History - School of Allied Health Professions

The School of Allied Health Professions was established by the Board of Supervisors April 2, 1970, and became operational July 1, 1970. From its inception through 1976, the School was located only on the New Orleans campus. In 1977, The School was expanded to include a second campus in Shreveport. Degree programs in Cardiopulmonary Science, Medical Technology and Communication Disorders were offered. In the early 1980s, the Occupational and Physical Therapy departments initiated expansion programs in Shreveport and in 1994, a Physician Assistant program was begun.

On March 25, 2004, the Louisiana Board of Regents granted approval for the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport to establish a School of Allied Health Professions separate and distinct from New Orleans. At present, the School comprises three departments: Clinical Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Clinical Services. The Department of Clinical Sciences consists of the baccalaureate degree programs in Cardiopulmonary Science and Clinical Laboratory Science and a master’s degree program in Physician Assistant Studies. The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences is comprised of the master’s degree programs in Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy and a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. The Department of Clinical Services consists of the Children’s Center and the Student/Faculty Clinic, both service units. In addition, the school offers a Master of Public Health degree in partnership with LSU-Shreveport.

All educational programs of the School, with the exception of the Master of Public Health, have been approved by the appropriate State agencies and are fully accredited by the appropriate nationally recognized credentialing bodies. The Master of Public Health program is currently developing the self-study process for accreditation. The administrative responsibility for this accreditation resides with LSU-Shreveport.