On Sept. 8, the University of Rochester (N.Y.) renamed its nursing school the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, reflecting an expansion beyond nursing into interdisciplinary health professions.
The change was driven by the school’s planned launch of a Doctor of Physical Therapy program — its first non-nursing program — a strategic initiative that began about two years ago, Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, told Becker’s. The DPT program is pending accreditation.
“We have been a very interdisciplinary and interprofessional school for a long time,” said Dr. Kitko, who also serves as vice president of University of Rochester Medicine. She tied the choice of physical therapy to the system’s integrated model.
“In order to recruit and retain the best talent as part of the care team, many of those high-level professionals wanted to have an academic home,” she said, “not only to practice physical therapy, but to also have an opportunity and a place to do their scholarship and their research.”
The school is expanding while keeping its nursing programs central; admissions are up more than 30% across most programs, Dr. Kitko said, and it is also launching a nurse anesthesia program pending accreditation. The first DPT cohort is expected in summer 2028.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
