Work Hardening

EPOSG Co-Hosts Shoulder CEU Course

June 4, 2011

EPOSG co-hosted a continuing education course with the Texas Occupational Therapists Association (TOTA), Rio Grande District, on June 4, 2011. The course, entitled "Evaluation and Treatment of Shoulder Injuries in the Overhead-Throwing Athlete" was presented by Dr. Luis H. Urrea,II, M.D. and Kevin Mark, PT, OCS, Cert MDT, CSCS. Thank you to Cecilia Fierro OTR, DOT and TOTA for allowing us this opportunity!

Visit the News and Events Photo Gallery Page for more pictures from the course!

Work Hardening Co-Hosts Ergonomics CEU Course

March 5, 2011

EPOSG's Work Hardening Department co-hosted a continuing education course with the Texas Occupational Therapy Assocation (TOTA), Rio Grande District, on March 5, 2011. The course, entitled "Introduction to Ergonomics" was presented by Isaac Montes, OTR/L, CLT, CEAS. Isaac has practiced as an occupational therapist for 12 years and is a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist. Thank you to Cecilia Fierro, OTR, DOT and TOTA for allowing us this opportunity. 

Visit the News and Events Photo Gallery Page for more pictures from the course! 

JoJo Wins Purina Rally to Rescue Competition!

November 12, 2010

Thank you all for your votes and support! Ann Marie Giron, OTR and JoJo will be traveling to Philadelphia for an appearance on the National Dog Show which airs Thanksgiving Day on NBC following the Macy's Day Parade! As you can see, Bailey (JoJo) is oh-so-excited about the news. If all goes well, this will be the kickoff to several huge awareness campaigns: rescue, the truth about pitbulls, humane education, and several documentaries. Thank you again for making this happen!

• News Channel 9 El Paso

• http://www.ktsm.com/news/jojos-owner-hopes-dogs-story-inspires-others

• http://www.ktsm.com/featured/el-paso-rescue-dog-national-finalist
  

• News Channel 7 El Paso  http://www.kvia.com/video/24351228/index.html
  
• KRWG New Mexico  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZWGcIc4eT8
  
• El Paso Times  http://www.elpasotimes.com/pets/ci_15654880
  

 Check back on 11/22/2010 to see the full story!

www.rallytorescue.org

Thank you to JoJo's animal behaviorist Michael Larson!

You can reach Michael by visitng www.elpasodogtrainer.com

EPOSG Hosts Kinesio Taping Course

October 4, 2010

EPOSG hosted a two day Kinesio Taping course in the Work Hardening facility with twenty-eight therapists from El Paso and Van Horn in attendance. Thank you to instructor David Garcia assisted by Tom Lechtenberg for giving us more tools to help our patients. 

Visit the News and Events Photo Gallery Page for more pictures from the course!

EPOSG Supports National Backpack Awareness Day

September 23, 2010

EPOSG Occupational Therapists Cecilia Fierro and Isaac Montes helped students at Alarcon Elementary School learn the importance of correct backpack usage at the annual "National School Backpack Awareness Day." "We want to educate not only students but parents so they can protect their children from health problems such as back and shoulder pain, rounding of the shoulders, and bad posture. This is a national concern that can also affect motor skills and lead to spine curvatures." Fierro and Montes weighed each students backpack in order to calculate the percentage of total weight and demonstrated proper techniques for wearing a backpack. 

How to Correctly Wear a Backpack: 

• Backpacks should not weigh more than 15 percent of the the individual's body weight
• Backpacks should be worn high and should hang well above above the waist and be in between the shoulder blades 

Silva Superstars Spring JoJo into First Place

September 23, 2010

Silva Magnet High School students are like no others. They are the elite, the brightest, hardest working, most creative, enthusiastic, and determined students I have ever had the pleasure of working with during clinical rotations through the EPOSG Work Hardening facility. Their dedication and diligence is unsurpassed, and became evident quickly when the Vote for JoJo Rally to Rescue Contest began. In addition to the rigorous academic demands they meet, the students took on a special community service project making it their mission that "JoJo MUST WIN!"

JoJo  retained first and second place in the popular voting portion of the competition consistently, no surprise given the efforts of these Silva Superstars! If the Purina judges choose JoJo as the winner, it is more than just a contest that these students helped to win. The plight of pit bulls, the movement to adopt rescue dogs, the necessity for more humane education, responsibility, compassion, and proactive involvement at all levels are all portions of a vine that will grow from the seed these students helped to plant by bringing JoJo into the national spotlight. Thank you Silva Superstars, and a very special heartfelt thank you to Denise Galvez, RN for championing this cause and for all of her hard work shaping these future leaders. She is compassion, kindness, intelligence, professionalism, and altruism personified. Thank you all!

Work Hardening Hosts TOTA Meeting

September 1, 2010

EPOSG's Work Hardening Department hosted the Texas Occupational Therapy Association Rio Grande District Meeting. In attendance were occupational therapists, professors, administrators and occupational therapy students from around the Rio Grande region. The meeting was led by Rio Grande Distrcit Chair Cecilia Fierro, OTR, OTD who is also a therapist at EPOSG's East Therapy Facility. We would like to thank Cecy and the members/future members of TOTA for allowing us the opportunity to host this meeting.

EPOSG Salutes the Humane Society of El Paso

August 7, 2010- El Paso

Rescued pit bull JoJo and her owner Ann Marie Giron, OTR (Director of Work Hardening) were invited guests on the annual KVIA Humane Society Telethon to chat about JoJo's triumphant story and the Rally to Rescue contest. At the end of the appearance, a $1,000 donation was presented to the Humane Society of El Paso on behalf of the El Paso Orthopaedic Surgery Group in support of their selfless dedicatication in finding forever homes for animals.

 A speical thanks to Mr. McBeth, Lucy, and Griselda for making the donation possible!   

WORK HARDENING HOSTS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER

April 24, 2010 - El Paso

The Work Hardening Department hosted a Jazzercise Fundraiser class led by fellow EPOSG employee Josie Vargas to support the Claudia Y. Lopez Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was established in 2008 by her parents to provide scholarships to students planning to attend colleges and universities. Claudia was killed by a drunk driver four days after her 28th birthday. At the time, she was teaching at Andress High School. She was a 1997 graduate of Bowie High School. The scholarships will be awarded alternately between the two schools because her parents feel that both schools, though for different reasons, were dear to her heart.