DOWNSTATE’S COLLEGE OF HEALTH RELATED PROFESSIONS IS 40
Nov 14, 2006
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s School of Health Professions (SOHP) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Opening in the fall of 1966 along with Downstate’s College of Nursing, CHRP initially enrolled twenty students: three in physical therapy (PT); four in occupational therapy (OT); and, although computers had not become instrumental as they are today in health care administration, thirteen students enrolled in medical computing science.
The college was initially housed in the “T” Building at Kings County Hospital Center.
Today it occupies an entire floor of the Health Science Education Building on the
Downstate campus, at the corner of Lenox Road and New York Avenue. Over the years
CHRP has offered a variety of programs as the needs of health care providers expanded
and changed. Today, CHRP offers six programs, with four at the graduate level.
The allied health professions are among the fastest growing professions nationwide.
Virtually all CHRP graduates find lucrative employment upon graduation. Most CHRP
students are from New York City and State with a high number coming from nearby neighborhoods
in Brooklyn.
On November 9, the college held a gala reunion at the Brooklyn Museum. Graduates and
faculty came from near and far to celebrate, reminisce and share their stories. John
C. LaRosa, MD, president of SUNY Downstate, said, “Although Downstate’s School of
Health Professions has changed and grown over the years, some things have remained
constant. Those include our bright and eager students; a dedicated and skilled faculty;
and Downstate’s commitment to meeting the health care needs of Brooklyn, the region,
and beyond.”
###
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.