Educate. Exercise. Empower.

Walk with a Doc group at Southern Park Mall

Educate. Exercise. Empower.

Walk with a Doc gets community moving

Move more. Sit less.

Unlocking the key to health and wellness is as simple as doing those two things, says Sara Michaliszyn, associate professor and chair of Kinesiology and Sport Science at YSU.

Michaliszyn served as the January walk leader and speaker to launch YSU’s 2020 Walk with a Doc series. The free community event, led by the YSU Doctor of Physical Therapy program, pairs exercise and education to empower participants to meet their wellness goals.

Entering its third year at the Southern Park Mall in Boardman, WWAD participants are invited to take advantage of vital sign screenings for blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels provided by PT students. A featured wellness expert presents a mini lecture before leading the walk and answering questions. Students support event operations and discuss active and healthy lifestyles with participants. (Note: The monthly WWAD meetings have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

Cara Berg-Carramusa, associate professor of Physical Therapy and WWAD program leader, says WWAD has served the community and DPT students in many positive ways. Students gain experiential and service-learning opportunities for developing practical clinical skills and other essential professional skills, such as communication and collaboration. 

“I think the best thing us students get out of it is learning how to talk to people, maintaining that conversation, and building that relationship where then in the future your patients can trust you and be confident in you,” said DPT student Zoë Blosser. 

Student taking a walker's blood pressure — _{^{Second year PT “doc” student Michael Pape takes Colleen Wilson’s blood pressure after her laps around the mall. Screenings are offered before and after the walk.}}

Members of the community like alumna Colleen Wilson, 1975 and 1983, look forward to the monthly event for both exercise and social benefits. Wilson had just retired from a 43-year career as a nurse at Northside Hospital when she heard about the inaugural WWAD program three years ago. She, her husband, and a group of friends have been coming ever since.

“I love the educational talks. I love the information that you get. And then talking with the physical therapists, we always learn something new,” said Wilson.

Berg-Carramusa appreciates the support from participants and all involved with the event. “We have established a consistent (and growing) WWAD family of 20-30 folks coming monthly,” she said.

Many individual community experts and organizations, like Mercy Health, have partnered with YSU DPT and WWAD to advocate for the event and support its participants around community health and wellness. The Northeast Ohio Area Health Education Center provided grant funding to purchase the rights to the program in 2017. Berg-Carramusa aims to continue moving forward with the initiative and the collaborations for years to come.

“I really think there’s great value for the PT profession and its students. There’s great value for the participants. And there’s great value for our community. It’s exciting and good energy,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Walk with a Doc was founded in 2005 by David Sabgir, a Columbus, Ohio cardiologist, to help his patients improve their health outside the clinical setting. WWAD has traditionally been “doctor-led,” but Sabgir welcomed the idea of having “doctors” of physical therapy partner in the WWAD mission. To learn more or find a walk in your area, visit walkwithadoc.org.