Rick Lee Milen , CPO, PTA

A health care professional who is specifically educated and trained to manage comprehensive prosthetic patient care for individuals who have sustained complete or partial limb loss or absence. Prosthetists assess specific patient needs, formulate an appropriate treatment plan, implement the treatment plan and provide follow-up care.

A health care professional who is specifically educated and trained to manage comprehensive orthotic patient care, including musculoskeletal and neuromuscular anomalies resulting from injuries or disease processes involving the lower extremity, upper extremity or spinal segment/s and positional deformation of the cranium. Orthotists assess specific patient needs, formulate an appropriate treatment plan, implement the treatment plan and provide follow-up care.

(1)Physical therapist assistants are skilled health care providers who are graduates of a physical therapist assistant associate degree program accredited by an agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education or Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, who assists the physical therapist in providing physical therapy. The supervising physical therapist is directly responsible for the actions of the physical therapist assistant. The PTA performs physical therapy procedures and related tasks that have been selected and delegated by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of the PTA include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs, training patients in exercised and activities of daily living, conducting treatments, and reporting to the physical therapist on the patient's responses. In addition to direct patient care, the PTA may also perform such functions as patient transport, and clinic or equipment preparation and maintenance. Currently more than half of all states require PTAs to be licensed, registered or certified. (2) An individual who works under the supervision of a physical therapist to assist him or her in providing physical therapy services. A physical therapy assistant may, for instance, help patients follow an appropriate exercise program that will increase their strength, endurance, coordination, and range of motion and train patients to perform activities of daily life.