Physical Therapist Assistant Students

04/29/2026

TO MY CCSD PHYSICAL THERAPIST FRIENDS..... URGENT!!

APTA / Board of Education meeting
Monday May 4th 9am

Invitation: Regulation 102-25 Meeting @ Mon May 4, 2026 9am - 9:30am (PDT)

Next Monday, May 4th at 9am, APTA has requested a meeting with the BOE to discuss a recent initiative that went through legislative committee that makes it mandatory for all school district PT practitioners to have the current terminal degree of DPT or PTA. This regulation will eliminate from school based services all PTs with BS or MS degrees who would want to work in the education model. We all know the original masters of pediatric care come from these license domains, and it is neglegent to make change with the assumption that those clinicians do not have clinical expertise in this field! Not all PTs have returned to school to attain current terminal degrees...
The APTA, with PT Board support, sought this meeting for input because this initiative was done without CLEAR calls for comment, and really, without us even knowing it existed! This Bill will reduce access to care in a population already undeserved and comes directly after the recent announcement that Physical Therapy is no longer recognized as a PROFESSION.
I am trying to spread the word and ask any school based therapists to try to be at this meeting to show solidarity for our profession. Also, any other therapists who wish to show support are, of course, welcome. We would appreciate ANY attendance to this online meeting that would preserve ALL PTs having access to practice in this setting.

I am attaching the meeting link and am asking us all to share it for a strong turnout! Thank you all!!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86203433431?pwd=sj3brHuay6VbkWka6vMUZbGrNkEnsE.1&from=addon

Meeting agenda
https://docs.zoom.us/agenda/doc/1990c73f-8bb6-46d4-8f45-ce1180a6fded?from=addon

Meeting ID: 862 0343 3431
Passcode: 592575

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04/29/2026

New friend in the lab... he needs a name! We have ideas but could be a fun game. GO!!

03/03/2026

Sorry for being late to the party... here are some updates on what the PTA students have been up to this semester....
They visited with a Ferrier to do a postural assessment and consider their use of hammers, anvils, and 1200 lb animals who may or may not want to be shoed! 😬 Percussive forces are real, and while posture is extreme in this profession with flexion and IR, the percussive forces of using a steel hammer on steel shoes on a steel anvil can cause damage to joints and tissues over time. We had some great discussions with Dan and Ayden, and certainly enjoyed the love of the horses they brought. Thanks guys!
Next, we hosted Erik Montville who is an adaptive equipment specialist who discussed seating and mobility with the students. He brought some different wheelchairs for the students to experience to have a better understanding of patient need, stability, manual vs power mobility, and the importance of working with the treatment team in the best interest for your patient... and the team includes mobility and equipment specialists. Thanks Erik!
Next we invited Heather Riggins DPT to discuss the evaluation process and how a PT determine patient goals. We had some fun discussions about patient knowledge, awareness, care, and why honest communication is so extremely important in our field. We also discussed the PT/PTA team and how incredibly important we are together! Thanks for sharing your time with us, Heather!
Next, we worked with the CNA students on Peri Care, bed mobility, and transfers. The CNA students taught us the importance of knowing the correct way to help keep our patients clean if they have an accident, and also the value of teamwork regarding patient care and working with nursing staff. In turn, the PTA students taught the CNA students safe stand pivot and sliding board transfers using gait belts and we also discussed how bed mobility can be Physical Therapy treatment for our patients in bed. We all share patient care responsibility and the PTA students now know how they can start with personal hygiene and end the session with a successful PT outcome. Thanks to Carla and the CNA students for their time and knowledge!
And today we had an oxygen use inservice from Tracy Sherman RT. The students learned that oxygen is a drug and requires a prescription, is not flammable itself but does increase combustion potential, how to safely use tanks, the various O2 masks and why we need different types, and the students practiced with tanks and wall O2. Prepping for effective use of oxygen in our profession!! Thanks for the fun, Tracy!
The PTA students continue to work hard to build there knowledge to be the most effective clinicians they can be!!! Thanks everyone! Great job!!

11/26/2025

Today, the 1st year PTA students were invited to participate in cadaver anatomy lab at a local university to help further their knowledge and understanding of how the body works. This type of education is the very best way to learn and appreciate human anatomy. They had the opportunity to investigate bones, muscles, joints, and organs in depth, and they observed what a lifetime of wear and tear can do to tissue. This was such a wonderful experience for them, and I want to give our sincere thanks to the professors that shared this invaluable opportunity with us today. We also give our humble gratitude to the men and women who feel this profound type of education is so important that they donated themselves to science so that we can learn from them. We give our deepest thanks for this experience today.

10/31/2025

Today, the PTA students from 1st year participated in an IPE day with other health programs on our campus! We dressed as characters from Dispicable Me... We had a great time!!

10/01/2025

Today, the 2nd year PTA students were invited to participate in cadaver anatomy lab at a local university to help further their knowledge and understanding of how the body works. This type of education is the very best way to learn and appreciate human anatomy. They had the opportunity to investigate bones, muscles, joints, and organs in depth, and they observed what a lifetime of wear and tear can do to tissue. This was such a wonderful experience for them, and I want to give our sincere thanks to the professors that shared this invaluable opportunity with us today. We also give our humble gratitude to the men and women who feel this profound type of education is so important that they donated themselves to science so that we can learn from them. We give our deepest thanks for this experience today.

09/09/2025

Please join me is welcoming the new PTA Class of 2027!! Woo Hoo!!!