The UNC Department of Health Sciences in the School of Medicine and UNC Health Rehabilitation Services Physical Therapist Residencies are pleased to partner with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Thanks to the new partnership, which is a part of the UNC and Novant Health affiliation, the UNC physical therapist residency program has expanded to include sites in New Hanover County in the state’s southeastern region. The goal of this collaborative expansion is to advance and expand the physical therapist workforce across the state.
“Novant Health is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with UNC-CH and extending the outstanding Physical Therapy Residency program to Southeastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Becky McGhee, Regional Manager of Outpatient Rehab, Novant Health Rehabilitation Coastal Market. “We are truly better together.”
The first resident in orthopedics to practice through the partnership, Paige Shriver, PT, DPT, began her residency in Wilmington in September 2024. A neurologic physical therapist resident will join the program in fall 2025, and the programs eventually aim to offer two residency positions in each specialized area.
“While working in two locations might make one feel isolated, the amount of energy going into this collaboration has put more support in my corner than ever, helping me become the best clinician I can be,” said Shriver. “This collaboration benefits not only me but also Novant Health, UNC’s Physical Therapy Residency Program, and my patients.”
The 55-week orthopedic physical therapist residency program involves residents working 30 hours each week independently in a clinical setting and engaging in weekly learning activities in a mixed format, including reading, research, discussion and mentorship. Though the residency program is now offered outside of Chapel Hill, all aspects of the program – including its high-quality mentorship and clinical opportunities – remain the same at each site.
“In order to better serve the people of North Carolina, a central tenant of UNC’s mission and vision, UNC-CH and UNC Health is expanding our Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program and we are excited to act on the vision through a collaboration with Novant Health Coastal Market,” said Dr. Jeff O’Laughlin, Program Director. “Starting in 2024 Novant Health will now have an UNC Orthopedic Physical Therapy Resident, and we look forward to seeing what future opportunities between Novant Health and UNC-CH will occur.”
Offering physical therapist residencies in this new area of the state offers the Division of Physical Therapy and UNC Health opportunities to expand patient care in line with their missions to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians, particularly in more rural and underserved populations. Many residents choose to remain in the geographic area in which they work during their time in a residency program, allowing opportunities to build lasting patient relationships and offer ongoing care in regions that may otherwise face provider shortages.
“We are excited to partner with our colleagues at Novant and UNC-CH on our PT Residencies to fulfill our mission of providing instruction and access to our programs,” said Mark Prochazka, Administrative Director of Rehabilitation Services for UNC Health. “It has been a great opportunity to collaborate and learn how to leverage resources across the state, making North Carolina a unique place for physical therapists to professionally develop, learn, and work. This collaboration benefits the people of North Carolina by providing specialty care providers in their communities.”
As more physical therapists become interested in working in specialized fields, the UNC PT residency programs provide higher education and experience for those looking to provide much-needed niche patient services.
“We are thrilled to expand our Orthopedic and Neurologic Physical Therapist Residency programs to the Wilmington area as part of a strategic initiative to increase our engagement in the southeastern portion of our state,” said Dr. Timothy Eckard, Director of the Division of Physical Therapy at UNC. “Partnering with Novant allows us to shape the next generation of professionals and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of communities in the region.”
The UNC physical therapy residency programs are accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as post-professional residency programs for physical therapists.