President’s Message
(April, 2022)
A Message From the President
Change is inevitable, which is particularly true with Indiana weather! This morning, as I am writing this message, it is snowing and by Friday, we will be basking in the mid 70’s! Change is vital for our profession here in Indiana, allowing us to better serve our patients and clients. However, change within our profession is not inevitable. It does not come without intention and effort. All the legislative change over the last 10 years plus, that has improved the practice of physical therapy in Indiana, has been 100% driven by APTA Indiana leadership, members and our lobbyist.
Looking at the potential to continue moving our profession forward, I would strongly encourage you to consider attending this year’s APTA Indiana Spring Meeting on April 30 from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at Bradford Woods. We have some incredible programming planned!
- Finding Innovation in the Physical Therapy Profession
Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, Vice President of Clinical Integration & Innovation, APTA - Naloxone Administration and Physical Therapy Roles in the Opioid Public Health Crisis
John Kiesel, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
This programming is free to all APTA Indiana members and will provide you three Category I contact hours toward your license or certificate renewal! Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those who register HERE by April 26. If you are not already involved with an APTA Indiana committee or special interest group (SIG), but would like to learn more, consider staying after lunch to learn more about APTA Indiana committees, SIGs and the Board of Directors. If you have any questions at all about this year’s Spring Meeting, please contact me at slavene@uindy.edu.
As we consider legislative change and change to the way we practice physical therapy in Indiana, I want to highlight the APTA Indiana State Legislative Committee and Valerie Strunk, PT, DPT, who has recently taken on the role as Chair of this committee. As the Legislative Committee looks ahead to the coming years, they are looking at the elements of unrestricted direct access to physical therapy services, parity of pay for telehealth, and at the issue of prior authorization challenges. It is crucial that we, as members, support the efforts of the Legislative Committee in moving these issues forward. One fun way that you can do this, is to participate in the annual APTA Indiana Political Action Committee (INPTPAC) Golf Outing on Friday, June 3, at 1 pm. This is the PAC’s primary annual fundraiser. When we support our PAC, we drive our ability to continue to move the needle with the practice of physical therapy within Indiana. For more details on how to register your team or provide sponsorship, please click HERE.
Several of you have asked about when we anticipate seeing Physical Therapy (PT) Compact Privileges coming into effect in Indiana. Talking with the administrator of the PT Compact last week, he anticipates that it will be late 2022 or early 2023. The speed at which the PT Compact can begin in a state, depends in large part on the cooperation and organization of that state’s licensing agency. For more details about the PT Compact as a whole, please click HERE.
Thank you all for your membership and engagement in our profession. Without your membership, the momentum in our profession in Indiana would not occur. We are better together!
Emily Slaven, PT, PhD
President, APTA Indiana
slavene@uindy.edu