UM School of Medicine's Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Receives Endowment Gift from Pivot Health Solutions; Will Advance Research and Train Next Generation of Scientists in Physical Rehabilitation

The Pivot Health Solutions Rehabilitation Science PhD Education Endowment Provides Critical Educational Support for PhD Students

Victoria G. Marchese, PhD, PT, Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS), University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), announced that Pivot Health Solutions has given $250,000 to fund the Pivot Health Solutions Physical Rehabilitation Science PhD Education Endowment. This important gift will be used as a critical resource for PhD students in Physical Rehabilitation Science in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) at UMSOM.

The Graduate Program in Physical Rehabilitation Science is a PhD training program with the primary goal of developing independent investigators who will advance the field of rehabilitation science research. The multidisciplinary program is supported by UMSOM’s core faculty of internationally recognized researchers, who are closely linked to other basic science and clinical departments across the School of Medicine.

“Pivot’s generous gift will ensure that we educate and train the next generation of leaders and researchers in the field of physical rehabilitation,” said Dr. Marchese. “The UMSOM Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science is dedicated to advancing the profession of rehabilitation through high-quality research.”

Faculty members are nationally recognized for their extensive experience leading the way in neuro motor performance and rehabilitation; musculoskeletal performance and rehabilitation; cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation; rehabilitation engineering and robotics; and curricular design and delivery.

“As one of the fastest growing physical therapy service providers in the United States, we understand the importance of supporting education to ensure that we have the experts we need to help patients in need. This is especially true as we are seeing life expectancy in the U.S. increasing and as we better understand the important impact physical therapy has on the wellbeing of patients,” said Chris Throckmorton, Chief Executive Officer of Pivot.

Based in Towson, MD, Pivot is the nation’s fastest growing physical therapy services provider in the country. The company is committed to providing exceptional care while safely and efficiently getting patients back to their regular activities. With 259 facilities in six states and the District of Columbia, the company’s innovative and personalized approach is designed to deliver the highest quality patient experience. Founded in 2000, Pivot Health Solutions is the parent company of Pivot Physical Therapy, Pivot Occupational Health, Pivot Onsite Innovations, Pivot Sports Medicine, and Pivot Performance. Together, Pivot’s family of brands provides all of the resources patients need to get and stay healthy. Pivot Health Solutions has more than 2,500 employees offering health and wellness services throughout the United States.

“This endowment will help secure training from both a basic and clinical science perspective as we provide our students at the University of Maryland School of Medicine foundational knowledge of rehabilitation science, biomechanical analysis of human movement and advanced research design,” said UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, University Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor.

PTRS has a long history of living its mission to advocate and advance societal health by optimizing wellness and human movement or function through excellence in education, research, clinical practice, and service, since its inception in 1956. The program has more than 200 DPT students, 8 PhD students, and 9 post-doctoral fellows. By integrating the principles of its mission, PTRS excels in: graduating culturally competent professionals capable of delivering excellent patient centered clinical care through critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning; providing new knowledge and evidence that enhances rehabilitation science and supports clinical practice through expertise, innovation, and technology; and guiding and promoting the physical therapy profession and rehabilitation sciences through engagement with scientific and professional organizations as well as local, national, and international communities.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu