The New Home of the OT Program

Originally built as a residence hall, Bailey Hall has been a staple on the West Plaza since 1955. You might have lived there or spent time with friends inside Bailey. If not, you walked past it plenty of times on the way to Edmunds Hall or Belk Auditorium. You can probably even spot the pillars of Bailey Hall in the background of some of your pictures from Commencement.

While the outside of Bailey still looks the same, its function on campus and interior will undergo some big changes. Bailey Hall, once inhabited by PC students, will soon become the home of the new Occupational Therapy doctorate program.

“We’re excited to reside in one of the truly historic buildings on campus,” said Dr. Nathan Herz, the program’s founding director and associate professor. “Bailey Hall is the perfect space for establishing a program that will become a significant part of PC.”

Once renovated, the first floor of Bailey will house the Occupational Therapy doctorate program’s administrative offices, conference rooms and the Environmental Simulation Center (ESC). The second and third floors will be home to classrooms, labs and more spaces that provide hands-on learning opportunities for students.

“The ESC will be a specialized area to address specific functions associated with daily living skills,” Herz says. Herz plans for occupational therapists to use the area to treat local residents who need help performing daily tasks. OT students will observe occupational therapy in action.

“The students need to see the experience of working in an environment that can simulate the home and ‘normal’ activities,” Herz said. “The ESC will accomplish that with the specific environment and equipment available for use.”

If you visit Bailey after the renovation, you’ll find areas on the first floor that most people visit every day, like a bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. The ESC will also include everyday conveniences like an ATM, an ice machine, and a washer and dryer. There will also be a driving simulator for patients to use. Patients will have access to these resources so that they can practice performing activities that once used to “occupy” their time but they’re unable to do because of injury.

“The space in Bailey Hall will allow for a safe environment for the students to learn, practice and implement everyday treatment,” Herz said. “The ESC will give students an opportunity to work, experiment, and create innovative practice techniques for current and future implementation.”