News

After very successful programming at our 2024 Fall Conference, the 2025 APTA Wisconsin Fall Conference will again have a series of educational sessions – APTA Wisconsin Selected Education Sessions.

Similar to APTA Combined Sections Meeting, interested presenters should submit an electronic proposal highlighting their two hour session. The proposals will then be peer reviewed and ranked. Top proposals will be awarded the distinction of “APTA Wisconsin Selected Education Session” and presented at Fall Conference in Wisconsin Dells at the Glacier Canyon Lodge, October 16-17. Submissions are due by January 10, 2025. Awarded proposals will be announced in February. 

If you, or people you know, are interested in presenting at a future fall conference use the link below to submit your session details!

The electronic submission form can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T9WKH7P.

As 2024 draws to a close, APTA Wisconsin would like to acknowledge those who have supported our profession through their sustained membership. All those working as a PT or PTA can benefit from efforts of the Association. The support you provide will help in making the profession of physical therapy advance to meet the needs of professionals and the patients they serve. 

We hope you feel your membership is one of those things you cherish and cannot imagine working in therapy without it. Please scan the list of names below. If your name is on the list, please contact Cindy Koehler (Membership Committee Co-Chair) at cindykoehler65@gmail.com to receive the pin you so rightfully deserve. Also, when you see your colleagues wearing pins, thank them for their years of support. 

APTA membership is vital to advance the physical therapy profession, and we thank you for your dedication! Hopefully you will wear your pin proudly and thank you in advance for your membership for years to come. Together, we are APTA Wisconsin!

5 Year Anniversaries

Stephanie Ahrens, DPT Brenda Castellano, PTA Stephen Hegarty, DPT Brett Ladsten, DPT Abigail Schreiber, DPT

Emily Banaszak PTA Abbi Christiansen, DPT Alisha Hellebrand, DPT Christine Lee, PTA Amanda Schultz, DPT

Meagan Barker, DPT, ATC Samantha Dawes, DPT Alyssa Henke, PT Marissa Levine, DPT Alexander Seefeld, DPT

Rachel Beilfuss, DPT John De Cleene, DPT Madeline Hepperlen, DPT Megan Liebaert, PT Clare Swietlik, DPT

Alexander Bishop, DPT Daniel Deuel, DPT Emily Hess, DPT Lucas Lippert, DPT Arik Taves, DPT

Matthew Bjork, DPT Christine Eble, DPT Alex Hupke, DPT Rachel Long, DPT Shelly Tayolor-Hampton, DPT, MHA

Kourtney Buelow, DPT Wesley Elford, PT Jessica Jaeckels, DPT Christopher May, DPT Melanie Thierfelder, DPT

Fleming, DPT Kristen Jordens, DPT Emily Meinnert, DPT Blake Van Maanen, DPT

Emily Gauger, DPT Jessica Kathe, DPT Keri Neuner, DPT Delaney Weber, DPT

Augustus Greife, DPT Andrew Keal, DPT Amber Orlikowski, PTA Jeremiah Weber, DPT

Colten Haack, DPT Kelly Kent, DPT Rachel Patton, DPT Alexander Wiedbusch, DPT

Kadi Hamer, DPT Kathryn Kraft, PT Amy Roby, DPT Salina Winslow, DPT

Kimberly Hanson, DPT Samuel Krier, PT Alyssa Rotzenberg-Schmidt, DPT Benjamin Wojcicki, DPT

Alyssa Harp, DPT Matthew Kuik, DPT Mary Scheumann, DPT Ty Zimmerman, DPT

 

10 Year Anniversaries

Kelly Ashbeck, DPT Heidi Gillis, PTA Aneissa Johnson, PTA Kelly Mohr, DPT Cayla Schroeder ,PT

Ryan Bailey, DPT Cheryl Ginther, DPT Alison Kescenovitz, DPT Julia Neppl, PT.LAT Alyssa Sherer, PT

Nathan Brown, DPT Kaitlin Haider, DPT Abigail Kleg, DPT Ryan Olson, DPT Stephanie Shoemaker Korb, DPT

Lydia Christianson, DPT Michael Haylett, DPT Anna Klusendorf, DPT Andrew Parker, PT Michael Stelzmiller, PT

Kelly Colgrove, PT Karen Heaney, DPT Katie Koester, PT Jenny Patten, DPT Carie Taylor, DPT

Logan Curry, DPT Kelsey Hinkley, PT Elizabeth Kremer, DPT Jennifer Pogodzinski, DPT Anthony Thompson, DPT

Brady Czyscon, DPT Amanda Hodel, DPT Mark Lydecker, MPT, ATC Sylvestra Ramirez, DPT, MWH Nicole Thurow, DPT

Mckenzie Dekker, DPT Allison Hodgson, PT Casey Mathews, DPT Marissa Ramon, PT Aaron White, DPT

Gerad Donahue, DPT Nathaniel Hoover, DPT Jacquelyn McDonald, DPT Anne Reichhoff, PT Adam Wirtz, DPT

Vickie Ericson, DPT Angela Imhoff, PT Pranali Mhadolkar, MPT Andrew Revak, DPT Rachel, Wojta, PT

Sara Garvin, DPT Barbara Jermyn, PT Tamara Miller, MS, PhD Kelly Rooker, DPT

 

15 Year Anniversaries

Amy Beetcher, PTA Matthew Gibbons, MPT Kate Langfeldt, PT Jaclyn Ritchay, DPT Mark Stenlund, PT

Christine Block, PT Erik Gregersen, DPT Renee Mazurek, DPT Michael Roberts, PT Elizabeth Wahl, DPT

Kimberly Devault, DPT Eric Hemmerich, DPT Judy Mufti, DPT Suzanne Ryer, DPT Rhonda Yeska, DPT

Eric Erdmann, MPT Matthew Ironside, DPT Christopher O'Connell, DPT Rachelle Schroeder, DPT Erik Yuska, PT, MPT

Denise Frahm, PT Craig Kann, PT Afton O'Reilly, DPT Erica Smits, PT

Neil Gaertig, PT Joya Kunick, PTA Sarah Reynolds, DPT Andrew Starsky, DPT, PhD

 

20 Year Anniversaries

Natalie Blonien, DPT Douglas Dralle, DPT Karen Gottschalk, PT Jarod Husmann, PT, PhD Jason Koenigs, PT

Lisa Dehn, PT Carol Dusold, PT Johanna Grover, PT Bringa Johnson, DPT Pete McMahon, PT

Margaret Dietrich, DPT Lisa Emler, PT Jennifer Gunderson, PT Heidi Johnson, PT Daniel Pinto, PT, PhD

Jennifer Doster, PT Jill Gibbon, DPT Susan Hardel, PT Tiffany Kann, PT Antoinette Spector, DPT, PhD

 

25 Year Anniversaries

Diane Bretl, PT Carolyn Gurney, PT Kimberly Klug, PT, DSC Laura Markham, DPT Carrie Shwoerer, MPT

Jennifer Gaddes, DPT Julie Hart, PT Emily Kolaga, DPT Nicole Marquardt, PT Kerri Swart, PT

Elizabeth Gehl, PT Jeff Hartman, DPT, MPH Lori Lawerence, PT Edward Mathis, DPT Catherine, Van Laanen, PT

Brandon Goldbeck, DPT Diane Isnard, PT Lace Luedke, DPT, PhD Cassidy Sanchez, PT Mary Weiker, PT

Douglas Gorvergrys, MPT, ATC

 

 

30 Year Anniversaries

Kevin Beaver, MSPT Dennis Clark, PT Jennifer Kolsar-Springhetti, DPT Sarah Neller, PT Timothy Thorsen, DPT

Joseph Berman, PT, MHS Judith Dewane, PT, DSc Shannon Kunstman, PT Marcus Schick,DPT, MBA Jill Van De Loo, PT

Ellen Braatz, PT Cindy Hillesheim, PT Lisa Machota, PT David Smith, MPT Johnathon Weiss, DPT

Amy Brown, DPT Shani Johnson, PT, DSc PT, Sally Mastin, PTA Bryan Stuettgen, PT Nicole Wierzbicki, DPT

 

35 Year Anniversaries

Carrie Besch, PT

Jodi Dotseth, PT

Jeffrey Jeter, PT

Nancy Reithel, PT

Alecia Thiele, DPT, ATC, MEd

Sharon Cole, PT

David Graziano, PT

Rebecca Lemke, PT

Craig Sather, PT

Shawn Thiele, PT, ATC

Cynthia Cook, PT

Elizabeth Janssen, PT

Brenda Milbrath, DPT, MS

Phil Sorensen, PT

Nancy Tuman, PT

 

40 Year Anniversaries

Rose Hebar, MSPT

Jayne Jermier, PT

Laurie Kontney, DPT, MS

Marlene Marx, PT

William Slaughter, PT

 

45 Year Anniversaries

Robert Barnhart, PT, ScDPT

Susan Kinosian, PT

Mary Krienke, PT

Teresa Steffen, PT, PhD

Anna Trischan, PT

Carl Bauer, PT

Maureen Euhardy, BSPT, MS

 

50 Year Anniversaries

Teresa Dale, PT

Timothy Greene, PT

Marta Krause, PT

Mark Milne, PT

Kathleen Shields, PT

Monica Diamond, PT, MS

Maureen Kavalar, PT

Kathryn Lyons, PT, MS

Mary Moriarity, PT

Patricia Wilder, PT

Thomas Diamond, PT, MS

 

55 Year Anniversaries

Lillian Klota, PT Donald Olsen, MSPT, EdD

 

60 Year Anniversary 65 Year Anniversary 70 Year Anniversary

Maxine Schuldt, PT

Joan Rademacher, PT

James Bosanny, PT

 

It's that time of year again! Do you know a PT or PTA who has made a difference in your life or the life of a loved one? Nominate them for our PT/PTA of the Year Award!

Submit your nomination and letter of support online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dPXCWbcqNgsOL9CnQbWTPtBmEeyywVIfJXOJYLZaFMg/

A flyer to post in your clinics for patients to view can be found here

.The nomination deadline is January 31, 2025. The winner will be recognized at the APTA Wisconsin Spring Conference on April 11, 2025 at the UW-Milwaukee Student Union.

WPT Fund Awards $23,500 in Scholarships

The Wisconsin Physical Therapy Fund was founded in 1969 as the charitable arm of APTA Wisconsin providing scholarships and grants to our chapter members. Since 2000 we have awarded $300,000 in scholarships and over $86,000 in grants. This Fall we are thrilled to be able to award a total of $23,500 in scholarships to all of the 17 students who completed applications. All of the students are APTA Wisconsin members attending CAPTE accredited DPT or PTA programs in Wisconsin and have demonstrated financial need.

Wisconsin Physical Therapy Scholars Awards:

Sophie Bierdemann, SPTA attending MATC

Brooke Costa, SPT – attending Marquette University

Seth Polfus, SPT – attending UW-La Crosse

Amanda Rose, SPT attending Carroll University

Charlene Schmidt, SPT – attending UW-La Crosse

Lizzie Schuetz, SPT – attending Marquette University

Aubrie Taerud, SPTA – attending Bryant and Stratton College

Jake Voss, SPT – attending Belling College

Emma Vosters, SPT attending Marquette University

Briana Wasielewski, SPT – attending Bellin College

Chris Crivello Community Service Award

Ari Loughlin, SPT - Concordia University Wisconsin

Emily Ziegler, SPT – Bellin College

Chris Crivello Community Service Award – Honorable Mention

Matayah Pethke, SPT – Concordia University Wisconsin

Jenna Chausse, SPT – Concordia University Wisconsin

Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Award

Ethan Taylor, SPT – University of Wisconsin Madison

Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Award – Honorable Mention

Victoria Salaba, SPT – University of Wisconsin Madison

DEI Advocacy Award

Nadine Aconda, SPT – Marquette University

It is such a privilege to be able to honor these students and provide some financial assistance. We could not do that without the support of our generous donors. We would especially like to thank your Legacy Society members who have helped our Endowment grow to over $180,000. For more information and to donate please visit https://aptawi.org/wpt-fund/

 

After the announcement above can we have a Click Here to learn more about the amazing accomplishments of the specialty award winners sort of thing and then have that link to the information below????

 

Chris Crivello Community Service Award (given to a student who demonstrates not only high academic standards, but also a commitment to community involvement):

Ari Loughlin, SPT - Ari is a student in the DPT program at Concordia University Wisconsin. She has demonstrated commitment to service within and beyond the physical therapy community for the last 6 years and are far too numerous to list today. Some highlights include being a Miss Amazing Buddy for which she was paired with a girl with special needs to help her prepare for her pageant and activities throughout the day, volunteering for the Autism Society Bike Camp where she helped children with disabilities learn how to ride bikes, and volunteering for Balance, Inc where she interacted with adults who have special needs and led an exercise program for them. She also created two questions for APTA’s Opioid Toolkit and has attended multiple APTA Wisconsin events including state conference and Legislative Day. Ari has demonstrated a significant amount of leadership in her service as well. She presented research poster at the 2023 APTA Wisconsin Fall Conference and she has served the Concordia Association of Student Physical Therapists as Secretary, Vice President, and Social Committee Chair. We are pleased to present Ari a Chris Crivello Community Service Award and a $2000 scholarship.

Emily Ziegler, SPT- Emily is a student in the DPT program at Bellin College. She also has demonstrated consistent outstanding service as well as leadership. She served as Team Captain for Bellin College at the Alzheimer’s Walk of Green Bay in 2022 and 2023 as well as the Team Captain for the Arthritis Walk of Green Bay in 2023. From 2023-2024 In her role as Vice Chair of APTA Wisconsin’s Student Special Interest Group she attended APTA Wisconsin Board of Director meetings, and planned and hosted the Motion is Lotion 5K event at our Fall Conference. Now as the current Chair of the Student SIG her responsibilities have expanded and include planning the Student Conclave. She is also currently serving as the APTA Wisconsin Student Council Representative and recently attended the House of Delegates. Emily also volunteers for Exceptional Equestrians assisting with hippotherapy, as well as other local causes. We are pleased to present Emily with a Chris Crivello Community Service Award and a $2000 scholarship.

Matayah Pethke, SPT - Matayah is a student in the DPT program at Concordia University Wisconsin. She has participated in APTA Wisconsin events including Fall Conference and Legislative Day. She also has been a podium presenter at an Evidence in Motion Symposium and has participated in various research projects. Mataya is the current President of the Concordia Association of Student Physical Therapists and has been active in professional activities and community service throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies. She has volunteered for Meals on Wheels, high school diversity day, DPT connection videos, trauma presentation pictures, Milwaukee river clean-up day, massage clinics, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Teen Nights, as well as CUW visit days and orientation. We are pleased to present Matayah an honorable mention for the Chris Crivello Community Service Award and a $1500 Scholarship.

Jenna Chausse, SPT - Jenna is student in the DPT program at Concordia University Wisconsin where she has been a volunteer research assistant for the last 3 years and participated in a poster event on campus. She is a board member of the Concordia Association of Student Physical Therapists as well as of the APTA Wisconsin Student Special Interest Group. Additionally, Jenna has been actively engaged in our state chapter attending the 2023 Fall Conferences as well as Legislative Day. She also volunteers for various community events including YMCA exercise classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease. Jenna does all this while also serving as co-captain of the CUW Women’s Volleyball Team, tutoring on campus, serving as a personal care working to a young child and as a volleyball coach for the I AM Volleyball Club. We are pleased to present Jenna an honorable mention for the Chris Crivello Community Service Award and a $1500 Scholarship.

Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Award (given to a student who has demonstrated an interest in sports medicine physical therapy):

Ethan Taylor, SPT - Ethan is a student in the DPT program at the University of Wisconsin Madison where he also received his BS in Exercise and Movement Science as well as minors in Athletic Healthcare and Promoting Activity for Diverse Ability. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, a Certified Personal Trainer, a USA Level 1 Weightlifting Coach, and a Certified Emergency Responder to the Athlete. Ethan has pursued multiple elective courses specific to rehabilitation of the athlete. He has sports medicine related work experience including creating and coaching group fitness classes acting as the head strength coach for several club sports teams. He also has numerous sports medicine related volunteer experiences. Most impressively, Ethan created an AASPT College and Pro Special Interest Group series entitled “Therex Thursday”, a bimonthly social media post aimed at providing multiple exercises that could be implemented for specific athletic injuries. He is also the lead student researcher on two research projects. In the Department of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine he is working with Drs. Tim McGuine, Erin Hammer, Allison Brooks and Mike Joachim on the effect of exterior helmet padding on concussion severity in high school football players. In the Badger Athletic Performance Lab he is working with Drs. Keith Knurr, Danieal Cobian and Brian Heiderscheidt on a project for which he was responsible for the abstract entitled “Two-Dimensional Video Analysis: A clinical Tool for Tracking Recovery of Knee Biomechanics during Running Post-Aclr”. This abstract was submitted for presentation at CMS in February. Ethan has showed consistent commented to continuing education related to sports medicine physical therapy and plans to attend a sports residency. Additionally, his future goals are to be the best sports PT in the state and to eventually serve on the APTA Wisconsin Executive Board to continue to implement policy that benefits both our patients and therapists. We are thrilled to present Ethan a Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Award and a $2000 scholarship.

Victoria Salaba, SPT - Victoria is a student in the DPT Program at the University of Wisconsin Madison. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and has certifications both in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test and Emergency Response for the Athlete. Victoria is involved in two research projects as well. In the Badger Athletic Performance Lab she is working with Dr. Dan Cobian and Dr. Keith Knurr on the influence of visual disruption and dual-task on single leg vertical hop performance in individuals who have undergone ACL reconstruction. In the Center for Interprofessional Education working with Dr. Jill Thein-Nissenbaum on the perceptions of athletic training and physical therapy students in terms of roles and responsibilities of the interprofessional team. Victoria has immersed herself in the Sports Medicine field through her academic pursuits attending courses at CSM as well as her participation in the College and Professional Sports SIG mentorship program through the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy. She also has worked in a variety of sports settings servicing as a coach for multiple sports teams. Lastly, Victoria participated in an abroad experience partnering with the US Embassy and Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan Belize to help embassy employees, to education local students on pain neuroscience and meeting with the US Ambassador to discuss physical therapy, healthcare, and pain neuroscience. We are pleased to present Victoria with an honorable mention for the Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Award and a $1500 Scholarship.

DEI Advocacy Award (given to a student who demonstrates activities that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the physical therapy profession):

Nadine Acorda, SPT - Nadine is a student in the DPT program at Marquette University. She is currently partaking in a self-study elective that focuses on multicultural studies, brainstorming and laying out the foundation to hopefully start a student DEI Committee, and speaking to local schools about physical therapy. She also serves as a student clinical and the Director of Patient Relations at Marquette’s Pro Bono PT Clinic. In this role she is able to practice providing care to patients of all socioeconomic and cultural background and serve as a bridge to any other needs that they may have through her leadership role. In her clinical education experiences, she has helped her CI brainstorm ideas on how to identify and navigate through barriers to PT that ae influenced by cultural beliefs and socioeconomic status with the goal of improving the no-show and cancellation rates. Nadine has also been involved in researching federally qualified health centers that provide PT services across Wisconsin and in different states with the purpose of advocating for the need for PT services within these centers including staffing generalist and multilingual physical therapists. This will hopefully culminate in a platform presentation at CSM in February. We are thrilled to present Nadine Acorda a DEI Advocacy Award and a $2000 scholarship.

My time at the APTA House of Delegates meeting was an invaluable experience that I am deeply grateful for. This opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in student programming and connect with fellow students from across the country, each representing their respective student bodies and the broader APTA community. Through these interactions, I engaged in meaningful networking that not only expanded my professional connections but also provided insights into diverse perspectives and experiences within the field of physical therapy.

During the meeting, I had the chance to delve into advocacy as an emerging professional. We explored strategies for effectively advocating on behalf of our profession and discussed innovative ideas for enhancing student involvement and engagement. This experience underscored the importance of proactive advocacy in shaping the future of our field and improving the practice environment for therapists.

Moreover, attending the House of Delegates meeting offered a behind-the-scenes look at the critical work being done to advance our profession. I gained a deeper understanding of the efforts being made to advocate for therapists and enhance patient experiences. This exposure not only broadened my perspective on the systemic challenges and opportunities within the field but also highlighted the importance of active participation in professional organizations.

Overall, this experience was instrumental in my career development, equipping me with a stronger appreciation for the roles of networking, advocacy, and strategic involvement in advancing our profession. It has reinforced my commitment to contributing to the field of physical therapy and pursuing opportunities to make a meaningful impact through both professional practice and organizational engagement.

 

Emily Ziegler, SPT

APTA Wisconsin Student SIG Chair

APTA Student Council Representative