The Physical Therapist Assistant program at CVTC was recently accredited for an initial five years, the maximum.
The accreditation is made by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, a unit of the American Physical Therapy Association of Alexandria, Virginia.
The accreditation allows CVTC graduates to take the national board examination. Successful completion of the examination is a condition of licensure and employment in Wisconsin.
Alissa Amundson, PT, MSPT, program director and instructor, expects graduates to earn $16 to $22 an hour at their first jobs.
A self-study, incorporating information regarding the organization, resources, curriculum and program assessment, is required by the commission. CVTC’s physical therapist assistant self-study was more than 375 pages. A site visit was also required during which CVTC was termed a model PTA program. The visit took place February 2009.
Michele Komp-Webb, PT, DPT, academic clinical coordinator and instructor, also assisted in the accreditation process.
The CVTC program will undergo another accreditation review in 2014 and will be eligible for a 10-year approval at that time.
Amundson says areas of specialized physical therapy including women’s health, sports, aquatics, neuro-rehabilitation and geriatrics are growing. Dr. Komp-Webb said the combined professional experience of CVTC faculty addresses those areas and many other aspects of physical therapy care.
There are six physical therapist assistant programs in Wisconsin. CVTC’s is the newest. Numerous new physical therapist assistant programs were established nationwide in the past year. Demand for PTA graduates is expected to grow as the U.S. population ages.
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