Student-run physical therapy clinic offers compassionate care to Gainesville community
Stacy Johnson loved his job as an MRI technician assistant. He used warmth and humor to ease patients’ anxiety about getting into a scary-sounding machine. He never thought he’d be in that position himself.
In 2023, Johnson — a resident of Gainesville — suddenly had trouble making his left hand into a fist, and his left leg stopped working. After an MRI found two nerves pressed together in his neck, he had surgery to untangle them.
But lingering mobility issues kept him from returning to work, and without insurance, he couldn’t afford physical therapy. Being unable to do things he loved — like mowing the lawn, washing his car and helping family members with physical tasks — had begun to affect his mental health.
Then, he heard about the Physical Therapy Equal Access Clinic, one of the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions’ three student-led clinics offering care to community members who are uninsured or unable to afford high copayments. Johnson now attends the clinic regularly, receiving physical therapy from doctoral students and helping them grow as health care providers.
“This place is amazing. It’s life-changing,” Johnson said. “It got me back on track mentally, because I was going downhill.”