For students at Ponaganset High School, a future career in healthcare may soon feel a little more real. And for families in the surrounding Foster-Glocester community, physical therapy care will be a little closer to home.
PappasOPT is partnering with the high school in Foster, Rhode Island, as part of Project THRIVE — Transformative Health, Rehabilitation, and Innovation Wellness Ecosystem. Through the initiative, PappasOPT will help bring an on-site physical therapy clinic to the school. The clinic will serve local residents, as well as students, faculty, and staff.
The initiative is part of a larger grant awarded to the Foster-Glocester Regional School District to support healthcare access and create more opportunities for students to learn about healthcare careers.
Students will have a chance to get a closer look at careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other areas of healthcare. They’ll be able to connect with healthcare professionals, learn about different career paths and see what this work looks like day to day.
For the community, having care available at the school can make it easier to access rehabilitative services nearby, especially in a rural area where those services may not always be easy to reach.
“We are excited to partner with Ponaganset on this important project. Expanding access to rehabilitative services in the community while creating meaningful learning opportunities for students is especially rewarding. We are honored to help build the future healthcare workforce and enhance the experiences of students in these career pathway programs.”
Dan Macera, Senior Regional Director, PappasOPT
The partnership is a natural fit for PappasOPT, combining care for the local community with an opportunity to help students learn more about careers in healthcare. This is especially critical as APTA has projected a shortfall of PTs relative to their demand through 2037.
PappasOPT team members recently joined school and state leaders at Ponaganset High School for the announcement.
As Project THRIVE takes shape, it has the potential to open doors in two ways: by making care more accessible today and helping students see where a future in healthcare could lead.
Learn more: Read the Rhode Island Department of Education announcement.
