A patient at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions demonstrates the BITS Balance System at a press conference held on May 17, 2021. 

Thanks to a second grant from the Noel Foundation, the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions is now offering advanced educational opportunities for entry-level professional and residency education programs.  This advanced technology delivered through the Bioness BITS Balance System provides students the opportunity to have simulation and hands-on experience with the most advanced technology available in real-time.

Private grant support, like this grant received from the Noel Foundation, sets us apart when it comes to education, research and service to our community.  We were the first facility in the world to receive this advance technology.   As a premiere Academic Health System in the state, we are so thankful to the Noel Foundation for their commitment to support educational opportunities across the spectrum of higher education.” stated Suzanne Tinsley, PhD, PT, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, Parks Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation and Associate Director of the Center for Brain Health – Neuro Rehabilitation.

Across the industry – from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, to Speech Therapy – BITS Balance combines visual, cognitive, motor and balance training into one session, providing the patient and therapist with the most efficient technology to date. This combination is increasingly important as clinical research shows that dual-task ability holds potential to improve gait, balance, and cognition in individuals with neurologic disorders.

Specific aspects of the new technology allow providers to determine patients’ limits of stability, fall risk, range of motion, body sway and more. The standard digitized balance assessments such as the Berg Balance Scale assessment score patients on a scale of zero to four on various activities, assessing static and dynamic balance ability as well as sitting vs. standing balance ability. In addition, with the Functional Reach Test, assess limits of stability while reaching in a standing or sitting position. For an objective measure of postural stability, providers can also utilize the Romberg and Sensory Integration Test. Visit bionesstherapy.com to learn more about Bioness Therapy Integrated System.

With the versatile balance tracking and the wide variety of balance therapies, BITS Balance can be used to train patients with varying degrees of mobility and improve outcomes.

For more information on opportunities to support the School of Allied Health Professions please contact:  

Jesse Gilmore, VP for Development

Phone: 318-861-0855

Email: [email protected]