SPC physical therapy professor advocates for improvements in rural healthcare
Kensey Barrett’s calling is certain: serve the West Texas area that she calls home. As an adjunct professor in South Plains College’s physical therapist assistant (PTA) program, she is accomplishing her mission by educating people about rural healthcare needs.
In March, Barrett traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak to legislators about the importance of funding healthcare education in physical therapy and nursing. She discussed her research on rural healthcare and the need to serve small communities, like her hometown of Levelland.
Outside of the national stage, Barrett continues her mission as an SPC PTA alumna.
“A calling in my life is to help people,” she said. “As a student, I wanted to go in that route, but I wasn’t sure what to pursue. 2011 was the year SPC was starting the physical therapist assistant program.”
Years before Barrett’s time in the PTA program, she entered higher education in 2004 as an SPC radio, TV and film student. Despite enjoying her time working at local news stations, the Great Recession prompted her to consider other career paths.
Information about SPC’s upcoming PTA program was spreading across Levelland at the time, so Barrett’s family encouraged her to learn more. She soon enrolled in the first PTA cohort.
“Service to people was the most important aspect,” she said. “I really wanted to help people in what could be their most vulnerable moments and get them back on their feet.”
In 2013, she finished the program and went on to serve as a PTA for 12 years, carrying out her mission. From hospitals to home care, she said physical therapist assistants have many job opportunities, especially in West Texas rural communities that lack easy access to healthcare.
Soon after her start in the PTA field, Barrett moved to Corpus Christi to be closer to her husband’s family and remained there until June 2025. When it was time to move back to Levelland, she did not realize she would complete a full-circle moment at SPC.
“We wanted to make an impact in our community,” she said. “I jumped at the opportunity to be an adjunct professor at SPC, give back to the program that made me into a PTA and help others achieve that title as well.”
Barrett returned to the College not only with an expert perspective on physical therapy but also with some nursing skills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she became a registered nurse and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She is currently working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Baylor University’s Pediatric NP program and has had many opportunities to research rural healthcare.
“On the physical therapy side, if the funding isn’t there for people who want to continue their program and later obtain their doctorate, we won’t have easy access to credentialed faculty members to train healthcare professionals,” she said. “More than ever, these rural areas need more support.”
The demand for physical therapy providers is high, especially in West Texas, Barrett said. This is one reason she encourages aspiring healthcare workers to consider SPC’s PTA program.
“I get messages every day about positions in this area,” she said. “We really need more physical therapist assistants to fill that gap.”
When Barrett started SPC’s PTA program, she never expected to return and teach the next generation of providers.
“I’ve been grateful to SPC because in the moments when my life was changing, SPC was there,” she said. “I’m proud to say that I’m a South Plains College Texan.”
For prospective students wanting to learn more about SPC’s physical therapist assistant program, visit the PTA webpage or contact Program Director Jackie Underwood at 806-716-2470 or junderwood@southplainscollege.edu.
