News

Who else is getting curious about APTA Wisconsin 2026 Fall Conference?

Well, we’re excited to share a small sneak peek at what’s coming this year—and the program is shaping up to cover a little bit of everything.

This year’s sessions will explore topics across orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, pelvic health, leadership, wellness, imaging, exercise prescription, and more, with plenty of practical takeaways physical therapy professionals can bring back into the clinic.

Beyond CEUs, attendees can also look forward to Thursday’s Exhibit Hall and Research Poster Reception, Friday’s Chapter Business Meeting, and the Student SIG 5K.

Featured course topics include:

• Burnout and workplace wellbeing

• Cervicogenic headache and pain phenotyping
• Osteoporosis loading and strengthening guidelines
• Pelvic floor considerations for orthopedic PTs
• Parkinson’s care and confidence-building strategies
• Musculoskeletal ultrasound applications
• Exercise prescription and dosage
• Leadership development for PTs and PTAs
• …and much more!

Registration opens this summer. Stay tuned!

APTA Wisconsin is pleased to recognize Sophie Willihnganz, DPT Student at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, for receiving two national awards from APTA:

Mary McMillan Scholarship Award

The Mary McMillan Scholarship Award acknowledges and honors outstanding physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students who are nearing the completion of their respective programs of study. The scholarship program contributes to the growth of physical therapy as a profession by recognizing individuals with superior capabilities.

Outstanding PT Student Scholarship

This award recognizes a student physical therapist or student physical therapist assistant member with exceptional overall accomplishments and contributions to APTA and the physical therapy profession. The outstanding student physical therapist receives a $1,000 scholarship.

Sophie is a third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student whose career goals include combining her background in fire/EMS with her interest in orthopedics and trauma care to work with individuals with limb loss or amputations, as well as serving as an early/acute rehabilitation specialist responding to sudden-onset disasters.

Congratulations, Sophie!

APTA Wisconsin’s Direct Access Toolkit is available as a free member resource designed to help healthcare administrators, rehabilitation directors, and clinicians successfully implement a direct access model of care.

The toolkit includes practical guidance for obtaining administrative approval, addressing common barriers, and integrating direct access into outpatient, primary care, emergency department, and urgent care settings. It also serves as a valuable resource for members involved in direct access legislative advocacy efforts.

If direct access is part of your current practice goals or future planning, this toolkit offers practical guidance and resources to help support your efforts!

Learn More and Download Toolkit

APTA Wisconsin members recently joined fellow PTs, PTAs, and students from all across the country in Washington, D.C. for APTA Capitol Hill Day 2026.

Over three days on Capitol Hill, members met face-to-face with legislators and congressional staff to advocate for issues that directly impact our profession, our practices, and our patients, including Medicare payment reform and reducing administrative burden.

We’d like to take a moment and say: thank you to the Wisconsin members who took the time to show up, share their experiences, and help ensure the voice of physical therapy was represented in these important conversations. Advocacy efforts like these truly help move the profession forward and strengthen our collective impact.

In 2028, APTA Wisconsin will celebrate 100 years of advancing the physical therapy profession, supporting our members, and serving patients across the state. It’s a milestone worth celebrating — and we’re looking for members to help make it truly special.

We are forming a Centennial Celebration Task Force to plan and bring to life a series of events and initiatives that honor our history and inspire our future.

We’re looking for members who:

• Enjoy event planning, fundraising, storytelling, or creative brainstorming
• Have ideas for engaging members, students, and the broader community
• Want to help recognize the people and moments that shaped APTA Wisconsin
• Are excited to contribute to a once-in-a-generation milestone

What you’ll do:

• Collaborate with fellow members to develop celebration concepts and events
• Help plan activities that will take place throughout 2028
• Contribute ideas for member engagement, historical recognition, and outreach
• Play a key role in shaping how we tell APTA Wisconsin’s story

Time commitment:
We anticipate monthly virtual meetings initially, beginning mid-2026. We also want to provide opportunities to contribute based on volunteer availability.

This is a unique opportunity to leave your mark on APTA Wisconsin’s legacy while connecting with passionate members from across the state.

Interested in joining the Centennial Task Force? 

Contact the Chapter Office

Recent updates to Wisconsin administrative code provide clarity regarding the use of telehealth in physical therapy practice.

Telehealth Defined
A formal definition of telehealth has been added to administrative code (PT 1.02), providing clarity for its use in physical therapy practice.

“Telehealth” means a practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, or transfer of medically relevant data by means of audio, video, or data communications that are used either during a patient visit or a consultation or are used to transfer medically relevant data about a patient.

“Telehealth” includes asynchronous telehealth services, interactive telehealth, and remote patient monitoring.

Supervision Requirements Updated
The previous requirement in PT 5.01(2)(h) for physical therapists to be “on-site” for patient assessment and reevaluation under PTA general supervision has been removed.

With this change, PTs may perform assessments and reevaluations via telehealth when the following conditions have been met:

1. The supervising physical therapist, using professional judgment, determines and documents the clinical reasons for utilizing telehealth as an appropriate modality based on the patient's condition and circumstances.
2. The patient or the patient’s legal guardian has provided informed consent that is specific to the use of telehealth for these services.
3. The supervising physical therapist provides the telehealth assessment and reevaluation in real time allowing for interactive communication between the physical therapist and the patient.
4. The supervising physical therapist determines that any person assisting the patient at the remote location is capable of safely providing the necessary assistance.

What This Means for Your Practice

• PTs now have greater flexibility in supervising PTAs using telehealth
• Patient assessments and reevaluations may be conducted remotely when conditions are met
• These updates reflect evolving practice models and improve access to care across Wisconsin

If you have questions about how these changes apply to your practice, we encourage you to review the full administrative code updates or reach out for clarification.

Read Full Administrative Code Updates

Each year, APTA Wisconsin recognizes members and partners who demonstrate exceptional dedication to the physical therapy profession, and 2025 was no exception. These awards celebrate individuals and organizations who embody leadership, mentorship, clinical excellence, and long-standing service to the profession and our association.

We are proud to recognize the following 2025 APTA Wisconsin Award Recipients:

Physical Therapist of the Year
Bryan Stuettgen, PT, MPT
Recognized for professionalism, compassion, and exceptional technical skill in patient care.

Mentor Award
Kate Bennett, PT, DPT, ATC, NCS
Recognized for outstanding commitment to developing and guiding physical therapists.

Otto A. Cordero Lifetime Achievement Award
John Hendrickson, PT
Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT
Recognized for sustained and significant contributions to the profession and the association.

Rookie of the Year
Daniel Deuel, PT, DPT, MEd, MPH
Recognized for impactful contributions to clinical practice within the first three years of graduation.

Private Practice Award
New Life Physical Therapy
Recognized for outstanding and enduring contributions to physical therapy in private practice.

APTA Wisconsin congratulates each of these recipients and thanks them for the leadership, dedication, and service they bring to the profession and the patients they serve!

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