UTC alum recognized for global stroke recovery campaign while building nonprofit

Elyse Newland has YouTube subscribers from all over the world on her new channel Post Stroke.

The Chattanooga-based occupational therapist is charismatic, no doubt, which matters when trying to build and engage audiences on social media, especially ones overseas.

But Newland, a two-time alumna of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, doesn’t just want more followers. She wants to make a difference.

Her creative content and clever delivery—also available on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook—focus on detailed, practical and free information about recovering from a stroke, the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Stroke Association.

The association recently awarded Newland the Stroke Caregiver Hero Award for her work to combat the lack of resources and fractured continuity of care for stroke patients.

“Almost everyone can access YouTube, but many can’t go to a clinic and receive high-quality stroke therapy,” she said.

Newland received a bachelor’s degree from UTC in 2014 and was one of the first students to graduate from the University’s clinical doctorate of occupational therapy program in 2017.

It wasn’t long after she got her Ph.D. that she began working as a traveling therapist, a taxing but lucrative job that allowed her to pay off $100,000 in student debt. Then COVID-19 hit and, like many, she suddenly had time to ponder the direction of her life.

“I started to think about what I really wanted,” she said.

Her grandmother had recently suffered a stroke, “and I wasn’t super-pleased with the quality of her care.”

Part of the problem, she said, is that there aren’t many one-size-fits-all solutions for stroke patients.

“Strokes do not affect people the same way,” she said. “Survivors have distinct needs and individualized treatment but don’t often get enough tailor-made care.”

Strokes can affect regions of the brain that control voluntary and involuntary bodily functions such as vision, speech and mobility. A rehabilitation program that fits a patient’s particular needs is important, she said, explaining why recoveries vary so widely.

Her grandmother’s experience convinced Newland to become a certified stroke rehabilitation specialist. As the pandemic moved in, she transitioned into a mostly telehealth OT practice.

That’s when she also got her OT license to practice in four other states—Georgia, North Carolina, California and Oregon—and started developing the Post Stroke YouTube channel and campaign.

She breaks down evidence-based therapies, insight and tips for stroke survivors in a variety of ways. Her quick hits on social media platforms, like her TikTok video where she dances to illustrate the value of movement, are informative and reach exponentially more people than traditional pamphlets and technical blogs.

Her organization, Post Stroke, recently got its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, and Newland hopes to make that a full-time career after securing enough funding to make it sustainable.

“I have huge plans. It’s exciting,” Newland said. “We’re on a mission to make stroke recovery information accessible to the global community of stroke survivors.”

One of her biggest general tips?

“You are your best advocate,” she said.

“Learning to be assertive in your own health care is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I tell clients, ‘You know your body, your brain and your mood better than anyone else. Your doctors are experts in their fields, but not in you.’”