As UAB PT celebrates its 60th anniversary, we want to spotlight a few of our many successful alumni and hear how the department has impacted their journeys. With that said, we are pleased to introduce you to Antonio V. Pruitt, PT, DPT, MPA - a member of our first class of DPT graduates. Currently, Antonio is director or rehab services for Cobb Hospital in the WellStar Health System.

As the Department of Physical Therapy at UAB commemorates six decades of excellence and evolution, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the profound impact of its alumni. Here we honor two of our earliest graduates who have made meaningful contributions for decades.

UAB alumni Larry and Jane Crane moved to Pine Mountain, Georgia in 2021 and quickly discovered the dire need for physical therapy services. This inspired them to combine their skills in physical therapy and health administration to create Spine Mountain, a hybrid physical therapy clinic and wellness studio.

UAB Genetic Counseling Program alumni, Brighton Goodhue, MS, LCGC, and Dana (Hollenbeck) Goodloe, MPH, MS, LCGC, were two of only 15 genetic counselors in the U.S. to be nominated for the Heart of Genetic Counseling Award this year. The award is sponsored by Invitae and honorees are selected from nominees submitted by patients and families that have received genetic counseling services.

In this edition of our alumni feature, we highlight and celebrate Dr. Pi-Ling Chang. All of you may remember Dr. Chang - she was the very first student in the PhD program and she remained with the department throughout her career.

The Marylin R. Gossman Endowed Lectureship celebrated its 10th anniversary with an inspiring presentation delivered by Elizabeth Dean, PT, Ph.D., titled "This is What it Takes to Address Societal Health and Equity. Are Physical Therapists Ready?"

Larissa Francis grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and earned a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. In December 2022, she graduated with her M.S. in Nutrition Sciences, completing the Dietitian Education Graduate Certificate Program (DEP-C) through the Lifestyle Management and Disease Prevention track. So how did she go from the ATF to UAB?

Anthony Patterson, CEO of UAB Hospital, will join the UAB School of Health Professions on Jan. 1, 2023, as the inaugural associate dean for Clinical Affairs and Strategy. He will be responsible for creating and implementing a plan for faculty-led clinics and increasing the number of clinical fieldwork sites for student placement, among other responsibilities.

Administration-Health Services (Health Informatics Track) Ph.D. Candidate, Heather D. Martin, talks about her interests in helping Alabama practitioners battle the opioid crises, UAB’s Learning Health System, and advocating for student success.

The UAB School of Health Professions has 12 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Who’s Who in Health Care.

Gia Pittet, Au.D., Ph.D., recent graduate of the UAB School of Health Professions’ PhD in Administration-Health Services program, has earned international media coverage for her PhD dissertation.

The UAB National Alumni Society has named six UAB School of Health Professions’ (SHP) alumni to the UAB Excellence in Business Top 25. The program was created to identify, recognize, and celebrate the success of the top 25 UAB alumni-owned or UAB alumni-managed businesses.

The UAB School of Health Professions has 16 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2020 Who’s Who in Health Care.

When she joined the UAB Office of Interprofessional Simulation for Innovative Clinical Practice, Kelly Roszczynialski, M.D., as their simulation fellow, she was informed of UAB’s new M.S. in Healthcare Simulation program.

Derrick L. Miles, MSHA Class 34, was a wunderkind in the acute care world. By age 31, he was CEO in the Pavilion at Northwest Texas Healthcare System. However, his passion for his family, his drive for new opportunities and the unexpected loss of his cousin to sickle cell propelled Miles to pursue his dreams.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this came to life in order to provide UAB PT second-year students an opportunity to participate in providing physical therapy via telehealth.

Rocky and Amelia Barnes established the Barnes Family Endowed Scholarship. In a recent Q&A session, Rocky told us how he ended up at UAB, what advice he gives students today, and why he supports UAB PT: "I felt the need and obligation to give back to the program that has given so much to me."

"I want you to know that every day I think of you collectively and individually, as I know you are doing battle in the trenches every day and night without end. On the one hand, I feel proud because we know the stuff you are made of and we know your resilience, passion and dedication to your life’s work. On the other hand, I wish I could see and talk with you individually to assess your situation and provide whatever guidance and support I can.

The UAB School of Health Professions has five people on the 2019 Birmingham Business Journal Most Influential Executives list.

On August 17, 2019, Sister Almeda Golson, the first and only nun to graduate from the UAB School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Health Administration program, passed away in Evansville, Indiana.