SLS 19RS-651 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 44
BY SENATOR PEACOCK
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Sharon L. Dunn, PT, Ph.D, for her tremendous
leadership and her impact on the medical field of Physical Therapy.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Sharon L. Dunn, PT, PhD, for her tremendous leadership and her impact on
3 the medical field of Physical Therapy and its distinctive role in the improvement of
4 health care outcomes.
5 WHEREAS, Dr. Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, and a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical
6 Specialist, has brought honor to the state of Louisiana through her appointment, for a second
7 term, as president of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and as president
8 of the APTA Board of Directors; and
9 WHEREAS, her vast knowledge of Physical Therapy and of the American Physical
10 Therapy Association resulted in her selection as the media spokesperson for the APTA, a
11 role she has held for the past twenty-three years; and
12 WHEREAS, since 1985, Dr. Dunn has also been a fervent leader in the Louisiana
13 Physical Therapy Association (LPTA) having served as president and state government
14 affairs chairman of the organization; and
15 WHEREAS, her passions include advocacy, member engagement, and the potential
16 of the physical therapy profession to add greater value to the health care delivery system;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, Dr. Dunn actively addresses the heightened demand for physical
Page 1 of 3 SR NO. 44
SLS 19RS-651 ORIGINAL
1 therapists which is projected to increase by twenty-eight percent by 2026, at a much faster
2 rate than most occupations; and
3 WHEREAS, by leading the charge to create a doctoral program (PhD) in
4 Rehabilitation Sciences at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport,
5 Dr. Dunn had developed a post-professional residency program in Orthopaedic Physical
6 Therapy at the LSU Health Sciences Center in 2008, which has produced twenty-three
7 graduates; and
8 WHEREAS, Dr. Dunn served as the director of this accredited and credentialed
9 program for seven years; she also serves as chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation
10 Sciences and as a tenured associate professor in the School of Allied Health Professions in
11 Shreveport; and
12 WHEREAS, Dr. Dunn is also active on numerous committees in the School of Allied
13 Health Professions, the School of Medicine, and the School of Graduate Studies; and
14 WHEREAS, Dr. Dunn holds membership in several medical associations that include
15 as a long-time member of the Louisiana Sports Medicine Society and as an associate
16 member of the International Society for Hyaluronan Science; and
17 WHEREAS, Dr. Dunn is a student and faculty inductee of the Alpha Eta Society, an
18 organization that recognizes students and faculty in the top ten percent in the field of allied
19 health professionals; and
20 WHEREAS, she is a recipient of the Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching
21 Award, a nationally-known keynote speaker and presenter, and a peer-reviewed publisher
22 of scientific articles and illustrations; and
23 WHEREAS, Dr. Sharon Dunn is a native of the state of Louisiana; she pursued her
24 education entirely within this great state; and she serves as a role model for youth who wish
25 to pursue a medical education and professional career in their home state.
26 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
27 does hereby commend Dr. Sharon L. Dunn for her exceptional dedication and remarkable
28 impact on the profession of Physical Therapy and on health care in the state of Louisiana.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
30 Sharon L. Dunn, PT, PhD.
Page 2 of 3 SR NO. 44
SLS 19RS-651 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Suzi Montague.
DIGEST
SR 44 Original 2019 Regular Session Peacock
Commends Sharon Dunn for her impact on the medical field of physical therapy.
Page 3 of 3