FCAP trains U.Va. students in inclusive medical care

By: Elizabeth Kim

Fried Center of the Advancement of Potential at University of Virginia, Student Health and Wellness

“Show how much you care before how much you know.”

This principle guides David Luedeka, the founding clinical director for the Fried Center for the Advancement of Potential (FCAP). Located on the third floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center at the University of Virginia and at Innisfree Village in Crozet, FCAP connects clients with the University’s students in an interactive and personalized medical-based fitness center.

It all started when Mark and Barbara Fried helped co-found Innisfree Village, a vibrant residential community of adults with intellectual disabilities. At Innisfree, the Frieds recognized the importance of exercise in intellectual and emotional well-being, leading them to start a fitness program that promotes long-term health based on the community’s needs. The Fried Center was introduced to Innisfree Village in 2013 to develop CDC-recommended fitness plans based on an individual’s unique needs. Keila Strick, the clinical co-director for FCAP and class of 2016 intern, said the center has grown with a “multiplier effect” of impact throughout communities.

Luedeka, Strick, and Fried at the University's FCAP Center

Now, the Fried Center has expanded in scope of reach and impact. With a recently opened center at the University of Virginia’s Student Health and Wellness Center, Fried Center interns – composed of the University’s students – are trained to give high-quality, affordable physical therapy and medical-based fitness training to clients with and without disability. It begins with a course led by Strick and Luedeka in the Kinesiology Department focused on evolutionary mismatch theory to help students learn how to effectively care for their clients’ injuries while also providing preventive care. Then student interns are immersed with hands-on experience where they begin applying what they learned by working with clients. This program creates an environment where pre-health students, clients, and medical professionals benefit from spending time together. Strick emphasizes that the values of the FCAP become innate for the interns, as they are trained to “engage, know, understand, and care” about their clients. Luedeka and Strick emphasize the importance of focusing on the entire patient and not just the acute complaint they may have.

“[I like] seeing the lightbulb go off in their head,” Luedeka said when illuminating the fulfilling aspects of training interns. “They become a family, and we create a culture of love and caring.”

One of the most important facets that allow for the personal connection between clients and medical professionals is inclusivity. In this way, individuals with disabilities are able to receive the care they need while the University’s students learn important lessons about treating patients of diverse backgrounds. As of now, 80 interns have graduated from the program and learned the necessary skills to challenge the status quo. 

“[Be] actively anti-ableist, interact with each other in a safe space [and have] a feeling of belonging and normalcy,” said Caroline Williams, intern alumna from the FCAP class of 2016. She is now working full-time as the co-director at FCAP’s clinic adjacent to Innisfree in Crozet, VA. 

As interns grow into healthcare professionals and combine real-world applications with care for their clients, FCAP educates the University’s students to solve medical issues thoroughly. They are taught to understand long-term biomechanical issues and seek permanent, sustainable solutions that align with patients’ long-term well-being in mind. In the current healthcare climate, sufficient time and patient interaction may limit quality care. At FCAP, interns are encouraged to take their time with each patient and develop meaningful relationships through kindness, support, and addressing the root causes of the problem rather than jumping to a quick fix.

“Systemic problems that exist within our country, such as healthcare limitations, may feel overwhelming,” Strick said. “However, there are solutions that exist. To tackle all of it at once may feel impossible, but the perspective to do something that feels right [...] is the most rewarding thing. And that’s what we are doing here at FCAP.”

Interns learn the full extent of effective exercise, pain relief, and the reward of hard work when practicing medicine in the future. FCAP hopes to build positive reinforcers and intrinsic motivation, especially with high burnout rates of 45-71% in the physical therapy profession (Link et al., 2021). 

Through an environment of compassion and learning, FCAP believes in improving lives for all its participants. The University’s students who are interested in long-term rehabilitation or exercise services can make an appointment through the Healthy Hoos portal. Prospective FCAP interns can expect 6 months of training, enrolling in a kinesiology class, and agreeing to a one-year commitment. Any student can apply (not exclusive to kinesiology). 

FCAP is able to provide low cost care because of the generosity of those who support their mission of providing personalized one-on-one medical-based training in an inclusive environment. If you would like to support their mission, you can donate here.