Happy Birthday to the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences!

On February 19, 2008, the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences was born from the split in the College of Public and Allied Health. The College is the newest in the Division of Health Sciences that also includes the College of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. Although our College is new, our programs have a long history at East Tennessee State University. Our new College is beginning with two types of programs; those that provide diagnostic and preventative care, including dental hygiene and radiography, and programs that have a rehabilitative focus including respiratory therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology. These programs are housed on our main campus, the adjoining VA campus, as well as in the Nave Center in nearby Elizabethton, Tennessee.

 
Nancy J. Scherer, Ph.D.
Dean

So what does the future hold for the College of Clinical and

Rehabilitative Health Sciences?  As a full-fledged college, we are now poised to take major steps toward expansion. We offer degree programs in some of health care's fastest growing professions; in fact, all of our students are in high demand. We plan to expand programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to meet the future healthcare needs of the region, state, and nation. On the immediate horizon, we plan to expand our presence in the imaging areas and preventative care. Tennessee has a significant workforce need in these areas that is particularly evident in rural communities. Our educational mission in rural healthcare is well-suited to address these workforce shortages. Our dental hygiene clinic at the Mt. Hope Clinic in Sevier County, Tennessee is an example of blending a community need with student training in a rural health site.

A major focus of the new College is devoted to educating professionals in rehabilitation. The new College promotes our rehabilitation mission through development of interdisciplinary service and research clinics. Renovations are nearing completion on the third floor of Lamb Hall that will allow us to greatly expand the clinic space within our Speech-Language and Hearing Center and provide a state-of-the-art facility for clinical research and training. We believe that clinical training in best practices and research are optimally conducted within clinical settings that are organized around clinical research questions. Our Falls Prevention Program for the Elderly is an example of a program that integrates audiology and physical therapy with nursing, gerontology, and pharmacy to address treatment efficacy questions for falls prevention.

Among our College's strength is our collaboration and affiliation with our community medical, rehabilitation, and educational facilities and the commitment to providing our students with exceptional clinical experiences. Our unique collaborative program in Audiology is an example of a program that combines the resources of the University and VA Medical Center to offer a clinical doctorate in Audiology. With the 15 doctoral faculty from both the VA and the University, this program provides a depth and breadth of expertise that exists in few programs nationally.

Our college will continue to engage our alumni, professionals, and the community in activities that enhance the clinical and rehabilitative professions. We welcome input and feedback to improve the quality of our academic programs.

Welcome to our new College. Please feel free to contact our office staff or student advisor if you have any questions regarding our programs so that we may assist you in meeting your educational and career goals.

Sincerely,

Nancy J. Scherer, Ph.D.
Dean