USF recently acquired the CAREN virtual reality system, a powerful tool that helps people with disabilities increase their independence and reintegrate into the community

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When you see the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment system (CAREN) in action, the room-sized simulator resembles a giant video game, complete with avatars. Scenes projected on its 180-degree screen range from walking through a forest to driving past cityscapes to riding on a wave-tossed boat.

The three-dimensional virtual reality system engages and entertains – but its purpose is serious.

The system’s immersive environment and interactive gaming elements safely challenge people to learn new strategies for coping with changes in their balance, coordination or mobility caused by disability, traumatic injury or aging.  The advanced technology also gives researchers the scientific tools they need to advance the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders.

Watch time-lapse video of CAREN’s installation:

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Supported by a $450,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the University of South Florida recently became the first non-Department of Defense institution in the United States to obtain the CAREN extended model for research and rehabilitation, said William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. Additional matching funds from colleges and schools across USF also helped purchase the approximately $1 million simulator

“The CAREN system will be a critical part of the university’s neuromusculoskeletal, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder research initiatives involving wounded warriors, warfighters and student veterans,” Dr. Quillen said. “The system will greatly facilitate our ongoing interdisciplinary research to analyze human mobility and function and to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by increasing their independence and community reintegration.”

USF purchased the CAREN system with the support of grant from the National Science Foundation.

Integrated technologies add research and rehabilitation value

“This system integrates a lot of technologies typically used individually — like a split belt treadmill with force-sensing plates, a moveable base and motion capture analysis — to really help us better understand how an individual walks and moves in different terrains and environments,” said Kyle Reed, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering.

The CAREN project will bring together more than 20 investigators with expertise in rehabilitation engineering and science from the colleges of Engineering, Medicine’s School Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Behavioral and Community Sciences, Nursing, and Virtual and Performing Arts.  They will collaborate with researchers from James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Draper Laboratories.

L to R: Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD, of the USF School of Physical Therapay & Rehabilitation Sciences, with Kyle Reed, PhD, and Stephanie Carey, PhD, of the College of Engineering, look at the incoming information instantaneously displayed on CAREN’s control panel.

The system bridges the gap between the controlled environment of a laboratory or clinical rehabilitation setting and the uncontrolled community environments experienced in daily life.

“CAREN gives us a lot of opportunities to create variable scenarios that are closest to real-life environments,” said Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

Dr. Kim works with patients living with stroke, ataxia and other neurological disorders that significantly increase the risk for falls. “We can gradually increase the level of difficulty of the exercises based on patients’ performance using the CAREN system.  This allows patients to safely push their limits while working to regain balance control,” he said.

Dr. Carey secures the safety harness attached to Gordon Beadle before he begins a simulation exercise to try out his new prosthetic leg.

Gait analysis demo:  Strolling down a virtual path

During a recent demonstration in the USF Center for Assistive, Rehabilitation & Robotics Technology, Gordon “Skip” Beadle stood on CAREN’s platform safely secured in a harness suspended from a rigid frame attached to the platform.

The 71-year-old Vietnam veteran was there to try out a simulation exercise wearing his new prosthetic leg with a microprocessor-controlled knee and ankle, designed to more closely mimic natural gait.  Beadle lost his right leg in 1965 while his Marine infantry was clearing landmines as the unit advanced toward Chu Lai airbase north of South Vietnam.

Stephanie Carey, PhD, assistant research professor of mechanical engineering, leaned toward the simulator’s control panel, preparing to adjust settings and monitor the incoming data as Beadle began walking.  Jason Highsmith, DPT, PhD, CPO, associate professor in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, watched from the side as the treadmill began.

The simulator’s integrated techologies, including the split-belt treadmill and motion capture system, provide real-time information to analyze gait.

As birds chirped through the surround-sound system, Beadle began his simulated stroll along a winding cobblestone path through the forest at a slow, steady pace.  Some bumps in the terrain were introduced by CAREN’s motion platform, and the treadmill’s speed gradually increased as Beadle picked up his pace when a cottage, the finish line, came into view ahead on the screen.

Dozens of reflective sensors on Beadle’s lower body detected by high-speed, infrared cameras tracked his every step and instantaneously relayed the information to the computer software overseen by Dr. Carey.

The CAREN project investigators eventually hope to work with virtual designers to recreate the terrain of the USF Tampa campus or downtown Tampa.

Engineering and scientific methods improve functional recovery

The immersive system precisely measures and integrates a variety of data valuable to researchers and therapists — including which muscles are working at any given time, length of stride, weight bearing distribution, and how an individual’s joints move and the amount of force placed on them.

The information can be used, for instance, to analyze and correct the asymmetric gait of patients recovering from stroke, to test and improve prosthetics for lower-limb amputees, and to design assistive devices such as orthotic shoes, crutches or canes that help users walk more efficiently without tiring easily.

The system, working in concert with a therapist, could also help desensitize those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder by having them virtually re-experience situations that provoke anxiety in carefully controlled stages.

Beadle said the system’s safety harness significantly reduced his fear of falling.

The CAREN project investigators eventually hope to work with virtual designers to recreate the terrain of the USF campus or downtown Tampa for study participants or patients, Dr. Reed said.

“We’re just beginning to use the system for studies,” he said. “We expect in the next year or two we will have lots of results that can both help researchers at other universities and make life better for people with strokes, amputations, spinal cord injuries and other physical limitations.”

Pushing limits helps increase confidence, physical abilities

One of CAREN’s advantages is that patients feel protected by the safety harness that will quickly catch them if they begin to fall, so they become more comfortable stepping up their performance when challenged with new or more complex tasks – like negotiating a steeper incline, walking on an increasingly uneven surface, or maintaining balance while the ground beneath tilts to the right and left.

L to R: Jason Highsmith, DPT, PhD, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences; Kyle Reed, PhD, College of Engineering; Dimitrios Menychtas, biomedical engineering doctoral student; Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD; Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences; and Stephanie Carey, PhD, College of Engineering.

The safety feature definitely lessened his fear of falling, Beadle said when he finished the forest path exercise. “I can see where this type of therapy for someone just beginning to use a prosthesis would be beneficial in teaching balance and building confidence at the same time.”

CAREN allows therapists working with the system operators to gradually introduce obstacles that may be even more difficult than what patients would encounter in everyday life, Dr. Reed said.  “So, when they do face some small stairs or a street curb in a real-life situation, they can potentially say ‘I can handle that.  I’ve seen much bigger ones in the simulator system.’”

The NSF-funded project for USF’s CAREN virtual reality system is directed by principal investigators Rajiv Dubey, PhD, Sudeep Sakar, PhD, and Dr. Reed, College of Engineering; Dr. Quillen, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences; and  David Diamond, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences and James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

The simulation system mimics real-life environments. So, for instance, if the boat on video screen tilts left the ground beneath the person tilts left.

Video and photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

]]> https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/blog/2014/06/19/board-of-governors-approves-usf-phd-in-rehabilitation-sciences/ Thu, 19 Jun 2014 17:44:38 +0000 https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/?p=11687 New program responds to need for more faculty to prepare health rehabilitation workforce Tampa, FL  (June 19, 2014) — The Florida Board of Governors gave the University of […]

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New program responds to need for more faculty to prepare health rehabilitation workforce

Tampa, FL  (June 19, 2014) — The Florida Board of Governors gave the University of South Florida the green light to move ahead in implementing a PhD Degree in Rehabilitation Sciences with applied concentrations in chronic disease, veteran’s health and reintegration, and neuromusculoskeletal disability.  The proposed interdisciplinary research doctoral program was approved today by the Board.

USF’s new program will be only the second offered by a public university in Florida. The state’s other rehabilitation sciences doctoral degree was established at the University of Florida more than 20 years ago.

The USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences expects to begin offering the PhD degree program in 2015, increasing enrollment from four to 20 students within five years.  The program, designed to take three to five years to complete, will be supported by existing state funds, tuition fees and pursuit of grants and contracts to assist students.

The interdisciplinary field of rehabilitation sciences draws from disciplines spanning the physiological, health, social and engineering sciences as they relate to understanding and restoring human function and performance.

The USF PhD program will prepare its students to teach and conduct research in various rehabilitation-related programs, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, speech therapy, audiology and rehabilitation counseling. Graduates would also be qualified for leadership roles in industry or government.

“We will help meet the state’s growing demand for faculty to prepare future health professionals with expertise in rehabilitation,” said William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, associate dean at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. “This workforce need is fueled by medical advances that are helping people live longer and survive otherwise deadly injuries.  More people are living with temporary or chronic disabilities and need therapies to recover, adjust and adapt to changes in health and functional performance.”

John Mayer, DC, PhD, the Lincoln Endowed Chair in Biomechanical and Chiropractic Research and associate professor in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, will coordinate the new PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program.

  
Dr. William S. Quillen, left, directs the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitative Sciences, and Dr. John Mayer will coordinate the school’s new PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program.

Founded in 1998, the school offers a clinical Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, and in 2011 launched a distance-learning transitional DPT degree program for Florida-licensed physical therapists.  USF’s physical therapy graduate program is one of three in Florida nationally ranked in the top third by U.S. News & World Report.

 -USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a Top 50 research university in total research expenditures among both public and private institutions nationwide, according to the National Science Foundation. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Pensacola, Fla. (April 29, 2014) – The University of West Florida hosts a reception today to welcome the first class of seven students who were recently admitted into the University of South Florida/UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Partnership Program.

 The USF/UWF DPT Program expands access to UWF students interested in pursuing a DPT degree, while meeting a state-identified need for more physical therapists in Northwest Florida, a largely rural region of the state.  The Florida Board of Governors approved the formation of the partnership program in January 2013, following the Florida Legislature’s appropriation of $1 million in 2012 to help fund it.

L to R: Dr. George Stewart, director of the UWF School of Allied Health and Life Sciences; Renea Porsch, Brittany Crocker and Megan Coleman, some of the students admitted to the inaugural USF/UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Partnership Program; UWF President Judy Bense; and Dr. William S. Quillen, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The partnership allowed the USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences to expand enrollment in its nationally ranked, three-year DPT degree program by as many as 12 additional students a year. The newly created slots are competitively available to UWF graduates who meet USF’s DPT admissions requirements.

UWF students admitted for the Fall 2014 semester include:

• Kelsey Brown, ’14, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Hanna St. Denis, ’12, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Megan Coleman, ’14, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Brittany Crocker, ’13, B.S. Exercise      Science
• Rebecca Graves, ’13, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Renea Porsch, ’14, B.S.      Athletic Training
• Danielle Sims, ’13, B.S.      Exercise Science

The students will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship for each of the three years they are enrolled in the program. They will spend their first year of studies at USF, followed by two years of studies and clinical internships at UWF.

“We are so proud of the UWF graduates who were admitted into the inaugural class of the USF/UWF Partnership Doctor in Physical Therapy program,” said Dr. George Stewart, director of Allied Health and Life Sciences. “They chose UWF twice, once for their undergraduate degree and now a second time for the first health professional doctoral degree established at the University through the tireless efforts and dedication of our friends and colleagues at USF.  This is a seminal event that opens a new dimension of educational currency provided by UWF to our regional partners in healthcare, and there is more to come.”

“We welcome these inaugural students to our innovative USF-UWF partnership program that will help meet the state’s rapidly growing demand for physical therapy services,” said Dr. William S. Quillen, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Kelsey Brown, a native of Tampa, said her undergraduate experience at UWF, coupled with the knowledge and skills she will learn through the USF/UWF DPT Program, have given her the confidence that she will excel in her future career.

“UWF’s small classroom settings, paired with unrivaled relationships with professors who allow us to experience our education through a hands on approach, have truly pushed me to succeed,” Brown said. “With the USF/UWF DPT program being immersed in this environment, success will definitely be the only outcome. Through the experiences and outstanding education offered at UWF along with the new DPT program, I know I will be substantially prepared for my future successes.”

For additional information on the program, visit www.uwf.edu/dpt/

 About the University of West Florida: Founded in 1963, the University of West Florida is a vibrant, distinctive institution of higher learning with undergraduate, graduate and targeted research programs. With multiple locations in Northwest Florida, the University serves a student population of more than 12,000. Dedicated to helping students realize their full potential, UWF favors small class sizes with quality teacher-scholars who deliver personalized, innovative, hands-on learning and leadership opportunities.

About USF Health: USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a Top 50 research university in total research expenditures among both public and private institutions nationwide, according to the National Science Foundation. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media contacts:
Megan Gonzalez, University of West Florida Public Relations
MeganG@uwf.edu or 850-797-0922

Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
abaier@health.usf.edu or (813) 974-3303

The USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences celebrates 15 years of academic excellence, real-world research and exemplary clinical practice

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They shared the stories of how physical therapy had changed their lives with those celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

U.S. Army Sgt. Richard Cicero lost his right arm and leg following an IED blast injury sustained while on foot patrol during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Excruciating back pain sidelined Janise Nichols Man-Son-Hing from the  law enforcement  job she loved in 2010, and she could no longer compete as an amateur equestrian.

Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD, (left) assistant professor of physical therapy, speaks to a guest trying out the split-belt treadmill in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Human Functional Performance Lab.

Both credited USF’s physical therapy researchers and clinicians with helping them overcome the limitations that interfered with them living independent lives.

“I took my first jogging steps down this hallway right here,” said Cicero, who was referred to USF after extensive treatment in military and VA facilities. “And thanks to the people here, I did my first 5K this January.”

Man-Son-Hing had undergone physical therapy, tried medications and consulted with orthopedic physicians – all with virtually no relief – before she was referred to the USF Physical Therapy Center in February 2012. Since then, she has returned to full-time active duty as a law enforcement officer, resumed riding her show horse and, most recently, passed the physical assessment test required to retain her job.

 “Without the dedication of Dr. Kevin Murdoch (coordinator of USF Physical Therapy Center) and his staff, I would not have been able to regain the level of fitness needed to meet the challenges I set for myself and get my life back,” she said.

Heather Hartsell, PhD, PT (white coat), associate professor of physical therapy, with some DPT students from the Class of 2014, left to right: Jared Koenig, Alex Parisi, Mathew Leonard, Kristen Byers, and Ayla Olk-Szost.

William S. Quillen, DPT, welcomed faculty, staff, students and Tampa Bay community members who gathered Friday evening, April 19, to recognize the  to recognize the school’s achievements over the last 15 years and look ahead to an even brighter future.  The interactive event gave attendees a chance to go behind the scenes to tour the school, experience equipment and stations in the Human Functional Performance Laboratory, and visit student and faculty booths.

“Our school has really hit its stride not only in the education of outstanding Doctors of Physical Therapy, but through our real-world, federally-funded research and the stellar practice of our clinical faculty,” said William S. Quillen, DPT, associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.  “We are empowering patients to achieve and restore their mobility and optimal functioning, regardless of their illness or injury.”

Jeannie Stephenson (left), PT, MS, NCS, instructor, checks the balance of anniversary celebration attendee Alix Baughman.

The evening was emceed by Lissette Campos, director of community affairs for WFTS TV-ABC Action News and host of the station’s Positively Tampa Bay show.  Campos pointed to some of the accomplishments in the school’s short yet rapid-paced history:

–          USF was the state’s first public institution to receive authority to award the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

–          Admission to the school has become increasingly competitive, with nearly 1,000 applications received for 40 spots in the Class of 2016.

–          The innovative educational program — one of only three physical therapy programs in Florida nationally ranked in the top third of U.S. News & World Report national rankings —  emphasizes an integrated, interprofessional curriculum. DPT students learn alongside medical students in their first year, taught by physicians, nurses, public health professionals and basic scientists.

–          The school’s neuromusculoskeletal research seeks to better understand human function and apply those discoveries to new interventions that work best in real life.  Faculty expertise in prosthetics and low back injury research is intended to benefit everyone from combat wounded veterans, active-duty soldiers and high-performance athletes to people seeking to maintain routine activities of daily living.

William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, has led the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences since 2004, guiding the school in its upward trajectory.

In looking toward meeting tomorrow’s demands, Dr. Quillen cited several new initiatives underway at the school, including: 

–          A new partnership with the University of West Florida in Pensacola that will help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists in a largely rural region of Florida.

–          Moving ahead to establish a Clinical Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy at the USF Physical Therapy Center this summer.

–          A proposal to create a research PhD degree in Rehabilitation Sciences for implementation in Fall 2014.

–          Launch of the school’s first scholarship program called Circle of Motion, which includes 30 distinguished corporate and individual partners who will contribute to student success. Dr. Quillen recognized donor Tom Tiedermann, a founding member of the group.

Donna Petersen, DSc, (left) dean of the USF College of Public Health, congratulated the school on improving the lives of people in the community. Lissette Campos (right) of WFTS-TV ABC Action News, was emcee for the anniversary celebration.

“The work being done by the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences is transformational,” Campos said. “Your innovation, passion and outside-the-box thinking changes people’s lives… You don’t just see the patient’s current limitations or loss; you envision what can be gained through hard work and rehabilitation of the body and the spirit.”

L to R: Janise Man-Son-Hing, Richard Cicero, Lissette Campos, and Dr. William S. Quillen.

RELATED VIDEOS:
–  USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences campaign video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XWmJJAjJE

– City of Tampa TV (CCTV) segment on USF Physical Therapy/UWF partnership:  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgRkwNYSCI

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Lead Video by Allyn DiVito, USF Health Information Systems, and photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Florida Governor Rick Scott has appointed USF Health’s William S.  Quillen, PT, DPT, PhD, FACSM, as a new member of the state’s Board of Physical Therapy Practice. 

Dr. William “Sandy” Quillen

Dr. Quillen is associate dean and director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.  His term, which begins immediately, will run through October 2014.

The Board is comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor: five licensed physical therapists and two consumer members charged with  protecting the public’s health and safety through health care licensure, enforcement, and information.

Read more….

The collaboration will help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists

Tampa, FL  (Jan. 23, 2013)  – The University of South Florida (USF) and the University of West Florida (UWF) will be able to move forward to create a pilot program offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree in Pensacola.  The partnership program was approved last week by the Florida Board of Governors, which serves as a key step in advancing its implementation.

The Board’s approval follows the Florida Legislature’s appropriation last year of $1 million to help fund the USF-UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy education partnership program.

The collaborative program will expand access to UWF students interested in pursuing a DPT and help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists in a largely rural region of the state.

“This is an exciting educational partnership for health care in Florida,” said Stephen K. Klasko, MD, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.  “We are grateful that state lawmakers, the Florida Board of Governors, UWF President Judy Bense, and USF President Judy Genshaft have all recognized the critical need for more physical therapists to meet the future healthcare needs of Floridians.”

If other requirements by accreditation organizations are met as expected, students will begin applying for the program in July 2013 and start their studies in summer 2014.

The partnership will allow the USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences to expand enrollment in its nationally-ranked, three-year DPT degree program by as many as 12 additional students a year.  The newly created slots will be competitively available to UWF graduates who meet USF’s DPT admissions requirements.  When fully implemented, up to 36 qualified UWF graduates could be enrolled in the program.

Students would spend their first year of physical therapy studies at the USF Health campus in Tampa. The final two years of the three-year program would be spent in classrooms at UWF’s Pensacola campus and clinical internships conducted at hospitals and outpatient sites across the state’s Panhandle.

William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, leads the nationally-ranked USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

“Together USF, with our cutting-edge physical therapy education program emphasizing inter-professional collaboration, and UWF, which provides impressive pre-professional health sciences education, will help meet this rapidly growing demand for physical therapy services.” said William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“This partnership will provide a valuable opportunity for UWF students to participate in USF’s nationally recognized Doctor of Physical Therapy program,” said Martha Saunders, PhD, UWF Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Partnerships like this are important because they maximize the state’s resources, build on successful programming and provide needed support to our community. We appreciate the support of both institutions’ Board of Trustees as well as the Florida Board of Governors, and I am looking forward to more collaborations in the future.”

The University of West Florida in Pensacola serves a largely rural region of the state in need of more physical therapists.

The Board of Governors conducted a statewide analysis regarding the physical therapist workforce demand. Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) data and online tools indicate that the Pensacola area is a remote pocket of high-demand in the state for physical therapists, with more than 160 openings advertised in Fall 2012.

Florida public and independent universities awarded an estimated 392 professional DPT degrees during 2011-2012. The FDEO projected workforce demand for physical therapists is 492 annually to the year 2020.

“Northwest Florida is home to healthcare organizations, such as Andrews Institute, that are known throughout the United States for their quality physical therapy programs,” said George Stewart, PhD, Director of the UWF School of Allied Health and Life Sciences. “This program will produce qualified professionals who are prepared to enter this competitive workforce. The regional healthcare community has been extremely supportive of this endeavor, and we will use their expertise and facilities for internships, clinical rounds and more. We look forward to meeting their need for trained physical therapists.”

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

                    – University of West Florida-

With campuses in Pensacola and along the Emerald Coast, the University of West Florida serves a student population of more than 12,500. UWF’s mission is to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant and affordable undergraduate and graduate learning experiences; to transmit, apply and discover knowledge through teaching, scholarship, research and public service; and to engage in community partnerships that respond to mutual concerns and opportunities and that advance the economy and quality of life in the region. It was named one of “America’s Top Colleges” by Forbes Magazine in 2011 and 2012. Small class sizes and personalized attention from dedicated faculty are what make UWF “different by design.” 

Media Contacts:
Megan Prawdzik, University of West Florida
(850) 474-2658, or mprawdzik@uwf.edu

Anne DeLotto Baier, University of South Florida (USF Health)
(813) 974-3303, or abaier@health.usf.edu