During a ceremony on Saturday, October 10, APTA Idaho presented awards to three recipients to honor their contributions to the profession of physical therapy in Idaho.

Christy Hall, PTA, received the 2020 PTA of the Year Award for her contributions at the Center for Physical Rehabilitation (CPR), as well as her service to the association and in the community. In addition to excellence in patient care and a zeal for professional growth, Hall’s contributions include managing the operations and marketing for the clinic’s community-based population health program, and increasing her own skills to provide additional opportunities for clients participating in the program. An APTA member since 2005, Hall’s service to the association began when she was a student and includes serving as a student liaison to the Board of Directors, a district officer, and as the PTA Caucus Rep.

 

Deanna Dye, PT, PhD, received the J. Perry Silver Award for Outstanding Service to Physical Therapy, after serving the profession since 1990. In 2001, Dye joined the Idaho State University physical therapy program faculty as an assistant professor. She became the program’s director in 2016, a post she continues to hold. Her extensive background includes training clinical instructors, completing the APTA Academy of Education’s Education Leadership Institute, and being inducted into the Academy of Advanced Item Writers by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. She has served in the past, and now serves again, on Idaho’s Physical Therapy Licensing Board. She also has served as an Idaho Chapter liaison, committee chair, delegate, district and chapter secretary, and vice president. She has been a manuscript reviewer and an invited speaker to state and national conferences.

Lorinda Smith, from the Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory on the Idaho State University Meridian campus, received this year’s Jill Cooper Friend of Physical Therapy Award for her tireless efforts to lead her colleagues in overhauling their procedures within the anatomy lab, which facilitated the addition of 24 new physical therapy students, and creating a comprehensive clinically-focused curriculum that will inform the next generation of physical therapists.

For more information about APTA Idaho Awards or to nominate someone for a future award, please visit our Awards page.