Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students Tessa Bocock ’25DPT, Alayna Mahon ’25DPT, and Zachary Runkle ’23, ’25DPT were awarded Arcadia University’s Marie-Louise and Eugene Jackson International Fund for Student and Faculty Development for their project, “The Impact of Day Rehabilitation in Jamaica Through International Service Learning.” The Jackson Award includes a $4,243 fellowship that will aid them in conducting their research and completing this project.

The project examines the effectiveness of the day rehabilitation model, a form of outpatient care that patients attend for eight hours daily, and how it facilitates the reintegration of individuals affected by various neurological conditions into their environments. This model is used at Friends of the Redeemer United in Jamaica, where Bocock, Mahon, and Runkle will conduct this service learning opportunity this fall.

“This model of healthcare is currently lacking substantial evidence in the literature, yet is being employed in Jamaica with countless meaningful clinically important differences experienced by participants,” explained Runkle. “We desire to delve deeper into this area to provide data supporting the use of the model with the ultimate goal of extrapolating the findings in Jamaica back to our communities in the United States.”

In addition to providing healthcare services to camp participants, the team will also collect and document pre and post-treatment standardized outcome measures to determine the impact of the day rehabilitation model on function and quality of life. They will then analyze the data and present their findings to Arcadia’s College of Health Sciences upon their return.

“There is so much research and learning ahead for us in this project,” Mahon said. “So far, I have definitely taken away how important it is to approach patient care with an interdisciplinary perspective and an individualized approach. There are so many crucial professionals in healthcare that, with their respective backgrounds, deliver key contributions to a patient’s individualized care.”

“As a result of this trip, we hope to gain insight into the merits of day rehab and reflect on how these may be translated into the therapy models within our own communities,” added Bocock. “The day rehabilitation model highlights the importance of incorporating diverse, integrative interventions that support patients in their everyday functional activities. I’m excited to explore the effectiveness of this comprehensive care model and to continue learning how to meet each patient’s individual needs with empathy, intention, and clinical insight.”

The Jackson Award was established in 2014 by the FourJay Foundation and aims to recognize Marie-Louise Jackson ‘09H and Eugene Jackson ‘90H, who exemplified a personal commitment to the empowerment of the University’s faculty and students in pursuing the endless possibilities of global education. 

To honor Eugene and his career in health sciences, the Jackson Award expedites the international experiences of ambitious health science professionals and students in Arcadia’s Health Sciences and Counseling programs.