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Connolly Named as One of 25 Most Influential Therapists

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Memphis, Tenn. (November 14, 2006) – Therapy Times announced today its 25 Most Influential in the therapy field.  Barbara Connolly, EdD, PT, professor of physical therapy and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was named to the list.

          "The Therapy Times Most Influential issue is significant because it recognizes the top 25 powerful people going above and beyond the call of their profession’s duty, inspiring others and advancing their discipline," said Therapy Times Publisher Heather Brennan Koitzsch, RD.  "This year, we received an overwhelming number of responses, but Barbara Connolly stood out with her passion for the physical therapy profession, sterling leadership skills, unparalleled dedication to education and unwavering commitment to shaping the PT field nationally and internationally.  She certainly deserves the prestigious honor of being one of Therapy Times’ 25 Most Influential."

          As an internationally known professor of physical therapy, Dr. Barbara Connolly regularly reaches out far beyond the classroom to make an impact on the Mid-South region.  She has shaped the boundaries of the entire physical therapy field.  Under her leadership, the Physical Therapy Department at UTHSC has advanced its degrees offered from Bachelor of Science to Master’s and most recently, to Doctor of Physical Therapy.  In addition, she has initiated several advanced-degree programs for previously credentialed practitioners, such as the Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Dr. Connolly was a founding member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) section of pediatrics and subsequently was president of the section.  In 1985 she represented the APTA at the World Rehabilitation Fund (part of the World Health Organization).  In recognition of her role as an outstanding mentor for professional and pre-professional students, Dr. Connolly received the 2001 Jeanne Fisher Distinguished Mentorship Award from APTA.  As a result of her efforts to establish the first Minority Affairs and Recruitment Advisory Committee for the UTHSC College of Allied Health Sciences, the Physical Therapy Department received the 2000 APTA Diversity Award.

In September 2006, Dr. Connolly was awarded the Memphis Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes Health Care Provider Non-Physician Award.  For the past four years, she has been a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA.  This coveted designation is given to only 70 physical therapists throughout the United States as recognition of their vision and leadership.  Dr. Connolly is the only Tennessean to receive this award. 

Therapy Times provides a multiple award-winning, online daily resource for nutrition, physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapists to improve patient care and further their careers.  Therapy Times is published by Valley Forge Publishing Group (VFPG), a publisher representative for 35 healthcare publications and 22 online Career Centers, crossing all areas of the medical profession.  VFPG also maintains CE Endeavors, online education resource, and MedHealthJobs.com, an online career center with nearly 14,000 resumes and nearly 1,000 healthcare positions.  For additional information, please visit www.TherapyTimes.com or call 800-983-7737.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus, which includes six colleges, is located in Memphis.  UTHSC has additional College of Medicine campus locations in Knoxville and Chattanooga.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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