ASU becomes first in state to offer physical therapy women’s health residency
by June 16, 2021 3:09 pm 557 views
Arkansas State University’s advanced physical therapy women’s health residency program has been granted candidacy, according to notification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).
Dr. Shawn Drake, chair, physical therapy, and professor of physical therapy in the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP), received word that the ABPTRFE board took action based upon review of the department’s self-evaluation report, exhibits and accreditation report rubric, and became effective May 31.
”We are excited to offer the first women’s health residency in Arkansas,” said Drake. “Our mission is to graduate high-quality specialists in the area of women’s health to Northeast Arkansas. We are currently accepting applications for the residency, which are available on our website. Applications are due on Aug. 1.”
The Kays Foundation awarded a $200,000 grant in 2020 to the Department of Physical Therapy to help initiate the first residency program in women’s health. The program includes topics such as lymphedema, pelvic floor dysfunction, osteoporosis, pelvic pain, and obstetrics and gynecological conditions.
The experience will prepare residents for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) specialty certification examination to become a women’s health clinical specialist (WCS) in order to promote women’s health physical therapy in Arkansas. Applicants must be a licensed physical therapist in the state of Arkansas prior to beginning the residency.
According to the ABPTRFE processes and procedures, the program may begin enrolling participants. The first cohort of participants must start within five months. Two weeks following the initial start date, the program must notify ABPTRFE staff and provide the anticipated graduation date.
The ABPTRFE staff will assign an onsite visit date six to 10 months following enrollment of the first participant. The program must submit a revised self-evaluation report and exhibits incorporating feedback received from the accreditation report rubric four to five weeks prior to the scheduled onsite visit.
Dr. Kendra Harrington, director of residency/fellowship accreditation of ABPTRFE, noted that the organization’s approach to accreditation “emphasizes practices of continuous improvement and quality enhancement driven by the program’s mission. The accreditation process does not assume a single model for improvement, but reflects an understanding that continuous improvement is a process that can follow various paths to demonstrate excellence in residency and fellowship education.”