May 2, 2022
Oakland University’s Healthology Symposium — “where science, practice and social interests meet” — will return next month to celebrate impactful research and collaborative approaches for addressing upstream social determinants of health, in achieving better downstream care.
Hosted annually by the School of Health Sciences, this year’s Symposium, “Advancing, Restoring and Maintaining Physical Function,” will focus on Human Movement Science — the prescription of movement to impact health, movement as medicine to manage pain, and energizing community through movement science.
“The 2022 Healthology Symposium is actually a two-day event — May 12-13,” said Kevin Ball, dean of the School of Health Sciences. “We offer both our Public Forum, which is free of charge through the generous support of our sponsor, and then we engage further with health and medical professionals in our Professional Conference.”
The free Public Forum, “Advancing, Restoring and Maintaining Physical Function” is being presented by Priority Health and will kick off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 12 in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms with networking, food and drink. This event includes remembrances and honors of OU health leaders, a keynote speaker, and discussions. Registration is requested.
With a welcome and introduction at 6 p.m. by Dean Ball and OU Provost Britt Rios-Ellis, the Symposium begins with a segment on the Health Achievement Leadership Legacy (HALL) Award. This award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to OU’s School of Health Sciences through leadership, community service, research or teaching.
The first to be honored will be the inaugural recipient (in 2018) of the HALL Award, Dr. Moon Jae Pak, founding director of the Oakland University Center for Health Sciences (now the School of Health Sciences) and a prominent local physician. Pak passed away in January 2022 at the age of 88.
“Dr. Pak was a truly kind and appreciative man, a gracious elder with wisdom, and also pragmatism to move forward,” Ball said. “His accomplishments at OU earned legendary status. He will be deeply missed.”
In grand recognition of Dr. Pak’s contributions, the “Moon J. Pak Classroom” will be announced, a $100,000 sponsorship gift of Dr. Susan and Bob Klemmer. The Pak family will be joined by the Klemmer family at this announcement.
Next at 6:20 p.m. the Symposium will honor the late Teresa Stayer, P.T., who was a recipient of the HALL Award in 2020. A champion of OU and physical therapy, Stayer served on the OU Alumni Association Board and as a founding School of Health Sciences (SHS) Board member. Graciously, the “Teresa Stayer Endowed Scholarship in Physical Therapy” funded at over $25,000 through the generous giving of friends, colleagues, admirers and the family of Teresa Stayer will be announced.
At 6:30 p.m., Dr. Christine Stiller will be honored as the 2022 recipient of the HALL Award in recognition of her exceptional 39-year career as a physical therapy faculty member and leader in clinic, teaching, research, and service to the SHS, OU, and Athletics.
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| Dr. Thomas Simmer |
At 6:45 p.m., the Symposium will recognize the career of Dr. Thomas Simmer, who recently retired as the senior vice president and chief medical officer from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Dr. Simmer also served the Henry Ford Health System as a physician for 21 years. In recognition of his genuine commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable environment in support of patients and physicians alike, and through the generous contributions of donors, the SHS is pleased to announce the “Thomas Simmer Endowed Research Fund in Health Sciences;” with over $25,000 this fund will support faculty and students annually in research endeavors.
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| Angela T. Moore |
Then at 7 p.m., the Symposium will welcome Angela T. Moore — trainer, counselor and advocate for personal responsibility – as keynote speaker during the public forum. Moore, an OU alumna, is the founder and owner of The Body Principle, an integrated health studio that provides fitness programming, mental health and nutrition counseling, and empowerment coaching to individuals and small groups. She also created the Propel Youth Empowerment Program designed to improve the self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy in youth.
Moore’s radio show “Empowered” on 910 AM Superstation explores mental and physical health education. Moore enjoys her role on the Board of Advocacy and Resource Development (BOARD) for the School of Health Sciences at Oakland University.
On Friday, May 13, the Professional Conference of the 2022 Healthology Symposium will continue from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. inside the Human Health Building on the OU campus. Registration is required.
Some highlights from the second day of the Symposium will include:
• 8:30 – 8:45 a.m. — Welcome — Dean Kevin Ball and OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz
• 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. — Keynote Speaker — Thomas L. Simmer, M.D., F.A.C.P. — Transforming Health Care with Connected Teams.
• 10 – 11 a.m. — Interactive Breakouts: Home-based Older Persons Upstreaming Prevention Physical Therapy (Sara Arena, P.T, D.S.C.; Chris Wilson, D.P.T., D.S.C.P.T., G.C.S.) OR Oncology Rehabilitation (Deborah Doherty, P.T., Ph.D.; Lori Boright, P.T., Ph.D.).
• 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. — Interactive Breakouts: Fall Prevention through portable technology (Daniel Goble, Ph.D.) OR Movement Science to Manage Pain: Pathology (Doug Creighton, P.T., D.P.T., O.C.S., F.A.A.O.M.P.T.).
• 12:15 – 1:30 p.m. — Mid-day Meetups: Lunch, Research Posters, Networking.
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. — Interactive Breakouts: Movement Science to Manage Pain: Treatment (John Krauss, P.T., Ph.D., O.C.S., F.A.A.O.M.P.T.) OR Innovative Movement Programs (Terry Dibble, M.S.; Melodie Kondratek, D.S.C., P.T., O.M.P.T.; Lindsay Brandt, D.P.T.; Sarah Fink Carlin; Jacqueline Scully, P.T., D.P.; Ali Woerner, M.F.A.).
• 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. — Panel discussion and wrap up: Improving Social Determinants of Health through Human Movement (Sara Arena, P.T., D.S.C.; Chris Wilson, D.P.T., D.S.C.P.T., G.C.S.; Melodie Kondratek, D.S.C., P.T., O.M.P.T.; Deborah Doherty, P.T., Ph.D.; Daniel Goble, Ph.D.)
To register for events, or for more information and details of the symposium, visit www.oakland.edu/shs/community/healthology.