Innovation at Work Capital Campaign
Johnson College student organization, Social Force, collected presents for 85 children in the Scranton area. The students sponsored a giving tree in the Moffat Student Center with the names of local children in need. Students, faculty, staff and alumni donated gifts to fulfill the wishes of every child. Under the supervision of Ms. Linda Learn, Assistant Director for Student Support Services, the giving tree at Johnson College has provided local children with presents for the last eleven years.
Johnson College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) is an accrediting agency that is nationally recognized by the US Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CAPTE grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Johnson received the maximum accreditation for a newly established program which is a duration of five years. CAPTE is the only accrediting body for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. In October 2013, the program was granted Candidate for Accreditation status, which is the first step in the process. It is at that time that students in the inaugural class were accepted to begin the technical portion of the program. CAPTE representatives made a formal visit to the college in September 2015, during the last term of the first class of students. The College was notified of the decision for accreditation by CAPTE on November 25, 2014.
Dr. Melissa Cencetti, Department Chair of the Physical Therapist Assistant program said, “CAPTE has a very important job to do. They are looking out for the well-being of the student, the program faculty, the institution, and most importantly, the health care consumer. Accreditation is a rigorous process that requires a team effort. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of my Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, Nicole Fabricatore, administration at Johnson College, our Program Advisory Committee, and our students, who put their faith in us from the beginning. We will continue to develop our program to meet the needs of our students, the profession of physical therapy, and our community.”
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program will graduate its first class on December 17th. The first class has eight graduates. In the fall of 2014, the College accepted an additional 12 and 12 more in the fall of 2015. In 2015, the College began tracking transfer students within the program and 10 of 12 accepted were transfer students from other institutions.
On November 30th, senior radiology students participated in a community project to assist the Scranton Public Library to prepare for their quarterly book sale. The proceeds from the book sale help to support operational expenses along with community events sponsored by the library. On December 7th, the students returned to aide in boxing the remaining books which are then distributed to local centers in need of books.
Johnson College has chosen Dr. Diana Pope-Albright, Assistant Vice President of Outpatient Services at Allied Services Rehabilitation Hospital, to give their 2015 commencement address to graduates on Thursday, December 17th, 2015 at 5 p.m.
Dr. Pope-Albright has received many accolades in her field of work including a Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy from the American Physical Therapist Association, she is the former Treasurer of the Northeast District of Pennsylvania Physical Therapist Association, and serves as a member of Johnson College’s Program Advisory Committee. She has several years of clinical teaching experience and more than 30 years in the field of physical therapy. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont, her Master’s in Physical Therapy Neurology from Temple University, and doctorate from Arcadia University.
Dr. Pope-Albright resides in Clarks Summit with her husband Rich, and their three children Sean, Kevin, and Erin
This will be the Inaugural December Commencement Ceremony for Johnson College. It will be held in the Moffat Student Center Gymnasium on campus.
