Mary H. Schrag, PT, OCS
Mary Hass (Sheid) Schrag, a Thayer Missouri native and graduate of Thayer High School. She went on to graduate from Drury University and then University of Missouri in Columbia with her graduate degree in health-related professions. She has practiced as a Physical Therapists for 35 years and is a certified McKenzie therapist in spine techniques. Mary is a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) with an emphasis in orthopedics and sports. Mary is the Owner and CEO of Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic (PTSC), with locations in West Plains and Mountain Grove Missouri.
Mary’s interest in preventative care began in 1995 with expanded interest on sports and general fitness. In 2013 PTSC began working with the area SOAR Board (a grass root effort of 10 counties and 31 communities facilitated by past Congressman Wendall Bailey) to address area concerns of economic development, infrastructure, and education. Included in these concerns was health risk for area students and residents.
SOARHigh Phase 1 was implemented to address these concerns and was funded by USDA. The project included 14 area high school from 10 counties with 615 participants. SOARHigh Phase 1 project was executed by PTSC and Missouri State University (MSU) with the assistance of Ozarks Medical Center (OMC) and University of Missouri (MU) extension. The SOARHight results collected from the health risk assessments and biometric results were concerning including 20% prediabetic, 39% with high blood pressure, and 49% fell outside of normal range including more that were underweight than overwater.
In 2018 HASS, LLC was founded to expand services for youth Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s) including additional services and E-Mode™.
In 2018 Missouri Foundation for Health funded a second project named SOARHigh Phase 2. SOARHigh Phase 2 is a three-phase intervention program which includes Nutrition, fitness, and social emotional tools (E-Mode™) plus the development of an accurate youth health assessment tool. Mary served as project manager for both SOARHigh Phase 1 and SOARHigh Phase 2.
Mary’s goal is to develop easy to implement and execute tools that can be used in various school systems and private youth organizations to help guide better heath decisions through a multi-tier approach. Ultimately these tools will give feedback to parents, counselors, teachers, and healthcare providers. HASS, LLC’s long-term goal is creating a healthier workforce for Missouri’s future.
Chris Green, LAT
Native of west plains Missouri and attended Highschool at West Plains where I graduated from in 1992. I attended SMSU West Plains campus where I received my Associates in General Studies while working at Physical Therapy specialist Clinic as a PT tech. I received my BS degree from Arkansas State University in Health and Recreation with an emphasis in Athletic Training and a minor in Exercise Science. After Graduation from Arkansas State, I transferred to Illinois State University to receive my master's in Health and Recreation with an emphasis in Athletic Training. After passing my National Athletic Training exam and returned to West Plains to work at Physical Therapy Specialist Clinic in 1998. Since being at PTSC I have filled the positions of Athletic Trainer treatment patient in the clinic, as well as outreaching to 19 area high schools, was the head trainer at SMSU West Plains campus for 2 years, PTSC Clinical Specialist, PTSC regional clinic manager, PTSC Mt Grove Clinic Manager, PTSC Next-level Performance Director, PTSC board member, SOAR High project member being responsible for collection of biometric measurements and currently serve as PTSC Executive Vice president. With a total of 24 years of service with PTSC.
Approximately 6 years the owner of PTSC and I were addressed about working collaboratively with a few other organizations to implement SOARHigh 1 project with the goal of identifying the health status of area high school students in the surrounding 10 county area (SOARHigh Phase I). Health Assessment Systems and Services (HASS) LLC was created to expand and service the youth health initiative being developed in the south central part of Missouri. HASS LLC now subcontracts with area providers to provide services for SOARHigh phase II to administer tests and collect data. With my total of 27 years of being involved in health care, having a wife that has been an RN for 24 year and being the father of two boys (one of which is a junior in high school and the other a sophomore in college and who have both been active in sports) I have a great interest in health. I also have a special interest in our youth, because they are our tomorrow. I believe that the future of each of us begins today and if we can improve the health and health awareness of our youth today, we will have a significant improvement in the health of our society and workforce tomorrow.
Vince Beam, LAT
I am a native of Ford Dodge Iowa, upon graduation, I attended Iowa State University college of education and graduated in 1987 with a degree in secondary education and completed my national certification in Athletic Training. After graduation, I accepted a position as Head Athletic Trainer and teacher at Spring Branch Memorial High School in Houston Texas. Following my time at Spring Branch Memorial, I accepted a couple of positions as an Athletic Trainer prior to moving my family to Missouri and beginning my career at Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic in 1994. I received my National Strength and Conditioning Association certification along with my Strength and Conditioning Specialists certification. Since 1995, I have served as the Director of Sports Medicine Services for PTSC. I have
served as Head Athletic Trainer for West Plains High School and have implemented sports medicine staff policies and training for emergency care, injury prevention programs, as well as emergency action plans for West Plains, Mountain Grove, and Thayer High Schools
I have assisted PTSC with the implementation of the SOARHigh Phase 1 project with Health Assessment Systems and Services (HASS) LLC to assess the health status of high school students of a 10 county area in South Central Missouri. The work of HASS, LLC is to collect and organize data on the health status in the youth of our region, this work is very important for the future of our region's workforce. My career in sports medicine and physical rehabilitation has taught me of the great importance of both, recognizing health issues, prevention, and how to make health practice changes to improve outcomes. I believe the work of HASS, LLC will help give insight into the youth health status and how their status can be positively influenced to help create a healthier and more productive adult population. Because our demographics continue to change a healthy productive adult population will become even more important. It should be imperative that we age with the greatest of health and well being.
Joseph Hulgus, PhD
Dr. Joseph Hulgus is a licensed psychologist and received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas Woman's University, Master of Public Health degree from Missouri State University (MSU) and Bachelor's degree from Indiana State University - Evansville. Dr. Hulgus has worked with the Missouri State University Ozarks Public Health Institute (OPHI) as research and program evaluator for the last 16 years. He is also a Full Professor in the Counseling Department. His research work with OPHI has been varied and distinguished with some of his work receiving national recognition.
Dr. Hulgus has 30 plus years of experience working in a wide variety of contexts as a clinician, research psychologist and public health researcher. Prior to his work with OPHI he served as an independent research consultant to education and businesses. In Dallas, Texas he designed a multifaceted, comprehensive program evaluation for a continuum of care for severely and persistently mentally ill individuals engaged with their "Mental Health Connections" program. After moving to Springfield, Dr. Hulgus worked as a practicing clinician and research psychologist for Burrell Behavioral Health where he designed and implemented an on-going, comprehensive program evaluation within their broad continuum of care. Since moving to full-time academic teaching and research at MSU, he has transitioned his research efforts toward the public health arena and working with OPHI. Dr. Hulgus is the primary evaluator for OPHI projects and has served as the Principle Investigator for developing the Missouri Mental Health Standards for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Another noteworthy project was that he also developed and implemented the successful SOAR: Mental Health Trauma Intervention Program for Taney and Stone Counties. Dr. Hulgus is currently working on the SOARHigh Wellness project which is a multicounty school-based comprehensive wellness intervention program.
Dalen Duitsman, PhD
Dr. Dalen Duitsman is Director of the Ozarks Public Health Institute (OPHI) and Full Professor in the Master of Public Program (MPH) at Missouri State University. He received his doctorate in Public Health/Health Education and his M.S. from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Duitsman came from Iowa State University to Missouri State University in the fall of 1996. In 1998 he was charged with developing and implementing the MPH degree, which has grown into a thriving academic program. Graduates of the program hold public health positions throughout the country and a significant number of students have gone on to pursue doctorates or medically related degrees.
In February of 2001, Dr. Duitsman was appointed by the Missouri State University Board of Governors to be the Director of OPHI. OPHI provides education, training, and research support to community partners throughout the state. Through Dr. Duitsman's leadership, OPHI has developed a wealth of experience administering grants and contracts as well as designing, implementing and evaluating community-based interventions. Since OPHI is a University-wide Institute, Dr. Duitsman is able to unite university resources with community stakeholder resources to develop and implement broad-based research initiatives. Dr. Duitsman's experience and expertise includes the creation of partnerships and coalitions.
He also serves on a number of state, regional, and local boards, committees and coalitions. He is the Immediate Past President of the Missouri Institute of Community Health, is on the Board of the Missouri Public Health Association and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Transforming the Future of Public Health initiative. Dr. Duitsman is currently working on the SOARHigh Wellness project which is a multicounty school-based comprehensive wellness intervention program.
Cassandra Henne
Cassandra Henne, Project Coordinator for the Ozarks Public Health Institute and the SWMO Area Health Education Center, received a BS in Community and Regional Planning from Missouri State University (MSU) and has a combined eight years of experience with the Area Health Education Center and Ozarks Public Health Institute at MSU. Cassandra has extensive experience developing collaborative partnerships within the southwest region and has worked on various projects such as; medical moulage in disaster preparedness training, scheduling clinical training of osteopathic student doctors, and coordinating pre-health profession training through the AHEC Scholars Program.
Ms. Henne also has significant experience with project fiscal management. Examples of projects for which she has provided fiscal management include: SOAR High Wellness: A multicounty school-based comprehensive wellness program funded through Missouri Foundation for Health; SOAR: Mental Health Trauma Intervention Program funded through the Skaggs Foundation; Zika Mosquito Surveillance Project funded by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services; and the Accreditation Standards Revision Program also funded by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Cassandra enjoys houseplants, orchids, baking cakes, sustainable design, and topics in alternative energy.