PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2004
Contact: Stephanie Foster
Phone: 805-264-1553
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Local Therapist Shares Expertise with Chinese
There are few occupational therapists in China, but unfamiliarity with the profession isn't discouraging Stephanie Foster, PhD(c), OTR/L, from sharing her medical expertise with Chinese diplomats. Foster, the owner of a pediatric occupational therapy private practice in Santa Maria called Kid's Work, is departing Sunday as an ambassador with the People to People International Program. "'We'll show them what occupational therapy is and how it can help their people be independent," she said.
"This exchange of knowledge is one of the goals of the People to People programs," said Rosanne Rosen, the senior vice president of operations for the organization. The programs, which are offered to different age groups, were started in 1956 by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower to foster peace and understanding in the international community. Eisenhower had seen the horrors committed in the death camps of World War II and wanted a program, like People to People, to prevent these types of atrocities from happening again Rosen said. "People to People offers programs for everybody. Kids as young as kindergarten can interact with kids from Uzbekistan by exchanging letters, cards, and talk about the holidays." Rosen said it shrinks the global community.
Thousands of students and professionals travel across the globe each year because of the program. Medical professionals such as Foster are working toward bridging the medical gap between doctors in China and the United States, while younger students are traveling to Australia, Europe and the British Isles to live with international families.
"You really have to be committed to the program and what you're doing," Foster said. All of Foster's expenses for her 13-day People to People stint in China will be paid out of her own pocket. "It's not being subsidized by the government." Foster's trip will cost around $6,000, but she said, "It's worth it because you learn so much from working with people from different countries. I always enjoy experiencing things from the fresh viewpoint that other cultures provide." Foster has practiced occupational therapy in Germany, Romania, and Japan.
Foster will promote occupational therapy at the China Rehabilitation and Research Center, and the Hospital for Disabled Children Children in Beijing; the Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital in Xi'an, and the Kunming Medical College and the Recovering Center of Kunming Children's Hospital. The three-city tour will promote the practices Foster and the other occupational therapists use to teach patients how to dress, feed, or function in their daily lives or workplaces after an accident has left them with limited ability. "Occupational therapists help people live independently. The children we work with also need help, whether it's dressing, self-care, learning to sleep through the night, calming themselves, or improving their motor skills," Foster said. "Physical therapist help you get where you need to go and occupational therapists help you do what you need to do once you get there," she said.
For more information, please contact Foster at 805-264-1553 or visit their website at www.kidswork.biz.
For more information, please contact us at 805-264-1553 or
info 'at' kidswork 'dot' biz
(replace 'at' with "@" and 'dot' with "." for the correct email address)
Serving the entire Central Coast
P.O. Box 2476, Santa Maria, CA 93457
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