Massage Therapy Program Touching Lives Throughout District

3/4/09

by Shannon Woodworth

Laurie McGee of Cairo was one of a number of massage therapy students from Shawnee Community College who provided a public service at the Anna Veterans Home recently. McGee and other students provided massages to the residents of the veterans home. Here, McGee works on the back of resident Walter Cherrick. Students provide the service as part of the curriculum necessary to get their state licensing. The college's program has a 94 percent pass rate for students, much higher than the national rate of 69 percent.

Anna - Orlie Shannon is proof that sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks. The 84-year-old World War II veteran - and retired Choate Mental Health Center employee - has a number of life experiences he can talk about. As a boy, he picked cotton on a farm in Arkansas; he found the love of his life through a pen pal from Karnak who wrote him during the war; and as a social worker for more than 30 years, he has counseled people through many serious situations. Now in a wheelchair, due to a neurological condition, he says without hesitation that he has lived a full life. A graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he and his late wife together raised four children, he enjoyed gardening, fishing, and sometimes being a "shade tree mechanic." On the surface, it seems that there isn't much Shannon hasn't done. But thanks to Shawnee Community College, he did try something new recently: he got his first massage.

"I loved it," Shannon said, as he emerged from one of the college's massage therapy chair looking relaxed and refreshed. "I can't believe I never tried one of these before."

Shannon is a resident at the Anna Veterans Home. As a public service, the college's massage therapy students from time to time visit the veterans home to provide free massages.

Linda Hadley, director of the Anna Veterans Home, praised the college for taking time to bring massage therapy to the home. "There is no question what massage therapy does for our residents here," Hadley said. "It reduces stress, decreases anxiety, and improves concentration and circulations for these individuals. We are very pleased they take time to visit us here." Andra Fahlberg, massage therapy instructor at Shawnee Community College, said providing this type of public service to the community is a win-win for everyone.

"Our students need hands-on experience in order to complete the course, and, in the case of the residents of the Anna Veterans Home, we are able to help with the health and well-being of people in our college district," Fahlberg said.

Shawnee Community College's Massage Therapy one-year certificate program is an intense program designed to introduce the student to the history, current trends, basic theories and techniques of massage. Students explore ethical issues, laws, anatomy and physiology, pathology, and business practices. The 525-hour program meets the requirements for national certification and for Illinois and Missouri licensing. For more information on this and other health careers at the college, contact Carol Belt, Allied Health Division chair at carolb@shawneecc.edu or call 618-634-3277. Place your name on the mailing list for future continuing education seminars for massage therapy by contacting Peggy Greer at 618-634-3282. Shannon, however, has only one question: "When are they coming back?"

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