President’s Message (April 2017)
INAPTA Members:
Spring has sprung, and the Chapter has been buzzing with activity over the last 3 months! Please take a look at what we have been up to:
Many INAPTA members made the trip to San Antonio in February to attend the 2017 APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CSM). Attendance at CSM this year topped previous records with over 14,000 PTs, PTAs and students of physical therapy gathering for three to four days of educational programming and leadership events. I was able to attend the Component Leadership Meetings and would like to share some of what I learned:
- We are approaching a great milestone in APTA membership. The goal is to reach 100,000 members by the NEXT Conference in June. We are very close! The value of having a stronger, more unified voice for our profession cannot be underestimated!
- APTA is looking at the branding of the professional organization, in particular, as we move toward the APTA centennial in 2021.
- Many states shared their successes in reaching out to the public and other medical providers about #ChoosePT.
Here in Indiana, in support of the #ChoosePT campaign, we have held two half-day courses relating to the management of patients with chronic pain.
- In February, the Southern Region hosted a course, A Pain Science Approach to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, taught by Jessie Podolack, PT, DPT. There were almost 50 in attendance to appreciate Jessie’s dynamic teaching and passion for this topic.
- In March, Bret Neilson, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT taught A Pain Science Approach to Headaches. This course, sponsored by the Central District, also brought in almost 50 attendees.
- We are delighted to announce that Adrian Louw, PT, PhD will be teaching Therapeutic Neuroscience Education: Teaching People about Pain, on August 26-27, 2017 at the University of Indianapolis. Complete details about the course can be found HERE.
- Following from this focus on clinician education, the PR Committee will be working with INAPTA leadership on a public campaign.
It was no April’s Fool that we had the INAPTA Spring meeting on Saturday the 1st of April at the University of Indianapolis. We had over 40 attend the morning session, where Jennifer Green-Wilson, PT, EdD, MBA led a session titled Engagement: Fueling our Powers and Our Potential. In the afternoon, there was a guided discussion relating to what the INAPTA Board of Directors (BOD), along with other Chapter members, feel should be our focus moving forward from here. This discussion was designed to pave the way for a survey that will be going out to both members and nonmembers on the role of the Association and where therapists feel we should focus our resources in order to move the profession forward in the state of Indiana. Stay tuned for an opportunity to contribute your voice!
This coming Saturday, April 22, 2017, the students and faculty at Indiana State University are hosting an Advocacy Dinner. This is an exciting opportunity for faculty, clinicians and students to get together to discuss both State and National priorities in our profession. The evening will start with a social hour from 6-7 pm, dinner at 7 pm, followed by a panel discussion with those in the Chapter who have had extensive advocacy experience either on a state or on national level. The panel consists of Pauline Flesch, PT, MPH, Mary Bennett, PT, Blair Frye, PT, and several others with a keen interest in legislative activity. It is not too late to sign up! Dinner is free for all students and professionals pay $25, with proceeds benefiting the INAPTA PAC. Today is the last day to register! Click HERE to register online.
Your support of our profession and our professional organization is so important. All it takes is a single contribution from each of us. Whether it’s paying your membership dues, attending a conference or volunteering with the Chapter, all are necessary to the success of physical therapy in Indiana. We can improve the lives of our patients through improved access to care and challenging ourselves to continuously advance the quality of that care.
Emily Slaven, PT, PhD, INAPTA President
Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Fellow American Academy Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
Credentialed Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy