We welcome Dr. Eva Skuka as Swedish Institute’s new Dean for Allied Health. Dr. Skuka will oversee the programs in Surgical Technologist (ST) and Clinical and Medical Administrative Assistant (CAMA) scheduled to start in October.

Dr. Skuka practiced medicine in her native Albania before entering academia in 2002. “I chose to teach because I want to transfer the knowledge I have in this field,” she said, “and give others the same opportunities I had. Teaching can be challenging, but when I see students struggle and then succeed at the end of their program, that’s what makes it worthwhile.”

The curriculum for the ST and CAMA programs is a well-crafted mix of what Dr. Skuka feels are crucial skills for the field.

“Allied health practitioners have to know how the body works, what causes a disease and how to help patients throughout the disease process,’ Dr. Skuka said. “However, I believe human skills are very important in this field. We must gain the trust of patients, because when patients go to a doctor, let’s face it, they are not usually motivated by pleasure. As they interact with us, as health care professionals, we have to help them through some life events they may have little control over. Though medical knowledge is crucial, we cannot forget what the patients are going through.”

Empathetic patient care is one of the strong aspects of both programs, and something Dr. Skuka plans to instill in both her students and her faculty.

The surgical technologist and medical assistant are each a little different in the sense of what they offer the community. “The medical assistant usually has direct patient care, more face to face contact, and will often bond with patients with whom they develop long-term relationships,” Dr. Skuka explained. “It’s important for students in this program to have empathy for people and be willing to take an active part in the medical practice.

“For the surgical technologist, focus is more on the surgical procedures. Most of the time they have to isolate their feelings in order to maintain the precision they need for tasks in the operating room. Though there is less emphasis on interpersonal relationships, people skills have been built into both curriculums.”

Both the ST and CAMA program are designed to offer a course of study that includes:

1. Emphasis on content knowledge.
2. Competency in hands-on skills.
3. Practice in acquiring the ‘soft” skills, which are important in building interpersonal relationships. 

Swedish Institute students, faculty and staff welcome Judy Stribling, M.A., MLS, as she joins our school community as librarian. Judy’s knowledge and skills offer a valuable resource for students and faculty. She has a background well suited to our programs, having worked in library and information resource services including Weill-Cornell Medical College and a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Through a company she founded in Atlanta she also provided services for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Talking with Judy, it becomes clear that working in a library isn’t just about academics, it’s also very much about people. 

“Being in an educational setting means being around young people, which is a lot of fun for me,” Judy said. “Work should be meaningful, but it should also be fun. I look forward to coming in every day.” She welcomes the diversity of our student population, adding, ”Since we have students from so many different backgrounds, it’s interesting to see the variety of ways they will seek information.” 

To help students with research, Judy has set up a Swedish Institute Library profile on Facebook. She posts articles of interest and reminds students about the resources available to them, such as the ALT Health Watch database which links to full text articles, and the Journal of Movement and Bodywork subscription. Both are valuable for clinic reports. 

Due to a previously scheduled surgery for a knee replacement, Judy will be on medical leave from mid-November to the beginning of January. “During that time, student assistants in the library can be relied on for help,” she said. “They are amazing; they’re the ones teaching me so much about the collection here.” Library hours will remain the same while school is in session.

Bob Altheim, a senior member of the Massage Therapy faculty, was recently featured in an interview about Tai Qi for Serendipity Greenwich magazine. The article talks about the benefits of basic Tai Qi and quotes Bob’s assertion that it can help ease pain and enhance well-being.

Bob began practicing Tai Chi thirty years ago as a way to improve his massage technique and prevent injury. In his class for beginners, Bob teaches the basic movements of Tai Qi slowly and meditatively. “Qi is always flowing through the body,” he explains. “However, with Tai Qi practice you move in certain ways that enhance the flow of qi. If qi is not moving freely, if it’s stuck in muscle tension, Tai Qi can help restore its circulation. It may look simple, but it’s a sophisticated method of prevention as well as therapy.”

Tai Qi becomes a martial art when speed and timing are introduced. “Masters can be soft as well as hard, slow as well as swift,” says Bob, whose own Tai Qi teacher, William C. C. Chen, is well known for his fighting prowess. “Someone who goes from tense to more tense will have a limited range of responses. Masters have the ability to go from one extreme state to another in an instant; that differential is the source of their power.”

Bob Altheim teaches Anatomy and Physiology I, Myology, Palpation and Swedish Massage I and Swedish Massage II.

On June 13, Massage Therapy faculty member Charles Pegg ran in the Williams Lake Olympic Triathlon in Rosendale, NY, finishing in 2:16:33, which put him in third place in a close race. The event included swimming in a crystal clear spring-fed lake and a bike course that went through a cave.

Charles, who is Executive Director of SISTEM (Swedish Institute Sports Team and Event Massage) had enough energy after the event to help sponge soak other racers and to provide massage for a few with leg cramps. Way to go, Charles!

At the Bake Sale for Haiti held at the school this past February, there were many delectable choices. However, students who bought a piece of the chocolate cake in the center of the table immediately wanted to know who brought it in and if they could get the recipe. The cake was chocolately, moist, light…in a word, superyummy.

The secret? The cake is steamed, not baked. The secret is out now. Lucy Liben, Dean of the Massage Therapy Program, was the contributor of the cake and is happy to share the recipe because so many students asked for it.

Like many family treasures, this typewritten recipe was handed down. It was given to Lucy’s mother at least 20 years ago by a friend who had learned it at a yoga center. Maybe it will become a classic in your family too. Happy steaming!.

Kriota Willberg, LMT, is a whirlwind of creative energy with a passion for bringing art and science together.

She is a teacher of Swedish massage at the school, where she has taught since 1993. Her busy schedule includes teaching anatomy in adult education (often to yoga teachers, Pilates practitioners and cartoonists), providing therapeutic massage, and creating work as a choreographer and filmmaker. She is currently working towards an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College.

On Kriota’s blog she examines medical themes in movies. “I take a look at the wacky ideas—like getting radioactive spider venom in your veins--and either support them or say this could never happen. It makes the movies so much more entertaining for me, because if their science is wrong, it makes it funny and the movie is better, and if the science is correct it also makes the movie better, because I appreciate how the writer or director put their knowledge into it.”

Her analysis can take off on an educational tangent, such as the issues around transplants brought up by a movie like Faceoff, in which John Travolta changes faces with Nicholas Cage. Or she might take a more fantastical bent, such as speculating about viral mutations like those featured in I am Legend with Will Smith. There’s a long list of topics—ranging from abdominoplasty to Zorro—in the right hand navigation on her blog. Her imaginative perspective makes thinking about anatomy and physiology fun.

Clinic director Ericka Clinton was a guest on a Martha Stewart Radio program on Monday, February 8, giving hosts Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick tips on how to provide a loved one with a massage for Valentine’s Day.

The first question for Ericka: Why is it that when you give someone a massage at home, it often starts out with a kind of shriek of surprise from the receiver? That’s not what happens during a professional massage. How do you ensure a smooth start?

As it turns out, the host confessed that she often wants to dig in with a “Vulcan death grip”. Ericka laughed, and suggested the most basic element of offering massage: take your time.

“Rub your hands together briskly to warm them up,” Ericka advised. “Just place your hands on the receiver’s low back and hold them there, to get the ‘conversation’ going.” She encouraged simple gliding strokes up along the spine and around the shoulder blades, just enough to get the muscles warmed and increase the blood flow.

The hosts asked what they should do if they find a “knot” in someone’s back, should they “knead” it, could they use the “Vulcan death grip” then? Ericka laughed again. “Well, kneading and working out knots would involve more advanced knowledge,” she replied. “If you find a lot of knots, then you’ll want to give your loved one the gift of a professional massage.”

Vincent Metzo, MA, LMT, CSCS, will be teaching Kettlebell Concepts (Instructor Training Level 1) and his Flexibility and Corrective Exercise Specialist course at Seoul University in Seoul, South Korea next week.

Vincent Metzo is director of the Advanced Personal Training course and chairman of the Massage Therapy Science Department here at Swedish Institute. He offers Kettlebell Bootcamp classes on campus every semester through Continuing Education.

Follow Vincent on Facebook or check back here for updates on the trip and whether or not his kettlebells make it through airport security! Bon Voyage, Vincent!

Paula Chin’s smile is as wide as her hair is long. She has a different look on her face, however, when she is wielding a knife. That’s because she is trained—in the tradition of the Chinese scholar-warrior—in both the healing and the martial arts. In addition to massage, acupuncture and Tui Na, Paula is skilled in Kendo and Filipino Stick and Knife fighting.

It takes a warrior’s spirit to face people’s pain with little more than your hands. Asked how she approaches a client’s pain Paula explained, “It really depends on the individual, and what they are seeking.” Her approach to a client’s condition reveals the creative process at work in a complementary approach like massage or acupuncture.

What about a headache, for instance? “Headaches are complicated;” she replied, “because all headaches are different. Energetically, I look to see if it is part of a pattern. For instance, it might be due to a hormonal imbalance, or an acute pathogen, or a tendino-muscular disturbance. Depending on the pattern, I’ll choose which channels to work on and which external applications to use.”

What about a direct trauma, like a kick in the shin? Is that more straightforward? When you work energetically, maybe not. “With a direct trauma, I first want to know if it is acute or chronic,” Paula said. “I might start by applying lubricant using general strokes over the leg. Then go into deeper strokes. Then add medicated lubricants, like Dit Dat Jiao (an herbal liniment) or White Flower Oil.

“I might add Luo points, as well as work above and below the injury. The more you know, the more selections you’ll have; it allows you to be more creative in your treatment plan. One thing leads to another, like an unfolding path that takes place between me and the client.”

And where is the path going? “I’m seeking to free up an area so the body can heal itself,” Paula answered. “I want to release constriction so fluids and energy can course thru the muscles. With most injuries we have pain, but it’s not necessarily a negative thing; it’s the body’s way to protect itself from further injury.

“Pain comes from tightness, an inability to move forward. If you’re injured and you’re stressed, the body doesn’t know what’s healthy anymore. It goes from one state of tension to another. What I hope to do as a practitioner is help people restore movement and help them go forward with less fear.”

Paula has been teaching Swedish massage and other classes in the Massage Therapy Program since 1988 and in the Acupuncture Program since its inception in 1996.