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Phone: 651-635-0902 E-mail: info@mnapta.org |
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Soundwaves |
March-April 2008 Volume XXVIII,
Issue 2 |
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Quick Links |
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Terry McDevitt, PTA, is
the first licensed PTA in |
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First
Minnesota PTA License Issued by Jan
Haley, PTA |
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Sixth Annual Legislative Day a Success
by Jackie Harry, PT |
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Membership Retention Workgroup Looks at
the Numbers and Asks ‘Why?’ by Laurie
Larson, PT |
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You’re Invited to Play Membership Millionaire! by Miriah Johnson, PT & Elizabeth Ironside, PT |
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Student Special Interest Groups Activities
Update by Kevin Gennrich, SPT |
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Ethical Ethel: Restorative Care
Programming in Long-Term Care Facilities |
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Evidence in Action: Increasing
Walking Speed After a Stroke |
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SAVE THE DATE: Spring 2008
Silent Auction; April 19, 2008 |
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SAVE THE DATE: Spring Conference
2008 |
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MN APTA Updates |
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-- From the President: Leadership
and MN APTA
by Joan Purrington, PT |
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-- From the Executive Director: Vision
2020 Update: Where is the Tipping Point? by |
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Classified & CE Ads |
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Contact Newsletter Editor Mary Weddle if you have comments about Soundwaves
or would like to contribute content to upcoming issues of Soundwaves. |
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FIND
A PT Find a PT is a web-based referral
service located on the APTA (national) website. Be
sure to sign up for this member-only benefit! Consumers use Find a PT to located
physical therapists in their areas, and APTA promotes this service to the
public in many of its materials. To
enroll in Find a PT, visit www.apta.org/findapt. Find a PT
enables consumers to search a national database of physical therapist members
of the APTA for the purpose of finding a physical therapist that is right for
them. Consumers are informed that
physical therapists who are members of the American Physical Therapy
Association are bound by the Association’s Code of Ethics and are especially committed
to providing competent and compassionate care. Informed consumers are also made aware that
physical therapists must be licensed by the state in which they practice. |
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By Jan Haley, PTA, MN APTA Board of
Directors APTA Member since 1990 |
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On Thursday, January 10, 2008, Judy Hawley, PT, and I had the
honor of being present at an historic moment, when the Minnesota Board of Physical
Therapy voted to grant the first set of PTA licenses for those whose
applications were complete. It was exciting to see the first Minnesota PTA license issued to
Terry McDevitt, PTA. Terry has worked hard and long for PTA licensure
in I remember being a PTA student in the first class at Anoka
Ramsey, when our instructors told us that licensure would be coming to I would like to thank all those who have worked hard toward PTA
licensure over the years, and the PTA Licensure Workgroup for all the time
and research put into this project. A big thank you to the Minnesota
Board of Physical Therapy who took on this endeavor and was successful. Congratulations to the PTAs who have completed their
applications and have been issued their first Minnesota PTA licenses! |
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By Jackie Harry, PT, MN APTA Secretary APTA Member since 1985 |
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The
Minnesota State Capitol was filled on Tuesday, March 4 with 87 PTs, 3 PTAs,
and 108 PT and PTA students making their presence known at the Sixth Annual
MN APTA Legislative Day. As
is always the case at the Capitol, Legislative Day attendees had plenty of competition
when vying for time with very busy legislators, but the organizers of this
year’s event were able to set up 133 appointments with legislators,
representing 57 out of 67 of the state’s districts. These meetings included
13 out of 14 members of the Senate Health, Housing, and Family Security
Committee and 16 out of 20 members of the House Health and Human Services
Committee. This year’s Legislative
Day was even more significant, as the next day the Senate committee was
meeting to debate the Consumer Access bill.
This unique timing gave us an opportunity to discuss the bill with the
committee members and address their questions or concerns in preparation for
the vote. The
day began with an informational session at the Joan
Bohmert, PT, briefed attendees on key points for legislator meetings,
including the differences between this year’s and last year’s direct access
bills. Joan explained that the
professional groups who opposed MN APTA efforts last year were no longer in
opposition, because an agreement had been reached. She also presented legislator meeting talking
points, such as the education level of physical therapists in Minnesota, the
evidence showing that PTs are safe healthcare practitioners, and that our
willingness to agree to compromise language stems from our desire to improve
our patients’ access to physical therapy services, which will further the
cause of health care reform. Kathleen
Picard, PT, thanked the Legislative Workgroup for its hard work in
preparation for the day’s event. She prepared
attendees to discuss other legislative efforts that affect physical therapy,
such as the efforts of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association to block our
ability to do manual therapy, mobilization, and manipulation. MN
PT PAC Chair Alana Howey, PT, explained the critical role the MN PT PAC plays
in prompting legislative action at the state level, even though it is a legally
separate entity from MN APTA. She
noted that we need to maintain a legislative presence year-round, both to
monitor legislative activities and to advocate for our patients. She also noted that we can provide
legislators with evidence-based resources about physical therapy legislation,
to counter “fear tactics” used by opposition groups. Legislative
Day Chair Christi Anderson, PT, reassured attendees that, if they could not
answer a legislator question, it was fine to say, “I’m not sure about your
question, but let me get back to you.” Legislative
Day attendees then met with their legislators during the next four hours. District “leads” collected information at
each meeting, including whether legislators had voiced opposition or had
unanswered questions regarding our issues.
Attendees then returned to the Legislators
seemed glad to hear that MN APTA had found a way to compromise with its
opponents, and many reported a higher comfort level voting for a bill that
they know is no longer “controversial” (as it was perceived to be last year). MN APTA Lobbyist Sara Psick noted that the
bill compromise lends credibility to MN APTA in its future efforts with this
and other legislation, when the organization may be asking other groups to
make compromises. MN APTA Lobbyist Randy
Morris also noted that while he and Sarah work with legislators at the
Capitol, there is no substitute for MN APTA members to directly participate
in the legislative process by calling and e-mailing legislators, and showing
their commitment to the physical therapy profession and to patients. Attendees left with a sense of
accomplishment and the Legislative Work Group left with a much clearer sense
of MN APTA’s legislative efforts, as well as future plans for the remainder
of the legislative session. Sincere
gratitude is extended to the following volunteers who put together such a
successful event: Katie Bloyer, SPT; Kathy Cieslak, PT; Meghan Conrad, SPT;
Jan Haley, PTA; Linsey Hamilton, PT; Erin Holinka, PT; Melissa Johnson, PT; Rachel
Katskee, PTA; Deidre Lindstrom, PT; Margaret McRaith, PT; Karie Nash, PT; Eva
Norman, PT; Ann Ryan, PT; Cindy Schlafmann, PT; Liz Schorn, PT; MN APTA
Executive Director Judy Hawley, PT; MN APTA Administrative Assistant Emily
Gould; and MN APTA Office Manager Allison Hawley. Without
these dedicated volunteers and staff members, as well as those who have left
footsteps before these volunteers and staff, MN APTA would not be so close to
reaching its goal of improved professional autonomy through better patient
access to physical therapy services!
This was a very successful event, and will only grow larger in the
coming years!
Above left: MN APTA members meet with Representative Kim
Norton (DFL-Rochester). From left to
right: Kim McCutcheon, SPT; Alana Howey, PT; Kim McGarry, PT; Heather
McCormack, PT; Representative Norton; Jaymie Ludeman, SPT; Julie Haley, SPT; Jeremy
Trevis, SPT; Christine Kramer, SPT; Kathryn Pilger, SPT. Above right: MN APTA members meet with Representative Jean
Wagenius (DFL-Minneapolis). From left
to right: Barb Wiegand, PT; Representative Wagenius; Linsey Hamilton, PT;
Jason Burgart, PT; Brooke Darst Rice, SPT; Nick Thompson, SPT. |
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Membership Retention
Workgroup Looks at the Numbers and Asks, ‘Why?’ |
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By
Laurie Larson, PT, Membership
Retention Workgroup Chair APTA
Member Since 1977 |
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During the past 18 months, the revamped
Membership Committee (energetically co-led by Melanie Brennan, PT, and Deb
Roberts, PT) has had the creative and challenging task of Membership
Committee development, while simultaneously getting back to basics. The Membership Retention Workgroup has
established a Retention Team that focuses on the intermittent review of
membership numbers and trends, including PTs, PTAs, and students. APTA membership guidelines for chapters led the
workgroup to establish the practice of sending a friendly e-mail reminder to
lapsed members and an online or mailed survey to former members (those whose membership
has lapsed for longer than 90 days).
Through collaboration with Kathy Partain and Sarah Miller at APTA,
survey templates, and the use of SurveyMonkey (a service now available to MN
APTA for online surveys), the workgroup will gather information from former
members from 2005-2007. SurveyMonkey
will collate survey information and note any themes or trends; this
information can be used by MN APTA committees and the Board of Directors to
affirm decision-making or consider changes in strategy. Finally, APTA recommends that chapters survey
their membership, and this will occur in |
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By Miriah Johnson, PT & Elizabeth Ironside, PT, New Professionals
Workgroup Co-Chairs APTA Members since 2003 |
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During lunch at MN APTA Spring
Conference on Saturday, April 19, stop by the MN APTA membership booth to
play Membership Millionaire! You can win prizes by answering APTA- and physical
therapy-related questions. You’ll also
be able to learn about the New Professionals Workgroup, Student Special
Interest Group (SSIG), and the Membership Committee. We hope to see you there! |
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APTA
Member Since 2006 |
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The
start of this new year brought along with it the start of a new
semester. As students quickly returned
to their respective schools across the state to continue their studies, SSIG members
gathered to begin planning what will prove to be an eventful semester. Many of our efforts are being directed towards
the MN APTA Spring Conference being held at Please
consider making a donation to this year’s Silent Auction (see details
below). More
information about the SSIG will be announced through e-mail and subsequent Soundwaves articles as we continue
with the early planning phase of this semester. |
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HELP
SUPPORT MN APTA BY DONATING TO THE SPRING
CONFERENCE SILENT AUCTION! The money raised from the
Silent Auction helps support the goals of our chapter. This year, that means supporting the Consumer Access
Bill. We are currently seeking single item or basket donations for
the Spring Conference in A prize of $50 will be awarded to the top selling
basket/item! If you are attending the
conference, it is recommended that you bring your donation directly to the
conference. Donations may also be
mailed or dropped off at the Chapter Office. Please call the MN APTA chapter office (651-635-0902) prior
to the conference to let us know what you are donating. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND GENOROSITY! Please e-mail Kathy Blum, SPTA, with questions. |
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Ethical Ethel: Restorative Care
Programming in Long-Term Care Facilities |
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Dear
Ethel: I
have a question regarding restorative care programming in long-term care
facilities. As
I understand it, these programs are common in long-term care and include the
use of physical therapist assistants (PTAs), occupational therapy assistants
(COTAs) and nurses to staff them. What isn’t clear to me is whether the care
provided by the program is called “physical therapy” or billed as physical
therapy. I know that a PT should be involved in writing the plan of care but
I don’t understand whether a PTA hired for the restorative care team is truly
providing PT or if it is then called something else. Do all of the sixth
visit issues, supervision requirements, etc. still apply? Can the PTA use the
PTA title when working in a restorative care program? Sincerely, Restoratively
Questioning Dear
Restoratively Questioning: Thank you for taking the time to write regarding
this issue that confuses you. I believe that I can provide information that
will clarify the situation. The Minnesota Chapter of the American Physical
Therapy Association has published a document entitled “MN APTA Guidelines for
Physical Therapy Provided Through Specialized Maintenance Therapy”, that is
to be used for patients on medical assistance.
It specifically defines the interaction and appropriate provision of
restorative therapy and preventive maintenance therapy. The document
recognizes that procedures not requiring physical therapy professional skills
are appropriately performed by others (i.e., nursing, family, patient).
Restorative and preventive programs do not require professional skill. The
initial plan may be contributed to by a physical therapist but is carried out
by nursing staff or a non-skilled provider. The Guide
to Physical Therapist Practice, 2nd Edition, states that an episode of physical therapy
maintenance is a series of occasional clinical, educational, and
administrative services related to maintenance of current function. Programs for maintenance of function are a
vital part of the practice of physical therapy. It also states that an
episode of physical therapy prevention is a series of occasional clinical,
educational, and administrative services related to prevention, to the
promotion of health, wellness, and fitness, and to the preservation of optional
function. Programs that promote
health/wellness/fitness; programs for maintenance of function, and prevention
services are vital parts of the practice of physical therapy. These
interventions are related to a request by the patient/client, family member
or other provider (pages 1-9, The Guide). Consequently, if a PTA is employed as a
restorative tech or preventive maintenance tech, his or her professional
training is not a requirement of that employment and decision-making must be
made within the job description under which he/she is working. Education and
training provided in connection with the technician job description is what
should be used when working in the restorative program, not the professional
knowledge of a PTA (or OTA). Any required reporting of change in status of a
client in a restorative program must be limited to the reporting parameters
outlined in the facility’s restorative program. It should not extend to
specialized knowledge that relates to PTA educational training. Standard 3.1.A of the APTA Guide for Conduct of
the Physical Therapist Assistant, in describing supervisory relationships,
states that a physical therapist assistant shall provide interventions only
under the supervision and direction of a physical therapist. Since the physical therapist may contribute to
but does not direct the restorative and/or preventive care programs, the PTA
may not be employed in a professional capacity as a PTA within these
programs. Because of these limitations, the sixth-visit
rule and supervision requirements do not apply and, since the PTA is not
providing physical therapy, s/he may not use the title of PTA while working
as a restorative and/or preventive maintenance technician and the service
rendered is not considered physical therapy and should not be billed as such. I hope that this information helps to clarify
your issue. Thank you for writing. Please continue to be thoughtful in your
practice. Mindful practice and continuous self-assessment is imperative as we
endeavor to uphold the highest ethical standards in the practice of physical
therapy. Best to You, Ethel PS: If you have an ethical issue, please feel
free to contact me, in care of the MN APTA
chapter office. |
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Reviewed
by Brian LeLoup, PT, and the MN
APTA Research Committee APTA
Member Since 1999 |
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Clinical Question: It has been shown that impaired walking is a hallmark of CVA and that self-selected walking
speed is a strong overall indicator of both stroke severity and community
ambulation status. For a patient with moderate impairments due to chronic
stroke deficits, what is (are) the best method(s) to increase
walking speed? Evidence: A large multi-site
randomized controlled trial by Sullivan et al showed that task-specific
training using body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT)
was more effective in increasing walking speed than a less
task-specific, resisted cycling training program in individuals
with chronic stroke who have limited community ambulation
ability. This study also showed that a
moderate-intensity program of lower extremity progressive-resistive
exercise alternated daily with task-specific training did
not provide an added benefit to walking outcomes after
stroke. The researchers hypothesized
that this may have been due to an over training effect. Clinical Decision: This study presents
evidence that BWSTT with initial BWS of 30% to 40% significantly improves
walking outcomes as measured by the 10-meter and 6-minute walk tests. In this study, BWS was reduced across sessions
with treadmill speeds of 1.5 to 2.2 mph.
The total walking time for each session was 20 minutes (with
rests as needed) for a minimum of 2 sessions over a 6-week period. Reference: Sullivan KJ, Brown DA,
Klassen T, et al, for the Physical Therapy Clinical Research Network
(PTClinResNet). Effects of task-specific locomotor and strength
training in adults who were ambulatory after stroke: results of the STEPS
randomized clinical trial. Phys Ther. 2007;87(12):1580-1602. |
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THE EARLY
BIRD CATCHES THE REDUCED RATE! Visit the MN APTA Conference web page to
L.E.A.R.N. with MN APTA! |
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A
full calendar of MN APTA courses is available on the MN APTA CE webpage, and will be
mailed to your home in the December MN APTA CE flyer |
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April 17-19, 2008 WPTA SPRING
CONFERENCE (Wisconsin Chapter APTA) Location: For more information: WPTA Conference
web page April 18-20, 2008 MN APTA SPRING
CONFERENCE Location: For more information: MN APTA Conference web page May 10, 2008 ESSENTIALS OF
PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE Presented by Judy Hawley, PT, MAPL Location: MN APTA Course Coordinator: Judy Hawley, PT |
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Joan Purrington, PT, MN
APTA President APTA
Member Since 1975 |
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This
is a very exciting time within the APTA and MN APTA. APTA is engaged in a strategic planning
process* that I am sure many of you have participated in. The chapter is also continuing its work on
our strategic plan. Our strategic plan
creates the base upon which many of the chapter activities and resources are
focused. We need the involvement and
commitment of our membership to achieve our goals. This
article focuses on teaming within the association. An association is defined as a group of
people who voluntarily come together to solve common problems, meet common
needs, and accomplish common goals. In
order for our chapter to remain a viable organization we must actively work
on building and maintaining a strong team.
The team is all of us—working together. We have a very committed entity in our
board of directors, committee and workgroup volunteers, and staff who work
together on our team. Each board
member must take responsibility for the leadership positions that he/she has
been elected to perform. As members, we want you to feel included as a vital
part of our team. Please take a few minutes to answer the following
questions. When you have answered the
questions, cut and paste the information into an e-mail and send it to me at president@mnapta.org. The board will review your responses as we
work to continually improve how we move our profession forward by meeting
your needs and strengthening your respect and trust of our association. Key: 3=Usually, 2=
Sometimes, 1= Rarely; 0= Don’t Know.
Please evaluate the statements honestly without over-thinking your
answers _____ 1. Our chapter is passionate and unguarded
in their discussion of issues. _____ 2.
Our members know what the chapter is working on and how they can
contribute to the collective good of the chapter. _____ 3.
Our chapter finds strategies and means to address the most important
issues of our profession. _____ 4.
Our chapter is clear and specific about the work and actions required
to accomplish the operations and strategic plan. _____ 5. Our chapter’s board of directors and
staff work for the good of our chapter.
_____ 6.
Our chapter meaningfully recognizes individuals for their
contributions to the chapter and profession. Your comments: We
value continuous quality improvement and it is in that spirit that we ask for
your input. We want to be a nimble
organization that meets your professional needs-- now and into the future. If you think we have a few “dead horses,”
we promise to leave them be! If we are
doing things well, we want to know about that too! We value your input in helping us as we
continuously work on making positive changes within the chapter. We need to find creative ways to support
professionalism and physical therapist practice. We must strive to be the best that we can
be and are committed to obtaining the resources to make that happen. We are committed to involving our members
in meaningful ways and building strong leaders throughout the chapter. Thank you for your
support of MN APTA! *
Strategic Thinking and Planning (STP) Initiative (www.apta.org/stp). |
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From the Executive
Director: Vision 2020 Update—Where is the Tipping Point? |
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Judy Hawley, PT, MN APTA Executive
Director APTA
Member Since 1974 |
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Doctor of Physical
Therapy—We
only have 20 PT Members in our database who list their credentials as
DPT. Do you have your DPT and haven’t
told us? Let us know! I know there are many PTs enrolled in
transitional DPT programs in MN—let us know when you finish. Our four PT programs are graduating >125
students with their DPT each year—amazing!
A question is frequently asked if a BSPT or MSPT will be able to
practice in the future. You do NOT
need to have a DPT to practice physical therapy in MN. MN requires that you pass the national
licensure exam to practice. MN law
does not dictate the academic degree needed to practice. Evidence-based Practice
(EBP)—We
have 17 posters ready to present at our Spring Conference, and students from
each of the MN DPT programs will also be presenting at a research
platform. We have one APTA
credentialed residency program in MN that provides post-professional clinical
and didactic education that is designed to significantly advance the physical
therapist resident's preparation as a provider of patient care services in a
defined area of clinical practice. It combines opportunities for ongoing
clinical supervision and mentoring with a theoretical basis for advanced
practice and scientific inquiry. We
will be adding an advanced “Guide to PT Practice” course this year, which
will utilize the new practice pattern application manuals on orthopedics,
integumentary and cardiovascular- pulmonary (the only one not yet published
is neurological which will be out this year.)
Of course, our members also have access to APTA’s Hooked on Evidence
and Open Door—APTA’s portal to evidence-based practice. Practitioner of Choice | ||
