We wish you all a Joyful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

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1 MotorPoint OFFICIAL NEWSLETER OF THE UTAH PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION P R E S I D E N T S M E S SAG E Win t e r Issu e, In This Issue: President s Message (pg. 1) PT in Motion (pg. 2) RMU Charity Clinic (pg. 2-3) PT Assistant News (pg. 3) Miami Marquette Challenge (pg. 4) Legislative Update (pg. 5) SAVE THE DATES: 2016 CME Conferences Southern Utah Feb 26-27, 2016 Spring Conference May 13-14, 2016 Provo, UT Fall Conference Oct 28-29, 2016 Layton, UT We wish you all a Joyful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Curtis Jolley, President Greetings! All good things must come to an end, including summer and autumn. I love those times of the year, but we have changed the clocks back, most of the leaves have fallen from my trees, and most days I go to work when it s dark and come home when it s dark. That being said, it has been another great year for the UPTA and the profession of physical therapy in the State of Utah. If you haven t already heard, for the 3rd year in a row, PT in Motion has ranked Utah as the number one state in which to practice physical therapy. These rankings are based on eight different criterion. When it comes down to including all eight factors, one state was the clear leader, Again. And that state was UTAH! See the October issue of PT in Motion for the entire article. A big Thank You goes out to Wayne Johnson, our past vice president, and Katie Mansell our Executive Director, for another successful Fall Conference last month. Wayne brought in some great presenters including Diane Lee, Kay Wing, and Valerie Carter, all of which I think were well received. Katie did an outstanding job directing her first UPTA Conference as Executive Director. We had a great Keynote speaker in Michael Bowers, APTA CEO, to kick off our Annual Business meeting. Thanks to Lisa Milkavich for organizing and running the pediatric section of the conference, and thanks to the entire board and all the student volunteers for their help in making this conference a success. If you attended, hopefully you felt it was worth your time and money for the education you received and the opportunity to visit with friends and colleagues. As a board, we are excited to welcome some new members to the board that were elected and presented at this years conference. These include: Lance Dougher President Elect Kaiwi Chung-Hoon Vice President Shanlon Vazquez Secretary Linda Scholl Legislative Chair Amy Powell-Versteeg Membership Chair Darren Neely IT Chair Grayson Doar Public Relations Chair For the 3rd year in a row One state was the clear leader, Again. And that state was UTAH! Oct. issue of PT in Motion As we welcome these new board members, we want to express our deepest appreciation to our outgoing board members that have served you over the past years. I have the utmost respect and admiration for all these individuals and have appreciated the opportunity to get to know them and to serve with them. These include: Wayne Johnson Vice President Jason Christensen Secretary Linda Scholl Legislative Chair Amy Powell-Versteeg Membership Chair Drew Wilcox IT Chair Joel Tenbrink Public Relations Chair Thank you to all of you for your membership in the UPTA, and I want to wish you all a Joyful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!!! Curtis Jolley Page 1 of 5

2 Combined Sections Meeting Ride the wave of excitement to Anaheim for the leading conference and careerbuilding event of the year in physical therapy. CSM 2016 will bring together more than 10,000 professionals from around the nation. February 17-20, 2016 Location: Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA Rmu charity clinic Over the past few months I ve had the opportunity to volunteer at the Community Rehabilitation Clinic (CRC) in Provo sponsored by the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Foundation. The clinic has been in operation since October 2014 and is quickly growing as more providers realize the valuable care that it offers indigent patients in need of physical therapy in Utah County. I have had a fantastic experience volunteering at the CRC. The clinic is well-stocked, organized, and very easy to navigate. Dr. Coleby Clawson has been very easy to work with and has (continued on next page) PT in Motion Page 2 of 5 Allan Versteeg and Karyn Watson have found that a team-approach to patient care pays dividends, both for the patients functionally, and for the therapists professionally. Allan has worked at St. Mark s Hospital for 30 years, the past 20 years as a physical therapist. Karyn joined the rehab team as a physical therapist assistant after completing her final student internship at St. Mark s. Karyn has now been working together with Allan for the past 15 years. They were initially treating clients at the Transitional Care Center, a skilled-nursing facility at St. Mark s. In 2012, St. Mark s opened a 14 bed inpatient rehab facility. Karyn and Allan were thrilled at the opportunity to transition to this new unit, where they were able to help create a program and start treating a variety of individuals with neurologic diagnoses, as well as others with orthopedic and medical issues affecting their functional abilities. By sharing the same office, and utilizing the common treatment area in the physical therapy gym, communication between the therapists is greatly facilitated. They are able to easily impart information regarding the clients, and glean treatment options from one another. Daily huddle meetings in the shared office, and weekly interdisciplinary team meetings allow for ongoing modifications to the treatment plans. Karyn and Allan play an active part in helping create the most effective plan of care for the specific needs of each client. The dynamic between this physical therapist and physical therapist assistant has proven to be quite effective, as they ve worked together towards improving the lives of their patients. Allan notes, I feel so fortunate to have Karyn there with me, treating our clients side-by-side, enjoying the camaraderie of being a teammate with her daily. I love the fact that we can continue to learn from one another, as we see the various treatment options in play and can discuss the issues and celebrate our successes of quality patient care.

3 Rmu charity clinic (cont.) allowed me to volunteer at times that best accommodate my schedule. The volunteer aides have also been helpful and well-trained. However, the most rewarding aspect of working in the clinic has been the patients. Last time I was in the clinic I had the opportunity to work with a patient who had knee surgery years ago in her home country. She had not received any rehabilitation care since the surgery and had been in constant pain ever since. After spending some time with her in the clinic she was able to walk up stairs without pain for the first time in years. This was something that she never would have been able to do without being given the opportunity to receive the care that she could not afford on her own. Her gratitude alone made my time and effort worth it. If you are interested in volunteering at the clinic, contact Coleby Clawson at cclawson@rmuohp.edu Most volunteers donate 4 hours each month, but more time would also be welcome. Clinicians who donate at least 4 hours each month are given access to the RMUoHP library and to continuing education courses at no cost. It has been a great experience for me to spend time in the clinic and be reminded of how rewarding it is to serve people who really need physical therapy, but don t have the means to obtain it otherwise. Trevor Dorius, DPT Physical Therapist Assistant News In 1973, PTAs were granted membership in APTA as affiliate members; a one-half vote was established for affiliate members at the component (Chapter) level. Currently, a Utah PTA member has a one-half vote. In 2013 APTA conducted a survey of current members regarding APTA s benefits, products and services. Results from the survey cite the PTA one-half vote and the implication that PTAs are not valued members, as the second most common reasons for PTAs not seeking or renewing APTA membership. Cost of membership, being the number one reason that PTs and PTAs do not seek or renew their APTA membership. In 2013, former APTA President Paul Rockar, appointed a PTA-Board Work Group to address issues of inclusiveness of the PTA within the association. This work group consisted of four PTAs, four board members and two staff members. The work group came to a consensus, and adopted three bylaw changes to go to the 2015 House of Delegates: RC 3-15 Amend: Bylaws of the American Physical Therapy Association to grant components the option of amending their bylaws to provide a full vote for physical therapist assistant members. RC 4-15 Amend: Bylaws of the American Physical Therapy Association to provide chapters the option of amending their bylaws to enable physical therapist assistant members to serve as chapter delegates. RC 7-15 Amend: Bylaws of the American Physical Therapy Association to grant physical therapist assistant members the privilege to serve on the APTA Board of Directors. At the 2015 House of Delegates, bylaw amendment RC 3-15 passed. Currently there are 16 chapters that have passed the bylaw amendment. There are an additional 13 chapters and six sections that have contacted APTA for language and will be voting on the bylaw amendment in the near future. On next year s fall ballot, UPTA will ask chapter members to vote to amend our chapter s bylaw to give the PTA a full vote. For more information please visit APTA s website ( to find the 2015 House minutes, along with the background papers regarding RC For additional questions or concerns you can also contact: UPTA Chief Delegate Jeff jlau@rmuohp.edu Or PTA representative Heather heather.bone@hsc.utah.edu Page 3 of 5

4 Rocky Mountain Univeristy student news Miami Marquette Challenge PT & PTA Students Break Record in the 2015 Challenge to Raise Funds for Physical Therapy Research By: Caroline Miller, SPT and Alli Czaplewski, SPT In support of the Foundation for Physical Therapy, a total of 146 schools participated in the record-breaking Miami-Marquette Challenge. The Challenge raised $275,423, the highest annual total in the history of the fundraiser. Thanks to the participation of PT and PTA students from 235 different schools the Challenge has now raised over three million dollars since its inception in 1989! The Foundation wishes to thank the students of the University of Utah for their strong support of the Challenge. The record-breaking success of the Challenge would not be possible without their valued contribution. DPT students of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions volunteered at the Halloween Half Marathon held in Provo Utah for National PT Month. Students worked long hours the night before the race setting up the course, and also woke up early the day of the race to set up the finish line and help the runners at aide stations. It was a great opportunity for students to serve the local community, Kids on the Move foundation, and put a good name out for the physical therapy profession. This year s first place winner was the University of Pittsburgh. Virginia Commonwealth University earned second place and the University of Miami came in third place. We welcome the University of Pittsburgh as co-host for the upcoming Pittsburgh-Marquette Challenge. The Foundation for Physical Therapy was established in 1979 as a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of physical therapy care by providing support for scientifically-based and clinically-relevant physical therapy research and doctoral scholarships and fellowships. The annual Marquette Challenge is a grassroots fundraising effort coordinated and carried out by physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students across the country to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy s mission. Jan Hughes-Austin, PT, MPT, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Family and Preventative Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, is the recipient of the 2014 Miami-Marquette Challenge Research Grant. Her project will examine first-degree relatives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis; specifically, their vertebral bone mineral density, inflamed joints, and physical activity will be studied. The Challenge also funded a PODS Scholarship in 2015, which went to Trevor Lentz, PT, MPT, of the University of Florida. Students of all PT and PTA programs in the state of Utah are encouraged to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy and physical therapy research. To learn how you can support the Challenge, please visit the Foundation s Web site at call the Foundation at 800/ , or Marquette student coordinators at Challenge4PT@gmail.com. Contributions for the Pittsburgh-Marquette Challenge should be submitted by April 21, Page 4 of 5

5 Membership Matters DID YOU KNOW Member dues account for 41 cents of every dollar funding APTA You can join APTA at the national, chapter, and section levels for approximately $1.29 a day Through discounts on conferences and courses alone, membership can pay for itself SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATION THAT SUPPORTS YOUR PROFESSION! LEARN THE VALUE OF APTA MEMBERSHIP AT MembershipMatters Legislative Update In 1985, Utah became the third state to allow patients direct access to physical therapy. This was successful due to the leadership of the Utah PT Chapter and the legislative efforts of the chapter s employed lobbyist, Doug Sonntag. The Sonntag family has helped us through the years with Doug s daughter Nancy Lions who took his place and now her brother Mike, is s lobbyist. It has been very fortunate to have found this relationship with the Sonntag family. Mike has been one of our best advocates. He is vigilant in helping us protect our scope practice, as well as helping us grow with our profession. It has been almost 30 years later, since our first bold move to gain direct access, we have for the 3rd year in a row, been rated as the top place to practice physical therapy in the United States of America. There are other states with larger numbers of membership, who keep asking what we do and how they can get this amazing status. The continued response is that Utah makes efforts to help us practice at the top of our field, with one large effort being that of legislative issues. Utah has been cautious and courageous with legislation. We trust that when an issue might come to the floor in the house or the senate, that Mike has our best interest in mind. He is actively working to help us with our strategic plan to practice at the top of our field! The 2016 Utah Legislative Session is coming up quickly. Thank goodness we still have Mike Sonntag in our corner! He is keeping an eye on issues that might affect us. We are not presenting any specific legislation this year. Please note that if anything comes up, that might affect our profession where we need specific member support, we will ask! For now, it is important to find out who your representatives and legislators are. Develop a relationship with them by contacting your local political leaders, expressing your point of view. This is more helpful than one can imagine. APTA s website can help you with this. They also can send you action alerts- to let you know how to go about getting the important points across. Your involvement makes a difference. This past Fall Conference in October, UPTA PAC had it s annual fundraising Silent Auction. We would like to send out a specific thank you for all that supported! Both the groups that donated items, as well as the individuals who purchased the items! Our Friend of Physical Therapy award this past year went to Senator Todd Weiler. Although he was unable to attend the fall conference, the legislative committee was able to meet with Senator Weiler and present him with the plaque to thank him for the great efforts he did to not only help present the legislation of specifically adding dry needling to our practice act, but to help keep Athletic Trainers from changing our practice act. Between our past and current amazing Sonntag family of lobbyists, and the relationships we have been building with our local leaders, we hope to keep Utah one of the best states in which to practice! Page 5 of 5