LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (May 12, 2023) – Spalding University celebrated the opening of the Kosair Charities School of Physical Therapy and Center for Inter-professional Education, the on-campus building for its new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program. Speakers at this exciting event included Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, President and CEO of Kosair For Kids Barry Dunn, CEO and principle architect for Schmidt Associates Sarah Hempstead, as well as Spalding President Tori Murden McClure and Chair of the Spalding Board of Trustees Kellie Sheryak. Members of the press were in attendance to document the program and ribbon cutting, and stayed to ask questions and tour the new facility.
The Kosair Charities School of Physical Therapy and Center for Inter-professional Education will house Spalding’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy program, the most recent addition to its healthcare education programs. This 22,000 square foot building at 961 South Third Street, formerly the V. V. Cooke Chevrolet dealership, was designed specially for the DPT’s hybrid program, with state-of-the-art laboratories and an abundance of student space.
The renovation of this new building, one of the largest capital projects in Spalding history, was made possible in part by the generous support of local community organizations including the Gheens Foundation, the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana, and Kosair For Kids, for which the building and School of Physical Therapy are named. The gift from Kosair for Kids represents one of the single largest gifts to the University. Schmidt Associates was the architecture partner and Schaefer Construction was the general contractor for the project. The completion of the building in late 2022 transformed a block of South Third Street into a health professions education corridor, with programs in Occupational Therapy and Athletic Training housed in the Kosair Charities School of Health and Natural Sciences building at Third and Breckinridge Streets, and the Schools of Nursing and Social Work housed in the Republic Bank Academic Center at Third and Kentucky Streets.
In addition to the entry-level DPT Program, the School of Physical Therapy will offer a post-professional DPT Program for physical therapists who do not hold a DPT degree as well as a residency and fellowship in pediatric physical therapy. The residency and fellowship will meet a need for physical therapists with specialty training and board certification in pediatric physical therapy. The School of Physical Therapy will also provide opportunities for postdoctoral fellows at UofL Health to be mentored in teaching as part of their fellowship training.
Spalding President Tori Murden McClure speaking at ribbon cutting for Kosair For Kids School of Physical Therapy and Center for Inter-professional Education
About Spalding University: Established in 1814 and located in downtown Louisville since 1920, Spalding is a historic, private institution that offers graduate, undergraduate and accelerated programs in a range of areas of study. The regionally accredited university offers an innovative schedule of seven six-week sessions per year, allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree at their own pace. Its athletic teams compete in NCAA Division III. Spalding was recognized as the world’s first Compassionate University. More information is available at Spalding.edu.