History of MGH Institute of Health Professions
MGH Institute of Health Professions was founded in 1977 to address the need for master clinicians, leaders in the health care professions molded by the integration of theory and clinical practice in an interprofessional environment.
In 1873, the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) had established one of the first schools of nursing—the Boston Training School for Nurses—based on the principles of Florence Nightingale. Over the years, it became the Massachusetts General Hospital Training School for Nurses and then the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing. By the time this diploma school closed in 1981, it was the oldest continuously operating school of nursing in the United States and the predecessor to the MGH Institute’s School of Nursing.
Since many health care professions evolved from hospital-based needs, the MGH Institute’s educational programs initially developed through on-site clinical training. The shift from hospital-based to college- and university-based education for health sciences raised several issues, including lack of integration between clinical and didactic aspects of health care curricula.
In 1964, Ruth Sleeper, director of the MGH nursing school from 1946 to 1966, promoted the idea of a free-standing, degree-granting institution affiliated with the hospital. In the late 1960s, hospital General Director Dr. John Hilton Knowles expanded the idea to include all non-physician education programs for health care professionals and proposed establishing an “MGH University” that would offer hospital-based, advanced-level training programs.
In the early 1970s, Dr. Charles A. Sanders, Dr. Knowles’ successor, along with Dr. Henry Mankin, chair of the MGH Committee on Teaching and Education, and John E. Lawrence, chair of the MGH Board of Trustees, pursued the idea of creating an affiliated graduate degree school.
In 1975, a petition to grant degrees was submitted to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. Despite opposition from local colleges and universities to establishing a free-standing school governed by the hospital, MGH was awarded degree-granting authority by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1977. The school named its first leader and hired program directors in dietetics, nursing, physical therapy, and social work. MGH Institute of Health Professions officially opened in 1980, admitting its first master’s students in physical therapy and social work.
The Early Years
The Institute initially held classes in Ruth Sleeper Hall in the basement of MGH. In 1981, the first students enrolled in the dietetics program and the IHP held its first graduation, awarding four certificates in social work. In 1982, the first Master of Science in Nursing students were admitted. In 1983, the first degree, a Master of Science in Physical Therapy, was awarded, and the first director was hired for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program.
In 1985, the MGH Institute was incorporated with an independent Board of Trustees and received initial accreditation from the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The IHP continued to grow and change during the 1980s and 1990s. A faculty award for excellence in teaching was established and later named in honor of Nancy T. Watts, a nationally prominent physical therapist and educator who was instrumental in the Institute’s founding. The nursing program achieved specialized accreditation, the social work program closed, and the speech-language pathology program was renamed the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. The Institute also moved from Mass General to 101 Merrimac Street—the first-time faculty, staff, and students were together under one roof.
In 1994, Partners HealthCare was formed by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the IHP became the new health provider’s only degree-granting affiliate. The following year, enrollment exceeded 500 students, the entry-level Master of Science in Physical Therapy program began, the dietetics program closed, and the nursing program revised its curriculum to prepare nurse practitioners. In 1996, the speech-language pathology program was awarded teacher certification by the Massachusetts Department of Education.
In 1997, Ann W. Caldwell became the Institute’s fourth president, and the first students were admitted into the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program.
A Permanent Campus in the 21st Century
The Institute in 2000 found a permanent home to greet the 21st century when it purchased a former joiners building in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Named the Catherine Filene Shouse Building after the generous support from the Shouse Foundation, Building 36 was renovated into a state-of-the-art educational facility that opened in December 2001.
In 2001, the entry-level Master of Science in Physical Therapy was converted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Three years later, the first students enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Medical Imaging.
In 2005, the first Distinguished Alumni Award was presented at the 25th Commencement, and alumnae from the MGH Nurses’ Alumnae Association began a yearly tradition of carrying the flag of the former Massachusetts General Hospital nursing school to symbolize the historical link between it and the MGH Institute’s School of Nursing.
In 2007, Janis P. Bellack, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, was named the Institute’s fifth president. The school also launched the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
The IHP expanded from one to three buildings in its Navy Yard campus in 2008 to accommodate a rapidly growing student population. Alex F. Johnson, PhD, CCC-SLP, became the school’s first provost and vice president for academic affairs.
In 2009, the graduate programs in nursing were reorganized into a new School of Nursing to better reflect the size and scope of their academic offerings. The communication sciences and disorders, physical therapy, and medical imaging programs became part of a new School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the clinical investigation program closed.
The Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation was created in 2011 to foster entrepreneurial activity, innovation, and collaboration between faculty and students in the Institute’s academic disciplines. Enrollment exceeded 1,100 students and the number of alumni passed the 4,000 mark.
In 2012, the Institute expanded into a fourth building, 2 Constitution Wharf (2CW), located adjacent to the U.S.S. Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides. The School of Nursing added a second admission cycle to the BSN program to meet rising demand, PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences and a Master of Science in Health Professions Education programs began, and the medical imaging program closed.
New England’s first entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program began in 2014, and the IHP expanded into a sixth building, creating the Center for Health & Rehabilitation Research to accommodate its expanding roster of full-time faculty researchers.
In 2015, the Institute expanded into its seventh building, creating a new Library and Study Commons, thereby increasing its footprint to nearly 140,00 square feet - almost triple the amount of campus space since 2007. Research funding grew to $4 million, while the first students enrolled in a new Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. In spring 2015, enrollment surpassed 1,500 students.
The school celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017 and Paula Milone-Nuzzo, PhD, RN, FHHC, FAAN, became the MGH Institute's sixth president. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Master of Physician Assistant Studies programs graduated their first cohorts of students. The IHP also launched its innovative IMPACT Practice Center, a 15,000-square-foot educational facility that now houses the school's five client-care centers providing more than 10,000 hours of pro-bono patient care.
The following year, the IHP launched the Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health, the first nurse-led initiative to combat the effects of global warming. Enrollment reached the 1,600-student mark.
The school launched three new degrees in 2019: a PhD in Health Professions Education, a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling, and a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy.
A student was chosen to deliver the keynote address at Commencement for the first time in school’s 42-year history.
Changing Times
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, the IHP shifted to a fully remote operation in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Classroom and hands-on education pivoted to virtual platforms during the largest health crisis in a century. A series of innovations allowed most students to graduate on time, while the 40th Commencement ceremony was moved from May to August and changed to a virtual event to accommodate shifting health restrictions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside in 2021, the IHP community returned to campus albeit with masks; Commencement again was held virtually. The school launched New England’s first clinical Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology program, and the total grant portfolio passed the $25 million mark for the first time in its history.
In 2022, Commencement was held in person for the first time in three years. A record 612 graduates included the first to complete the PhD in Health Professions Education and post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs and pushed the number of alumni to over 10,000. The School of Healthcare Leadership was created, with new master’s degrees in Data Analytics and Health Administration launched. The Tedy’s Team Foundation, started by former New England Patriot great Tedy Bruschi and his wife, Heidi, donated $1 million to create the Tedy’s Team Center of Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation.
The year 2023 saw the Institute’s total value of active grants jump to a school-record $44.6 million, fueled in part by several grants from the National Institutes of Health, $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to help expand nursing pipelines, and $1 million from Massachusetts to train complex care nurses. The Tedy’s Team Center of Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation and the Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice were launched, while the inaugural school ombudsmen and dean of Interprofessional Education and Practice were named.
In 2024, the Institute reached its highest student enrollment ever, 1698 students. The IHP launched the Center of Excellence on Healthcare Simulation Research, and opened the doors to a 35,000-square-foot research space at 1 CW. The decade-old Entry Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program was reaccredited for another 10 years while the Master of Science in Nursing’s Class of 2025 cohort - all 87 students – passed the NCLEX on the first try – a 100% pass rate for the first time in School history.