Kelsey Voltz-Poremba
Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Kelsey Voltz-Poremba is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). She has been an integral member of the SHRS team in building and promoting the community-based work the school is doing at the SHRS Wellness Pavilion, part of the Pitt Community Engagement Center (CEC) in Homewood.
Dr. Voltz-Poremba has expertise in designing programs in communities that promote health and mitigate health disparities. At the Pitt CEC in Homewood, she has designed health and wellness programs, as well as a handwriting tutoring program for grade school students. She has facilitated groups for older adults on falls prevention and began a collaboration with the local Primary Care Health Services (PCHS) Alma Illery in sponsoring health focused programs including a monthly Bingo night at the Pitt CEC in Homewood. Dr. Voltz-Poremba recently received support from the Pitt Seed Program where she and colleagues from the School of Pharmacy, the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Departments of Mathematics and Studio Arts created an interprofessional program to support faculty and staff to engage in community-based work. Through the funding, the team piloted a middle school health and wellness program at the Pitt CEC in Homewood, developed Magical Math at the Pitt CEC in the Hill District, supported community blood pressure education and screening events, and funded three art shows, showcasing local artists at the Pitt CEC in Homewood.
As an educator, Dr. Voltz-Poremba facilitates and mentors graduate occupational therapy students to partner with community collaborators in developing and implementing community, occupation-based programs throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Current projects include collaborations with Homewood Children’s Village, Beacon Communities-Moorhead Tower, Cancer Bridges and HEARTH. Dr. Voltz-Poremba consistently demonstrates leadership in community outreach and engagement through her teaching of future rehabilitation practitioners and service to Pitt and surrounding communities in the region.