News from the Foundation for Physical Therapy.

Foundation Names New President

The Foundation for Physical Therapy has elected Richard K Shields, PT, PhD, to serve as Board President to succeed outgoing President Nancy White, PT, MS, OCS.

Shields has a long history with the Foundation, beginning as an awardee in 1987 when he received a Foundation doctoral student support grant. Appointed to the Scientific Review Committee in 1998, Shields served as chair of that committee in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, he became a member of the Board of Trustees.

Shields brings to the position a wealth of knowledge about the Foundation, APTA, and the world of research. He is an Editor for Physical Therapy and a member of a National Institute of Health (NIH) Expert Panel to set the strategic plan for rehabilitation research. Most recently he served on the Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Study Section at NIH. He has been recognized with the Iowa Chapter's Clinical Research Award (3 years), APTA's Neurology Section's National Research Excellence Award, and the Collegiate Teaching Award from the College of Medicine.

Shields is director and professor in the University of Iowa Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. In addition, he is director of the Motor Control and Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Iowa Hospital. He also maintains a joint appointment with the Clinical Department of Rehabilitation Therapies, enabling him to maintain contact with patients and provide routine clinical consultation for examination and management of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

White served as Foundation President since January 2004, following 6 years as a trustee. During her tenure as president, White guided the Foundation to attract greater corporate and APTA membership support, which paved the way to expansion of its rehabilitation research funding and collaborative ventures. The Foundation continues to establish scientific support through participation in advisory councils and continues to use technology to streamline its programs to make the funding application process efficient and easy.

During White's tenure as a trustee, the Foundation funded the Clinical Research Network, a $1.5 million, 3-year, multisite research network. Researchers in the network explored the effects of strengthening exercises designed to improve muscle performance and movement skill in children with cerebral palsy, in adults with SCI-related paraplegia who had shoulder pain, in patients with orthopedic/low back pain, and in adults who have had stroke. The CRN experience has enabled several participating researchers to attract larger grants to support larger studies.

"During her 3-year term as Foundation president, Nancy has led the Foundation, and our profession, to a stronger position, with scientific evidence as the foundation for our future," said APTA President Scott Ward, PT, PhD.

"She has clearly articulated the importance of rehabilitation research and created ground-breaking opportunities for collaborative clinical work. The results of that research, and the many other opportunities that have resulted, will benefit physical therapy and our patients and will continue to advance the profession for decades to come.

"I am extremely grateful to Nancy for her dedication and very meaningful contributions to the profession as President of the Foundation," Ward added.

Under White's direction, the Foundation implemented a strategic plan for trustees and staff that put the organization on an upward trajectory in revenue, funding ability, and organizational capacity. She reached out to more corporate supporters to grow its base of funders and establish greater understanding of businesses and technology serving the physical therapy profession.

Since 2003, Foundation's annual revenue steadily increased, sustaining a strong growth trend while operating expenses remained nearly unchanged. Fundraising exceeded goals for all annual activities, including the student-led Pittsburgh-Marquette Challenge, where gifts doubled from $69,000 in 2004 to more than $137,000 in 2006.

White also was instrumental in securing a $1 million gift in 2004, the largest in the history of the Foundation. That gift helped expand the Foundation's funding portfolio to $3.1 million, nearly tripling its assets during her leadership.

The Foundation's remarkable performance receives a favorable assessment from Foundation past president and long-time supporter Charles M Magistro, PT, FAPTA.

"Nancy has guided the Foundation toward financial growth and stability that has enabled it to make a greater contribution to the physical therapy profession. The Foundation today has more strategic and collaborative clinical research grants, as well as more scholarships and fellowships for emerging researchers," Magistro said.

The Foundation continues to incorporate guidance for a broader scientific representation in its grants for clinical research. It recently established a Scientific Advisory Committee to provide guidance, advice and counsel to the Board of Trustees on internal and external factors that affect the future of research relevant to physical therapy.

During White's tenure, the Foundation also has tapped into technology for more efficient and effective operations, including:

* A new interactive online application and review software for the Foundation's funding programs (doctoral scholarships, fellowships, and research grants).

* Development of an interactive database for physical therapist researchers, which will allow them to update their information in the database to include published articles, follow-on funding, research findings, and new directions in their work. APTA and Foundation will share this Foundation database.

* An online auction for fundraising, which reduces staff time while allowing a wider range of participants.

[DOI: 10.2522/ptj.2007.87.2.235]