Posted on April 17, 2002 at 11:40 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The new Richard M. Scrushy Building will be dedicated at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 24. The ceremony will take place in front of the building at the corner of University Boulevard and 18th Street South. The building, named for Richard Scrushy, Chairman, CEO and founder of HEALTHSOUTH Corp. (NYSE:HRC), will provide office and research space for the School of Health Related Professions (SHRP). Scrushy is a 1974 graduate of SHRP.
The $11 million, four-story building has 76,000 square feet of space to accommodate faculty offices and laboratories from four departments within SHRP. The departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy, critical care and diagnostic and therapeutic sciences will be housed in the new building.
“The UAB School of Health Related Professions is nationally recognized as a leader in preparing graduates for careers in health care fields,” said UAB President W. Ann Reynolds, Ph.D. “This addition to the school’s resources will enhance its ability to produce outstanding graduates in a wide range of health care professions. We are indebted to Richard Scrushy for his generous assistance in the construction of this new building.”
SHRP offers 20 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. levels that prepare graduates for careers in fields such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, health care administration, information management, laboratory sciences, diagnostic medicine, nutrition sciences and other allied health areas.
“There is a tremendous demand for well trained, motivated individuals throughout the gamut of health care professions,” said Scrushy, who taught at SHRP for two years. “I’m proud of the reputation the school has built over the years, and I am pleased that I can contribute in a small way to the school’s ability to continue to produce competent, qualified professionals in these fields.”
The school enjoys a national and international reputation in research, diagnostic and rehabilitative care, clinical and didactic education and health administration preparation. It is the second largest allied health school in the nation in the number of students and number of degree programs offered. SHRP is the leading recipient of National Institutes of Health research grants among similar schools in the country. Three of the school’s programs are ranked in the Top 20 by U.S. News and World Reports, with two of those ranked in the top ten.
Birmingham-based HEALTHSOUTH is the nation’s largest provider of healthcare services, with nearly 1,900 facilities in all 50 states and abroad.