Physical Therapist Assistant - AAS
This program prepares students to provide a rehabilitation program designed to improve the mobility and function of patients. Graduates will work alongside physical therapists in providing rehabilitation and services for people that are dealing with an injury or disability that is limiting their abilities to work or enjoy life.
Careers
Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) work as part of a team under the guidance and direction of a physical therapists. Physical therapist assistants provide patient treatments that improve mobility, relieve pain and reduce physical and functional limitations. Duties include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs to meet patient’s goals of recovery according to the physical therapist’s plan of care. They educate and instruct patients in exercise and activities of daily living, providing treatments using specialized equipment and administering modalities and other treatment procedures. PTA’s treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the aging adult, who present with medical conditions that limit their functional abilities to move in their daily lives and to return living life. Patients include those dealing with neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and integumentary conditions in a variety of settings including outpatient, inpatient rehab, long-term care, home health and school settings. Physical therapist assistants record patient responses/outcomes of each treatment and make modifications in selected intervention either to progress the patient as directed by the physical therapist or to ensure patient safety and comfort.
Accreditation
The HutchCC Physical Therapist Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potommac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: ht tp://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (620) 665-3396 or email pta@hutchcc.edu.
Hutchinson Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.