POLK COUNTY -- Florida Southern College is launching a new doctor of physical therapy program in response to an overwhelming need in Polk County.
- New doctor of physical therapy program at Florida Southern
- Program in response to need in Polk County
- Student applications accepted starting in June
Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center's Chief Rehabilitation Officer Jill Haladay said it's tough filling physical therapists positions and she often has to do a national search.
"We do find that in Polk County, we just cannot find qualified applicants," said Jill Haladay.
Pending its candidacy with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), Florida Southern College's new program will begin its first classes in the fall of 2019. Applications will be accepted starting in June 2018.
"Central Florida is really in need of physical therapists. The hope is that the program will bring students from the area and students will seek employment in Central Florida," Dr. Nancy Nuzzo, the new program's director, said.
The doctor of physical therapy program is accepting 36 students in its first class. The program is accelerated and will take 2½ years, to complete. That includes 36 weeks of clinical experiences.
The program will be housed in the former location of the Lakeland Association of Realtors in the Dixieland Historic District on South Florida Avenue. The renovation of the building will include a new 11,000-square-foot addition.
The program also involves students and faculty providing pro bono services to underserved populations through community outreach program. Director Dr. Nancy Nuzzo said they plan to partner with Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, Volunteers in Service to the Elderly, and Florida Baptist Children's Homes.
The decision to start the program was made recently by the college's Board of Trustees following an extensive needs assessment study. Through the study, the college found:
The number of physical therapists nationwide is projected to increase 28 percent over the next eight years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the Florida Hospital Association, physical therapist positions take longer to fill than any other health-related field with 60 percent of positions requiring at least 61 days to fill.
Polk County has the fourth lowest physical therapist distribution per 100,000 in central Florida despite having the fourth highest county population in the region, and only Sarasota County approaches the national average of physical therapist distribution.
For more information about the new Doctor of Physical Therapy program at FSC, visit the website at www.flsouthern.edu/DPT.