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Arizona Physical Therapy Association
SPRING 2015
Newsletter
Presidents
Message
Linda Duke, PT
In January, the Board convened for a
strategic planning session. The Chapter will
be focusing its efforts on marketing the
profession to the public, and
communicating membership value over the
next 1-3 years.
I'm also pleased to announce that after careful consideration, the Board voted to change management staff
to APTA's Association Management Services. This
change went into effect March 10, 2015.
APTA's AMS department currently manages twenty
components. We researched and verified this option
prior to reaching the decision. Recommendations from
other Chapters under APTA management rated highly;
inside…
Presidents Message............................................1
AzPTA Board......................................................2
PTA Sig.............................................................3
Special Olympics FUNfitness.................................4
Connect2Stem ...................................................4
Acute PT and the Discharge Plan...........................5
Acute PT Discharge Recommendations ..................6
HUG Clinic .........................................................7
Update from Midwestern University........................8
most responses were detailed with glowing comments.
Other reasons for this change include a streamlined
management process for efficiency; lower cost to save
the Chapter money and to free up resources for new
initiatives; and ease of access to APTA resources.
Andrea "Andi" Page has been selected as the new
Executive Director. She brings years of business
management experience, high level of organization
skills and great member service focus. Please feel free
to reach out to her and welcome her to the Arizona
Chapter.
Have you seen it yet?
GotPT.org Billboard
Our Chapter is solid, vibrant and growing. Thank you to
all our volunteer leaders who continue to be dedicated
and give so much of their time to ensure the success
of the Chapter.
AzPTA's Public Awareness Campaign - Phase 1
Our phone number and email address remains the
same 602.569.9101 - info@aptaaz.org
Let us know your comments!
Save
the Date
The AzPTA billboard is located on I-10 at 41st
Street and faces west for viewing by
Eastbound traffic.
2015
Annual
Spring
Conference
May 1-2
Spring Conference Registration is opening soon
Arizona Physical Therapy Association
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015
President
Linda Duke, PT
Gilbert
ldukept@msn.com
Vice President
Sara Demeure, PT, MSPT, OCS
Scottsdale
sara@desertpt.com
Secretary
Staci Whitman, PT, DPT
Flagstaff
4whits@npgcable.com
President
Linda Duke, PT
Vice President
Sara Demeure, PT, MSPT, OCS
* Influence the healthcare
Secretary
Staci Whitman, PT, DPT
Treasurer
Justin Dunaway, PT, DPT, OCS
Chief Delegate
John Heick, PT, DPT, OCS, NCS
Gilbert
jheick@atsu.edu
Chief Delegate
John Heick, PT, DPT, OCS, NCS
District 1 – Western Maricopa
Kyle Guidry, PT, DPT, ATC
Surprise
kguidry@guidryphysicaltherapy.com
District 2 - Central Maricopa
Tabitha Kuehn, PT, DPT
Scottsdale
tabithakuehn@gmail.com
District 3 - Eastern Maricopa
Ryan Madden, PT, DPT
Mesa
rmadden@synergyrehabaz.com
District 4 - Southern Arizona
Joni Raneri, PT, DPT
Tucson
joni.raneri@yahoo.com
District 5 - Northern Arizona
Lorie Kroneberger, PT, DPT, GCS
Flagstaff
lorie.kroneberger@nau.edu
Ethics Committee Chair
Judy Woehrle, PT, PhD, OCS
Associate Professor
Midwestern University
Executive Director
Andi Page
1055 N. Fairfax St.,
Suite 205,
Alexandria, VA 22314
602.569.9101
info@aptaaz.org
environment,
* Encourage membership growth
and development, and
Treasurer
Justin Dunaway, PT, DPT, OCS
Gilbert
jdunawaydpt@gmail.com
PTA Caucus Representative
Jane Jackson, PTA
Tempe
j.jacksonpta@gmail.com
The vision of the Arizona Physical
Therapy Association is to:
* Increase and promote public
awareness of physical therapy
PTA Caucus Representative
Jane Jackson, PTA
District 1
Kyle Guidry, PT, DPT, ATC
District 2
Central Maricopa
Tabitha Kuehn, PT, DPT
District 3
Eastern Maricopa
Ryan Madden, PT, DPT
District 4
Southern Arizona
Joni Raneri, PT, DPT
District 5
Northern Arizona
Lorie Kroneberger,
PT, DPT, GCS
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and related health care issues.
PTA SIG, WHAT IS THAT?
by Heidi Hagen, PTA
What PTA SIG stands for is Physical Therapist Assistant Special
Interest Group. According to the APTA its purpose is to, “Serve
as a conduit for PTA members to be integrated into chapter
activities, including special needs of the chapter. Provide
opportunities for PT/PTA members to discuss issues related to
PTA education, licensure, practice, governance, and other
professional issues. Promote the PT/PTA team in the clinic and
within the Association. Provide a leadership development
opportunity for PTAs. Promote PTA membership at the grass
roots. Keep the PTA community apprised of activities on a
national level that directly affect the PTA.” I believe it is a way to
get involved as a PTA in our profession and to have fun!
The Arizona PTA SIG was established and held its first meeting in March of 1999.
Since then we have participated in community projects such as the awards
ceremonies at the Special Olympics and shoe drives that benefit children in
shelters. We have also held pizza socials as a way for PTAs to mingle and
mentor PTA students. We have recently been working more with PTA schools to
help students get involved before they even graduate.
We are about to kick off our annual shoe drive. This year we will be collecting
new shoes and socks at the AZ Spring Conference May 1st and 2nd as well as
in October at the Fall Conference. We have also incorporated a friendly
challenge for PTA schools to see who can collect the most shoes this year. We
are also looking for more ideas to get involved in the community. If you have
ideas I would love to hear from you.
This group meets about four times a year for business discussions where we
plan our events and get updated from our PTA Caucus Rep on what is going on
at the state as well as national level in the APTA. There are a lot of current
motions that will affect a PTA’s ability to vote and hold positions in the APTA.
The PTA SIG has a lot of fun and if you are a member of the APTA and want to
get involved, please contact me or join us for our next meeting which will be held
at the AZ Spring Conference on May 1 at 5:30 pm. You may also contact me
with any questions or ideas you have about the PTA SIG.
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!
Summer Games 2015
FUNfitness Information
WHAT IS FUNFITNESS?
Physical therapy is one of 7 health disciplines in the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program that will offer screenings during the
Special Olympics Summer Games.
FUNfitness consists of taking Special Olympics athletes through a standardized physical therapy screening for flexibility, endurance,
strength, and balance. These are basic tests that can be performed by any PT, PTA, or student. Stations are set up for each test and
we work in groups at each station. The athletes are educated on exercises to help them with any deficits we find during the screening. Tests will be sent out to you before the event and we will review them in the morning prior to starting. This is a fun event for the
athletes and volunteers!
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Location: Raymond S Kellis High School
8990 W Orangewood Ave, Glendale
Dress: You will be given a volunteer t-shirt.
Shorts and tennis shoes are OK. We will be inside.
Food: Lunch is provided.
Those interested in volunteering should RSVP to annathatcherpt@gmail.com
Please feel free to forward this information on to your colleagues!
Connect2Stem
by Stefany Shaibi
NAU physical therapy had the opportunity to participate in the
Connect2STEM event last month. The goal of Connect2STEM is to
inspire young people to learn more about careers in science, technology,
engineering, and math.
This event drew more than 2,000 people to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus who
were given opportunities to learn about health and wellness topics using several
interactive exhibits. Families were also able to learn about the various programs
that are housed in the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.
Physical therapy students and faculty were on hand to discuss the profession of
physical therapy with parents and their children. Our motto “Got Pain?” was a
successful ice breaker to discuss the role physical therapists play in healthcare.
Students were able to educate the public about direct access as well. We also
had a variety of foam pads to allow children to demonstrate their excellent
balance abilities. It was a wonderful event to expose the public to physical
therapy and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. We look forward to making this an
annual event!!
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Acute PT and the Discharge Plan
Joni Raneri, PT, DPT District 4 Representative
Laura Gerhardt, PT, DPT, NCS
Can you please see the patient again so we can get approval
for rehab? Can you change your recommendation so I can
place this patient? Does this sound familiar? In acute care
hospitals we are all faced with increasing pressure to do
discharge planning the minute we see the patient and
pressures to make the right decision on the spot.
What is the right answer you ask? You would be surprised at the variation
in responses based on past work experience and personal experience.
However, there are some well-defined guidelines out there that we can
and should use. Recently, one of our students put together a great
in-service and flow chart that we are using to help us guide decisions. I
thought it might be beneficial to share these perspectives to spark interest
in each facility exploring their own flow chart to guide students and staff
to steer toward the same page in clinical reasoning.
First let’s cover a few of the rules that should guide our decision. Federal
regulations state a patients’ discharge plan “must include the likelihood of
the patient needing post hospital service and the likelihood of the patient’s
capacity for self-care or the possibility of the patient being cared for in
another environment.” Meaning what is the likelihood the patient will
require therapies after their hospital stay or will they be able to care for
themselves? Or is it anticipated that rehab or placement is necessary to
help this patient achieve maximal function and/or safety?
Inpatient Rehabilitation must require intensive rehab which means
generally 3 hours of therapy per day over 5 days a week and it must be
multidisciplinary (at least one must be PT or OT). The patient must have
a diagnosis that requires supervision by a rehabilitation physician with
face to face visits at least 3 days a week and require intense and
coordinated interdisciplinary care from nursing, physicians, therapists,
neuropsychology and/or social work as a team approach. The patient
must be able to participate and benefit significantly from the program. In
addition, acute rehabilitation is under a “60% rule” which means that
60% of their total population must be treated for a list of 13 qualifying
conditions.
consecutive days prior to admit. Upon admission to a skilled nursing
facility, an evaluation determines the level of therapy delivered over seven
consecutive days, with the highest level being 12 hours.
Home health has a broader ability to serve patients now. The patient must
be homebound; however, this includes recommendations for the patient
to not leave home because of the condition or the condition keeps them
from leaving without considerable help or taxing effort.
It is also important that we do not forget outpatient services. Sometimes
our patients really need this intervention to gain the increased functional
mobility and endurance needed to succeed at home and maximize their
independence. Some facilities specialize in certain areas such as
musculoskeletal, neurological, balance, women’s health and work
re-entry. There is something out there for everyone.
Why should each facility have guidelines to refer to? Having supporting
evidence to support your recommendation may help you advocate for the
best placement for your patients. Patients that go to the appropriate level
of care should have less readmissions, better outcomes and avoid over or
underutilization of services.
I encourage everyone to look at the guidelines and open a discussion in
your department on acute care discharge recommendations and the best
approach. Some helpful resources are www.apta.org, Guide to Practice,
www.medicare.gov, and of course many recent articles on outcome tools
and discharge planning. These are also great discussions for networking
at our district meetings! Join the conversation.
Research done by Allison Kelly and Flow Diagram provided by
Allison Kelly and Laura Gerhardt
Allison Kelly is a student at Midwestern University, Class of 2015.
Laura Gerhardt, PT, DPT, NCS is a level III PT at The University of Arizona Medical Center.
Skilled Nursing Facilities provide services from nurses and designated
therapies. They require the patient to need skilled care on a daily basis.
This can be for nursing needs or therapy needs. It is important to note,
that Medicare patients must meet an inpatient hospital stay of 3
PLEASE SEE CHART ON NEXT PAGE
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HUG Clinic Thrives on
GateWay Community College Campus
In the Fall 2013 semester the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA),
Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS)and Respiratory Therapy programs
at GateWay Community College teamed up to introduce Healthcare United
at GateWay (HUG) Clinic, a pro-bono healthcare clinic, to the community.
The clinic is staffed by licensed professionals (all employees of GateWay)
supervising their respective students and offers physical therapy services,
pulmonary rehabilitation maintenance and diagnostic medical ultrasound
(including musculoskeletal) for all body parts excluding the heart. The
clinic is part of a community service learning project for students in the
PTA programs and is a key component in their lab grading rubric.
most services with the understanding that processes in this clinic may not
move at the same speed as at a private practice. One student stated, “I
loved how it was a good relaxed atmosphere with patients that were
understanding and knew we still lacked experience.”
This teaching and learning atmosphere has attracted other programs
interested in participating in the HUG clinical experience. In January of
2015, students in the Physical Therapy Program at the Phoenix campus
of Northern Arizona University began to participate in the clinic. These
students get the opportunity to observe interaction between a PT and PTA
and are also able to participate in the learning process through collaboration regarding patient treatments with selected PTA students. This
interaction is designed to provide PT students with an understanding of
the function and capabilities of the PTA.
The Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction supported a feasibility
study examining the components required to establish a learning clinic on
GateWay’s campus. The pilot study was conducted during the fall semester in 2012 by Jessica Goodman, PT, DPT, instructor in the PTA program,
and Malka Stromer M.E.D., BSC, RDMS, instructor in the DMS program.
At the conclusion of the study the college was supportive of continuing to
develop the clinic and the process of identifying a permanent space was
initiated.
The response from the community has been overwhelming as patients
flock to the clinic for free physical therapy services. “HUG Clinic was a
godsend because my PT ran out…” stated one patient. With no restrictions on treatments provided, billing, productivity or insurance limitations,
students are able to treat in an ideal setting, and achieve outcomes for
patients that would be limited for certain diagnoses outside this clinic.
Patients recognize the value in this type of service “The HUG Clinic uses
all the best practices of healthcare. It’s very impressive.” In 2013 the
HUG Clinic was recognized as an “Innovation of the Year” by GateWay
Community College and the Maricopa County Community College District.
The clinic is staffed with two physical therapists and each PT supervises
two students. The staff treat approximately 16-24 patients daily during
the clinic hours from 1:00-5:00 PM. There is a short wait list for evaluation slots. The majority of patients have orthopedic or neurological impairments. As of January of 2015, the HUG Clinic has served 350 patients
with over 600 visits per semester. Patients are often heard to state, “Can
the clinic offer more days of services? It will be great.”
“The clinic will provide an integrated learning experience for healthcare
professional students, by treating real patients instead of role-playing
case studies with peers in the lab” said Stromer. “In addition to the
service learning component, best practices in healthcare suggest the
need for interdisciplinary work early on in the educational process. These
skills create a more successful student in the workplace.”
In spring of 2013, space was allocated for the clinic and a funding drive
on campus provided some initial startup funds to proceed forward with
the project. The clinic is currently supported primarily by donations from
GateWay faculty and staff with some small donations from patients and
community members.
The HUG Clinic was officially licensed by the Arizona State Department of
Health and Human Services in October of 2013 and opened its doors.
Physical therapy services are offered on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons when school is in session. During clinic hours, learning is a
must. PTA students implement the plan of care developed by the supervising PT. “Instructors were always looking for the ‘teaching moments’
where there is synergy between theory and practice,” stated one patient.
The structure of the clinic is designed with teaching and learning in mind
as patients are instructed prior to evaluation that students will provide
For more information about the HUG clinic please contact Jessica
Goodman, PT, DPT, at 602-286-8489 or goodman@gatewaycc.edu
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Update from Midwestern University
Over the past six months, many faculty transitions have
taken place in the PT Program:
Faculty have been active in scholarly work:
• Dr. Gretchen Roman published: Workstation Ergonomics Improves
Posture and Reduces Musculoskeletal Pain in Video Interpreters. Journal
of Interpretation, Vol. 24, 2015.
• Dr. Byron Russell joined the Physical Therapy Program December 15,
2014 as the Program Director. Dr. Russell came from Eastern Washington University where he had served as Associate Dean of Health
Sciences over the past 8 years and prior was the Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at EWU.
• Dr. Robert Nithman will be making two presentations at the Combined
Sections Meeting of the APTA in Indianapolis, IN in February entitled:
• Dr. Suzanne O’Neal, PT, DPT, NCS joined the faculty in November,
2014. She is teaching in the area of neurorehabilitation and brings
significant clinical experience to the classroom.
• The Effect of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Physical Therapy Simulation on
Student Perceived Readiness for Clinical Education.
• Technology Trends in Home Health Care.
• Dr. Steven Fehrer has decided to retire from Midwestern University at
the end of the academic year. He plans to move back to Wisconsin after
spending time touring Europe.
Byron E. Russell, PT, Ph.D.
Director
Physical Therapy Program
Midwestern University
19555 N. 59th Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85308
Phone: (623) 572-3923
Fax: (623) 572-3929
Email: brusse@midwestern.edu
• Dr. Jodi Thomas took 20 students to Guatemala in November working
with the Hearts in Motion organization providing physical therapy to
almost 300 Guatemalans who have no regular access to therapy. She
will be again be taking students next November.
• Three graduates from the Class of 2014, Shannon Richardson,
Monica Hanley, and Alex Scharmann, were accepted into APTA
accredited orthopedic residency programs.
• Two students from the Class of 2013, Nipaporn Somyoo and Kelsey
Koenig, graduated from orthopedic residencies.
Core Ambassador Elect and Student Conclave
It is my pleasure to announce the new Core Ambassador Elect. Brian
Kinslow, NAU Flagstaff class of 2017, and I will be working together as he
transitions into the Core Ambassador position at the beginning of June.
Currently Brian is assisting with organizing the Student Conclave presented by the Student Special Interest Group (SSIG) Saturday April 11th at the
Phoenix Biomedical Campus. The SSIG invites all students from PT and
PTA programs to join in this event as AZ physical therapy leaders discuss:
“Could Have; Would Have; Should Have: How to Plan to Make the Most of
Your Clinical Internships,” “How to Land Your First Job,” and “Beyond
DPT: Residencies, Fellowships, and Specialties,” as well as a “Leadership
in PT” presentation from WebPT founder Heidi Jannenga PT, DPT, ATC/L.
Space is limited, click below to register and reserve your spot:
http://aptaaz.org/events/event_details.asp?id=596534
Students, Clinicians, and Professors: Please join the SSIG as the
Diamondbacks take on the Dodgers following the Student Conclave April
11th at 5:10 pm. Don’t miss out, it’s D-Backs Hello Kitty Bobblehead
giveaway night!
Students: Special ticket pricing available with Conclave registration.
Clinicians and Professors click link below to purchase your tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/19004E37A253397D?tfl=Arizona_Diamondbacks-Tickets-Single_Game_Tickets-na-x0
Are you or someone you know interested in exhibiting or sponsoring the
Student Conclave!? Limited space is available.
Click below to register now!
http://aptaaz.org/events/event_details.asp?id=596599&hh-
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