Winter Quarter 2018

          
Perspectives in Assistive Technology
ENGR110/210

          

David L. Jaffe, MS
Thornton Center Classroom 110
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:30pm to 5:50pm

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Thursday, February 22nd

photo of Graham Creasey

What Kind of Assistive Technology Do You Need if You Break your Neck?
Graham H. Creasey, MD, FRCSEd
VA Palo Alto Health Care System

This is a field trip to the VA Palo Alto Health Care System campus in the Spinal Cord Injury Service. The class will convene in Building 7, Room E111 at 4:30pm. Due to space limitations, it is open to enrolled students only.

Abstract: Breaking your neck can affect nearly every part of your life. Physically, you may be paralyzed from the neck down, with no feeling in the body, unable to control your bladder or bowel or sexual function. Obviously, this affects you emotionally and socially - your education, work, house, travel, and relationships. What can assistive technology do to change this?

The industrial revolution gave us new tools, special beds, mattresses, wheelchairs and cushions, catheters, implants, and many other gadgets. The microelectronic industry has revolutionized communication and control of equipment in the environment; if you can control a computer, you can control many other things. What about controlling paralyzed muscles? What about curing paralysis?

Biosketch: Graham Creasey, formerly the Chief of the Spinal Cord Injury Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, serves now as Staff Physician at VAPAHCS. He is also the Paralyzed Veterans of America Professor of Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at Stanford University. He attended the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland and completed specialty and sub-specialty training and accreditation in Surgery and Spinal Injuries at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Along with his clinical role, he has been actively engaged in research, mainly on the restoration of bladder, bowel and sexual function using electrical stimulation. Dr. Creasey is also dedicated to training junior physicians and retaining outstanding young physicians in the VA Spinal Cord Injury System of Care.

Contact information:
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Spinal Cord Injury Service
3801 Miranda Ave.
Room C115, Building 7
Palo Alto, CA  94304
gcreasey -at- stanford.edu
Links:
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) Center
Palo Alto Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center
Spinal Cord Injury / Disorder Center
Adaptive Sports

photo of Debbie Pitsch

Assistive Technologies: The Benefits for Returnees
Debbie J. Pitsch, MPT, GCS, ATP
VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Abstract: The Assistive Technology (AT) Center serves veterans with brain injury, polytrauma, ALS, and other conditions. Featured products will include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Aids, alternative computer access devices, electronic cognitive aids, electronic aids for daily living, specialized seating & powered mobility, and adaptive sporting equipment.

Biosketches: Debbie Pitsch is a Physical Therapist who has worked at the Palo Alto VA since 1999 and joined the Assistive Technology Center team in 2010. She has over 20 years of experience working with veterans with neurological and orthopedic impairments including polytraumatic head injuries and amputation care in acute, outpatient, and rehabilitation settings. Her primary areas of expertise in assistive technology are adaptive sporting, prosthetic training, and ambulation devices. She has been certified as an Assistive Technology Professional through RESNA since 2010.

Contact information:
Debbie Pitsch, MPT, GCS, ATP
Physical Therapist
Assistive Technology Center
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
3801 Miranda Ave., Building 7
Palo Alto, CA  94304
650/493-5000 x 62544
debbie.pitsch -at- va.gov
Field Trip Material:
Video - not available
Photos - 1.29 Mb pdf file
VA Assistive Technology Center brochure - 219 Kb pdf file
Links:
Meeting our returning combat veterans in the classroom - Jonathan R. Sills, PhD - 2010

Updated 02/23/2018

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