Congratulations LEND 2013-2014 Trainees!
On April 2, 2014, the LEND Center of Pittsburgh held our Annual Portfolio Day celebration. Portfolio Day is the culmination of the work LEND trainees dedicate to the program throughout the academic year. Each trainee is given the opportunity to showcase their LEND experience by presenting a poster outlining their personal journey.
Different from years past, our day featured two Keynote Speakers. First, Dr. Andrew Urbach, Associate Chief Medical Officer of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, presented "Patient and Family Centered Care – My Personal Journey." During this presentation, Dr. Urbach shared with the audience insight into his participation in the planning and implementation of the new Children’s Hospital and how, through a panel of both professional and family advisors, the focus quickly became family-centered care. From the architectural design, to the creature comforts of home, to the way professionals and staff communicate with the families at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh - it is the needs and the wants of the patients and their families that come first.
Mr. Andrew Imparato, Executive Director of the Association for University Centers on Disability, gave the second Keynote address. His talk focused on his personal journey from law student and self-advocate to his present role in the center of disability advocacy. His discussion, "Next Steps in Policy for Individuals with Disabilities," informed the audience about the current state of Disability Policy and provided insight into where he sees things headed in the future.
The day ended with an opportunity for our Community Partners sharing information on their organizations, as well as showcasing the products our students collaborated on with them. We give special thanks to:
- Liz Healy - PEAL Center
- Nancy Murray - ACHIEVA
- Michele Burgess - Mighty Penguins
- Karin Shafer - Hope Center
- Melva Gooden-Ledbetter - CLASS
- Dr. Lynn Williams & Dr. Tammy Murdock - Jeremiah's Place
- Mary Campbell - Sickle Cell Program at CHP
- Dr. Robyn Filipink, Dr. Rebecca Kronk, & Paula Ciliberti - Fragile X Center at CHP
- Peggy Beem & Rick Boyle - Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central PA
Finally, we would like to give special recognition to this years’ graduating class: