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Mission:

Engaged professionals delivering competent, compassionate, valued care in diverse settings.

Philosophy:

The PTA demonstrates knowledge of the patient’s condition and provides patient centered interventions to promote a healthier, more functional life. The PTA program prepares students to provide safe, competent and effective patient care while promoting student success. The faculty will promote high treatment standards, professional behavior, lifelong learning, and above all, compassionate care. Graduates will be engaged members of the healthcare team and seek to promote their patients’ independence.

Program Goals:

  1. Mid’s PTA program will prepare competent, entry-level graduates who will work under the direction of a physical therapist and be employed as physical therapist assistants in the community.
  2. Mid’s PTA program’s academic and clinical faculty will provide students with learning experiences which reflect best physical therapy practices.
  3. Mid’s PTA program will provide above average classroom and lab equipment to facilitate knowledge and skills.
  4. The PTA program’s graduates will seek continuing education, professional development activities and lifelong learning opportunities to broaden their professional expertise to better serve the health care needs of the community.

These goals align with the PTA program mission of developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes in students so they achieve/exceed expected competency levels.

The PTA program, like Mid as a whole, has “dedication and commitment to student requirements.” Both Mid and the PTA program strive toward “discovering and developing talents of people…..to advance careers and enrich lives of all students.”

Program Objectives

  1. 90% of the PTA graduates will pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) overall, averaged over two years.
  2. 85% of the PTA graduates will receive an above average rating from employer surveys.
  3. Of those seeking employment, 90% of graduates will be employed within one year of passing the NPTE, averaged over two years.

  1. All clinical education faculty will be rated at above average or higher for providing students with a learning experience that reflects best physical therapy practices 60% of the time.
  2. All academic faculty will be rated at above average or higher for providing students with a learning experience that reflects best physical therapy practices 60% of the time.
  3. Clinical education faculty will rate students above average or higher as academically prepared with practices that best reflect physical therapy practices 60% of the time.
  4. All clinical education faculty will have participated in at least one professional development, continuing education or community activity within the past two years.
  5. All academic faculty will have participated in at least one professional development, continuing education or community activity within the past year.

  1. Students will rate the PTA program’s classroom and lab equipment as above average or higher 60% of the time.
  2. Program faculty will rate the classroom and lab equipment as above average or higher 60% of the time.
  3. Clinical education faculty will rate the student’s ability and knowledge to use facility equipment as above average or higher 60% of the time.

Objectives for Goal #4:

  1. 90% of graduates will plan on lifelong learning, professional development and/or health care community service opportunities.
  2. 50% of graduates will have participated in lifelong learning, professional development and/or health care community service within one year of graduation.

Strategic Connection

Program Connection to the Mission and Strategic Goals of Mid Michigan College.

 

Enduring Goal #1: Enabling Student Success

The success of Mid is tied inexorably to the success of our students. To accurately assess our students’ success, we must recognize that students choose Mid for a wide variety of reasons; consequently, we must first accurately identify individual student’s goals and then facilitate each student’s ability to attain those goals. To that end, we must provide relevant, high quality instruction, programming, and services that adapt to diverse learning styles, that enhance students ability to perform in a global society, that support career advancement, and/or that facilitate successful transfer to a senior institution. To maintain both efficiency and a student-centered learning environment, Mid must thoughtfully balance a high tech/high touch approach.

PTA Program Goals #1 through #4 tie into the College’s first goal. The Program is committed to graduating competent PTAs. PTA instructors provide learning experiences which reflect best practices which aligns with graduating competent PTAs.

Enduring Goal #2: Enhancing Employee Success

The success of Mid depends on our employees. We must provide effective leaders who value and support high standards of performance using clear direction and open, honest communication. We must work collaboratively to create, nurture, and sustain a culture of mutual support and service. To do so, we must align and support employees in positions that most effectively utilize, develop, and challenge their talents.

PTA Instructors are encouraged by Mid instructional administrators to participate in updating their teaching, PT skills, and direct patient care experiences. Much of this career enhancement activity is self-directed. Goal setting takes place on an ongoing basis and is documented in the PRFEP's.

Enduring Goal #3: Engaging the Community

The success of Mid depends on the support of the communities we serve. Consequently, we must continuously and deliberately develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with our multiple communities. At the same time, we must provide leadership in uniting our communities by positioning Mid as a regional service provider. We must identify and prioritize the most significant needs of our communities, assuring that our activities align closely with our mission.

The PTA Program’s DCE regularly communicates with area clinics. The PTA Program offers meetings for CI’s and SCCE’s on campus at least annually. The DCE also is available to provide on-site in services regarding further development of their Clinical Education Program or other requested Clinical Education topics.

PTA Advisory Committee meetings are held bi-annually.

PTASTIC (Physical Therapist Students Tactically-Involved Club), is the PTA Program’s student organization. Annually in October they hold a PT Month event in the Doan lobby to promote the profession and engage interest in the PTA Program.

Enduring Goal #4: Improving Institutional Effectiveness

The success of Mid depends on the way we work. In an unstable state and national environment, we must create our own stability yet be agile to serve the needs of both our internal and external customers. In times of economic uncertainty, we must develop and use our precious human, financial, and physical resources prudently and efficiently. We must ensure that our means of making decisions, communicating, and planning are streamlined yet inclusive. We must put the principles of Academic Quality Improvement Program at the center of our operations, using data to guide our constant pursuit of excellence.

The PTA Program faculty participate in improving Mid's effectiveness. Attending and participating in Faculty Orientation Days, Professional Development Days, Curriculum & Academic Standards Committee, General Education Committee and other institutional meetings.

Program History

The Dean of Nursing and Health Technologies, had vision of starting of PTA Program. After initial discussions with other administrative officials at the College, she proposed the program concept to the Board of Trustees. They approved program development.

The Dean consulted with CAPTE and received the Evaluative Criteria. She also proposed and received a program development budget which included hiring a PT consultant. The previous PTA Program Director was hired as a consultant in April ’05. She consulted with local PTs, PTAs and Rehabilitation Department Directors as she labored on the Candidacy materials. Because a strong clinical component is the heart of the Program, seeking CI/SCCE support was viewed as critical. That support was immediately evident and more than sufficient.

Clinic visits were initiated to discuss the Program and clinical placements. Clinical instructors’ and SCCE input was incorporated into curriculum development. CIs/SCCEs gave advice about emphasizing clinical experiences in the curriculum design and purchasing state-of-the art equipment.

Working in conjunction with the Dean of Nursing & Health Technologies, the Vice President of Academic Services, the Transfer Counselor & Chair of the Curriculum Committee and members of the Curriculum Committee, the proposed PTA Courses were approved in November, 2007 by the Mid's Curriculum Committee.

The PTA Program accepted their first cohort of 17 students in Fall 2008 using a waiting list. The first two cohorts ran 4 semesters consecutively, but this created challenges in scheduling of didactic and clinical work. Due to this the third cohort, in Fall 2011, started the sequence of four semesters of class, with no Spring/Summer classes. PTA Program classes are offered Fall, Winter, Fall and Winter, with students graduating in May. The second and third cohort of PTA students started with 20 students. The Fall 2013 and 2015 cohort started with 22 students. Since Fall 2016, the program has accepted 18 students annually. In July 2018, Mid Michigan Community College became Mid Michigan College.

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