Mississippi seeing a shortage of physical therapists

Mississippi is facing a growing shortage of physical therapists, a new study predicts the problem will only get worse over the next decade.

One university is launching a program to help close the gap.

More than 50 million Americans turn to physical therapy each year — after surgery, recovering from an injury or to manage chronic pain.

But in Southeast Mississippi, there isn’t always a doctor available.

“There’s a shortage that is certainly delaying people getting the care they need — we can definitively say that. We need to grow more physical therapists to meet the needs in Mississippi,” says Buys.

David Buys is the interim head of Mississippi State University’s Meridian campus… where a new Doctor of Physical Therapy program is set to start in 2029.

He says the decision was backed by a national study showing Mississippi only meets 79% of the state’s demand for physical therapists.

DPT Kollin Cannon says in busy areas like Long Beach, clinics are already feeling the strain.

“If you are down a therapist, it’ll be two weeks before we can see them, or three weeks to a month, if it’s just me,” said Cannon.

In rural towns like Leakesville, clinic director Hope Backstrom says many needs are currently met — but hiring still isn’t easy.

“It was just very challenging to find the staff and honestly, unless someone grows up in a rural area and wants to stay in that location,” said Backstrom. “It’s very challenging to find someone to drive to a rural area to work.”

That’s why both Buys and Backstrom hope MSU’s new program will keep more graduates close to home.

“Our hope would be to attract folks that are place-bound in their communities and not able to fully leave and come to a larger academic center and then do clinical training, clinical education experiences in their communities or near where they live,” said Buys.

Mississippi State’s hybrid course is the third doctorial physical therapy program in the state.

Two traditional programs are housed at William Carey University and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.