On Wednesday, April 26, BCC Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program Coordinators, Michele Darroch PT, MEd, DPT, and Nicole Tucker MPT, and Clinical Education Coordinator, Judy Gawron, presented the New England Physical Therapist Assistant Consortium (NEPTAC) Clinical Faculty Award to Cheryl Reynolds, PTA. Fairview Hospital Rehab staff, including Victoria Guy PT, DPT, Director of Rehabilitation Services were in attendance for this recognition.
Cheryl has been a PTA clinician for 39 years and a CI for 30 at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, MA. She has worked with a great number of BCC PTA students throughout the years. Cheryl has consistently enhanced the quality of clinical education for Berkshire Community College PTA students by providing meaningful and challenging clinical experiences, adapting to the specific learning needs and level of each student. She has guided students at each level of clinical education and excels in matching the expected performance to the individual student — meeting the student where they are at and providing a progression towards success. Cheryl states, "I find it rewarding to be part of the PTA's learning experiences." As a PTA in both the hospital's acute care and outpatient clinic, Cheryl provides opportunity for students to work with a variety of patients, as well as opportunity for students to work alongside the acute care OT's and, in the outpatient clinic, observe and assist with patient treatments with PTs.
Dr. Guy credits Cheryl for being one of the influential people in advancing her own curiosity about physical therapy, inspiring her to attend the PTA program at BCC, then to continue on to a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
Cheryl and her vast knowledge of everything PTA related has helped many students over the years. She is always cool, calm and collected. As the lead therapist, and student coordinator here for the last few years, I have counted on Cheryl's skills in both acute care, outpatient care, Clinical Instructor and community programs....Fairview Hospital and Berkshire Community College are fortunate to have her!