During his initial appointment at the HOPE Clinic in 2023, the client relied on the support of three Doctor of Physical Therapy students to walk distances of 5 to 15 feet because he could not stand without assistance or propel his legs forward. Following months of dedicated therapy, the client made significant strides, transitioning to walking with the aid of two DPT students. However, to achieve complete independence in walking, he required appropriate bracing. Since customized braces cost several thousand dollars, providing that assistance was likely going to be cost-prohibitive.

This is when the HOPE Clinic partnered with Professor Sirena Hargrove-Leak in the Department of Engineering. Hargrove-Leak offered her class, Engineering Design for Service (EGR 2210) as a partner to the HOPE Clinic for the Fall 2023 semester. The course emphasizes the commitment by engineers to serve the needs of others and consider the well-being of those they serve. Students work in small teams to apply the engineering design process to design devices or systems to help people in the local community.

In Fall 2023, two teams of engineering students worked to design and build bracing to help this client. One team focused on the knee and another team focused on the ankle. The members of the “knee team” were Maggie Dion, Jacob Karty, Jesus Santoyo Rosales and Gerry Tejado. The members of the “ankle team” were Nadia Aho, Diego Hernandez and Talton Mickle. By the end of the semester, the “knee team” designed and built one fully functional brace, while the “ankle team” identified a reasonably priced off-the-shelf solution and designed potential ways to modify it to meet the specific needs of the client.

The project strongly aligned with the interests of “ankle team” member and Honors Fellow Diego Hernandez, a member of the Class of 2026. “It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had and has shown me that helping people with some form of disability is what I want to do with the rest of my life,” Hernandez said.

Even after the conclusion of the Engineering Design for Service course, Hernandez has continued work on the project. During Winter Term, he built a second knee brace for the client using the design developed by the “knee team.” For his Honors Fellows research project over the next two years, Hernandez aims to complete the work on the ankle brace and design an effective way to connect the knee and ankle braces to further enhance the client’s experience.

Through this powerful collaboration between the HOPE Clinic and Hargrove-Leak’s class, two braces have been created for the client that have allowed him to walk independently with a walker for over 120 feet.

“When I first joined his treatment team, three people had to physically advance his legs and hips for him to walk,” said Kaitlyn Carpenter, a second-year DPT student. “At his last session, he was able to walk completely on his own with a walker. His walking is even better with the custom knee braces designed by Elon engineering students. His progress has been incredible, and it is rewarding to know that we helped him gain more independence and reach his main goal of walking around his home and in the community.”

The knee braces have been invaluable for the client. The DPT students assessed endurance with and without the braces. Without the braces, the client walked 45 feet in 2 minutes and 41 seconds. With the braces, he walked 121 feet in the same time frame. Gains of this magnitude are remarkable and indicate a reduced fall risk and improved efficiency with mobility.

“Through this project, I gained a deeper appreciation for the collaborative nature of problem-solving with people from different disciplines,” Hernandez said. “Moreover, I came to understand the importance of aligning our product with the needs and expectations of our patients. By actively engaging with the patient and gathering feedback throughout the development process, we were able to iterate and refine our product to better meet his needs.”

Hernandez is excited to continue to help this client grow and improve even more.

With this support, HOPE seeks to expand the impact of its mission to improve the health and well-being of the underserved populations in Alamance County and surrounding areas by providing quality physical therapy treatment. HOPE seeks to reduce the health care disparities of marginalized individuals and communities by providing increased access to physical therapy services in eastern Alamance County where there is an 11-year life expectancy discrepancy.

The HOPE Clinic is a student-run pro bono clinic that is managed and operated by Elon Doctor of Physical Therapy students. The clinic has run on a weekly basis since November 2013 and was the first student-run pro bono clinic in North Carolina.

This work aligns with United Way of Alamance County’s focus of lifting families out of poverty by funding basic human needs such as housing, food, economic mobility, and others. Sally Gordon, director of community change at United Way of Alamance County said, “As a local funder, we commit to leveraging all of our assets to create more equitable communities. We are appreciative of the services the HOPE Clinic provides for our most vulnerable individuals and families in Alamance County.”

“This funding will allow the HOPE Clinic to complete approximately 140 additional patient visits in 2023. That will help us provide care to those who are uninsured or underinsured and are having pain or limitations in their mobility that affect their quality of life,” said Crystal Ramsey, faculty advisor for HOPE.

The Rizing Tide Crest Scholarship is highly competitive, with five students receiving a full scholarship from a pool of 238 applicants and 43 finalists who received interviews. Barreda was recognized as part of the new generation of BIPOC leaders in the physical therapy profession and will be awarded $14,000 which is renewable for two years.

In eight months as a student at Elon, she has been a tremendous leader for DEI efforts, the CityGate Dream Center, and an integral member of her first-year research team. DPT faculty and the Rizing Tide reviewers, called the Beachcombers, see the potential for her to continue making an impact on the PT profession and her community.

“After moving to North Carolina to pursue my graduate school dreams, I knew I wanted to get involved with 51±¬ÁĎÍř’s School of Health Sciences committees and establish footprints in this new town and chapter of my life,” Barreda said. “My university involvement has allowed me to connect with community members far beyond my expectations, and for that I am grateful. I look forward to working with my professors, colleagues and community members to help further the field of physical therapy.”

Rizing Tide’s mission is to empower a new generation of BIPOC leaders in the physical therapy profession. They provide scholarships to help address high tuition costs and offer mentorship and leadership skill training to the scholars. Rizing Tide also has scholarships for physical therapy residency. The Surge Scholarship is open to support graduating PT students or licensed PTs from URM backgrounds entering accredited residency programs. PT residency programs are post-professional programs that advance the learning of a licensed physical therapist in a defined area of practice.

In addition to PT services, local physician Dr. Andy Lamb comes to the Dream Center to screen patients for PT and medical needs. In addition to medical services, the HOPE Clinic supports patient needs such as splints, feminine hygiene products, and interpreter services.

“I am so thankful for the support and presence of the HOPE clinic at the Dream Center,” said Emilia Suarez, Health Promoter Coordinator CityGate Dream Center. “Through this connection, we have been able to help people in the community gain access to resources and treatment that they would not have been able to afford.  We are also so thankful for the donation given to the soccer program. With this support, we were able to get uniforms for 40 students and they really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for supporting the Latino community.”

The student-run pro bono clinic is managed and operated by Elon Doctor of Physical Therapy students with support from faculty and clinicians from the community. The clinic offers free PT services to those who are uninsured or under-insured in Alamance County and surrounding areas.

“HOPE Clinic represents a group of people who work daily to make a difference in the community,” said Miranda Thompson, a student leader. “This translates to opportunities for those who may not have had access to opportunities otherwise, for both students and patients. Having this platform that places patient care to underserved communities at the forefront with pillars of student learning, volunteer clinician involvement, and forward-thinking visions for the status/quality of healthcare is incredibly important for our professional future and the patients whose lives are being impacted.”