Blanchfield Army Community Hospital recently became an even more attractive choice for physical therapy students trying to decide where to perform their internships.
The physical therapy clinic at BACH met the challenge of having every designated clinical instructor successfully complete the American Physical Therapy Association Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing program.
In the April issue of PT Magazine, the APTA honored BACH and six other facilities for earning the 100 percent Credentialed Clinical Instructor Award.
According to the APTA, the award shows academic programs and students that the clinical instructors at BACH are committed to high quality student teaching and patient care.
Many physical therapy and physical therapy assistant students come from Belmont University in Nashville and the Army program out of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Lieutenant Col. Matthew Garber, former chief of BACH Physical Therapy, believes this award tells schools that may potentially send students to BACH that this hospital is an excellent choice.
“We take this responsibility seriously and want to do all we can to make the experience worthwhile for every student.
“To become credentialed, each designated clinical instructor had to have at least one year of clinical experience, the desire to teach students, and complete training at a two day credentialing workshop,” said Garber.
He added that the hospital’s command supported the team throughout the credentialing process.
In addition to earning respect within the academic community, BACH’s Physical Therapy Department gets free tuition for one Credentialed Clinical Instructor to attend APTA’s Advanced Education and Credentialing Program.
That instructor will bring back additional training skills to share with the entire department.
Garber said having 100 percent of the clinical instructors credentialed and another going through the advanced credentialing program can only help increase the quality of patient care in BACH’s Physical Therapy Department.
“The more tools we have to help students, the more effectively we can convey our experience in physical therapy,” said Dr. Lee Web, a physical therapist at BACH who recently became a credentialed clinical instructor.
“This will improve patient care today and in every subsequent patient that students will encounter as a physical therapist for the rest of their career.”
The APTA has been recognizing facilities biannually since December 2007, with a total of 34 facilities nationwide meeting the challenge.
BACH is only the second military medical facility to receive this honor.
