October 26, 2026
Lynn Howell and Melissa L. Weber
Sixty years ago, physicians and nurses were considered the backbone of hospital-centered care, but leaders at The Ohio State University recognized the growing importance of the healthcare professionals working alongside them to help diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients.
Blood tests help detect disease. X-rays reveal injuries. Therapists help people regain movement and independence. Today, these roles are familiar parts of healthcare, but in 1966 they represented a growing group of professions that Ohio State recognized as essential to patient care.
It was this vision that founded the School of Allied Medical Professions (SAMP) in July of 1966, with a few hundred students and six undergraduate programs.
Today, the school has grown to nearly 3400 students in 24 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, with 200 faculty and staff supporting its expanding education, research and community missions.
Six decades of growth
In 2012, SAMP changed its name to the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS), to reflect the expanding educational programs and research mission.
According to John Buford, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and interim director, the school’s growth really accelerated in the 1990s, right alongside the health professions themselves, adding new academic programs, expanding research and preparing students to work in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
The bachelor’s degree in health sciences is one of the top 10 majors at Ohio State, preparing graduates for the workforce in health-related fields or continuing their education in graduate programs. And many HRS programs consistently rank in the top 15 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Most recently, the school has recorded a 35% increase in enrollment since the 2020-2021 academic year and HRS is currently the 5th largest academic unit on Ohio State’s campus.
HRS is recognized nationally as a leader in the fields of athletic training, health sciences, health information and management systems, laboratory sciences, medical dietetics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and radiologic sciences and therapy.
With more than 20,000 living alumni, HRS is one of the largest providers of healthcare professionals in the country.
Learning that extends beyond the classroom
As HRS has grown, so have the ways its students learn.
Partnerships throughout campus and the surrounding community give students opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in clinical, professional and community settings. Students gain experience through collaborations with organizations such as The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio Health and Ohio State Athletics to name a few.
Those relationships also provide access to specialized facilities and technology that help students prepare for modern clinical practice.
In 2025, for example, HRS introduced a virtual reality radiography lab in Atwell Hall. Created with support from the
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, the facility allows students to practice radiographic positioning and procedures in an immersive environment. As Buford noted, “In professions like athletic training, students can practice taping each other’s ankles. In medical dietetics, they can analyze nutritional intake. But in radiologic sciences, we cannot let students actually use X-Rays on each other.” The VR technology provides students with realistic practice before they transition to clinical settings.
“Some of our training programs have substantial equipment costs, plus specialized facility needs in order to house that equipment,” Buford said. Our partnership with the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, he added, is vital to maintaining the excellence of those programs.
HRS continues to build on that collaborative approach by developing new academic offerings and partnerships.
Programs continue growing to meet community needs
The school is expanding Medical Laboratory Science education through regional-campus pathways designed to address workforce needs, particularly in rural communities. Students would complete prerequisite coursework close to home, take major coursework online and complete clinical education through local hospitals.
The model has the potential to benefit students and communities alike, making the program more affordable for students while addressing workforce needs in their communities.
“The idea is that, when students start the professional program as a junior, they will be able to do their lab courses at their local hospital,” Buford said. “This also provides a way to help the workforce near our regional campuses and within their own communities.”
The school also continues to develop programs in response to emerging healthcare and workforce needs, from echocardiography to advanced education for respiratory therapists.
Expanding access through flexible education
Growth at HRS has also meant creating new ways for working professionals and students to continue their education.
Degree-completion programs in Radiologic Sciences and Medical Laboratory Science provide pathways for professionals with associate degrees to build on their education and earn a bachelor’s degree.
Online certificate programs allow learners to build specialized expertise without necessarily pursuing another full degree.
The Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology Certificate, for example, explores how technology can improve independence and quality of life for people with disabilities. Students gain the knowledge to prepare for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) assistive technology professional exam.
The online Usability and User Experience in Healthcare certificate addresses another rapidly evolving area: creating health information technology that is safe, effective and designed around the people who use it.
Together, programs like these represent a broader shift in the school’s mission. HRS prepares students for their careers and also helps working professionals advance as healthcare, technology and workforce
demands change.
Research focused on real-world problems
The growth of HRS extends far beyond enrollment.
In fiscal year 2025-26, the school reported over $13 million in research funding expenditures, supporting work that connects scientific discovery with challenges affecting patients, families and communities.
“Research productivity has helped drive us into an outstanding echelon of research funding,” Buford said. “We have outstanding faculty. Many of them came out of clinical fields interested in real solutions for real problems. Important projects are focused directly on helping people.” Buford noted that every NIH grant needs to explain its potential impact on human health. “For the kind of work we do in the school, that part of the grant is easy to write,” he said.
That emphasis on practical impact can be seen across the school.
Research across HRS addresses a wide range of health challenges, from dietary patterns and cultural influences on obesity and chronic disease to traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation and body composition. Other studies are finding ways to improve healthcare systems, enhance the patient experience and reduce preventable errors.
At the Injury Biomechanics Research Center, an interdisciplinary team of engineers, anatomists, anthropologists, computer modelers and technicians investigate how the human body responds during vehicle crashes. Their work contributes to improvements in restraint systems, child passenger safety and the tools used to understand and prevent injuries.
Students are part of that culture of discovery, too. At the school’s fourth annual Research Day in spring 2026, students and faculty shared 42 oral and poster presentations, including work from 22 graduate students.
Taking discovery into the community
For HRS, research and education ultimately come back to people.
Faculty, students and alumni across HRS apply their expertise to everyday challenges: reducing fall risks for older adults, improving water safety for children with autism, providing garden-fresh food for cancer survivors and helping people with disabilities participate more fully in community life.
One example is AquOTic, developed by occupational therapy faculty member Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP. The program combines occupational therapy expertise with aquatic safety education designed for children with autism, whose sensory, motor and behavioral needs may not be addressed by traditional swimming instruction. AquOTic provides specialized water-safety programming for children with autism and their families.
Jaclyn Caccese, PhD, FACSM, works with law enforcement and other first responders to better understand traumatic brain injuries and improve concussion care, including research that led to the nation’s first return-to-duty protocol for law enforcement officers following a concussion.
That spirit of community engagement continues after graduation.
Occupational therapy graduate Alyssa Moody, OTD, OTR/L, works with children in the places where their daily lives happen, including homes, schools and childcare settings, helping them participate in activities ranging from eating and self-care to play and crafts through Blossom Pediatric Therapy Partners.
Fellow graduate Angela Tobin founded Kinship Caregivers Connect, supporting relatives who step into caregiving roles for children in their extended families – often grandparents raising grandchildren.
These efforts reflect an idea that has shaped HRS throughout its history: improving health does not happen only in hospitals or clinics. It happens wherever people live, learn and work.
Preparing for the next era of healthcare
The greatest transformation of the past 60 years has been the evolution of the healthcare team.
In 1966, allied health professionals were often described by how they supported physicians and nurses. Today, collaborative teams of highly trained professionals are the backbone of modern healthcare.
HRS students are learning to work in those teams before they enter the workforce.
Through experiences such as BuckIPE, Ohio State’s interprofessional education program, students learn alongside peers from other health science disciplines. Working through patient cases together, they must interpret information, contribute expertise from their individual fields and collaborate on a plan of care.
The experience teaches students not just what they need to know, but why the knowledge of their colleagues matters.
“This type of interprofessional training gives our students better preparation for the job market,” Buford said.
It is also a fitting reflection of how far the school has come.
What began decades ago as six programs preparing professionals for important supporting roles has evolved into a school educating thousands of students to become clinicians, scientists, researchers, leaders and innovators.
The programs have changed. The technology has changed. The ways healthcare professionals learn, and work together have changed. But for 60 years, the purpose behind HRS has remained the same: to prepare future healthcare professionals to work together, solve problems and improve people’s lives.
