After 44 years, 8,000 patients, and 96,000 appointments, Therese Eutsler, PT, CCT, CMTPT/DN, LHD, of Linden is retiring from full-time physical therapy practice on Friday. Her practice includes a 40-year affiliation with Franciscan Health, the last five years in outpatient therapy at Therapy Services, 1810 Lafayette Road, Crawfordsville. Before that, she practiced at Franciscan facilities in Lafayette, including stints as assistant director, clinical coordinator, and education coordinator.
Among her three most memorable appointments is entering labor with her firstborn during a home visit (which she completed before going to the hospital). She received a page while attending church to treat an orthopaedic injury sustained in an auto accident. One Christmas Day, she received a page at home to debride a burn patient. Through it all her mantra has been Sanationem Christi Adiuvans (Facilitating Christ’s Healing), which is why she found working in the Franciscan medical ministry a good alignment with her personal values.
Her interest in physical therapy came from her father, a physical therapist, who also practiced for 44 years. She accompanied him on house calls throughout rural DuboisCounty. He established the physical therapy department at Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper.
Eutsler’s practice and research interests include women’s health, industrial rehabilitation, dry needling, cupping mechanotherapy, osteopractic physical therapy, and orthopaedics. She is board-certified as a Certified Myofacial Trigger Point Therapist and as a Certified Cupping Therapist, in addition to completing 48 professional development courses, including functional movement, cervico thoracic complex, movement impairment, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, functional capacity, orthobionomy, and principles of dance medicine.
As a clinical instructor, Eutsler has supervised Doctor of Physical Therapy Students at seven universities and co-facilitated at the Hesch Institute for Sacroiliac Treatment, Research, and Education based in Aurora, Colorado. She has also appeared in surgeons’ pre- and post-operative patient education videos.
She graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine with a degree in physical therapy and has served the profession as a member of the American Physical Therapy Association Indiana Chapter Ethics Committee and its Political Action Network.
Eutsler is a member of the governor-appointed Indiana Physical Therapy Board, on which she will continue serving. As a member, she was an alternate delegate to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, from which the Indiana board received the Excellence in Regulation Award in 2024. She previously served on the Indiana Board of Podiatric Medicine.
In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed her to a 20-year term on the US Selective Service System board. She is a 2015 graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy.
Eutsler is a 39-year volunteer with the 500 Festival and an Indy 500 Lap Prize Sponsor. She is a member of the International Association of Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers, the American Legion and VFW auxiliaries, and Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.).
In 1994, she traveled 5,400 miles aboard the Trans-Siberian Express and Red Arrow across Russia as a John T. Conner Center for East/West Reconciliation board member, during which she was involved with presenting local officials throughout Russia copies of the nation’s newly adopted national anthem. The trip culminated with a reception in the House of Composers Palace in St. Petersburg.
An accomplished church organist, Eutsler has played in several parishes in the community and around the state, including a Lutheran Orthodox Church Catholic Rite Ordination Mass. She received the Block P Award from Purdue Bands & Orchestras in 2020.
Her community, government, and professional service have earned her Sagamore of the Wabash awards from Indiana Governors Joe Kernan, Mike Pence, and Eric Holbcomb. In 2021, she received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for Lifetime Achievement from President Biden. In 2018, she received the Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from St. Paul Christian University Covenant Divinity Seminary. She was also the inaugural recipient of the Lacy Ecumenical Medal from the university.
Eutsler will continue her affiliation with Franciscan as a PRN (on-demand) Physical Therapist, limiting her practice to pelvic and women’s health as well as patient care through the MedBridge hybrid platform. She will be available to consult with emerging and established individual and institutional therapy practitioners and practices and offer pelvic and women’s health courses in the community.
