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Maryville Mourns the Loss of John Short, Former Trustee

By April 16, 2015January 14th, 2022No Comments

4/16/15

The Maryville University community mourns the death of John Short, PhD, a former Maryville trustee who served the University with distinction. Short died in a plane crash on April 10.

During his Maryville Board of Trustees tenure from 2007-2011, Short was president and CEO of RehabCare, prior to its acquisition by Kindred Healthcare Inc. He was a generous donor to the Myrtle E. and Earl E. Walker Hall building project and a valuable resource as the University moved toward integration of mobile learning technology.

“John was an innovative entrepreneur and visionary who also was a great contributor to our Board of Trustees and the healthcare community at large. He will be greatly missed,” said President Mark Lombardi, PhD.

Under Short’s leadership, a significant partnership developed between RehabCare and Maryville’s physical therapy program. That partnership continues to have a positive impact on student learning, says Charles Gulas, PhD, dean of the College of Health Professions.

“John focused on the need for our students to be well prepared to hit the ground running upon graduation,” Gulas said. “He stressed the importance of technology skills in our program and the need to instill a sense of leadership in our students so they are comfortable in patient advocacy roles, and become capable leaders in their facilities as well as their communities.”

Short, who held a doctorate in economics, had more than 40 years experience in healthcare, serving as CEO and board chairman for a number of healthcare organizations throughout his career. Under his leadership, RehabCare experienced major growth in revenue and services.

Short is survived by his wife, Mary.

 

Janet Edwards