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LIH Olivia’s Place PT Speaks at CARM Exercise Therapy Congress

July 26, 2016 Olivia's Place Comments Off , , , , , ,

Marc 1The 14th annual Exercise Therapy Congress organized by the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (CARM) was held in Chengdu this year from July 16th – 17th. The 2-day conference saw speakers from all over China, the CARM leadership, as well as guest speakers from Canada and Germany present on the latest developments in the field of exercise therapy.

Marc 2Marc Innerhofer, LIH Olivia’s Place Physical Therapist (Beijing clinic) was invited by Du Qing (杜青), Director of the Rehabilitation Department at Shanghai Xin Hua hospital (上海新华医院), to deliver a talk on “Physical Therapy Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” as part of a sub-series of talks relating to the field of pediatric rehabilitation.

The presentation was well received by local therapists and health care professionals from all over the country. Among the attendees who were interested in learning more about therapy for children with autism was a delegation from Chengdu Xi Nan Children’s Hospital (成都西南儿童医院) (see photo below).

Marc 3


LIH Supports the Evolution of China’s Rehabilitation Licensure System

February 26, 2016 Olivia's Place Comments Off , ,
Hu Dai, Msc OT LIH Director of Education & Training

Hu Dai, Msc OT
LIH Director of Education & Training

In China, rehabilitation health care began to become available in the 1980s, following rapid economic reforms. In the beginning, a few hospitals and sanatoriums were chosen for trial provision of rehabilitative care in 1982. By1987, the Ministry of Health required all Tier II & III (top level in China) hospitals to have a rehab department. In the 1990s, a few more governmental policies continued to emphasize the importance of rehab and equal support was given to the development of rehab as to other major health care professions, for example, internal medicine and surgery. During the same period of time, a licensure system for rehabilitation therapists was established. The system divides the qualification into three levels, including assistant (for those with a secondary education background), therapist, and senior therapist. Prospective candidates may apply to take the licensure exam after two years of practice and progress to a higher level gradually.

 

Currently there are about 400 educational programs for therapists in China, at both Bachelor’s and post-graduate levels. However, only 10 programs train separate therapists specifically in physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT), the rest train “general therapists,” which means the curriculum is a combination of physical, occupational, and speech therapies, and the graduates are expected to work in all three areas. Under this educational   Rather, the qualification is a general license for all rehabilitation therapists and the examination content is very PT orientated with a focus on physical modalities.

 

After years of endeavor, separate license systems for each profession are under development and hopefully will be in place in 2017. The current plan is to have specific licenses for PT, OT, and Pediatric Therapist. The Chinese Association of Rehabilitation (CARM) is leading the project, and the pediatric therapist license has the most development; it is suggested that applicants have 6 months of web-based and classroom-based pediatric therapy training before taking the license exam. This additional training is in addition to general rehabilitation education programs, which may provide insufficient training for therapists to gain the knowledge needed to pass the license exam. Although it is a specific license, the Pediatric Therapist license will remain a combination of occupational and physical therapies.

 

LIH is involved in all aspects of the establishment of Pediatric Therapy licensure and the associated training, including supporting curriculum development, creating teaching materials, establishing an online learning platform and face to face classroom delivery. The cooperation between LIH and CARM will continue to evolve over the coming year and with our successful contribution to the establishment of the Pediatric Therapy license, LIH will very likel participate in the future development of licenses specific to physical and occupational therapy.


LIH Chairman of the Board Speaks at CARM Beijing Forum

January 23, 2016 Olivia's Place Comments Off , ,

On December 15, 2015, the Sixth National Membership Representative Conference of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Rehabilitation Medical Innovation and Development Forum in 2015 were held at the Beijing International Conference Center. This event is one of the largest and most important nationwide gatherings of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.

 

Mr. Changsen Sun, President, LIH, address the CARM forum in Beijing

Mr. Changsen Sun, President, LIH, address the CARM forum in Beijing

Mr. Changsen Sun, Chairman of the Board for LIH Investment＆Management (LIH), was invited to present at the forum on ” Rehabilitation Hospital Development and Medical – Nursing Combined Institutional Care,” speaking on Opportunities of Medical Rehabilitation Investment and Challenges of Rehabilitation Hospital Development.”

 

Mr. Sun remarked that promoted by government policy, the rehabilitation medical market has embraced more opportunities. From the beginning of 2010, rehabilitation and related fields have received more policy support and the effect of this incentive has been remarkable. Many domestic and foreign enterprises and institutions are currently involved in multi-investor hospital development. Though there is huge potential demand for rehabilitation services, with an aging population an important driving factor, the market is still in the primary stage. Rehabilitation medical institutions face many challenges to growth in China, the biggest of which is to develop sustainable commercial models.

 

Sun 2During his presentation, Mr. Sun explained that he believes that successful rehabilitation providers will have three core capabilities: rehabilitation medicine technology, solid management operating systems, and training and education systems. LIH integrates investment, management, and operations to establish quality rehabilitation hospitals and clinics. In the field of children’s rehabilitation, LIH Olivia’s Place opened its doors in Beijing in September 2015. in the next three years, another five LIH Olivia’s Place pediatric clinics will be established, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. In January 2014, in the comprehensive medical rehabilitation field, LIH founded Kunming RUIQIDE Rehabilitation Center by LIH investment＆management. At the same time, TIANCHENG international rehabilitation hospital in Yunnan will open in June 2016. Over the next three years, LIH will cooperate with acute care hospitals to operate five comprehensive rehabilitation centers.

 

Mr. Sun interacts with attendees during Q&A

Mr. Sun interacts with attendees during Q&A

To further the three core capabilities, LIH has solidified strategic partnerships leading international medical institutions, Children’s Specialized Hospital (New Jersey, US) and Montefiore Medical Center (New York, US) on medical technology, operation and management, education and training. At the same time, LIH has focused on innovation and professionalism through our Technical Advisory Board and Consulting Advisory Board, networks of international experts, and pursued extensive technical cooperation with many domestic and international rehabilitation institutions.


LIH Olivia’s Place OTs Stand Out at CARM Conference

January 22, 2016 Olivia's Place Comments Off , , ,

CARM Group_KRTThe 5th National Conference of Occupational Therapists of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (CARM) was held at Jiamusi University in December 2015. This is the highest-level OT conference in China and it is held every 4 years. During the conference there are 2 major events, The first is that and all major positions for the Chinese OT Committee are elected for a 4-year term. This year, LIH Olivia’s Place’s Hu Dai, Occupational Therapist and Director of Education and Training, was re-elected vice president for another 4 years.

 

Kristi Troutman, LIH Olivia's Place OT & Clinican Manager (Beijing) presents at CARM

Kristi Troutman, LIH Olivia’s Place OT & Clinican Manager (Beijing) presents at CARM

Also at the conference, a series of pediatric workshops was held. Kristi Troutman, LIH Olivia’s Place Occupational Therapist and Clinical Manager (Beijing), delivered two sessions, “Therapeutic Use of Play” and “Interdisciplinary Approach in Pediatric Care: A Case Study.” Both sessions were well received and evaluated highly. Over 60 committee members and another 150 OT practitioners and educators from all over the country participated in the conference.


CARM and Olivia’s Place Look to the Future of Rehabilitation in China

December 17, 2014 Olivia's Place Comments Off
Dr. Ao LiJuan, CARM Vice Chair and Olivia's Place Technical Advisory Board Member, gives the opening presentation for the 2014 CARM conference in Fuzhou.

Dr. Ao LiJuan, CARM Vice Chair and Olivia’s Place Technical Advisory Board Member, gives the opening presentation for the 2014 CARM conference in Fuzhou.

During 30th October – 3rd November 3 2014, the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (CARM) held their nationwide conference on the rehabilitation/therapy field’s education and training in FuZhou (FuJian Province).  Overall, the conference was quite successful, both for the rehabilitation and therapy fields of China, and for Olivia’s Place.

In total, 8 conference speakers attended via our introduction or initiation:

  • Dr. Jean Deitz, Professor Emeritus, OT Department, University of Washington , Olivia’s Place Technical Advisory Board Member
  • Dr. Sharon Demuth, Professor, PT Department, University of Southern California, Olivia’s Place Technical Advisory Board Member
  • Guy Djoken, Chairman of UNESCO (United Nations Education/Science/Culture Organization) Clubs and Executive Director of UNESCO Center for Peace
  • Dr. April Gamble (DPT), Eliott’s Corner Physical Therapist
  • Wendy Lee, Adjunct Professor, University of Texas, Dallas and Program Manager, Bethel Speech & Hearing
  • Dr. Henry Lew, Professor and Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders University of Hawaii, Olivia’s Place Technical Advisory Board Member
  • Dr. Lucy Liu, Adjunct Professor, University of Texas, Dallas & Chief Research Officer, Bethel Speech & Hearing
  • Dr. Margaret Rogers, Chief Staff Officer for Science and Research, American Speech-Language Hearning Association (ASHA)

 

The leadership for CARM, as well as the heads of major Chinese universities and medical schools were present. Also in attendance was leadership from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT), along with experts from universities in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States. Overall, the conference demonstrated how seriously China is looking at the gap that exists in training and qualifying the millions of therapists needed as China continues to build out rehabilitation and therapy infrastructure over the next five to ten years. Dr. Henry Lew noted this following his recent visit to China, saying he was “glad to see that the rehabilitation professionals in China are embracing the concept and implementation of evidence based practice (EBP).”

Before the conference, a multi-day nationwide student clinical competition was held.  Students from all over China worked in university teams to assess and treat cases using standardized patients before an audience of judges, faculty, and experts. Prizes were awarded to the top scoring teams from the competition. Dr. Jean Dietz, who assisted with this competition, commented that she was “charmed by the conscientious, enthusiastic students who participated in the OT/PT skills contest” and believes that “these students will help to define the future.”

The international panel of speakers presented on accreditation systems, faculty training, curriculum development, among other topics. The need for degree programs in Chinese medical schools and universities and the need to establish credentialing and accreditation programs were both highlighted as key conference conclusions. With respect to the latter, these programs should not just be about testing, but also to increase training for existing rehab specialists in order to strengthen their professional level to international standards. Dr. Sharon Demuth reflected that it is “important that bachelors level programs for the education of physical and occupational therapists are being developed. And it will be very critical for the future of our professions in China that those programs are successful in getting recognition for discipline specific education as well as support for educating and employing the large number of physical and occupational therapists that China requires. Having model programs like Olivia’s Place and Elliot’s Corner to turn to, especially when it comes to the provision of clinical education for therapists in pediatric physical therapy will help faculty in those university based programs with appropriate educational goals and objectives.”

Reflecting on the conference, Dr. Dietz was “impressed by the people I met and their commitment to individuals with disabilities and to strengthening rehabilitation in China.  She “witnessed an energetic network of people working together and drawing on both national and international resources in order to build strong rehabilitation education and service delivery programs.” Olivia’s Place was honored to be able to support CARM and to host several international experts in their fields in keeping with our mission to promote high quality pediatric therapy in China.  We consider these experts true friends of Olivia’s Place and of the field of rehabilitation in China.  We were touched by Dr. Dietz’ comments about her trip to China, where she visited both Fuzhou and Shanghai, “I loved and appreciated all of the opportunities I had to interact with people in China, especially those at Olivia’s Place and SHINE Academy. Nelson, Quynh, and their children, and the staff and therapists were so welcoming. It felt like being in a warm family. “


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