Physical Therapist Assistant

PTA Program Complaints

Complaints that Fall Outside the Realm of Due Process

The PTA Program encourages any individual who is not satisfied with their experience or encounter with any student, faculty, or staff member to file an informal or formal complaint. Anyone may file a complaint regarding any aspect of the program. This may include, but is not limited to, complaints from clinical education sites, prospective students, employers of graduates, and the public. Informal complaints may be directed verbally to the Program Director or Dean of Health Professions. Formal complaints should be in writing and addressed to the attention of the Program Director:

Lisa Hoipkemier, PT, DPT, NCS    
WVC Physical Therapist Assistant Program   
2200 College Drive  
Mt. Carmel, IL 62863 
618-263-5548 Ext: 3432  
hoipekmierl@iecc.edu

If the complaint involves the Program Director, the matter should be addressed directly to the Dean of Health Professions:

Alani Frederick, DNP, RN, PCCN,CNE 
Dean of Health Professions  
305 N. West Street  
Olney, IL 62450  
618-395-7777, ext. 2136 
mfredericka@iecc.edu

Any complaints or concerns from the student regarding Clinical courses must be submitted in writing to the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) in order to receive further consideration.  All written concerns or complaints will be reviewed by the ACCE and forwarded to the Program Director.

Process for handling complaints that fall outside the realm of due process:

1. When a complaint is received, the Program Director will contact the person(s) making the complaint within ten (10) business days.  If the complaint is focal and may be resolved with one individual, the Program Director contacts the individual, investigates the complaint, proposes a resolution, and informs all parties of the resolution by written communication. A written record of the complaint and resolution will be kept. 
2. Complaints which cannot be resolved by the process described above are referred to the Dean of Health Professions. The Dean will investigate and propose a resolution.  The Dean will communicate findings to all parties via written communication.  A written record tracking form will be maintained.   

Complaints will be handled in an expedited manner.  Complaints will be kept on file for at least five (5) years.  Complaints can be filed without fear of retribution. 

If a student has a grievance about any incident at a clinical facility, they should contact the Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE) and the ACCE as soon as possible regarding the details of the incident.

Complaints about the Program related to compliance with the accreditation standards must be submitted in writing to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The process for submitting a complaint to CAPTE is found here: https://www.capteonline.org/complaints The complaint should be addressed as follows:

Department of Accreditation, APTA   
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100   
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085

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Effective August 16,2022, Wabash Valley College Physical Therapist Assistant Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (618) 263-5548 or email hoipkemierl@iecc.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.

Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.)