CAPTE Upheld Decision to Withdraw Accreditation

Parsons, KS- On May 10, 2022 the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) upheld its previous decision to withdraw accreditation from the physical therapist/physical therapist assistant education program at Labette Community College. CAPTE reached this decision after a thorough review of all program materials. 

The deficiencies have been clearly identified in CAPTE’s Summary of Action. Uphold Withdraw Accreditation is an adverse decision that can be appealed upon request from the program and institution. The decision to withdraw will be final unless the program appeals this decision to an Appeal Panel and the Appeal Panel finds that the decision should not be upheld. 

Students who are enrolled in the final year of the program on the effective date of the final decision to withdraw accreditation will be considered graduates of an accredited program, provided they successfully complete the program in the original time frame scheduled for their graduation. Subject to individual state statute, those students should be able to sit for the licensure exam. However, students enrolled in earlier phases of the program on the effective date of the final decision to withdraw and students admitted to the program after the effective date of the final decision will not be considered graduates of an accredited program. In the interest of the public trust that the accreditation process serves, all enrolled and prospective students are hereby notified that accreditation of the physical therapist/physical therapist assistant education program at Labette Community College has been withdrawn. Standard 1C2 - Ultimate licensure pass rates are at least 85%, averaged over two years. LCC’s pass rates respectively for this standard have been between 80-84.5%. LCC acknowledged not meeting the standard 1C2 but had implemented many changes to make improvements to meet and exceed this standard which showed promise; however, the national pandemic (COVID-19) created additional challenges and hindered benchmark data collection for those changes. 

LCC appealed the initial decision to withdraw accreditation and presented what they believed to be strong facts supporting the changes, challenges and improvement to a CAPTE committee during a reconsideration hearing. Unfortunately, the committee reached a decision to uphold the withdrawal. Regrettably, the college will not appeal the decision to the CAPTE Appeals Committee but rather focus on the current students in the program and their successful completion of the program. 

“Last year, we had been notified that our Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Program accreditation had been withdrawn. We appealed their decision to withdraw accreditation. Unfortunately, CAPTE upheld accreditation withdrawal. As a result, we will discontinue the PTA Program upon completion of the current cohort of students,” said LCC President, Dr. Mark Watkins. “Needless to say, we are very disappointed in CAPTE’s decision. LCC will continue to look for new and innovative programing to serve our students and communities.”