The Foundation for Physical Therapy (FPT) announced during its 35th Anniversary Gala in Charlotte, NC, that the group received a $1 million donation from Stanley Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FAAOMPT, and Laureate Education Inc. According to a news release from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the donations were made to help kickstart the next wave of research to transform the physical therapy profession and are targeted to support research on the long-term outcomes of physical therapy.

The $500,000 donation from Paris, made with his wife Catherine Patla, was matched by Laureate Education. The FPT news release notes that throughout his career, Paris has been involved in research, teaching, and clinical practice, and has published more than 40 articles as well as the book The Spinal Lesion. Paris is also the recipient of several honors and awards, including the World Confederation for Physical Therapy’s (WCPT) 2011 Mildred Elson Award.

Laureate Education Inc is a global higher education provider for health sciences and is a new owner of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, which was founded by Paris.

In an FPT news release, Paris says, “I believe our gifts will contribute to research and analysis of data in health care outcomes that demonstrate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of physical therapy as a treatment option, compared with medical and surgical care, in such areas as hip, knee, and spinal complaints.”

Foundation Board of Trustees President William G. Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, FAAOMPT, states, “We are extremely pleased to accept these 2 generous gifts. These funds will be critical in our efforts to advance evidenced-based literature, the key to helping physical therapists improve the quality of life for so many Americans.”

Source: Foundation for Physical Therapy