Idaho State University expands physical therapy program to Meridian, completes $3.4 million expansion for inaugural class

MERIDIAN—Tour new physical therapy laboratories and classrooms at an open house Friday, Sept. 21, 4-6 p.m., at Idaho State University-Meridian, 1311 E. Central Drive. The event is on the second floor of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Center.

ISU began offering the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in Meridian this fall to help meet the statewide and national demand for more physical therapists. The university added 24 seats in Meridian to complement the existing 24 in Pocatello.  

New physical therapy digs, which are part of a $3.4 million buildout of the second floor of the Health Science Center, include a neuromanagement laboratory, an orthopedic skills lab and state-of-the art equipment to treat stroke survivors, people with neurological disorders and clients recovering from physical injuries. Classrooms and labs are linked to Pocatello via distance-learning technology.

The U.S. Department of Labor projects employment of physical therapists to grow 25 percent nationally through 2026, and the Idaho Department of Labor expects the profession to grow by more than 30 percent in the Gem State through 2024.

ISU is the only Idaho university to offer a doctorate in physical therapy.

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