Join us for this live, in person learning session on Friday, Oct. 9, from 1:00 - 5:00 pm and Saturday, Oct. 10, from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm (ET) at APTA Centennial Center in Alexandria, VA.

To enhance this dynamic learning experience, we’ve set up a discussion board for all participants. Since this session includes live interaction, you can use the board to ask questions, exchange ideas, and let the speaker(s) know which topics matter most to you. Feel free to post comments or questions whenever they arise.

Key features:

• Format: Live, Synchronous, interactive format
• Cost:
• $599 PT/PTA members
• $799 Non-members
• Earn CEU: 1.0 (10 contact hours)

Course Description: 

Emergency departments are one of the most complex and high-stakes environments in healthcare, where clinical decisions must be made rapidly with limited information and resources. While physical therapy has established a presence in this setting, current models of care remain highly variable, often underutilized, and inconsistently integrated into emergency workflows.

This session will challenge the status quo and redefine what physical therapy should look like in the emergency department. Moving beyond traditional consult-based and mobility-focused models, participants will explore how physical therapists can function as essential contributors to clinical decision-making, patient flow, and safe disposition planning.

Through a combination of historical context, current state analysis, and forward-looking frameworks, this session will introduce a systems-based approach to practicing at the top of scope. Attendees will learn how to optimize when, where, and why physical therapy is delivered in the emergency department, aligning care with patient needs and operational priorities.

Using real-world cases and implementation strategies, this master class will equip clinicians and leaders with the tools to move from presence to impact—shifting physical therapy from a supportive service to a critical component of emergency care delivery.

Course Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the current state of physical therapy practice in the emergency department and identify gaps limiting top-of-scope care
2. Differentiate between traditional consult-based models and optimized, integrated approaches to emergency department physical therapy
3. Apply a systems-based framework to determine the right patient, right time, and right setting for physical therapy intervention
4. Integrate physical therapy into emergency department workflows to support clinical decision-making, patient flow, and safe disposition
5. Develop strategies to advance physical therapy practice toward a redefined standard aligned with patient and system-level outcomes