News

Congratulations to the WPT Fund 2025 fall scholarship recipients! Recipients will be recognized at the APTA Wisconsin fall conference on October 17, 2025 at 10 am at Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.

The purpose of the WPT Fund scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to physical therapist or physical therapist assistant students in their last year of professional education in the state of Wisconsin. The goal is not only to assist students in financial need but also to reward students who demonstrate well rounded personal attributes and who make contributions to the community and/or to the development of the physical therapy profession.

To learn more about how you can help support WPT Fund scholarships and initiatives visit https://aptawi.org/wpt-fund/. 

WPT Scholars Awards

• Kaja Augustine, SPTA -  Bryant & Stratton College - $1000
• Kearyn Brennan, SPT - UW Stevens Point - $2000
• Timothy Cha, SPTA -  Bryant & Stratton College - $1000
• Brooke Gorman, SPT – Marquette University – $2000
• Makenzie Haldiman, SPT – UW Stevens Point - $1000
• Elisha Ikhumhen, SPT – UW Madison - $2000
• Bailey Johnson, SPT  – Bellin College - $2000
• Colin Kleffman, SPT – Bellin College - $2000
• Izi Knoernschild, SPT – UW-Madison - $1000
• Gabriela Minard, SPT – Marquette University -  $1000
• Antwan Moore, SPTA – Bryant & Stratton College -  $1000
• David Neier, SPT – UW Stevens Point - $2000
• Isaac Schauf, SPT – Bellin College - $2000
• Alexandra Strzok, SPTA, Blackhawk Technical College - $500
• Julia Sucharski, SPT – Bellin College -$2000
• Bridget Vietor, SPT – Marquette University - $1000

Honorable Mention – Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Scholarships

• Camille Berman, SPT – UW-Madison - $1000

Camile is a student physical therapist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she has taken 2 sports medicine elective courses. After observing sideline coverage, she was inspired to bring a 2-day course to her community which she participated in and received her Emergency Response for the Athlete certification. By coordinating the hosting of this course, she made it accessible to her classmates as well as students from across the Midwest and students from five different programs attended. Camille is also a research assistant in the Badger Athletic Performance, collaborating with Dr. Dan Cobian on multiple studies for which she served as a de facto leader of the student groups working on each project. Both projects have significant relevance to sports physical therapy.  She is interested in becoming a Board Certified Sports Specialist. Camille is described as resilient, dependable, self-directed and enthusiastic about sports physical therapy practice and research.

• Jovan Jardine, SPT – Concordia University Wisconsin- $1000

Jovan is a student physical therapist at Concordia University Wisconsin where he played 4 years of collegiate soccer. He has worked as a soccer referee and has leveraged his athletic experience to connect with young athletes from a wide range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.  Jovan has coached and trained young athletes at a summer camp called Orbita. He also conducted an independent peer review research presentation on ACL Ijnjury Prevention in Collegiate Soccer Players. Jovan was chosen to participate in a terminal clinical rotation with Children’s Hospital Wisconsin Sports Physical Therapy and he plans on pursuing an Orthopedic or Sports Residency after graduation.

• Grace Tostrud, SPT – Marquette University - $1000

Grace is a student physical therapist at Marquette University where she is completing an advanced orthopedic elective and where she is a student research technician in the Life After Sport Trajectories (LAST) Lab. She also was selected for a competitive Student Research Initiative program through Marquette’s Athletic and Human Performance Research Center. She received a $5000 grant to investigate nutrition and bone density in current young adult athletes. She was first author on a student commentary entitled “Dietary and Physical Activity Guidelines for Building Strong Bones” which is available on Marquette’s Office of Research and Innovation website. She created a research poster entitled “Bone Density in Athletes Participating in Jumping, Cutting, and Pivoting Sports: An Understudied Population” and presented it to the Marquette University community. She also has submitted a first author abstract for APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting for 2026 analyzing nutrient intake in athletes with a history of traumatic knee injury and comparing the findings to recommended dietary intake after injury.

Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Scholarships:

 

• Kearyn Brennan, SPT – UW Stevens Point - $2000

Kearyn is a student physical therapist at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point where she was the Team Captain for 2 years the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team.  She was also President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and received athletic awards for the Difference Maker and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team. Kearyn was the lead presenter on a capstone case study entitled “When Swimmers Jump: A Case Study on enhancing Performance and Symmetry Through Targeted Plyometric Exercise”. Kearyn is also interested in mental health advocacy as she has seen first-hand the complex physical and emotional demands that athletes face. She has also researched the effects of SSRIs on motor function in athletes. Kearyn volunteers for the Northwoods League’s Wausau Woodchucks, assisting with sideline coverage and observing real-time care for collegiate baseball athletes. This fall she is assisting with high school football sideline coverage. She plans to pursue a Sports Residency after graduation.

• Isaac Schauf, SPT – Bellin College - $2000

Isaac is a student physical therapist at Bellin College.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Northern Illinois University. He has worked as an athletic trainer in a variety of settings and has served as a clinical instructor for student athletic trainers. During his work as an athletic trainer, he had a patient that was having a difficult recovery. Isaac chose to bring a physical therapist on to the patient’s care team. In his words, “Seeing the PT’s deep understanding of the most effective exercises made (him) realize that (he) wanted to pursue a deeper understanding of rehab, so physical therapy became (his) next step in (his) sports medicine career.”  Isaac continues to provide PRN athletic training coverage, and he hopes to act as a bridge between the two prominent professions who work directly with heavily active patients.

Chris Crivello Community Scholarships:

• Roman de Guia, SPT – Marquette University - $2000

Roman is a student physical therapist at Marquette University where he has been involved in multiple organizations that give back to the institution and the community including acting as a peer tutor as well as participating in the orthopedic and neurologic PT clinics on campus providing free injury screenings to community members and weekly exercise classes for individuals impacted by Parkinsons Disease. He has also worked for three years as a student researcher in the Life After Sport Trajectories (LAST) Lab where he has contributed to three CSM 2025 peer-reviewed abstracts including a platform presentation and a first-author presentation.  He also is a co-author on a manuscript undergoing peer review and another manuscript in preparation.  Roman has assisted with Marquette’s Food Recovery Network where he was the Move Out for Hunger Chair as well as a Shift Leader. He has also served as Vice President as well as President of the Adaptive Abilities Club, connecting with local organizations that provide sport and recreation opportunities for those with disabilities and providing student volunteers. He also has participated for two summers in Camp Kesem, which is for children whose parent or guardian has been impacted by cancer. He has a strong pattern of sustained volunteerism in positions of responsibility and leadership.

• Elisha Ikhumhen, SPT – UW-Madison - $2000

Elisha (Ide) is a student physical therapist at the University of Wisconsin Madison and is pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy as well as a Master of Public Health degree. Ide is a co-president of Achieving Diversity and Excellence in Physical Therapy (ADEPT) helping design and lead outreach programs for students in the Madison area. Ide has also served as a student clinician in the pro bono clinic for neurorehabilitation as well as the MEDiC clinic. Additionally, Ide has served on the UW Madison DPT Advisory Group, as well as with the Center for Educational Opportunity and the Action Network for Equitable Wellbeing. Ide’s community involvement and volunteerism is extensive serving as a volunteer for Go Baby Go and Ballroom Basics for Dance, as a facilitator for Children’s African Story Hour, and as a mentor for Health Occupations and Exploration (HOPE). Ide is an Ambassador for PT Moves Me and in this role has conducted virtual outreach sessions with high school students to promote physical therapy as a career. This excerpt from Ide’s application encapsulates the attributes of Chris Crivello – The African philosophy of Ubuntu resonates deeply with me. It means “I am because we are.” This belief has shaped how I approach leadership, collaboration, and care. Whether I am working with a classmate, mentoring a younger student, or supporting a client through their recovery, I strive to act with humility, presence, and a sense of shared responsibility. I believe service is not something you do once. It is a practice that should be integrated into who you are.

• Alexander Mendenhall – UW-Madison - $2000

Alex is a student physical therapist at the University of Wisconsin Madison where he has served as President of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Organization (DPTSO). In this role, he secured a grant allocating $200 each to 21 students for registration for APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting. He has also served as the Vice Chair of APTA Wisconsin’s Student Special Interest Group (SIG). In this role he led the “Motion is Lotion 5K” at the 2024 Fall Conference. He is now Chair of the Student SIG guiding the group in its mission of outreach for PT and PTA students in Wisconsin and hosting the 2026 Student Conclave. Alex is also the Wisconsin Representative in the APTA Student Council attending the 2025 APTA Leadership Congress, observing the House of Delegates, and participating in Capitol Hill Day. He has served as a teaching assistant and mentor and has spoken on numerous panels and volunteered time discussing the PT profession with students from diverse backgrounds culminating in writing 9 letters of recommendation for former mentees. Alex has maintained an impressive resume of consistent volunteerism in events such as the UW DPT “Meet and Greet” and “Meet the Program” events, the Dewane Neurorehabilitative Pro Bono Clinic, the MEDiC Clinic, Adaptive Fitness, Go Baby Go, and Bucky’s Race for Rehab – often taking on leadership roles for these activities. He was also the recipient of the Micah Wong Spirit Award, which is given to a student who demonstrates positive spirit within the UW-DPT program. Alex’s service and leadership skills are exemplary. He intends to pursue an orthopedic residency and create an innovative private practice that provides unique and inclusive opportunities for patients not seen otherwise in the community – a space hosting exercise classes for individuals with medically complex conditions, as well as expanded access to the specialized equipment that best suits patients with neurologic conditions. He wants to create this practice in conjunction with a team of passionate colleagues, using the strength of collaboration to impact the community.

The 2025 APTA Wisconsin Election is open! PT and PTA members are elible to vote. Visit https://associationelections.org/elections/WPTA/ to view the candidate bios and cast your vote. Deadline to participate is November 10!

Payment Notice: Cigna Site of Care Policy (Effective Date: 10/01/2025)

Cigna has announced a new Site of Care Policy effective 10/01/2025. This policy affects outpatient physical and occupational therapy services.

What is a Site of Care or Site of Service Policy?

Payers are always looking for the most cost-effective treatment for the services they cover. But they are also looking for the most cost-effective location for these services. Services that have been affected by site of care/service policies include advanced imaging, drug infusions, and outpatient surgeries. If a site or patient meets certain criteria, it is considered medically necessary for a service to be performed in a hospital outpatient department (HOPD). If these criteria are not met, the service must be performed in a freestanding facility.  

Cigna has developed a Site of Care policy for physical and occupational therapy that restricts patients from being seen in a HOPD unless certain criteria are met.  

What Places of Service (POS) are affected by this policy?

Place of Service (POS) codes designate the care setting on claims.

• POS 19: Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital
• POS 22: On Campus-Outpatient Hospital

POS code designating a freestanding clinic (not affected by this policy):

• POS 11: Office

What criteria must be met for patients to be seen in an HOPD?

Site Criteria:

• Specialized equipment (e.g., overhead harness system for gait training, exoskeleton for gait) is required for medically necessary PT/OT services not available in a freestanding PT/OT facility. 
• Specialized PT/OT personnel (e.g., Board Certified Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist, wound care certified) who are not available in a freestanding PT/OT facility are required to provide medically necessary services. 
• A freestanding PT/OT facility is not available within a reasonable geographical location/distance. 

Medical Criteria:

• Amputation within the last 12 months (i.e., Symes, transtibial, knee disarticulation, transfemoral, hip disarticulation, transradial, transhumeral, shoulder disarticulation) 
• Severe burn injuries requiring debridement and frequent dressing changes 
• Major organ transplant surgery (i.e., heart, lung, liver, kidney) within the last three months 
• History of cardiovascular diagnoses that would increase risk and/or would require ongoing higher acuity monitoring (e.g., telemetry, ECG) during therapy including but not limited to:  
• Aortic stenosis
• Cardiomyopathy
• Implanted cardioverter-defibrillator
• Implanted pacemaker
• Myocardial infarction (MI) within past three months
• Recent coronary intervention (i.e., plain angioplasty within 90 days, bare metal stents placed within 90 days, drug eluting stents placed within one year)
• Severe/significant valvular disease  
• Stage 3 hypertension (HTN) (e.g., BP > 180/110)  
• Symptomatic/unstable cardiac arrhythmia
• Unstable coronary syndromes (i.e., unstable or severe angina [Canadian Class III or IV], uncompensated chronic heart failure [CHF] [NYHA class III or IV]) 
• History of neurological diagnoses that would increase risk and/or would require ongoing higher acuity monitoring (e.g., telemetry, ECG) during therapy including but not limited to:  
• Cerebellar ataxias
• Corticobasal degeneration
• Dysautonomia with blood pressure and heart rate instability  
• History of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) within the last three months
• Multisystem atrophy  
• Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
• Parkinson’s disease  
• Progressive motor neuron disease (e.g., spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary lateral sclerosis) 
• Progressive supranuclear palsy  
• Severe traumatic brain injury within the last three months
• Spinal cord injury (e.g., paralysis, central cord syndrome) within last 12 months 

How can a hospital determine whether a patient can be seen at their facility?

• A Site of Care Portal will be available on 10/01/2025

Other Resources:

• Cigna Site of Care Policy
• Cigna/American Specialty Health Training (Recordings will be available on 09/15/2025)

If you have any further questions on this Site of Care Policy, you may call American Specialty Health at 1-833-695-1781 or reach out to APTA Wisconsin at aptawi@aptawi.org.

The APTA Wisconsin Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the Fall 2025 election that will commence in October. Positions up for election in fall include treasurer, secretary, nominating committee member, director and delegate. Incumbents are marked with (I).

 

Treasurer (1):

Ben Armstrong, Eric Bromeisl

 

Secretary (1):

Allison Hodgson (I)

 

Delegate (3):

Scott Brau, Lee Coleman (I), Lindsay Dolan, Sam O'Melia, Krissa Reeves, Jonathan Walton, Rob Worth (I)

 

Director (1):

Bryan Cummings, McKayla Figueroa

 

Nominating Committee Member (1):

Barb Helgeson

Serving in these roles is a fantastic opportunity to shape the direction of our profession, advocate for our members, and contribute to the continued growth of physical therapy in our state. Position descriptions can be found on the APTA Wisconsin website. Please reach out to Lauren Hogan at hoganln@uwm.edu with any questions regarding how you can get more involved in APTA Wisconsin!

 Please join us in congratulating McKayla Figueroa on being chosen as an APTA Emerging Leader for 2025!  McKayla’s dedication and hard work revitalizing the SE District has been inspiring, and we are excited to continue supporting her growth as a leader. Thank you, McKayla, for all that you do—this honor is so well-deserved! 

Please join us in congratulating Connie Kittleson, PT, DPT, on being slated for a position on APTA's Nominating Committee. In her time on our Chapter's Nominating Committee, Connie enhanced the vetting of candidates, the processes of the committee, and timing of elections. She will bring her energy and ideas to bear on the national level.

The 2025 slate of candidates for APTA national elections is now posted on the APTA Nominations and Elections webpage.

APTA National Elections will be held in November. Please contact APTA Governance-House for additional information.

Want to Get More Involved with APTA Wisconsin?

Not sure where to start? Let us help you find the right fit for your time, interests, and professional passions! 

Right now, our Awards Committee has openings! This committee:

• Selects award recipients
• Helps plan the awards ceremony
• Meets virtually — no travel required!

Your time and talents can help shape the future of PT in Wisconsin. 

Email the Chapter Office at aptawi@aptawi.org to explore where you can make an impact.

Dear APTA Wisconsin Members,

My name is Kelly Ashbeck, and I am your new Payment Specialist. It is an honor to step into this role after six months of invaluable mentoring with one of the best – Lynn Steffes. I cannot thank her enough for that time.

I graduated from UW-La Crosse's first DPT program in 2008 and went through Specialized Physical Therapy Education's orthopaedic residency program in their first cohort. In 2018, APTA Wisconsin developed an Opioid taskforce. I joined the taskforce and chaired or co-chaired it between 2020 and 2022. During that time, we developed the annual Pain Education Conference, which ran for three years consecutively. The taskforce eventually transitioned into the Pain SIG, which I have co-chaired since 2022. We have continued our education efforts by coordinating pain focused education tracks at each of the biannual state conferences.

During this time, I met some of the most passionate members – you are all truly inspiring!

I have always had a passion for our profession. My work with the Pain SIG was a way to contribute towards helping our patients and engaging our members. We also worked with Lynn on Prior Authorization legislation and Workers’ Compensation. I have a sociology background that lends itself to seeing problems at the micro and macro level. Thus, as opportunities arose to influence our profession in different ways, I leaned in.

Over the past few years, I have professionally shifted almost entirely to revenue cycle management and compliance. This was my way of seeing our profession from a thousand-foot view. Lynn spoke on our value proposition. Physical therapists offer a tremendous service to our communities. Payment is how we in turn are valued.

As Lynn recovers from what she called Chronic Payment Position HTN, I join the fight. We must advocate for ourselves to continue bringing value to our patients and our communities. To take the reins from Lynn is something I could have never imagined 17 years ago. I admire Lynn, and that admiration has only grown during our mentorship.

This position will not be taken for granted, requiring a constant desire to learn. I intend to take the Payment baton and run. Lynn blazed a trail for how Payment is handled in our Association. She set the standards and was one of the best in the nation at doing so. I’ll take on the role with similar vigor, yet with my personal flare. We all have unique strengths and experiences. I intend to bring mine.

I want to end with this - I am a husband and dad of two girls. It is important that I balance my profession with my family. I would expect that most of us feel the same. I can’t imagine how proud Lynn’s family is of her. She retired to spend more time with them. I in turn want to make my daughters proud. To be given this opportunity knowing the legacy Lynn leaves behind, I am beyond grateful.

Please reach out with any payment questions, ideas or concerns at aptawi@aptawi.org. I look forward to advocating for and working with you all!

Dear Members,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and our profession!

As many of you have heard me say, serving you through APTA Wisconsin has been a privilege and an honor! Committing oneself to ones' passion is both humbling and inspiring. While you all serve patients with your hands, minds, and hearts I was able to be a voice for you. That was amazing! I have had the opportunity to listen to and assist so many incredible providers who are always looking for ways to better take care of their friends and neighbors -- and still survive in this challenging healthcare climate. You are truly the heroes of this story!

In the past 6 months, I have had a chance to identify and mentor someone with equal passion and special interest in carrying out this legacy of advocacy, Kelly Ashbeck PT, DPT. Kelly and I have worked together for 6 months and he has been an amazing mentee! I know he will serve you well in this role. He is thoughtful, thorough, detail-oriented, passionate, articulate, and hard working. He will take this role to the next level, that it deserves!

Going forward, please reach out directly to him with your questions, ideas, and your support at Kelly@AshbeckHCSolutions.com.

In retirement I will be happily turning my passion to my four grandchildren who I adore, my kids, and my hubby! I am already dipping my toe into both yoga and meditation (which should help with my Chronic Payment Position HTN!) and also returning to my side hobby of photography.

YOU will always be both colleagues and friends! Stay passionate about the work you do!

With Affection,

Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT

Golden Goniometer Award

Congratulations to the UW-Milwaukee DPT Program for receiving the 2024-2025 Southeast District Golden Goniometer Award!

This award is given to the school that has the greatest percentage of their students attending Southeast District meetings and events during the academic year. It acknowledges students interest and dedication to the profession of physical therapy.