Dr. Bird is excited to join the academic team at the College of Western Idaho and will begin teaching in the Fall of 2023. He earned his BS in Physical Education from Brigham Young University, his Master of Science (MS) degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado Health Sciences in Denver, Colorado, and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ where his research focused on specialized imaging of common knee injuries.
Dr. Bird has been passionate about healthcare and the delivery of quality, evidence-based interventions for over 22 years as a licensed Physical Therapist. He has worked in a variety of settings including inpatient post-acute care, home health care, wound care, and outpatient providing physical therapy services. Dr. Bird specializes in the geriatric population but enjoys treating patients of all ages and conditions.
Prior to joining the faculty at CWI, Dr. Bird was the Chair and Associate Professor of the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Carrington College in Boise, Idaho for more than 13 years where he established the original program and taught in all aspects of the program. Today, Dr. Bird continues to serve as an examination writer for the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination as well as a member of the Examination Development Committee for the Federation of State Boards in Physical Therapy. Additionally, Dr. Bird volunteers publicly as a Governor-appointed member of the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board which regulates the practice of physical therapy throughout the state of Idaho.
In his spare time, Dr. Bird enjoys the outdoors with his wife, four children, and one grandchild! He stays physically active by training as a sprint triathlete. While the variety of exercise modalities is enjoyable, Dr. Bird most enjoys competitively running 5K and 10K races.