Physical Therapy Open House

JOHNSON CITY (Nov. 8, 2018) – An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated facilities of East Tennessee State University’s Department of Physical Therapy will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 3-5 p.m. on the second floor of building 2 at the Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus at Mountain Home.

The Department of Physical Therapy is part of the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences in ETSU’s Academic Health Sciences Center.

The open house will provide opportunities for members of the campus community and the public to tour the department’s facilities, enjoy light refreshments and chat with Physical Therapy professors to learn more about the program.

Participants in the ribbon-cutting ceremony will include ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland; Dr. Don Samples, dean of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences; Dr. Wilsie Bishop, ETSU vice president for Health Affairs; Dr. Patricia “Trish” King, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy; officials from ETSU’s Information Technology Services and Planning and Design divisions; and representatives of BarberMcMurry Architects of Knoxville and J.A. Street and Associates General Contractors of Blountville.

When the ETSU Physical Therapy program began over 20 years ago, the space in Building 2 of the VA was initially renovated to accommodate 24 students.  Since then, the program has operated in the space with no updates or new furniture, while its student body has grown to 39 and its faculty doubled in size. 

Planning for upgrades to the Physical Therapy Department’s facilities began in late 2016, and the department was completely relocated to ETSU’s Eastman Valleybrook Campus from August 2017-June 2018 while its home on the VA campus was remodeled. 

“The renovation was major, in that walls were moved and classrooms and offices reconfigured to provide space for our growing student body and faculty,” King said.  “One example of the changes is that our faculty offices were originally patient rooms for VA residents, and each had a private bathroom.  To grow our office space, the walls were all demolished to allow more offices and public rather than private restrooms.”

King added that classroom capacity was increased and state-of-the-art information technology and audiovisual equipment was installed to enhance teaching and learning capabilities.  New and improved spaces were created for students to relax and work in small groups.

“The department is grateful to Dean Samples and to James Batchelder, the associate dean for Fiscal Affairs in the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences, for their commitment to and early vision for this project,” King said.

For more information, call the Department of Physical Therapy at 423-439-8793.   For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Hill
hill@etsu.edu
423-439-4317