Trine opening free physical therapy clinic

FORT WAYNE — Trine University’s Rinker-Ross School of Health Sciences will open Carew Clinic, a pro-bono physical therapy clinic serving uninsured, low-income individuals in the Fort Wayne community, on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Carew Clinic will be open year-round from 8-10 a.m. Tuesdays at Trine’s Carew Street campus, 1819 Carew St. The clinic will receive referrals from the Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic.

Students in Trine’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program will treat patients under the supervision of licensed physical therapists.

“We are very eager to begin providing care and hopeful that we will be able to help fill a current need in the community,” said Alexandra DeBoer, student director of the Carew Clinic.

DeBoer said the idea for the clinic came through faculty and student conversation about the need for pro-bono services in the Fort Wayne area.

“Dr. (Max) Baumgartner, the director of our program, volunteers at Matthew 25 and recognized the large demand through the number of patients seen there. The Matthew 25 clinic was unable to follow up with patients for several weeks due to the large patient quantity,” she said.

“We have been blessed with an amazing facility and faculty support, so it did not take very much to get the clinic to a place where it will be ready to see patients.”

A committee of seven DPT students from the Class of 2018 leads the clinic, and more than 40 students will volunteer.

“Each we will be able to customize individual treatment programs for six patients, based on their unique needs,” DeBoer said.

DeBoer hopes to add physician assistant services to the clinic when Trine launches its master of physician assistant studies program in 2018, and wants to eventually add occupational therapy as well.

 “I have high aspirations for the clinic to provide exceptional care for these patients who need and deserve it,” she said. “This is an excellent opportunity for students to obtain more hands-on experience and also give back to the community.”

For more information about the clinic, call (260) 702-8015 or email CarewClinic@trine.edu.

Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.

Effective 7/29/14, the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Trine University has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org ). Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates that the program may matriculate students in the technical/ professional courses and that the program is progressing toward accreditation.  Candidate for Accreditation is not an accreditation status nor does it assure eventual accreditation.