Anoka-Ramsey Community College - Physical Therapy Assistant Program

Phone: 763.433.1100

Mission of the PTA Program

Meet the Instructors

Course Descriptions

FAQs

Jobs

PTA in The News

Clinical Site Resources

Continuing Education

Minnesota Licensure Information

Licensing Exam Information

Directions to the Therapeutic and Holistic Health Center (THHC)

Meet the PTA Faculty & Staff


Lisa Lentner PT, MS PTA Program Director	Lisa graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN with a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy degree. She has been teaching in the PTA Program for 12 years. She started teaching part time in 1996 when the PTA Program was still at Anoka Technical College. She became a full time instructor in 1998. When the program moved to Anoka Ramsey CC campus in 2001, she became the Program Director. Lisa has taken a group of PTA students on service learning trips to Antigua, Guatemala the past two summers and has thoroughly enjoyed it. Her specialty areas are neurological rehabilitation and geriatrics. She is married, has three children and loves to travel, run, bike and read.

Penny Rivard-Sherman PT, MAED PTA Program Instructor	Penny completed her BA degree in Physical Therapy at the College of St. Scholastica in 1987, and she earned her Master’s degree in Education in 2001 from the College of St. Catherine. She has worked as an instructor in the PTA program at Anoka Ramsey Community College (ARCC) since August 2008. In the future, she plans to further her degree, most likely in Education. She loves to learn, and when she’s teaching, she gets to learn something new every day, whether it’s related to physical therapy, human nature, or just everyday life. Penny was born and raised in Minnesota, and she says she’ll die here! She loves to snow ski, camp and scrapbook. She comes from a large family – she has eight brothers and one sister, and over 70 nieces and nephews. She is married and has three children, who are all in high school. Some random fun facts about Penny: people who know her know that she is fanatical about hand washing, and she thinks most people would never guess that she used to be shy.

Shawn Johnson PTA, ACCE	Shawn is an 1996 alumnus of the PTA program at ARCC (AHTC). She started working at ARCC in August of 2007 as the PTA Lab Assistant and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Prior to that, she worked for thirteen years at a busy rural hospital, with an emphasis in outpatient orthopedic work. She was also the Center Coordinator for Clinical Education for ten years. She is a Credentialed Clinical Instructor. Shawn is preparing to lead her third service learning team to Guatemala in August 2010. She enjoys sharing her clinical skills and knowledge with students. People often ask her when she plans to “finish college” to become a physical therapist, but she chose to be a PTA because she specifically enjoys being able to assist the PT in carrying out the treatment plan he or she outlined for the patient. She enjoys the challenge and freedom to use her skills and knowledge to tailor each treatment she provides to maximize the patient’s improvement in functional outcomes.

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Cambridge Campus

300 Spirit River Drive South

Cambridge, MN 55008

Phone: 763.433.1100
Fax: 763.433.1841

Coon Rapids Campus

11200 Mississippi Boulevard NW

Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Phone: 763.433.1100
Fax: 763.433.1521

Currently, the Physical Therapist Assistant program is only available on the Coon Rapids Campus.