About Us

In 1966, the Louisiana legislature passed the first Physical Therapy Practice Act. Physical therapists were first licensed and regulated by the Board of Medical Examiners. In 1979 the Board of Medical Examiners appointed a group of physical therapists to the PT Advisory Committee to assist in administering the licensing examination and to interview candidates for licensure.

Act 208 of the Regular Session of the 1987 Legislature created the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (LPTB) within the Department of Health and Human Resources. The board operates only from funds derived from its own fees. No funds are appropriated from the state. The first board was appointed by the governor on September 1, 1987 and consisted of five members:

• Three members of the profession who possess an unrestricted license to practice Physical Therapy and who have been practicing in the state for no less than three years.
• One physical therapist who possesses an unrestricted license to practice Physical Therapy and who has been practicing in the state for no less than three years and appointed from a list of names submitted by the Louisiana Hospital Association.
• One member shall be a physician who possesses an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the state who specializes in the practice of orthopedic surgery or the practice of physiatry and appointed from a list of names submitted by the Louisiana Medical Society.

The first Board members appointed by the governor were Pat Adams, PT; Becky Lege, PT; Jerry Leonard, PT; Ron Wehlander, PT; and Tom Laborde, MD.

Rules and Regulations were written by the board and were adopted on December 20, 1987. The board began operation under the management consultant firm of Reynolds, Rapp and Co., located in Lafayette, Louisiana. Initially there were 700 physical therapists whose licenses were transferred from the Board of Medical Examiners to the LPTB. Of the initial 700 physical therapists licensed by the LPTB, 84 physical therapists had been licensed through a grandfather clause in 1966, meaning they had been educated and were already practicing prior to the passage of the first Practice Act and licensing requirement. These grandfathered PTs had previously passed the National Registry Exam.

In 1988 the LPTB became a member of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). In May 1988 the Federation began compilation of a databank of all licensed physical therapists in the United States and its territories. The database was to be used to record and track disciplinary actions taken against physical therapists by their state licensing boards.

Successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination is required in all states including Louisiana. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is the owner and developer of the examination (Prior to the establishment of the Federation, the exam was owned by APTA). The Federation contracts with various Professional Examination companies to assist in its exam development. Two companies that have been contracted are Professional Examination Service (PES) and Assessment Systems Incorporated (ASI).

The Physical Therapy Practice Act was amended in 1992 to permit the Board to license and regulate Physical Therapist Assistants. Notices were mailed to every clinic in the state indicating eligibility requirements to become a physical therapist assistant under the grandfather clause. Of the more than 300 applicants, 86 applicants met all requirements to be licensed under the grandfather clause. These applicants first met certain criteria to be eligible to sit for licensure exam. After the applicant passed the physical therapist assistant licensure examination, the applicant then had to complete a clinical competency practical exam and attend a personal interview with a representative of the board. Since that initial grandfather licensure, all Physical Therapist Assistants must be graduates of CAPTE accredited physical therapist assistant programs.

In April 1993, the board cancelled its management contract with Reynolds, Rapp and Co. and leased its own office space in Lafayette and hired its own staff. Its first employee was Cheryl Gaudin, Executive Secretary. A year and one-half later and with growth in business volume, a second employee was added.

In 1995, the position title of Executive Secretary was changed to Executive Director.

In July 1997, Louisiana and 32 other jurisdictions began participation in Computer Based Testing (CBT) versus the paper and pencil examination for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Until that time, the paper and pencil examination was administered only three times a year on fixed dates in March, July, and November. With CBT, candidates could sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination six(6) days a week and at any of 220 participating Prometric Technology Centers in the United States and Canada. A candidate was allowed to sit for the CBT National Physical Therapy Examination up to 4 times in a 12 month period.

In November 1999 the Board office relocated to Wolfe Creek Office Condominiums, 714 E Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite D-2 Lafayette, LA 70508.

In June 2004, the Board moved to its current location at 104 Fairlane Drive, Lafayette, LA 70507.