Combining his expertise in real estate and occupational therapy into a business has drawn recognition for Scott Farabaugh from his alma mater.
Farabaugh, owner and manager of New Hope Gracious Assisted Living in Avalon, was one of 15 alumni recently recognized by the Duquesne University Rangos School of Health Sciences as a Leading Executive Entrepreneur. The school recognized alumni in honor of its 15th anniversary.
Farabaugh was a member of the first graduating class in Rangos' occupational therapy program, a group he affectionately refers to as the "crash dummies."
"It was an exciting time with lots of energy and creative thinking," said Farabaugh, 51, of Ben Avon Heights. "There were lots of nontraditional students with diverse backgrounds at that time that were, like myself, starting second careers."
A Ross native, Farabaugh initially worked in corporate real estate, later receiving both a bachelor's and master's degree in occupational therapy from Duquesne.
He worked for a time at Allegheny General Hospital, then helped to develop a new transitional care occupational therapy program at United Community Hospital in Grove City. He was exposed to assisted living complexes, and decided to try his hand in the business.
"I decided at that time I could do something better than what was out there," he said. "My eight years in the business have been very challenging and rewarding."
The assisted living complex recently underwent renovations that doubled its capacity to 80 beds, growth that makes Farabaugh and his wife Kathy very proud.
"Our vision was to create a residential area that would enhance their independence and allow them to continue to live meaningfully with a sense of purpose," Farabaugh said of New Hope's residents. "It's a place where people could make new friends."
The complex is at 90 percent capacity, with some rooms on the first floor of the new wing still available. Farabaugh said that before the expansion he often had to turn people away.
That's one of the things that made Farabaugh a shoo-in for the honor, said Ingrid Provident, an assistant professor and academic field work coordinator for the School of Heath Sciences' occupational therapy department.
"He just stood out to our entire faculty as one of the most entrepreneurial persons that we've graduated," Provident said.
The award was a bit of a shock to Farabaugh, who lives with his wife and two sons in Ben Avon Heights.
"Once you get out of school, you don't expect to receive honors," Farabaugh said. "It was big in that it reconnected me with my experiences from college. I was exceptionally honored."
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