THE U.P. PTA DIFFERENCE
Finlandia is proud to offer the only PTA program in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our fully equipped PTA lab focuses on hands-on learning and allows students the opportunity work with modalities they would see in a clinic setting. Even with the distinction, Finlandia’s PTA program boasts a 6 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio ensuring our students are taught using proper techniques and form when working with patients.
The healthcare industry in the U.P. is growing. Home health agencies are proliferating due to the large elderly population. Acute-care hospitals are changing to “systems,” which provide physical therapy at all levels. Nursing homes are seeking (often through contracts) skilled rehabilitation services.
Physical therapy is a profession within the healthcare industry which promotes optimal human health and function. The licensed physical therapist assistant applies scientific principles to prevent, identify, alleviate, correct, or reduce acute or prolonged movement dysfunction.
CAPTE grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. CAPTE is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Specialized accreditation is a system for recognizing professional education programs for a level of performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve. Accreditation status signifies that the program meets established and nationally accepted standards of scope, quality, and relevance. Once awarded accreditation status, a program must submit reports regularly to the Commission ensuring continuing compliance with the evaluative criteria. Each program is formally reviewed every five to 10 years.