In Memoriam: Jane Kroh Satterfield, PT ’64, 1942-2020

PTRS Alumna Was Longtime UMSOM Benefactor and Leader in Field of Pediatric Physical Therapy

The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) are mourning the death of Jane Kroh Satterfield, PT ’64, who passed away on May 10, 2020 at the age of 78. Mrs. Satterfield, a native Baltimorean who received her BS in Physical Therapy from the UMSOM in 1964, was a lifelong advocate for the field  of pediatric physical therapy, especially in the care for children with special needs.

After the passage of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975, Mrs. Satterfield served on the Maryland Governor’s Task Force to devise a plan to integrate school-age children into special education programs within the state’s public school systems. For these and other efforts, she received the Kendall Award in 1981 from the American Physical Therapy Association for outstanding service to the profession. In 1984, she founded Care Resources, which focused on providing a range of quality physical and speech therapy services for children. Under her leadership, the company grew to become one of the nation’s premier rehabilitation companies.

“One of the joys of serving in my position as Chair for UMSOM PTRS was getting to know Jane Satterfield,” said Victoria Marchese, PhD, PT, associate professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. “I vividly remember the many conversations Jane and I had about our love for pediatric physical therapy and her wonderful words of wisdom about positive leadership. Jane shared her passion for the profession of physical therapy abundantly as a clinician, educator, and philanthropist.”

Jane’s record of generous gifts to the UMSOM has been remarkable.  Her professional and personal impact will endure through the Pediatric Physical Therapy Award, which honors PTRS students who will pursue careers in pediatric physical therapy. Her challenge match to establish the PTRS Endowment Fund ensures a future of financial security through unrestricted support, while the Jane Kroh Satterfield Endowed Professorship in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science will reward and encourage faculty leaders in their academic pursuits to inspire future visionaries and innovators in physical therapy. In addition, Jane supported the Physical Therapy Annual Fund and several scholarships, capital projects, and operational initiatives within PTRS, including the Class of 1964 PTRS Scholarship Endowment and the Physical Therapy General Scholarship Fund.

“Through Jane’s incredible generosity to our department, students will become our future physical therapists, and professors will continue to provide excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service,” said Dr. Marchese. “When we teach in our classrooms at UMSOM PTRS and develop new innovative research to improve function and quality of life through physical rehabilitation, we will always think of Jane Satterfield.”

In 2008, Mrs. Satterfield was presented with the Alumna of the Year Award by the Department of PTRS for her outstanding contributions to the profession of physical therapy. And, on May 18, 2012, she received the Dean’s Distinguished Gold Medal for Public Service Award.

“All of us within the UMSOM community are profoundly saddened by the loss of Jane Satterfield,” said Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is also executive vice president for medical affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers distinguished professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Her leadership in the field of pediatric physical therapy is nationally renowned, while her impact as a major benefactor to her alma mater and the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science have been extraordinary. Without a doubt, her generosity of spirit and commitment to excellence have set the bar high for all who follow.”

Learn more about Jane Satterfield’s life and career by visiting her Baltimore Sun obituary and this obituary.

If you are interested in making a gift to honor the legacy of Jane Satterfield, please visit pt.umaryland.edu/Satterfield.

Satterfield Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8^th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu