Two former childhood friends from Oregon have reconnected while leading healthcare-related organizations in Utah County. Dr. Cameron K. Martin, president of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU), and Tracey Christensen, executive director of the Now I Can Foundation, recently reunited while volunteering for the United Way of Utah County’s Day of Caring.
The connection between Martin and Christensen dates back to their teenage years in the Eugene, Oregon, area, where they met at a youth church dance. Both individuals later attended Brigham Young University before relocating to Utah. Martin recently began volunteering with school employees at the Orem-based Now I Can Foundation alongside his wife, Julie, and other RMU staff members.
The Now I Can Foundation was established approximately 20 years ago by Tracey and Joel Christensen. The clinic was founded to provide specialized pediatric physical therapy, inspired by the Intensive Model of Therapy (IMOT) used in Poland to treat their daughter, Colby, who was diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The clinic typically treats between 100 and 120 children per year, utilizing an approach that combines traditional physical therapy with specialized tools over three-week sessions to help patients build new motor pathways.
RMU has also engaged in community outreach through a recent free health fair on its Provo campus. Partnering with agencies such as the United Way of Utah County, the Utah County Health Department, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the event drew 250 attendees. Participants received various screenings, including eye and hearing tests, nutritional information, and BMI checks. The Utah Women’s, Infants and Children (WIC) program also participated, signing up 100 women and their families for nutrition education and referrals.
During the Day of Caring, RMU employees assisted the Now I Can Foundation by cleaning windows and bathrooms, wrapping presents, making signs for children, and performing yard work. Dr. Jeff Lau, RMU’s dean of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, participated in the service effort as a longtime friend of Christensen.
