Physical Therapy

Mission and Goals

Mission

The Division of Physical Therapy recognizes the needs of the state and missions of the West Virginia University School of Medicine and Health Sciences system. The Division works to transform WV and society by optimizing the human movement system through education, clinical practice, scholarship, and service. Our mission is to educate individuals with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors consistent with professional excellence. Working as part of a community of professionals, we strive to advance practice characterized by independence, professional judgment, and involvement. The Division, through faculty participation in scholarship, will be a leader in the school, university, community, state, and the profession.

Goals

Graduates of the program will:

  • Deliver high quality physical therapy services to individuals and communities across a continuum of care, including rural settings.
  • Demonstrate sound, independent clinical decisions utilizing information literacy, critical thinking skills, and scientific evidence.
  • Collaborate as a unique member of inter-professional teams.
  • Provide care distinguished by inclusion, cultural sensitivity, advocacy, trust, respect, and appreciation for both individual differences and population health disparities.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to the health of the community through participation in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs.
  • Demonstrate attributes of life-long learning through ongoing professional development, engagement in professional organizations and advocacy for the profession.

Program faculty will:

  • Demonstrate a commitment to delivery of contemporary and high quality instruction.
  • Participate in the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching.
  • Engage in service activities that benefit the university, society, and profession.
  • Practice physical therapy (as appropriate for effort allocation) diagnosing and treating movement dysfunction as a model of excellence for the community and state. Specialty areas are representative of the scope of specialty practice within physical therapy.

The Division of Physical Therapy will:

  • Prepare PT professionals for practice with special emphasis on meeting the needs of the citizens of WV.
  • Establish an ongoing record of research funding consistent with the university’s Carnegie Research Very High Classification.
  • Demonstrate interprofessional collaboration in service, scholarship, and education.
  • Provide care through a self-sustaining clinical entity that includes opportunities for faculty and supports educational and research efforts.
  • Develop post-professional education that prepares physical therapists for leadership roles in advanced clinical practice, education, and research.

Expected Outcomes

Student outcomes:

  • Graduates will demonstrate basic and applied knowledge necessary to practice PT as a member of the health care team in diverse settings.
  • Graduates will demonstrate the ability to make sound clinical decisions using information literacy skills, critical thinking, and scientific evidence.
  • Graduates will find employment with special emphasis on recruitment and retention of graduates in WV.
  • Graduates will adhere to core professional values.
  • Graduates will demonstrate the ability to practice independently as collaborative members of inter-professional teams.
  • Graduates will adhere to legal and ethical standards.
  • Graduates will demonstrate a life-long commitment to the profession by activity in professional organizations, scholarship, education, and advocacy.

Faculty Outcomes

  • Core faculty members will have five or more peer-reviewed products in a ten- year period.
  • Core faculty members will participate on at least two standing or ad hoc university committees and one committee or elected position outside the university (community, state, or national level) as assigned by the chair.
  • Faculty with clinical allocation of effort as assigned by the chair, will be engaged in direct patient care.
  • Each faculty will demonstrate effective teaching as evaluated by students, peers and chairperson and documented in the annual promotion and tenure cycle.

Program Outcomes

  • The PT Program will recruit, develop, and retain nationally recognized faculty.
  • The PT Program will demonstrate active extramural and intramural funding programs.
  • The PT Program will be represented on committees, research projects, and in teaching within other disciplines.
  • There will be a clinical faculty practice with an associated sustainable level of revenue.
  • The Division of Physical Therapy will consistently offer post-professional education and training opportunities, including continuing education and participation in residency, fellowship and PhD education