UNION - Kean University has appointed Geraldine Pagaoa, an accomplished healthcare manager formerly of The Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, as Director of its new Kean Community Cares Clinic. A lifelong Union County resident, Pagaoa brings more than 12 years of Occupational Therapy (OT) leadership experience to the new clinic, which will be opening this month.
"Kean is the only university in the tri-state area and one of only 17 nationally with an occupational therapy clinic," said Pagaoa, a graduate of Roselle Catholic High School who grew up in the borough. "The Kean University OT Community Cares Clinic offers an exciting opportunity for both students in the form of field experience and local residents who need services."
An adjunct professor in Kean's OT Graduate Program since 2006, Pagaoa previously served as Clinical Manager at Kessler and OT Student Coordinator of Kessler's Chester campus. She has also worked with The Johnson Rehabilitation Institute at JFK Medical Center in Edison and Motorika USA of Mount Laurel. She received an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Rutgers University. A registered occupational therapist, Pagaoa resides in Union Township with her husband, Chris, and their two children.
"We are fortunate to have someone with Geraldine Pagaoa's level of expertise lead the new OT clinic," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Beck, Dean of Kean's Nathan Weiss Graduate College. "In addition to having a great background in the field, Geri has the dual advantage of being very familiar with Kean and the local community, all quite strong assets for our program going forward."
The OT clinic will offer both adult and pediatric care, providing treatment to develop, recover or maintain daily living and work-related skills for individuals with physical, sensory, motor, cognitive, mental or developmental conditions.
"The community will benefit from the OT clinic because we will provide an affordable option for traditional occupational therapy services, specialized OT programs and community-based OT programs all under one roof," said Pagaoa. "We will also be a new resource where people can go for general health and wellness education."
The clinic is a state-of-the-art facility that will service all ages, providing occupational therapy services for children, adolescents and adults, focused on rehabilitation and disability, mental health, productive aging, and health and wellness. From an academic perspective, students will be able to utilize the clinic for splinting, working with clients during seminar classes, and fieldwork placements.
"It is increasingly difficult to find fieldwork placements or externships for a variety of reasons," said Pagaoa. "The OT clinic will now provide another option for our students to receive training in preparation for entry level practice. Because we are directly linked to the Kean OT Department, the students will have on-site learning with clinicians who not only are skilled in their practice area, but also are also familiar with the Kean OT curriculum. From the academic side, the clinicians will be able to provide direct feedback to the OT department on student performance and suggestions on improving our overall OT program."
The facility's new client treatment areas, a clinic-based teaching area and three classrooms were created through a 9,100-square-foot renovation to the graduate building on the university's East Campus in Hillside, supported in part by the Building Our Future Bond Act.
The Kean M.S. in Occupational Therapy, has ranked in U.S. News and World Report'sTop 100 of Best Graduate Occupational Therapy Programs, is the University's most competitive graduate program and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). For more information, please visit grad.kean.edu/ot. For more information on the clinic, please call (908) 737-5940 or email at OTClinic@kean.edu.
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Founded in 1855, Kean University is New Jersey's most affordable comprehensive public university. As one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, Kean boasts a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers three doctorate degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master's degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. With locations in Union Township and Toms River, New Jersey, the University's five undergraduate colleges offer 49 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic disciplines.