The Prowers Medical Center Rehabilitation Department welcomed a new physical therapist to the team at the end of last year.

Stephen White, PT, DPT, joins the department, bringing an interest and specialty in rural healthcare. With more than six years of experience under his belt, White will work with Prowers Medical Center patients in various ways to help minimize pain and get them back to doing the activities they love most.

“I am excited to be working with the community and look forward to working and getting to know the patients and other staff at Prowers Medical Center,” he said.

Medical Background

White attended graduate school at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., where he received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2014. He is a certified exercise expert for aging adults and a certified blood flow restriction therapist. He also has certifications in dry needling, ergonomic assessments and speaks fluent Spanish. In addition to those certifications, White has specialized training in the treatment of balance, weakness, wound care and concussions.

Since PT school, White has worked in acute inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care and outpatient orthopedic settings. While he enjoys all aspects of rehabilitation, he specifically loves working with older adults. White is board-certified in Geriatrics from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).

White brings a diverse and evidence-based approach to the Prowers Medical Center team. He strives to help his patients achieve an enjoyable lifestyle through physical movement, strength, pain management and overall wellbeing.

“My goal in rehabilitation is your goal,” he said. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing people do the hard things they did not think were possible and seeing them get better and stronger. Life is more enjoyable when you are able to do the things you want to do.”

A Heart for Physical Therapy and Family

White has always wanted a career in healthcare. He enjoys its dynamic environment and associated opportunities to learn something new every day.

“Working in healthcare is like always being in school,” he said. “I love learning and implementing new and cutting-edge techniques to help those I work with.”

White’s role as a physical therapist allows him to do what he loves most — work with others to help them meet their goals across all different spans of life.

“I was drawn to Physical Therapy from many areas of my life, including my own experience as an athlete in school, my time as a coach and work as an aid in home and hospice care,” he said. “While I love learning about everything, healthcare has always been a clear choice for me as it brings me satisfaction every day with what I do.”

Originally from Mapleton, Utah, White and his family — wife, Stacey, and their four children, Ross, Ruby, Rowland and Rhett — have lived in Lamar for more than 6 years. Always charmed by small-town living, he said Prowers County felt like the perfect fit.

“I was initially attracted to the area by some friends who could not say enough about the community, schools and people,” White explained. “Having lived in Lamar for several years now, we feel very lucky to live in such a great area.”

Outside of work, White enjoys family time, playing and coaching his kids’ soccer teams as well as hiking and watching a good movie — especially if it involves popcorn from the Lamar Movie Theater.

Impact on the PT Team

With White’s addition, Prowers Medical Center now has four physical therapists. Lori Denman, Rehabilitation Manager at Prowers Medical Center, said White will bring an enormous amount of value to the team and will allow patients to be seen sooner and more frequently, if needed.

“We are very excited,” she said. “Steve is well-rounded and very qualified, bringing multiple specialist certifications to our team.”

According to Denman, the largest benefit of having White join the team is providing initial contact with Prowers Medical Center patients sooner to address their ailments and any issues they might be experiencing.

“The sooner we can get them in, the sooner we can give them the tools to start their recovery,” Denman concluded.

For more information on telehealth speech therapy, physical therapy and rehabilitation services at Prowers Medical Center, or to schedule an appointment, call 719-336-6728 or go to prowersmedical.com/services/rehabilitation-services.