HPD Schedule:

Speaker Schedule:

Dr. Meg Schaeffer, MPH, MPA, EdD

Dr. Meg Schaeffer is the National Public Health Advisor for SAS State and Local Government practice. At SAS, Dr. Schaeffer is focused on Public Health Modernization efforts in the US and globally. She holds degrees in microbiology, public health epidemiology, public administration, and a doctorate in education and administrative leadership.

For nearly 10 years, Dr. Schaeffer managed the Influenza and Respiratory Pathogens Surveillance program for Iowa. She taught epidemiology and issues in the U.S. healthcare system at Drake University. Before joining SAS in 2020, Dr. Schaeffer worked in Medicaid extended to corporate VP roles in Quality and Performance Improvement and health plan implementation in 14 states. Dr. Schaeffer has over 20 publications including an impending textbook on zoonotic influenza. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Schaeffer supported emergency operations in Central Iowa, multiple school boards, transnational transportation companies, hospitals, and businesses. She lives in Des Moines with her two teenage sons and husband, a family practice physician. She is also a member of Team USA for triathlon.

Dr. Jamie Pitlick, PharmD

Jamie Pitlick is an Associated Professor of Pharmacy Practice for Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She has a practice site with Iowa Diabetes where she practices as a clinical pharmacist and leads diabetes education initiatives. Since 2008, her career has been focused on teaching pharmacy students and patients with diabetes.

Nutrition in Preventative Care:

Obesity is considered a national epidemic and is a major contributor to some of the leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. On top of this less than 60% of the people in the United States eat a healthy diet that meets the dietary recommendations. The presentation to review the main dietary recommendations and discuss the importance of nutrition in preventative care.

Dr. Nate Newman, M.S., Ed.D

Nate Newman is the Department Chair and Director of the Master of Athletic Training Program. He has been at Drake for 5 years and he practiced athletic training for 8 years, working primarily with soccer and track and field teams at two different universities. He focused his time while practicing on preventing injuries to female soccer athletes.

Prevention of Injuries:

The prevention of injuries is often the most overlooked domain of athletic training. Most time is spent on tertiary care, evaluating and rehabilitating injuries that have already occurred. While some injuries are not preventable, more time and effort should be spent on identifying injury risk factors and treating these. This presentation will demonstrate some of those key risk factors and be interactive with participants having the chance to complete some of the preventative tests.

Dr. Shankar Munusamy, M.S., Ph.D.

Shankar Munusamy is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. His educational scholarship interests include assessing the effect of mindfulness strategies used in the classroom on students’ mental health and the impact of mnemonics and analogies on reducing cognitive load and improving learning.

Strategies to Improve Your Mental Health and Wellbeing: Mindfulness and Beyond:

The session is targeted towards students interested in incorporating mindfulness and other self-care practices into their daily routine to improve their wellbeing. Participants will learn how to practice mindfulness (using free resources) and non-mindfulness-based strategies to promote wellness. 

Dr. Kim Huey, M.S., Ph.D.

Kim Huey is a Professor of Health Sciences. She received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Diego and completed postdoctoral training in skeletal muscle physiology at the University of California, Irvine. She is a Fellow in the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine. Her research focuses on contractile and cellular adaptations in skeletal muscle in response to exercise, disuse, injury and/or aging. Current studies are investigating the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on muscular and cardiorespiratory adaptations in young and older mice.

Exercise as Preventative Care:

Evidence supports that regular exercise is one of the most viable and relatively inexpensive ways to combat many of the nation’s most preventable diseases. It has been argued that physical inactivity is one of the most important public health problems of the 21st century. The benefits of exercise are indisputable, and the current evidence demonstrates that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and dementia in a dose-dependent fashion.

Dr. Rachel Allen-McHugh, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, RYT-200

Dr. Rachel Allen-McHugh has over 20 years of experience serving children, caregivers, and community members in a variety of practice settings. Dr. McHugh’s primary area of expertise is with pediatric clients. Her work as an Occupational Therapist both in Europe and the United States has enabled her to develop a unique perspective of therapeutic use of self by building relationships within diverse communities. She is a registered yoga teacher, meditation facilitator, and certified educator of infant massage. Dr. McHugh’s current interests as a Drake University Assistant Professor for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program include health and wellness promotion, pediatrics, student learning, and community engagement

Well-Being Walk-About:

The goal of this session is to support students in identifying occupations they can engage in to enhance their quality of life, well-being, and health. This session will introduce the eight dimensions of well-being as identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(2016) and spend time exploring and hunting for well-being opportunities to support each dimension. Students will leave this interactive session with a list of strategies, services, and supports available to them as Drake CPHS students that they can use to balance their well-being needs. Students participating in this break-out session should arrive prepared to complete a scavenger-hunt that will require you to navigate campus, take pictures, and be outdoors!

Mercedes Morsching (O2) - Co-Chair

Peyton Braun (P2) - Co-Chair

Delaney Goertzen (JR HSCI) - Mini Discussions

Rachel Turin (P1) - Mini Discussions 

Ropafadzo Runesu (P3) - Engagement

Fiona Kearns (SR HSCI)- Exhibitions

Celine Lie (P3)- Publicity