Jim Downs, 2019 Outstanding Service Award
In April 2019, the UMES Department of Physical Therapy recognized Jim Downs for over 30 years of teaching as an adjunct instructor in the Physical Therapy Program. Jim is board certified in Clinical Electrophysiologic Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and has been teaching EMG/Nerve Conduction content within the Electrophysiology course since 1988. The department is very grateful to Dr. Downs for his many years of service and sharing his clinical expertise with students studying to become physical therapists.
Dr. Downs is a licensed physical therapist who specializes in clinical electrophysiology (Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies). Jim graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA, in 1970, with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. In the early 1970’s, Jim trained in EMG/Nerve Conduction while serving as a physical therapist in the US Public Health Service in New Orleans, LA and Washington, DC. In the mid-1970’s, he attended Emory University in Atlanta, GA and participated in pioneering EMG biofeedback in the laboratories of John D. Basmajian, MD, while practicing physical therapy for the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Atlanta. In the latter 1970’s he attended the Graduate Anatomy Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI, while working as a research physical therapist in the kinesiologic gait research laboratories of Mary Pat Murray PT, PhD at Wood VA Hospital.
In 1977, Jim and his family moved back to the Eastern Shore of Maryland for Jim to be the director of physical therapy and EMG laboratories at Memorial Hospital in Easton, MD. He resigned from the hospital in 1980 to open his own practice, in Easton, in electromyography/nerve conduction, where he also has contracted with many of the area hospitals.
In 1984, Jim and three associates founded Tidewater Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Associates in Easton, which has now expanded to 16 physical therapy offices, as well as several wellness centers across the peninsula. Jim is now the senior partner and CEO of Tidewater Physical Therapy, where he enjoys helping to guide Tidewater in its efforts to provide quality physical therapy services to patients throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland and southern Delaware.
Jim has been board certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in Clinical Electrophysiology (ECS) since 1986. While practicing full time he attended Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah from 1999 – 2006, where he graduated with a Doctor of Science in Clinical Electrophysiology.
During his career Jim has held several local and national offices with the American Physical Therapy Association and has served 2 terms on the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Jim has lectured nationally on the topic of EMG/Nerve Conduction. Jim has practiced in the specialty of Clinical Electrophysiology for over 40 years, where his prime interest is in differentiating peripheral nerve lesions, plexus level lesions, root level lesions and generalized peripheral neuropathy, as well as other neuromuscular involvement, such as primary muscle diseases, myoneural junction deficits and motor neuron involvement.
