JACKSON — Across the state, residents are commonly referred to physical therapists to regain function after injuries, surgeries, falls and chronic pain. But a national study warns that some patients may soon face longer wait times — or longer drives — to get the care they need.
The study, funded by the American Physical Therapy Association and published in March, found that Mississippi had a shortage of 440 licensed physical therapists in 2022. That means only 79% of the state’s demand was met. Physical therapy includes noninvasive treatments like massage, heat and exercise — often used instead of drugs or surgery.
Shortages create delays and burnout
David Friloux, Mississippi chapter president of the American Physical Therapy Association, said a continuing shortage could mean longer delays for patients and a heavier burden on providers.
Another APTA study, released last year, surveyed physical therapists across the country. It found that 72% of respondents were either unable to meet local demand or already working at full capacity.
“It just compounds itself. If I’m a PT, and I’m already operating at capacity, or maybe beyond capacity … pulling extra shifts or extra-long days or coming in on Saturdays, I’m losing my work-life balance. Then we’re facing burnout,” said Friloux, a physical therapist at North Mississippi Health Services. “In the context of the patient experience, then that suffers as well, because you don’t have a rested PT.”
Kollin Cannon, a physical therapist at Encore Rehabilitation in Long Beach, said the clinic stays busy and has seen more referrals in recent years. While current demand is being met, staffing gaps can cause delays.
“Long Beach is a retirement community … our main age range would be from 50s to 70s, but we see a lot of high school athletes as well,” Cannon said. “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.”
Demand rising with age and growth
The U.S. Census Bureau projects the number of Americans 65 and older will rise from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050 — a 47% increase.
In Mississippi, more than 663,000 residents are 60 or older, making up about 22% of the state’s population. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of adults age 65 and older grew by 29.3%, according to the 2023 Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report.
Cannon said the need for physical therapy will likely increase as Mississippi’s population ages.
Local growth is compounding the issue in some coastal communities. According to the Sun Herald, Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian have each grown by about 13% since 2020 — among the highest rates in the state. More than 1,000 new residents have pushed Bay St. Louis past the 10,000 mark.
“There definitely is a shortage, especially in communities that are growing rapidly, like the Mississippi Gulf Coast … but there are not enough (therapists) available to fill all the positions,” said Douglas Bates, regional vice president of operations at Encore Rehabilitation.
Rural clinics report different challenges
Bates said the broader shortage is tied to the limited number of physical therapy graduates. Only two doctoral programs currently exist in Mississippi — one at William Carey University and one at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Becoming a physical therapist takes more than seven years, including undergraduate studies.
William Carey’s program launched nine years ago and has now graduated three classes. One recent graduate, Charity Mills, returned to her hometown of Leakesville in Greene County to practice.
“I grew up (here), went to Greene County High School, knew I wanted to come back. My family’s here. My husband’s family is here, and I love the rural community, the really close-knitness that you just don’t get from other cities,” Mills said. “This is the first job that I’ve had. Compared to other clinics, it’s a very busy clinic, very challenging, but very rewarding in the same sense.”
Her supervisor, clinical director Hope Backstrom, said treating a wide range of patients with complex needs is a key part of practicing in rural Mississippi.
“As we all know, Mississippi is not known for our high health status, and there are so many patients that have so many underlying medical co-morbidities, and you really have to be careful with your screening. There have been many incidents where the patient was not even aware that they had hypertension … some patients are good historians, and some are not, and you don’t find out the whole story until you’re in the process of treating it,” Backstrom said.
Backstrom said Greene County faced staffing challenges in the past, especially with therapists who weren’t from the area. Since Mills joined, she said local outpatient needs are being met.
While the APTA study shows state-level trends, it also notes that local supply and demand can vary widely — particularly in rural regions.
“Locally, I feel (the need) has been met. But Greene County is a very large county. State Line is at least 25 minutes from here. Sand Hill is 20 to 25 minutes from here. McLain is 20 to 25 minutes from here,” Backstrom said. “Transportation in a rural area is always going to be a factor, especially for someone who’s wheelchair-bound. If they don’t have a handicapped-accessible vehicle, which is very expensive, those patients don’t have good access to care at all.”
MSU program targets underserved communities
The APTA projects Mississippi’s shortage will worsen through 2027 before improving. By 2037, the state is expected to meet about 82% of its projected physical therapy demand.
To help close that gap, Mississippi State University plans to launch a hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2029.
“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,” said David Buys, interim head of campus at MSU’s Meridian campus.
The new program will be part in-person and part online, aiming to attract students who cannot relocate for full-time study.
“Our hope would be to attract folks who are place-bound in their communities and not able to fully leave and come to a larger academic center, but could do didactics from their home and come to do some intensive in-person experiences with us at our Meridian campus, and then do clinical training, clinical education experiences in their communities or near where they live,” Buys said.
Policy changes expand access
During the 2024 legislative session, Mississippi lawmakers passed direct access to physical therapy — allowing patients to seek care without a physician referral.
“It’s less costly; the patient is not having to see multiple other providers before they eventually see a physical therapist,” Friloux said.
Friloux added that broader use of direct access — along with education and hiring incentives — could help expand care in rural communities, where physical therapy is often a cost-effective alternative to other treatments.
Buys said increasing the number of in-state graduates, particularly through a flexible model, is a key step.
“Roughly 52% of our population lives in rural areas, and we fully expect this to help meet some of the demand for physical therapy in those parts of our state,” Buys said.