College of Massage Therapy at Bingham Memorial Hospital Graduates Its 19th Class

Program Offers Hospital Patients Wellness Enhancing Massage Therapy; Offers $25 One-Hour Massages to the Public Every Friday and Saturday

BLACKFOOT, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bingham Memorial Hospital together with its partner, the College of Massage Therapy, today announced graduation exercises for the program’s newest group of massage therapists to be held Dec 19^th at the Blackfoot Elk’s Lodge. Bingham Memorial Hospital and the College of Massage Therapy teamed up in 2004 to provide patients with wellness enhancing massage therapy, while providing students with quality instruction and education within a medical setting, preparing students to practice in the increasingly popular field of medical massage.

“In the coming years, we will see more and more hospitals look at massage therapy as a companion to traditional medicine”

“We view patients a little differently than other hospitals. They are our guests,” said Louis Kraml, Chief Executive Officer and Bingham Memorial Hospital Administrator. “We believe it is important to do more than just provide exquisite medical treatment, we want our patients to feel our care and so we look for ways to increase wellness and speed healing. Partnering with the College of Massage Therapy seemed a natural fit and we know our patients have benefitted from this partnership. We congratulate the most recent graduates of the program and look forward to many years of providing these great services for our patients and a great teaching environment for the massage therapy students.”

The College of Massage Therapy is an independent, accredited program that operates and trains at Bingham Memorial Hospital, working with patients and requiring a 20 hour internship at the hospital for each student. The college also provides $25, one-hour massages to the public every Friday and Saturday to help students learn their discipline.

“In the coming years, we will see more and more hospitals look at massage therapy as a companion to traditional medicine,” said Gail King, Owner of the College of Massage Therapy. “Massage therapy enhances healing, reduces anxiety and stress and generally contributes to a feeling of health and wellness. It is a natural complement to medical care while providing an ideal learning environment for the students. We are able to provide a service many patients would not pursue on their own but can make such a difference in healing and feeling healthy.”

Massage therapy students work with patients in many areas of the hospital including maternity, the ICU, same day surgery and the skilled nursing facility. Graduates of the program often begin businesses of their own, working out of their homes, in spas or working alongside chiropractors.

To find out more information about becoming a student at the College of Massage Therapy at Bingham Memorial Hospital or to make an appointment for a massage Fridays and Saturdays, call 208-785-3823.

About Bingham Memorial Hospital

Bingham Memorial Hospital is a 501(c)3 non-profit critical access hospital located in Blackfoot, Idaho. Bingham Memorial Hospital is committed to the pursuit of excellence in our endeavor to provide a continuum of quality, compassionate, healthcare services for residents and visitors to east Idaho, in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.