Free to Members

This bundle will offer many modules based on the COVID19 pandemic specific to the in-hospital perspective.

This bundle is shared by several APTA Sections: Acute Care Management; Cardiovascular Pulmonary, and Health Policy Administration. This entire bundle is free for the profession. Each module will allow for some CEUs, but NO CEUs are offered for the bundle overall.

Please check back often as we will add modules as we build and launch new relevant topics

There are NO CEUs for this course

This is the first in a series of sessions regarding Alternative Payment Methods (APMs).

Course Description

Payment reform is underway, and the health care system is shifting away from fee-for-service to value-based payment. A value-based payment model is often referred to as an alternative payment model, or an APM. It is important for PTs and PTAs to understand the basic concepts of APMs, including the types of APMs, and how APMs generate efficiency and encourage better patient outcomes. This course will review the opportunities available for physical therapists participate in Medicare APMs, including Advanced APMs under the Quality Payment Program.

Meet our Presenter

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

This Webinar was recorded on November 6, 2017. The direct links to the recordings are in the Resources area along with the chat transcript.

NOTE: This is a free course and NO CEUs are awarded.

Session Overview

This session will start the learner through the paradigm shift that begins to occur in critical thinking when rehabilitation for individuals is replaced with thinking about the health of their communities and populations. The course will provide an overview of population health frameworks and their applications in the profession of physical therapy using an interconnected ecological model to demonstrate a more global view of health determinants and how physical therapists might influence them. The focus of this initial webinar will be on actions physical therapists can take at the individual level, preparing the professional’s thinking to ultimately focus on actions taken at the family, community and societal levels to be covered in future offerings.

Meet our Presenters

Dawn Magnusson, PT, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She received a PhD in Population Health Sciences (with a minor in Anthropology), a certificate in Global Health, and an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in General Academic Pediatrics (with a focus on health disparities research) through the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research broadly explores the mechanisms underlying health disparities in vulnerable populations, and seeks to inform the development of innovative, community-based models of care that advance health equity for traditionally underserved populations of children with developmental delay or disability. In recognition of her research and dedication in the area of health equity, Dr. Magnusson received a 2013 Wisconsin without Borders Award from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the 2015 Dissertation Award from the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, and the 2016 Social Responsibility Research Award from the HPA-The Catalyst Section of the APTA. She was also named a 2016 semi-finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders Program. Dr. Magnusson serves at the strategic level of the APHPT with particular emphasis on model design and integration of population health principles.

Catherine (Katie ) Siengsukon, PT, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and is the Director of the Brain Behavior Laboratory at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Siengsukon’s clinical and research interests are aimed at understanding how sleep impacts physical and cognitive function, learning, and health in adults with and without neurologic injury or disease. Catherine has presented her research and education sessions on sleep-related topics at national conferences, including CSM, International Stroke Conference, and the Consortium of MS Centers Annual Meeting. Dr. Siengsukon serves the APHPT in the role of content expert in the area of healthy recovery through sleep.

Patrick Berner, PT, DPT is a physical therapist currently practicing in the state of South Carolina while completing clinical work on his way to also becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. This blend of content knowledge has quickly positioned Dr. Berner as a sought after voice in conversations related to health promotion and wellness practice where he has been an invited presenter at the state and national level, urging the integration of nutrition and movement for enhanced outcomes and risk reduction of chronic disease. Patrick is involved as both a content expert and a member of the early work-life team within the APHPT.

Jeremy Fletcher, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Fletcher's clinical and research interest include health promotion, behavior change and chronic pain. Dr. Fletcher holds a Graduate Certificate degree in PT/OT Health Focused Care from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He has participated in population health and community health promotion programs while serving in the US Army. Dr. Fletcher’s role within the Academy includes development of tools and curricula for Physical Therapists in health-facing practice.

The live Q and A was recorded on April 11, 2018 and the recording link and chat transcript are now available in the resources area of this course

NOTE: This is a free course and NO CEUs are awarded.

Session Overview

This course will build on Part 1 of “Applying a Population Health Framework in Physical Therapist Practice” by moving from a discussion of individual-level strategies to community-level strategies. The course will provide an overview of community engagement, and present practical examples from the field of physical therapy using an interconnected socio-ecological model to help illustrate the multiple determinants of health and how physical therapists might influence them. While the focus of this second webinar will be on actions physical therapists can take at the community level to improve health, our hope is that professionals will integrate individual- and community-level approaches to enhance overall population health.

Meet our Presenters

Dawn Magnusson, PT, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She received a PhD in Population Health Sciences (with a minor in Anthropology), a certificate in Global Health, and an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in General Academic Pediatrics (with a focus on health disparities research) through the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research broadly explores the mechanisms underlying health disparities in vulnerable populations, and seeks to inform the development of innovative, community-based models of care that advance health equity for traditionally underserved populations of children with developmental delay or disability. In recognition of her research and dedication in the area of health equity, Dr. Magnusson received a 2013 Wisconsin without Borders Award from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the 2015 Dissertation Award from the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, and the 2016 Social Responsibility Research Award from the HPA-The Catalyst Section of the APTA. She was also named a 2016 semi-finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders Program. Dr. Magnusson serves at the strategic level of the APHPT with particular emphasis on model design and integration of population health principles.

Dr. Rupal Patel, PT, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Houston, Texas. Dr. Patel received her PhD in Health Promotion and Wellness from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, UT. She received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from TWU in Houston and her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Physical Therapy from TWU in Denton, Texas. Currently, Dr. Patel coordinates the two health promotion and wellness courses in the TWU Houston DPT curriculum, one focuses on the physical therapist’s role in impacting individual health behaviors and the other focuses on the PT’s role in community health promotion. Dr. Patel has extensive experience utilizing a service learning pedagogy to teach community health promotion, working with various local organizations with underserved target populations. She also teaches Nutrition in PT Practice content to 2 other DPT programs. Dr. Patel has presented refereed poster and platform presentations at state and national meetings on the utility of the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model for Health Promotion Program Planning in physical therapist education. She has also co-authored a publication on this model in the Journal of PT Education. Her research interests include (1) designing and implementing group based culturally tailored community lifestyle intervention programs to reduce risk factors for Diabetes and (2) applying the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model to foster community engagement during service learning projects in the DPT curriculum. Dr. Patel is an engaging speaker that has taught numerous courses on nutrition, community health promotion, education, ethics, and advocacy related topics at local, regional, state, and national conferences. She is a regular content contributor at APHPT and and consults on design and delivery of community engagement projects.

Justin Bagley, PT, DPT is a partner of Pro-Activity Associates a prevention and population health focused practice located in Lebanon, NJ. He received his physical therapy degree from Arcadia University. Dr. Bagley has spent much of his career focused on working with employers to improve health and quality of life of their workforce populations while reducing overall injury risk and reoccurrence. Over the last decade, Justin has been integral in the development of applied prevention and health promotion best practice including the development of Pro-Activity’s 5 ELEMENTS (MOVE, FUEL, RECOVER, ENDURE, CONNECT), which have been adopted as pillars in the APHPT. In addition to working in the employer setting, he maintains an outpatient clinic and serves on the council of directors of the APTA of New Jersey.

Jason Robinson PT, SCS, PES, CSCS Jason Robinson is a board-certified Sports Physical Therapist, strength coach, and overall functional movement expert and enthusiast. Jason is Co-founder and Partner of Catalyst Physiotherapy, Performance & Wellness located in Sandwich, IL. He has an extensive background in rehabilitation of collegiate and pro athletes and is a consultant to the Northern Illinois University Athletic Department serving as team Physical Therapist for baseball, softball, and volleyball. Jason applies lessons learned “on the field” to a wide variety of clientele to help them move robustly throughout all stages of life. He collaborates with other healthcare and fitness professionals to facilitate health and wellness transformation through this more holistic model. Jason is an adjunct lecturer for Advances in Clinical Education (ACE) teaching a course titled Rehabilitation Across the Lifespan which highlights concepts to help people recover from injury and live a more pain-free life. He is one of the original charter members of the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotions Therapies (APHPT). As part of the APHPT Healthy Childhood Team, he is working to establish standards of practice for school aged children.

Sarah Greenhagen, DPT, GCS is a board-certified Physical Therapist who specializes in the process of aging. She is a co-founder of Catalyst Physiotherapy, Performance and Wellness, a cash-based private practice that partners with patients to create healthy behaviors and environments from the individual level to the community level. She is committed to bringing health and wellness to the masses, most notably through her creation of the WellBatavia Initiative that has successfully received grants through the AARP to improve community walkability and accessibility. She leads a team in partnership with the city of Batavia to reward local businesses and organizations that encourage healthy behaviors and promote health literacy. Sarah has also developed successful Balance and Strength programs to reduce falling and specializes in treating Osteoporosis, Arthritis Pain, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Difficulty Walking. She uses a multi-factorial approach to build a comprehensive picture of heath, providing effective movement, nutrition, and sleep solutions. She prioritizes listening and teamwork to find unique solutions to every problem at hand. Sarah is also involved on the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotion Therapies with the Healthy Aging Initiative.

Link to the recorded session is found in resources

A panel of component leaders and members of the APTA leadership development task force will discuss practical ideas and recommendations for engaging individuals in component activities and leadership opportunities. Successful practices that have enhanced engagement and met unique needs of different components, including the use of APTA Engage, will be discussed.

Moderated by Christina Wisdom, PT, DPT – APTA Leadership Development Task Force

Janet R Bezner, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Texas State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch, her master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University, a PhD in health education from the University of Texas, a DPT degree from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, and she is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She was Vice President of Education, Governance and Administration at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) for 9 years. Bezner has practiced in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, home health, long-term care, and corporate wellness. Bezner’s research has resulted in 10 book chapters, 20 published articles, 7 grants, and numerous conference presentations on health and wellness-related topics. Bezner served on APTA’s Board of Directors prior to joining its staff and is a recipient of the Lucy Blair Service Award and is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA. She is an experienced speaker on topics related to health promotion and wellness, leadership, personal development, and strategic planning. Dr. Bezner has been facilitating strategic planning meetings and providing leadership training for non-profit organizations, academic units, and others for over 20 years.

Beth Ennis, PT, EdD, PCS, ATP currently serves as President of the Kentucky Physical Therapy Association (soon to be APTA KY), Chair of the Council of Chapter Presidents, and Chair of the DPT program at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. She owns a small private practice serving the children and families in the Kentuckiana region, and is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in PEdiatric Physical Therapy. Beth has been involved in activities at the Chapter and Section/Academy level for almost 30 years and continues to encourage active engagement of clinicians throughout the state of Kentucky.

Amy Lafko, PT founded Cairn Consulting Solutions with the knowledge that you need to grow your people to grow your business. Amy focuses her work on the employee experience that is derived from skilled leaders and aligned teams. Whether through team dynamics sessions, development workshops, or consulting, Amy provides expertise to improve the entire lifecycle of your team. From hiring to engagement, she assists clients in decreasing turnover, increasing productivity and customer satisfaction. Amy has earned her MSPT from Ithaca College, her MBA from Loyola University of MD. As a national speaker, consultant and facilitator, Amy leverages over 20 years of professional leadership experience in several sectors of healthcare. She is a certified in DISC, Driving Forces and Emotional Intelligence as well as the 7 Stages of Growth. In addition, Amy is serving as the American Physical Therapy Association’s section of Health Policy and Administration Chair for the LAMP Institute of Leadership.

This bundle will offer many modules based on the COVID19 pandemic specific to the in-hospital perspective.

This bundle is shared by several APTA Sections: Acute Care Management; Cardiovascular Pulmonary, and Health Policy Administration. This entire bundle is free for the profession. Each module will allow for some CEUs, but NO CEUs are offered for the bundle overall.

Please check back often as we will add modules as we build and launch new relevant topics

Course Description

This is Part 1 of the Medicare Documentation series. You can purchase Part 2 here. This course will focus on compliant documentation utilizing the Medicare’ Documentation Requirements as published in the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual and the APTA Defensible Documentation. It will not only address specific content requirements but also the consequences of not complying with these regulations. Special attention will be afforded to effective drafting of Plans of Care, differentiating the evaluation from a progress report, the purpose of the treatment encounter note and ultimately how to document in a way that tells the ‘whole’ story without writing a book.

Related courses:

Defensible Documentation: A Framework for PT Documentation

Defensible Documentation - The Medicare Perspective - Part 2

Defensible Documentation - The Payer Perspective

Home Health Regulation and Documentation

Teaching Documentation without Texting or Tweeting

Meet our Speaker

Mary Daulong, PT, CHC, CHP, is owner of Business & Clinical Management Services Inc, providing consultation for small- to medium-sized private practices and billing companies. For 2 decades she has guided private practitioners, rehab agencies, and therapy-specific billing companies through the maze of health care regulatory change. Daulong earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, SAHS, has master’s-level business management education, and has over 1,500 hours of postgraduate education in health care-related matters. She is certified in health care compliance and is credentialed by the HIPAA Academy as a HIPAA privacy professional. Her past career includes self-employment as a private practitioner, and senior and mid-management employment in diverse settings, and she has specific expertise in health care regulation including OIG guidance; Medicare payment, documentation, and coverage regulations; OSHA; ADA; Department of Labor; HIPAA/HITECH; professional practice regulatory compliance; and operational integration

Daulong has been recognized by her profession and community, regularly speaking in both national and state venues. She has been honored by academic institutions, state agencies, and professional, community, and civic associations as well as by her peers, and she continues to be an active volunteer in her professional associations.

This is Part 2 of the Medicare Documentation series. You can purchase Part 1 here. This course will continue the discussion on compliant documentation utilizing Medicare’ Documentation Requirements as published in the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual. It will, not only, address specific content requirements but also the consequences of not complying with these regulations. Special attention will be afforded to effective drafting of Plans of Care, differentiating the goals of an evaluation and progress report’s assessment, the purpose of the treatment encounter note and ultimately how to document in a way that tells the ‘whole’ story without writing a book.

Related courses:

Defensible Documentation - The Medicare Perspective - Part 1

Defensible Documentation - The Medicare Perspective - Part 2

Defensible Documentation - The Payer Perspective

Home Health Regulation and Documentation

Teaching Documentation without Texting or Tweeting

Meet our Speaker

Mary Daulong, PT, CHC, CHP, is owner of Business & Clinical Management Services Inc, providing consultation for small- to medium-sized private practices and billing companies. For 2 decades she has guided private practitioners, rehab agencies, and therapy-specific billing companies through the maze of health care regulatory change. Daulong earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, SAHS, has master’s-level business management education, and has over 1,500 hours of postgraduate education in health care-related matters. She is certified in health care compliance and is credentialed by the HIPAA Academy as a HIPAA privacy professional. Her past career includes self-employment as a private practitioner, and senior and mid-management employment in diverse settings, and she has specific expertise in health care regulation including OIG guidance; Medicare payment, documentation, and coverage regulations; OSHA; ADA; Department of Labor; HIPAA/HITECH; professional practice regulatory compliance; and operational integration

Daulong has been recognized by her profession and community, regularly speaking in both national and state venues. She has been honored by academic institutions, state agencies, and professional, community, and civic associations as well as by her peers, and she continues to be an active volunteer in her professional associations.

This purpose of this session is to help students and practicing therapists develop an efficient and effective documentation strategy appropriate for use across a wide range of practice settings and patient populations. This approach is grounded in the ICF framework and will facilitate a clinical decision making approach to optimize patient outcomes. The framework further incorporates both the APTA’s Guidelines for Physical Therapy Documentation and the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, and is consistent with Medicare and third-payer guidelines for functional outcomes assessment. The talk will cover documentation of the initial evaluation, daily notes and progress reports, and will specifically address movement system diagnoses, goal-setting and functional outcomes assessments. We will provide actual clinical examples from a range of patient populations and clinical practice settings. Participants will have the opportunity to practice documentation skills and ask individual questions pertaining to their current practice.

Related courses:

Defensible Documentation - The Medicare Perspective - Part 1

Defensible Documentation - The Medicare Perspective - Part 2

Defensible Documentation - The Payer Perspective

Home Health Regulation and Documentation

Teaching Documentation without Texting or Tweeting

Meet our Speakers

Lori Quinn, PT, EdD is associate professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York, New York. Her research has focused on developing evidence and guidelines for physical therapy interventions in neurodegenerative diseases, and in particular, for people with Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. She has developed treatment-based classifications for individuals with Huntington’s disease, and has coauthored several papers related to developing classifications to guide interventions. In addition to her work in neurodegenerative diseases, she is coauthor of Documentation for Rehabilitation: A Guide to Clinical Decision Making in Physical Therapy, currently in its third edition. The textbook places a strong emphasis on diagnosis by physical therapists, and using documentation to guide effective clinical management.

Julie Fineman, PT, EdM is the Director of Clinical Education and Clinical Assistant Professor for Marist College’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Julie is a physical therapist with over 30 years experience in a variety of practice settings including in-patient, out-patient and home care. Prior to joining Marist, Julie was an Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Programs at Stony Brook University, New York Medical College and Dominican College. She received her BS in Physical Therapy from University of Delaware and her MA and EdM degrees in Motor Learning & Control from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Julie is a chapter author of the textbook: Documentation for rehabilitation: a guide to clinical decision making in physical therapy. She is currently pursuing her EdD degree with research investigating skill acquisition and dual task paradigms in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

The live Q and A session was held on March 9, 2017. This direct link to the recording of that session: Q and A recording.

There are NO CEUs for this course

The content was pre-recorded and this is the direct link to that recording: pre-recording.(the link is also in the resources list).

Session Description: This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts of population health, and in particular challenges faced by employers.

Panelists discuss why and how PTs can offer viable solutions by appealing directly to employers. Whether the employer is self-insured or not, they are motivated now more than ever to lower healthcare costs and maintain a healthy and productive workforce. Initiating outreach directly to the employer community to convey the value of physical therapist led efforts in reducing future overall health care costs and morbidity will be outlined. An overview of the potential challenges and pitfalls in establishing employer based programs is also presented. Attendees will be introduced to the concept of population health management as a tool to “transform society".

This is a beginning course meant to stimulate thought and discussion. Review this recordings and feel free to share your ideas with us - our email contact information is in the slide deck handout.

This webinar was recorded on July 17, 2019. The recording is available in the resources area after you register.

A panel of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants that have advanced their careers in various ways through active involvement in professional and leadership activities will discuss their experiences. Panelists will describe their professional journeys and benefits they have perceived from being involved. Different avenues to help develop professional and leadership skills, including the use of APTA Engage, will be discussed.

Our Moderator will be Lyndsey Vandenberg, PT, DPT, APTA Leadership Development Task Force

Meet our Panelists

Carrie Cunningham, PT, Board Certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, is an Illinois native and avid Cubs and Bears fan. Since graduating from St Louis University in 1995 she has held various positions and is currently Sports Medicine Manager at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She has previously owned her own private practice, Mobile Wellness and Performance, LLC. Carrie is certified as a Therapeutic Pain Specialist through ISPI/EIM and is also certified as a pitching coach through NPA. She specializes in manual treatments including dry needling. Her professional activities include being active in the APTA throughout her career most recently being elected to the Nominating Committee for the APTA. She was also previously selected to the board appointed Leadership Development Committee. On a local level, she has served as a delegate for Georgia for the past 4 years. Carrie was former Membership Chair for PTAG and has served as GA PT-PAC chair and on the BOD for PTAG as a member of the Executive Board and as a non voting member. Her passion for leadership is evident and has served in many leadership roles both professionally and personally beginning as recreation chair at church growing a struggling ministry into a thriving one which touched over 600 families and thousands of people. Her personal belief is to constantly be replacing yourself and to always leave the world better than how you found it.

Matt DeBole, PT, DPT received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from University of Pittsburgh in 2014. He currently practices at Crossover Health Physical Therapist - An Employer-Based Primary Care Model. Matt completed an Orthopaedic Residency at Agile Physical Therapy in 2015. In addition, he was an APTA Student Assembly Director (2012-13) and APTA Student Assembly President (2013-14). Other leadership experience has included being CPTA San Jose District Vice Chairperson (2015-16) and Chairperson (2016-18). Service to the profession has included being R. Charles Harker Intern with VP of Public Policy, Practice, and Professional Affairs Unit 2013 , Member of APTA Recruitment and Retention of Early-Career Members (Re-TEAM) Task Force 2015, California Chapter Delegate to APTA House of Delegates 2015, and Stakeholder Attendee at Future of Physical Therapist Payment Strategy Meeting April 2017. Presentations have included "Run The Distance: Aquatic-Based Augmented Training, Conditioning, and Return-To-Running" at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in 2017 and "PT Ed Talks" at the CPTA Annual Conference in 2017.

Jeremy Foster, PTA received his Associates Degree in Physical Therapist Assistant from Salt Lake Community College in 1996. He is a staff PTA at North Sunflower Medical Center. Jeremy is the owner of Jeremy Inc., which is a contract company providing PTA services. He sits on the PTA Advisory Board at Holmes Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College. He is a national speaker on Rural Health Care and Critical Access Hospitals. Jeremy was the Chair of the Minimum Skills Task Force, which was responsible for creating the document, “Core Competencies for the Entry-Level PTA in Acute Care”. Jeremy has been active in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Mississippi Physical Therapy (MPTA) for the past 20 years, he is currently serving as the PTA Caucus Representative for Mississippi, and he is the current PTA at Large for the Academy of Acute Care section. He was the Mississippi Physical Therapist Assistant of the year in 2017 and The Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant for the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy for 2019. Just recently he was notified of being awarded the 2019 Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant of the year from the APTA. He has Advanced Proficiency from the APTA in the areas of Geriatric, Integumentary, and Acute Care Physical Therapy. Jeremy has been a Clinical Instructor for the past 20 years and a Credentialed Clinical Instructor for the past 10 years. He has been a strong advocate for leadership roles for the PTA at the state and national level.

The full course content is available here. The Q and A recording is available here.

Course Description

Payment reform is underway and as Medicare shifts away from fee-for-service to value-based payment, physical therapists need to know how this will impact their practice and what to do.

Meet our presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Heather Smith, PT, MPH, currently serves as director of quality for APTA. In her current role, Heather coordinates quality initiatives for the association and develops and implements key member resources related to quality. Two areas of focus in her work include the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) and the functional limitation reporting (FLR) requirements for therapist services under Medicare. She also serves as staff lead on the Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry. Heather previously worked for New York Presbyterian Hospital and University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she served in quality improvement. Her transition into quality was facilitated in part by the acquisition of her master’s degree in public health from Drexel University. Previous to her role in quality improvement, she was a practicing clinician for more than 10 years, with the majority of her focus on orthopedics in the outpatient setting.

Are you in a private practice or rehab agency trying to figure out how to partner with physicians or hospitals in an accountable care organization (ACO)? Or a hospital working on innovative approaches to improved patient access within your facility? Do you want to hear from your colleagues about their work in ACOs and learn from their experiences?

APTA’s third Innovation 2.0 online Learning Lab will focus on how physical therapists can facilitate access and provide value as an integral participant in an ACO.

There are NO CEUs for this course

Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy professionals have long desired to have consistent functional measures that could begin to quantify the value of rehabilitation services provided to patients treated in skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and home health agencies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has developed and finalized measures to do just that. This webinar will describe the measures, define the data elements included in the measures of self-care and mobility, and share important timelines therapists should be aware of. Data finally has the potential to be compared across the post-acute care settings. It will be important for therapists not only to understand the measures and their component elements, but also to insure their processes for collecting data are reliable and accurate.

Meet our Speakers

Ellen R. Strunk, PT, MS, has worked in various roles and settings as clinician and manager and director. Presently, she is owner of Rehab Resources & Consulting, Inc, a company providing continuing education and consulting services for postacute care settings. For the past 7 years, she has specialized in helping clients understand and navigate CMS regulations for postacute care settings, as well as how to prepare for the transition to a value-based system.

She is a board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy and member of APTA’s Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, Home Health Section, APTA, and Health Policy and Administration Section, APTA. She serves as president of the Alabama Physical Therapy Association and chair of its Practice and Reimbursement committee. She is a member of the American Health Care Association, where over the last 3 years she has been a part of a therapy work group to develop a national quality measure for rehabilitation.

Christine Kroll, OTD, MS, OTR, FAOTA is the Interim Program Director of the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program and the Director of Pre-Doctoral Residency & Fieldwork in the Department of Occupational Therapy as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Indiana University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). Christine has been active in the healthcare industry as a clinician, leader, manager, and Medicare consultant for 28 years specializing in long term care and outpatient services. She has held elected and volunteer leadership positions with both the state and national occupational therapy associations and presented regionally and nationally on Medicare rules, regulations, and health care reform.

Course Description

A rising trend in the practice of physical therapy is the use of telehealth and mobile health technology. However, maintaining patient privacy is an important consideration that must not be overlooked. Physical therapists need to know how to comply with regulations established by HIPAA as well as the APTA Code of Ethics.

The recording links for both the content and the live Q and A are now available in the resources area.

Meet our presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Matt Elrod, PT, DPT, MEd, is lead specialist in APTA’s Practice Department. He is liaison to various external organizations, contributes to policy development in the advancement of the profession, develops member resources in evidence-based practice, ICD-10 transition, telehealth, adoption of electronic health records, and integration of the Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry. He has more than 20 years of experience in the physical therapy profession, and earned a physical therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, a doctor of physical therapy degree from Marymount University, and a master of education degree from the Citadel in exercise physiology. He is a board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing to implement 2 new postacute care payment systems, for skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. After the webinar, PTs will be educated on the new payment systems and how payment rates are calculated. PTs also will be educated on how these payment systems do or do not align with the work of the IMPACT Act and current status of functional measure development.

Meet our presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Jeramy Kuhn, PT, JD, CHC Jeramy has been a member of APTA since 1993. He has 25 years of experience in the post-acute care field as a physical therapist and, for the past 13 years, as Corporate Compliance Officer/Privacy Officer for Care Initiatives, Iowa’s largest nonprofit provider of post-acute care services. He received his Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Iowa and his JD from Drake University Law School. He is a member of the Iowa Bar.

There are NO CEUs for this course

Managing childhood obesity in a patient-centered medical home setting is the fourth and final installment of APTA’s online Learning Labs series based on the Innovation 2.0 initiative.

To review the recording from the live Q and A session use this link! To review the course content you must be registered for the course, then select "show resources" from the course description.

Session Description:

Are you a physical therapist who is participating in a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model? Or are you interested in managing childhood obesity? Or both? Here is your chance to hear from your colleagues about their work in a PCMH and in population health, and learn from their experiences, as APTA’s fourth Innovation 2.0 online Learning Lab focuses on how physical therapists can be key players in patient-centered medical homes.

Childhood obesity is a prevalent chronic health condition that has reached epidemic levels in the United States. This serious health problem needs more comprehensive and cost-effective approaches, and the PCMH may be a practical solution. In this innovative health care model, the physical therapist (PT) plays a key role in measurements of obesity-related signs and symptoms that affect the human movement system, including aerobic fitness and strength deficit, lower extremity joint pain, gait dysfunction, and motor control deficit. The PT also evaluates and monitors children's physical activity and sedentary behaviors, and is trained in behavioral strategies to enhance physical activity and parental support. The model measures cost-effectiveness by tracking incidence of disease rates and hospitalization for obesity-related conditions.

Other members of the team include the pediatrician, medical fellow, nutritionist, nurse/nurse practitioner, social worker, biostatistician, and health care coordinator. Referrals to specialists (such as PTs when a cluster of impairments appear that indicate a movement disorder associated with obesity) also are coordinated so that appropriate care is received. Regular follow-ups document progress and help the young patients and their families with self-management. This model also could provide support for including PTs in PCMHs that target other chronic health conditions that affect movement.

Presenters:

• Brian Wrotniak, PT, PhD
• Anthony Caterina, MD
• Fred Archer III, MD
• Julie Cicero, RN
• Lauren Angelucci, PT
• Jennifer Kuhrt, PT
• Elliot Ogorek
• Eric Read, SPT

Q and A recording was live on December 4, 2018 click here to review that session

The pre-recorded content is available: is available at this link.

Course Description

This course provides insights into the New Year based on moving to value-based payment.

Meet our presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Heather Smith, PT, MPH, currently serves as director of quality for APTA. In her current role, Heather coordinates quality initiatives for the association and develops and implements key member resources related to quality. Two areas of focus in her work include the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) and the functional limitation reporting (FLR) requirements for therapist services under Medicare. She also serves as staff lead on the Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry. Heather previously worked for New York Presbyterian Hospital and University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she served in quality improvement. Her transition into quality was facilitated in part by the acquisition of her master’s degree in public health from Drexel University. Previous to her role in quality improvement, she was a practicing clinician for more than 10 years, with the majority of her focus on orthopedics in the outpatient setting.

Course Description

This course is designed to help PTs effectively manage patients who have both substance use disorders and chronic pain. Both of these problems are complex, nuanced, and both are best addressed by interprofessional patient centered teams. This poses multiple challenges for PTs who often lack the support of well-coordinated teams, who are trying to integrate large amounts of new scientific knowledge, and who are often struggling with time and reimbursement limitations. To fulfill our vision of comprehensive biopsychosocial care, we must draw from literature in all three of these areas. This session attempts to pull together and summarize this literature to help PTs build better skills for the work they do at the intersection of substance use disorders and chronic pain. Specifically, we will discuss Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia and address some commonly held myths about this patient population and their treatment. We will review evidence about the effectiveness of nonpharmacologic care and the neurological basis of substance use disorders, chronic pain, and their common risk factors.

Related courses:

Improving Pain Treament with Mindfulness

Musculoskeletal Pain Management Principles

A Primer on Pain for the Practicing Physical Therapist

Pain, Plastcity and Physical Therapy: Applications of Graded Motor Imagery

Navigating the Waters of Patients in Pain: A Pain Neuroscience Approach to Aquatic Therapy

The Opioid Epidemic: Your Practice is Ready and You May Not Even Know It

Positioning Your Clinic as an Alternative to Opioids

Meet our speakers

Sarah Wenger, PT, DPT is an associate clinical professor at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. She received her master of physical therapy degree from Arcadia University in 1997 and her doctor of physical therapy degree from Temple University in 2002. She also is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy. She has published and presented on a range of topics related to her areas of expertise in chronic pain, underserved populations, and clinical reasoning, and she provides pro bono services in a community-based clinic. With an interdisciplinary team, Wenger developed a chronic pain clinical reasoning model and psycho-education program called Power Over Pain.

Bill Hanlon PT,DPT,MSPT has for the past 10 years worked at St Joseph Institute in an Interdisciplinary team setting, successfully helping patients who have chronic pain and opiate addiction become opiate free. After working at a rural, underserved primary care center and teaching with the Kellogg Foundation Project, Hanlon taught at St Francis University from 1997 to 2015 as an assistant, then associate, professor of physical therapy. A board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, Hanlon also is certified in mechanical diagnosis and therapy of the spine through the McKenzie Institute International. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and master and doctor of physical therapy degrees from Temple University.

This two part course includes an audio roundtable, with experienced and knowledgeable presenters reviewing topics such as laws and regulations related to health care fraud and abuse. Interactive case vignettes drawn from real-world situations illustrate types of Medicare fraud or abuse involving physical therapy services.

Courses are designed to be viewed in the following browsers: Chrome or IE 10/11

The recordings are available! The pre-recorded session is available at this link: Pre-recorded presentation The recorded version of the live Q and A session is available here: Live Q and A.

There are NO CEUs for this course

Session Description:

This is the continuation of the New Payment System webinar from September 2016 (this recording is found in the "Media" tab) to provide any updates made since the codes were officially released in November 2016. During the live session, we provided a quick overview of the New Evaluation Codes ONLY. Helene Fearon joined Kathleen Picard and the APTA Team of experts in responding to the questions posed prior to and during the live session.

This course is designed to introduce physical therapists to the new evaluation and reevaluation codes, and teach therapists how to select the appropriate evaluation code based on patient presentation. Even though the new evaluation codes are split into 3 levels: low, moderate and high complexity evaluation, the overall definition of the evaluation remains the same.

Physical therapists will select the appropriate evaluation level based on the following components: patient history, examination, patient presentation, and complexity of clinical decision making. A feature of this course is a self-paced review of patient scenarios specific to a variety of physical therapist practice specialties: cardiovascular and pulmonary, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics and pediatrics.

There are NO CEUs for this course

NOTE: To save your notes, please download or print the scenario worksheet for each of the scenarios you choose to complete. Click on Resources.

There are NO CEUs for this course

The federal government and other payers have enacted laws, written regulations, and introduced policies to crack down on the prevalence of health care fraud, abuse, and waste. While the vast majority of physical therapists provide patients with appropriate services and submit proper claims for payment with accurate information, the payment system and regulatory environment is complex and lack of knowledge can put therapists at risk for billing errors that could be considered fraud, waste, or abuse. This self-directed reading course explains the difference between fraud, waste, and abuse and provides the information necessary to comply with relevant laws and regulations that affect payment. Topics covered include laws governing a PTs relationships with payers, referral sources, and patients, evidence-based practice and ethics/professionalism, and the basic elements of a compliance program.

This course is designed to be viewed in the following browsers: Chrome or IE 10 or 11.

The Professionalism Series consists of 3 modules. Module 1: Introduction to Professionalism includes a course overview for the other modules in the series and introduces you to the concepts of professionalism and autonomous practice. It also discusses the APTA Core Values, the relationship between the 3 elements of the professionalism wheel and the 3 realms of ethics, and the attributes of a doctoring profession. This module helps fulfill the professionalism prerequisite requirement for completing APTA's Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Instructor course. You do not have to be enrolled in the Level 2 course to take this course and earn CEU credit.

NOTE: This is also a prerequisite course for PTA's pursuing the advanced proficiency pathway (APP).

This course is designed to be viewed in the following browsers: Chrome or IE 10 or 11.

APTA and the Veteran's Administration have partnered and this is one of the topics provided by the Veteran's Administration to our Members free of charge.

TeleRehabilitation is a new and emerging service offered in physical medicine and rehabilitation services, especially for the geriatric population where there are increased barriers to accessing care. From the perspective of a VA clinician, this class takes a look at TeleRehabilitation options for physical therapy practice, focusing on the geriatric population and types of service delivery models that may be used to help fill service delivery gaps. The class also provides guidelines on how to begin your own physical therapy TeleRehabilitation service as a supplement to your regular treatment program.

Meet our Presenter

Amanda Olney, DPT is a Board Certified Geriatric Specialist who experienced telehealth while on special assignment supportin VHA and Office of RUral Health intiaitives. She is a proven leader as a Captain in the Army earning the Bronze star Medal for meritorious service during the OIF-OEF deployment operations.

The live Q and A wsd delivered on December 10, 2019 and the link to listen is available in the resources area along with the chat transcript. The pre-recorded content is also available for review.

Course Overview

This session will provide an overview of Medicare and other federal payer reimbursement and coverage policies that physical therapy providers need to know in order to comply with all relevant rules and regulations in 2020. Presenters will discuss policies finalized in the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule regarding the Quality Payment Program (Merit-based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models), PTA modifier policy, coding, and more; provide an update on Department of Defense TRICARE rules; review the new Veterans Community Care Program; and offer insight into APTA’s current federal advocacy efforts on administrative burden, telehealth, and more.

Meet our Presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Heather Smith, PT, MPH, currently serves as director of quality for APTA. In her current role, Heather coordinates quality initiatives for the association and develops and implements key member resources related to quality. Two areas of focus in her work include the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) and the functional limitation reporting (FLR) requirements for therapist services under Medicare. She also serves as staff lead on the Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry. Heather previously worked for New York Presbyterian Hospital and University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she served in quality improvement. Her transition into quality was facilitated in part by the acquisition of her master’s degree in public health from Drexel University. Previous to her role in quality improvement, she was a practicing clinician for more than 10 years, with the majority of her focus on orthopedics in the outpatient setting.

There are NO CEUs for this course

Course Description

Payment reform is underway and as Medicare shifts away from fee-for-service to value-based payment, physical therapists need to know how this will impact their practice and what to do.

Meet our presenters

Kara Gainer joined APTA in 2017 and provides leadership and strategic direction to the regulatory affairs team on key programs, initiatives, and policy development in the federal regulatory space. She has extensive knowledge and experience working on policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, health care reform, and provider billing and reimbursement. Prior to joining APTA, Kara was a health care consultant with Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she developed and executed comprehensive public policy strategies for her clients that integrated legislative, regulatory, and communications efforts. She also served as attorney advisor for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and clerked with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana and law degree from the University of Montana, School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Heather Smith, PT, MPH, currently serves as director of quality for APTA. In her current role, Heather coordinates quality initiatives for the association and develops and implements key member resources related to quality. Two areas of focus in her work include the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) and the functional limitation reporting (FLR) requirements for therapist services under Medicare. She also serves as staff lead on the Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry. Heather previously worked for New York Presbyterian Hospital and University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she served in quality improvement. Her transition into quality was facilitated in part by the acquisition of her master’s degree in public health from Drexel University. Previous to her role in quality improvement, she was a practicing clinician for more than 10 years, with the majority of her focus on orthopedics in the outpatient setting.

Sharita Jennings, JD is Senior Regulatory Specialist at American Physical Therapy Association, where she specializes in Medicaid billing and compliance, Medicare compliance, and health care innovation. Sharita's past experience also includes health care reform, prescription drug benefits, and fraud waste and abuse prevention strategy.

Recorded content can be found in the resources area along with any handouts.

Course Overview

Being an expert in physical therapy is not enough to enjoy a long, successful, and satisfying career. Physical therapists face numerous obstacles to their professional success like increasing hours, plateauing insurance reimbursements, interacting with patients with chronic pain, and maintaining a work/life balance. Over time, these obstacles erode professional and personal well-being, resulting in lower quality care in patients and career burnout. To overcome these obstacles. A physical therapist needs a holistic system of support. This system includes psychological and social skills like self-awareness, self-compassion, and resilience. Unfortunately, these topics are often absent in physical therapy programs, leaving practitioners unprepared for the challenges facing them. To better equip physical therapists, this presentation will (a) discuss the importance of professional and personal well-being, (b) Identify common obstacles to well-being, and (c) provide practical strategies to increase overall well-being and career satisfaction.

Meet our presenter

David Schary, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Winthrop University. His mission is to help people understand the importance of the psychological and social aspects in their everyday lives. Dr. Schary’s research interests include performance, leadership, and well-being across a variety of domains (e.g., medical profession, emergency services, wildland firefighters, and athletics). Currently, he is researching the relationship between well-being and performance. In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Schary is a performance consultant for Winthrop Athletics, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Dr. Schary completed his PhD in Exercise and Sport Science, with a concentration in Exercise and Sport Psychology, and Master of Public Health at Oregon State University. He also holds a Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Studies from Smith College and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. Prior to academia, he coached rowing at the high school, collegiate, and masters levels. As a transplant to South Carolina, he spends his free time exploring the area with his wife and twin daughters.