Strategic planning in a school of health related professions: organizational transformation for the future.

The School of Health Related Professions (SHRP) at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has been in existence for over a quarter of a century. During this time, it expanded and grew to offering 34 individual programs at the time of its silver anniversary. A concerted strategic planning process over two years has resulted in the School pursuing major organizational transformations to better align itself with the rest of the University's academic health center, to maximize its resources, and to refine its niche in academia. The strategic planning process used and major outcomes are described for the potential benefit of other schools of health related professions desiring to pursue introspection for future survival.