News

Thank you to everyone who participated in the APTA Wisconsin Student Special Interest Group election and helped shape the leadership for the coming year.

We’re excited to share the results:

 

Chair: Maddi Schommer (previously Vice Chair)

Vice Chair: Bryce Herlache

Secretary: Kearyn Brennan

Nominating Committee Chair: Allie Anderson

We’re grateful to Alex Mendenhall for his leadership as Chair and for supporting a smooth transition. Congratulations to our new and returning student leaders—we look forward to another great year of advocacy, connection, and professional growth for student members across Wisconsin.

 

 

I am so excited to share with you the accomplishments WE have all helped to make happen in 2025. Yes, I said ‘WE’! A volunteer organization relies on the time, talent, and treasure of its members to be successful. If you are a dues-paying member, you have contributed your hard-earned ‘treasure’ to the work we have done. Thank you! If you have also contributed your time and talent, extra kudos to you!

We organize our Chapter priorities around four areas: practice, legislation and advocacy, membership engagement and association sustainability, and consumer outreach. While not an exhaustive list, here are some key accomplishments of 2025.

Practice

• Presented a six-episode practice webinar series with 78 participants
• Released a fully updated Direct Access Toolkit
• Created a musculoskeletal ultrasound subgroup
• Gathered resources on fall prevention in the elderly to share with providers
• Presented two state conferences with over 440 participants

Legislation and Advocacy

• Introduced prior authorization legislation with testimony before Assembly Health and Senate Insurance Committees; secured a unanimous vote out of assembly health committee
• Hosted Legislative Day with 275 PT/PTA/students, 100 OTs, and two state government affairs staff from APTA. We secured six new co-sponsors after legislative visits, bringing our bill’s support to nearly one-third of the Assembly
• Created three WPT-Political Action Committee trustee positions to assist PAC chair in creating and implementing fundraising activities
• Raised over $21K in PAC donations

Member Engagement and Association Sustainability

• NO increase in membership dues for 2026
• Created the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) -- Co-chairs Bill Boissonnault and Kevin Wilkens
• Four individuals chosen for LDC's Rising Leader Program: Lindsay Dolan; mentor Connie Kittleson, Makayla Figueroa; mentor Kip Schick, Peter McManus; mentor Kristy Hallisy, and Julia Nameth; mentor Jill Boissonnault
• Established an Early Career SIG to support clinicians in their first 5 years of practice; Emily Ziegler, Chair
• Student SIG presented the annual APTA WI Student Conclave at Bellin College with over 100 participants. (Click here for 2026 Registration!)
• Supported student engagement and professional development through the Graduating Student Scholarship that recognizes outstanding leadership and service during professional education, the House of Delegates Student Scholarship that enables students to experience the APTA governance process, and the Fall Conference Mentorship Program which pairs students with experienced clinicians for networking and professional guidance
• Hosted two virtual town halls for Chapter members to discuss APTA House of Delegates motions with 103 participants
• Transitioned to a new payment specialist, Kelly Ashbeck from retiring specialist, Lynn Steffes
• WPT Fund distributed $36,500 in scholarship awards to DPT and PTA students

Consumer Outreach

• Partnered with UW Madison to organize involvement in the HOSA 2025 WI Regional Leadership Competitions
• Chose Avlo Solutions as communications specialist to begin 2026
• Gathered resources on fall prevention in the elderly to share with the public

Member Recognitions

• Jamie Vander Houten, PTA: APTA WI Physical Therapist Assistant of the Year:
• Katie Lamprey, PT, DPT: APTA WI Clinical Instructor of the Year
• Abby Inman, PT, DPT: APTA WI Clinical Excellence Award
• Matthew Kuik, PT, DPT: APTA WI Rookie of the Year
• Emily Ziegler, SPT: APTA WI Student Emerging Leader Award
• Joe Kucksdorf, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT: AAOMPT Excellence in Innovation Award
• Amy Snyder, PT, DPT: APTA Private Practice Robert G. Dicus Award
• McKayla Figueroa, PT, DPT, ATC, WCS: APTA Emerging Leader
• Megan Berezowitz, PT, DPT: Southeast District Mary Pat Murray Award
• Daniel Deuel, PT, DPT, M.Ed, MPH, Lisa Vanwiel, DPT, PhD, and Bringa Johnson, DPT, OCS, GCS: 2026 APTA Association Leadership Scholars
• Jill Thein-Nissenbaum, PT, PhD was featured on television during National Physical Therapy Month as part of APTA’s PT for Future Me campaign.
• Michele Thorman, PT, DPT re-elected as Vice Chair of FSBPT
• Connie Kittleson, PT, DPT elected to APTA’s Nominating Committee
• Kip Schick, PT, DPT, MBA ending service as APTA Secretary after 9 years on the APTA Board of Directors -- thank you!

WE should ALL be very proud of these accomplishments! I hope it inspires you to be even more involved in 2026!

My very best to you all,

Sue Griffin, PT, DPT

President

APTA Wisconsin

Effective December 1, 2025, ForwardHealth and Managed Care Organizations will support and reimburse for direct access to physical therapy services. These changes reflect updates to our practice act, including the ability to order x-rays. This is a significant win for our profession and will reduce unnecessary barriers to care for our patients. Please see this ForwardHealth Update for details on this exciting news. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact aptawi@aptawi.org.

Building off the successful inaugural year of the APTA Wisconsin Practice Committee’s Webinar Series, we are excited to announce the 2026 series! This year’s series will continue to promote practice and education excellence, and promote APTA Wisconsin as a go-to resource for practice related CE offerings.

The webinar series will be held on the 3rd Wednesday in January, March, May, July, September, and November from 8-9pm (1 CE credit per webinar).

Fee Schedule:

APTA WI member: $25/session

APTA Student member: $10/session

Non-member $50/session

The 6th session is free if you purchase the entire series!

2026 Schedule

January 21

Keep Your Nose Above Water! Financial Strategies for Students and Early Career PTs and PTAs

Life is expensive and learning how to find the right balance between investing in your career, paying the bills, and having enough money left over for everything else is critical! Join our panel discussion as we describe tools and strategies important to being knowledgeable about one’s current and future financial health. We will explore APTA and APTA WI resources in order to make strong financial management decisions and to manage student debt.

March 18

What’s New in the World of Payment and Reimbursement? Everything! An WPTA WI Update

The world of payment and reimbursement is ever evolving. Some great payment “wins” have occurred related to direct access and Medicaid coverage. APTA WI’s payment experts will provide an update on what is new and what is coming next.

May 20

Get on Board the MSK Ultrasound Train!

The use of ultrasound has exploded in PT practice over the past few years. Hear from APTA WI members the various ways ultrasound are used for day-to-day clinical practice, as a tool to develop optimal patient plans of care, to educate patients, and at times contribute to a patient diagnosis. The panel will also provide an overview on how to get started developing the necessary skills, available certificate programs, options for purchasing equipment, and more!

July 15

MSK Ultrasound Program -- Part 2

This meeting will go into detail on how to implement it within a health system and what is happening on a national level, including discussion on the barriers and challenges they have experienced. The panel will also explore strategies, including valuable resources for overcoming these obstacles, and make a strong case for expansion of this practice model.

September 16

Introducing the APTA WI Pain SIG Toolkit for Practitioners and Educators!

The relevance of pain education across practice settings and disciplines will be highlighted. Central to the discussion is the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy’s Pain Education Manual. Pain phenotyping and sociological trends in pain are critical to development of an appropriate patient plan of care. The APTA WI Pain SIG’s newly created Pain Toolkit will also be presented and discussed.

November 18

Emergency Department and Physical Therapist Practice

This webinar provides an overview of the expanding role of physical therapists in Emergency Department settings, including how PTs contribute to patient assessment, mobility management, and safe discharge planning. Presenters will highlight current models of ED practice and share practical insights for integrating PT services into acute care workflows. This session will help attendees understand how ED physical therapy can enhance patient outcomes and support interdisciplinary care.

The new APTA Wisconsin Rising Leader Program officially kicks off this January with the goal of cultivating the next generation of physical therapy leaders across the state through structured mentorship, leadership development, and professional growth opportunities.

The 2026 Rising Leader cohort — Peter McManus, Lindsay Dolan, Julia Nameth, and McKayla Figueroa — represents a motivated group of emerging professionals committed to growing as future contributors to APTA Wisconsin and beyond. Throughout the year, participants will engage in monthly mentor–mentee meetings, guided reflections, and hands-on leadership experiences that prepare them for expanded roles within their clinics, communities, and the association.

A key component of the program is participation in LAMP 101, a foundational leadership course developed by APTA’s Academy of Leadership and Innovation to build core self-awareness and leadership skills. Three of our Rising Leaders attended LAMP 101 this past November at Marquette University. Rising Leader Lindsay Dolan, PT, DPT, reflected on the experience:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend spent at LAMP 101. It was an interactive and engaging time surrounded by inspiring and ‘real’ leaders. LAMP 101 provided purposeful time to focus on ME. We reflected on our own morals, values, and goals, and created working documents of our Mission and Vision statements for the next 5–10 years. This was valuable pre-work for a future of leadership. I am inspired and grateful to have started my LAMP journey.”

The program aims to develop thoughtful and capable leaders for the future of physical therapy in Wisconsin. For questions, or if you are interested in serving on the Committee, email ldc@aptawi.org.

The recipient will receive $500 and be recognized at the APTA Wisconsin Spring Conference on April 24 in Stevens Point.

Prerequisites:

• Current PT or PTA student
• APTA Wisconsin/APTA member

To apply:

PT/PTA students will write an essay (no longer than 500 words) to apply that should address the following 3 areas:

• School or community involvement including any job experience
• APTA WI/APTA involvement
• Goals for professional development and strategy/plan to accomplish these goals upon graduation
• Additionally, 2 professional letters of recommendation are required.

The applications should be sent to the APTA Wisconsin Academic Liaison Committee Co-Chairs, Erik Gregersen and Billy Bruggink, at erik.gregersen@froedtert.com and billy.bruggink@froedtert.com by January 31.

The application essay should be a Word document or PDF. Please attach/send the two letters of recommendation and student application essay in one email. In the email also include full name, what school attending, year in school, APTA ID# and address.

The winner will be chosen by the APTA Wisconsin Academic Liaison Committee and notified within two weeks of the application deadline.

After very successful programming at our 2025 Fall Conference, the 2026 APTA Wisconsin Fall Conference will again have a series of selected educational 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 Pewaukee at the Ingleside Hotel, October 1-2. Submissions are due by March 1, 2026. Awarded proposals will be announced in April.

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

2026 Fall Conference Session Submission Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8BWSZ8Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the 2025 APTA Wisconsin Legislative Day and for those who sent letters to their legislators. With over 275 attendees plus 100 OTs — the Capitol knew we were in the building!

Because of our advocacy we garnered six new co-sponsors after our legislative meetings - Representatives DeSmidt, Kirsch, Brill, Maxey, and Billings, and Senator Larson. Our bill now has nearly one-third of the entire Assembly as a co-sponsor. You all made a difference!

Please continue to advocate for your patients and your profession. Remember — “When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.”

Congratulations to APTA Wisconsin member Joe Kucksdorf, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, for receiving the Excellence in Innovation Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy.

Watch a short clip of Joe explaining what he's doing in the PT space to move the profession forward. Congratulations Joe!

The U.S. Department of Education is working to update the federal student loan regulations, including which professions would be included in the professional degree category. Historically, physical therapy and dozens of other licensed providers have been considered to be included in this definition.

At the last meeting of the U.S. Department of Education’s RISE Committee, a proposed definition for professional degree programs was adopted, that if enacted, could cause serious, long-term damage to the health care workforce. The proposed definition excludes dozens of professions, including physical therapy.

This is not what Congress intended. We need you to contact your members of Congress to urge them to intervene and ensure the Department of Education follows the intent of Congress and include the broad range of health care professions that have historically been considered professional degrees.

While not a final determination, this proposal is misguided, misinformed, and threatens an already strained health care workforce. A formal public comment period is expected in early 2026 — and we’ll be ready. You can take action now — Contact your members of Congress through the APTA Patient Action Center: https://www.votervoice.net/.../APTA/Campaigns/131766/Respond

It’s vital for your members of Congress to hear from you today about the importance of getting these regulations right. Contact your members of Congress today!