Tulsa Community College Dedicates Nate Waters Physical Therapy Clinic

Tulsa Community College has dedicated a new $2 million physical therapy clinic that will help both students and patients, and it's named after a patient who made an impact on those around him.

Nate Waters would be very proud of the facility named after him. The ribbon was cut on the new Nate Waters Physical Therapy Clinic downtown Thursday. The 7,000 square foot center is located at 8th and Cincinnati.

10/18/2013 Related Story: TCC Breaks Ground For Nate Waters Physical Therapy Clinic

The center will serve as a place for TCC students to learn the skills they need for careers in physical therapy.

It will allow them to complete their clinical rotations in Tulsa rather than going out of state.

The center will also help more physical therapy patients who can't afford treatment.

The center is twice as big as the old one and can hold 10 times the number of patients.

The facility is named in honor of Waters, who was confined to a wheelchair after a brutal beating as the victim of domestic violence.

Despite being a quadriplegic, Waters completed a degree at TCC and OSU Tulsa. He also became a community activist, speaking out about domestic violence, and was a strong advocate for people with disabilities.

We spoke to, Suzanne Reese, a member of the TCC staff today, she told us about how thrilled the staff was when they found out the facility was being named after Nate.

"He was one of our very first patients; it just seemed like such a good fit. We were pleased immediately when we heard they were gonna name the clinic after Nate," she said.

Starting this August, people can start making appointments. They can be seen as many times as they like for a onetime $10 fee per year.