Dr. Laura Plummer, who earned two degrees from the IHP and has been involved at the school throughout her professional career, is looking forward to leading the Department of Physical Therapy to new heights.

If you’re looking for an example of a physical therapy graduate from the MGH Institute of Health Professions who has fulfilled the goals of educating tomorrow’s healthcare leaders, look no further than Dr. Laura Plummer.

The double-IHP degree recipient (Master’s in 2002, Doctorate in 2003) has been named chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, after serving as interim chair for the past year.

“It’s a department of wonderfully talented people and I’m honored to be named chair and continue to collaborate with them,” said Dr. Plummer, who has been involved at the IHP all but one of the past 24 years. She began as a student in 1998, became a lab instructor in 2004, was named an assistant professor in 2009, and became an associate professor in 2021 before being named to the department’s top position. She also was the director of the Sanders IMPACT Practice Center in 2019-2021.

Dr. Plummer, who earned a doctorate in education with a concentration in higher education administration from Northeastern in December 2021, feels having spent her entire educational career at the IHP is an advantage. “I’ve have worked with a majority of the faculty for several years so I have an understanding of the department’s culture, the history of the IHP and what makes it special, and I can continue to honor that culture and history while still helping the department grow.” 

Dr. Peter Cahn, associate provost for academic affairs, noted Plummer’s accomplishments during the past year under the trying circumstances brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “Dr. Plummer has steered the department successfully through a curricular review, created professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, prepared for an accreditation visit, and offered stability during unexpected crises,” he said. “She is well positioned to guide an already outstanding department to even greater excellence.”

Among Plummer’s immediate goals: continue to strengthen the department’s collaboration between its clinical partners within the Mass General Brigham system and beyond to connect the clinic and academia, create an inclusive environment while preparing students to treat a diverse society, and grow faculty scholarship to transform patient care and physical therapy education. 
 
Plummer’s scholarship interests focus on teaching and learning in physical therapy, and interprofessional education and practice. Her peer-reviewed manuscripts, many co-authored with IHP colleagues, have explored online teaching during the pandemic, the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and an evaluation of the annual Child Development Day of which she has been a co-lead for several years. 

IHP peers of Dr. Plummer have recognized her value; she received the Nancy T. Watts Award for Excellence in Teaching (the school’s highest faculty honor), was named a Teaching Excellence Academy for Learning Fellow, and received an Advancing Interprofessional Education and Practice award. She also was accepted to the American Physical Therapy Association’s Education Leadership Fellowship. 

Plummer has also extended her focus on best practices in teaching to include preparing clinicians to care for people with neurodegenerative disorders. She serves on the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy’s Movement System Task Force to develop a framework for balance diagnosis. 

At Massachusetts General Hospital, where Plummer has an appointment in its Movement Disorders Clinic, she collaborates with an interprofessional team to advance care for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the Neurologic Residency in the Physical Therapy Department.

“It’s an honor to officially be named department chair,” said Plummer. “I think the experiences and leadership roles throughout my career will serve me well. I’m really looking forward to this next chapter in my career.”