including membership in the Geriatric Section. She is certified in CPR and a clinical instructor. Cristin has 2 adult children, a daughter-in-law and along with her husband Brad is kept busy with their small farm in Winchester, Ks. 

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     Tom Knaus, OTR/L, Member of Board of Directors for Midwest Adaptive Sports

                     My name is Tom Knaus. I grew up on a farm in Sedalia, MO. I broke my neck and                            was paralyzed from the chest down when I was 18. Six months after my injury, I                              went to college and began playing wheelchair basketball. In college, I got a business                     degree and started working in Kansas City in 2010. I decided that working in                                     business wasn't for me and through Vocational Rehabilitation was able to go to                               Occupational Therapy School. I received my Masters in Occupational Therapy in                             2015 and began working at Ability KC, a rehab clinic in Kansas City. I still work at                             Ability KC with day program patients and outpatients, who have a variety of                                     neurological disabilities. I also play wheelchair rugby, basketball, and softball for                             teams in the Kansas City area and am on the board of directors for Midwest                                     Adaptive Sports.

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  • Home
    • Board of Directors >
      • Current Board of Directors
      • Bylaws
    • About SSIG >
      • NSC Scholarship
      • Membership
      • Previous Conclaves >
        • 2021 Midwest Conclave
        • 2019 Midwest Conclave
        • 2017 Midwest Conclave
        • 2016 Midwest Conclave
    • Upcoming Events
    • Remote Learning Tips
  • News
  • 2022 Midwest Conclave
  • Links
  • Current Board of Directors