2. SOW - DRAFT Physical Medicine Advance Course (v3 Final Draft).pdf

Solicitation Number / Contract Number TBD

Insert Date, Mod #

STATEMENT OF WORK

for

Air Force Medical Readiness Agency

(AFMRA)

Physical Medicine Advance Course

Solicitation/Contract Number TBD

18 September 2026

(Version Control Date: 22 Jun 22) DRAFT

Table of Contents

Section Page Number

1. BACKGROUND

2. PURPOSE

3. SCOPE

4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

5. REQUIREMENTS

6. OPERATING CONSTRAINTS

Appendix A ACRONYMS

Appendix B CCAF Course Breakdown

DRAFT

Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Training Program for Air Force (AF)

Personnel

1. BACKGROUND

The 2017/2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) addressed the need to acquire licenses and certifications for military members. Presently graduates do not possess the requisite

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) associate degree from an accredited institution which is necessary to qualify to sit for the national licensing exam.

The Air Force (AF) Physical Medicine enlisted career field (Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC)

4J0X2) has initial training at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Fort Sam Houston, TX, at the

Medical Education Training Campus (METC). This initial training consists of:

• A preparatory course (15 academic days)

• An apprentice course (81 academic days)

This Phase I military training is required for enlisted graduates to work as assistants to physical therapists at Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs), embedded units and deployed environments.

To achieve full professional parity and meet licensing requirements, graduates require a structured Phase II academic pathway leading to a Commission on Accreditation in Physical

Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this requirement is to secure academic education and clinical training, from an accredited collegiate institution, resulting in a CAPTE-accredited Physical Therapist Assistant

AAS degree. To meet the AF’s expanded operational readiness goals, this SOW establishes an annual training pipeline for 36 AF enlisted members within the 4J0X2 career field. This training shall be executed across three (3) distinct course cohorts of twelve (12) students each over a twelve-month period, with each cohort’s instruction spanning up to, but not exceeding, 180 academic training days.

3. SCOPE

The AF seeks to partner with an academic institution (College) possessing an active, fully accredited CAPTE PTA program. The College is required to provide all enrolled students with seamless access to all materials and facilities enabling them to successfully complete the milestones in earning the degree. This scope includes, but is not limited to:

• eBooks, workbooks, and specialized instructional software.

• Individual student laptops equipped with required software, internet connectivity, and technical support.

• Unlimited access to classroom facilities, physical therapy simulation labs, and student study spaces.

• Fully coordinated and supervised clinical rotation placements. DRAFT

• Direct administrative support for graduation, transcript processing, and licensing exam registration.

4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The primary place of performance for classroom instruction, academic laboratory work, and administrative support shall be in San Antonio, Texas, within a 15-mile radius of either JBSA

Fort Sam Houston or JBSA Lackland AFB. Clinical training rotations may be utilized at various clinical partner sites located within the San Antonio metropolitan area. All clinical site selections and placement schedules must be mutually agreed upon in writing by the College and the designated Government Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) prior to student placement.

5. REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor (College) shall perform the following duties:

5.1. Program Accreditation: The Contractor shall provide a curriculum resulting in a Physical

Therapist Assistant AAS degree. The program must maintain continuous, active programmatic accreditation through CAPTE. Any change or threat to the program’s accreditation status must be reported to the Contracting Officer (CO) and COR immediately.

5.2. Academic Cohort Management: The Contractor shall plan, schedule, and execute three (3) cohorts per contract year. Each cohort shall consist of up to twelve (12) students with each cohort’s instruction spanning up to but not exceeding 180 academic training days. The

Contractor shall cooperate with the AF Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) and COR to establish staggered start/end dates for each cohort to prevent local facility and clinical placement saturation.

5.3. Clinical Experience & Placement: The Contractor shall secure, oversee, and manage all clinical rotation experiences required for student graduation.

• The course provider shall be a fully certified and accredited college or university. The provider’s physical therapist assistant program shall maintain programmatic accreditation through the CAPTE. The provider shall ensure its staff and instructors meet all applicable

CAPTE requirements for faculty and instructional personnel.

• All clinical sites must possess active affiliation agreements with the College.

• The Contractor shall ensure clinical placements meet all CAPTE standards and provide students with diverse patient population exposure.

• The Contractor shall assign qualified clinical instructors (CIs) to supervise and assess student performance.

5.4. Academic Progress Tracking: The Contractor shall actively monitor, document, and grade student progress during the academic training portion of the curriculum (e.g., prerequisites, core classes, electives). The Contractor shall address each student’s academic progress through formal mid-term and final academic reviews. DRAFT

• The contractor shall maintain an NPTE pass rate of no less than 85% and a minimum student retention/graduation rate of no less than 90% per cohort.

5.5. Clinical Performance Tracking: The Contractor shall actively monitor, document, and grade student progress during the clinical training portion of the curriculum. The Contractor shall address each student’s clinical performance through formal mid-term and final academic reviews for each student.

5.6. Student Support and Academic Remediation: In the event a student struggles academically or clinically, the Contractor shall provide structured academic remediation services (e.g., tutoring, practical lab practice, study plans).

• If an AF student’s cumulative grade falls below the passing threshold (e.g., C or equivalent CAPTE standard), the Contractor shall implement a written remediation plan and notify the designated AF SEL, CO, and COR within forty-eight (48) hours.

• The Contractor must document all remediation efforts and share bi-weekly progress updates with the AF SEL until the student is returned to good academic standing.

• The Contractor shall maintain daily records of student attendance and clinical participation. Any unexcused absence, professional misconduct, or violation of clinical facility rules must be reported to the designated AF SEL, CO, and COR within forty-eight (48) hours of occurrence.

5.7. Digital Learning Tools and Materials: The Contractor shall provide each student with:

• An active, individual online subscription to a digital National Physical Therapy

Examination (NPTE) preparation platform or equivalent pre-approved exam-preparation tool prior to the first day of instruction for each cohort.

• All required eBooks, clinical workbooks, and digital learning modules prior to the first day of instruction for each cohort.

5.8. Facility and Resource Access: The Contractor shall grant AF students full, unrestricted student access to campus resources identical to those provided to civilian students. This includes access to physical libraries, computer labs, student health centers, recreation facilities, study lounges, and specialized physical medicine training laboratories.

5.9. Graduation Administration & Ceremonies: The Contractor shall coordinate, schedule, and execute graduation administrative requirements for each completing cohort. The Contractor shall:

• Ensure all academic transcripts are finalized, and degrees are conferred in a timely manner.

• Include graduating AF students in the college's standard graduation ceremonies, or schedule and host a distinct, professional military graduation ceremony for each cohort upon completion.

5.10. Licensure Exam Registration and Costs: The Contractor shall register all program graduates to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for PTA licensure. DRAFT

• The Contractor shall cover all examination and registration fees. These costs must be included in the tuition structure or billed as a pre-negotiated, fixed-rate fee under this contract.

• Students shall schedule the test at authorized testing centers (locations may vary based on the student's subsequent military permanent duty assignment).

6. OPERATING CONSTRAINTS

6.1. Baseline Capacity and Surge Variations. The standard baseline capacity is established at 12 students per class, with classes conducted 3 times a year, totaling an annual baseline of 36 students.

• Surge Capacity: The Government may request a surge in student capacity based on operational needs. However, the maximum number of additional students (either per class or annually) shall be mutually agreed upon by both the Government and the Contractor prior to execution to prevent over-enrollment.

• Notification & Billing: The Government will provide written notice 90 days prior to the scheduled class start date if surge capacity is required. Upon mutual agreement of the new maximum, any student exceeding the baseline of 12 per class will be billed individually at the pre-negotiated per-student rate.

6.2. To maintain operational security, tailored military instruction, and unit cohesion, AF students must receive instruction in a dedicated, closed-classroom environment. Under no circumstances shall AF personnel be integrated, co-mingled, or share a classroom with civilian students during instructional blocks, practical exercises, or testing phases.

6.3. Course Schedule & Duty Hours. The College and the Government shall mutually agree on a course schedule based on standard Government duty hours, defined as 0700 to 1700 local time, five (5) days a week. The agreed-upon course schedule shall recognize all Federal holidays and shall include a one-hour lunch period scheduled between 1100 and 1300 local time. Trainees receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for meal expenses and may elect to take their lunch period at an available dining facility or commercial dining

• Clinical experience hours remain variable and depend on the availability of patients and the hours of the host clinical partner.

6.4. Federal Holidays. Federal offices are closed on federal holidays as established by Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) and any other holidays declared by executive order. Holidays are documented by year on the Office of Personnel Management website for Federal employees located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=Overview.

• The course schedule shall shift to accommodate Federal holidays falling within a training week to ensure all required curriculum hours are fulfilled without extending the program's overall duration.

6.5. Student Attrition. The Government recognizes that student attrition may occur mid-cohort.

If an AF student is removed from the course prior to completion due to academic failure, DRAFT https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=Overview https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=Overview disciplinary action, or a sudden military recall (e.g., emergency deployment, operational requirements):

• Notification: The Contractor must notify the COR and the designated AF SEL within 24 hours of a student’s departure.

• Academic Failure and Student Disposition: A student who fails to meet required academic or clinical performance standards shall be removed from the course and will not be eligible to continue training with the current cohort. Due to the course schedule and sequencing of instruction, washback or re-entry into a subsequent training block is not authorized. Upon removal for academic failure, the student will no longer be eligible to retain the 4J0X2 specialty designation. The Government retains responsibility for all administrative actions, including determination of the student’s subsequent duty status, reclassification, or reassignment.

• Financial Liability: The student will be immediately disenrolled. Because academic success, personal conduct, and military availability are the responsibility of the student and the Government, the Government shall remain fully liable for all tuition and fees associated with that student's enrollment for the active term. No refunds, pro-rated billing, or credits to future cohorts will be issued for student removals resulting from academic failure, disciplinary action, or military recall.

6.6. The school program must accept Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transfer credits listed in Appendix B.

6.7. Mission/Emergency Essential. None of the services listed in this requirement are mission/emergency essential.

Appendix A ACRONYMS

Acronyms and Definitions

ACRONYM DEFINITIONS

AAS Associate of Applied Science

AFMRA Air Force Medical Readiness Agency

CAPTE Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

CCAF Community College of the Air Force

CO Contracting Officer

COR Contract Officer Representative

CI Clinical Instructor

JBSA Joint Base San Antonio

METC Medical Education Training Campus

MTF Medical Treatment Facility

NDAA National Defense Authorization Act

NPTE National Physical Therapy Examination

PTA Physical Therapy Assistant

PM Program Manager

SEL Senior Enlisted Leader

SOW Statement of Work

Appendix B CCAF Course Breakdown

Phase I Transfer Credits

Air Force Course Equivalent Course Credits

PTH 1305: Introduction to Physical

Therapy

(3 credit hours)

PTHA 1301: Profession in

Physical Therapy

PTH 1101: Foundations of Physical

Therapy

(2 credit hours)

AND

PTH 1314: Clinical

Screen/Rehab/Modalities

(3 credit hours)

PTHA 1405: Basic Patient Care

Skills

PTH 1313: Intro to Clinical

Pathophysiology

(3 credit hours)

PTHA 1321: Pathophysiology for the Physical Therapist Assistant

PTH 1311:

Anatomy/Physiology/Kinesiology

(6 credit hours)

PTHA 1413: Functional Anatomy 4

PTH 1312: Therapeutic

Exercises/Procedures

(5 credit hours)

PTHA 2409: Therapeutic

Exercise

TOTAL 18

Phase II Credit Hours

Course Course Title Didactic Hours Lab Hours Clinical Hours

PTHA 1431 Biophysical Agents 48 48 0

PTHA 2201 Essentials of Data

Collection

16 64 0

PTHA 1360 Clinical I 0 0 200

PTHA 2431 Management of

Neurological Disorders

48 48 0

PTHA 2435 Rehabilitation

Techniques

48 48 0 DRAFT

PTHA 2217 Issues in Healthcare 32 0 0

PTHA 2460 Clinical II 0 0 240

PTHA 2461 Clinical III 0 0 280

192 208 720

TOTAL: 27 TOTAL CREDIT

HOURS

1120 TOTAL

HOURS

Core Education Credit Hours

Course Course Title Credit hours

ENGL 1301 English Composition 3

MATH 1314 College Algebra 3

BIOL 2401 Human Anatomy & Physiology I 4

BIOL 2402 Human Anatomy & Physiology II 4

PSYC 2301 General Psychology 3

Language, Philosophy & Culture (40) Core or

Creative Arts (50) Core

TOTAL 20

Phase I 18 credit hours

Phase II 27 credit hours

Core Ed 20 credit hours

TOTAL 65 credit hours

DRAFT

https://myspccatalog.alamo.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=290&poid=54213 https://myspccatalog.alamo.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=290&poid=54210