News

APTA has announced the 2023 Honors and Awards Program recipients and the following members from APTA Wisconsin have been selected to receive the following awards:

McMillan Scholarship Award - Physical Therapist

Carolyn Jo Schmitz, PT

Catherine Worthingham Fellow Award

Jill S. Boissonnault, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Lucy Blair Service Award

Susan R. Griffin, PT, DPT

Outstanding Physical Therapist Resident Award

Mitchell Adam, PT, DPT

In conjunction with the 2024 APTA Leadership Congress, award recipients will be recognized next year at the APTA Honors & Awards ceremony on Sunday, July 21, in Kansas City, Missouri. A reception hosted by the PT Fund will take place that afternoon, with the ceremony immediately following the 29^th John H.P. Maley Lecture, presented by Dr. McClure, scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm.

Congratulations to our Wisconsin members!

Do you know a PT or PTA who has made a difference in the profession or the life of a patient? Nominate them for an APTA Wisconsin award!

Peer Awards

Outstanding Service Award

Clinical Excellence Award

Hall of Fame Award

Clinical Instructor of the Year

Mentor Award

PTA Award of Excellence

Rookie of the Year Award

Otto A. Cordero Award for Lifetime Achievement

Wisconsin Private Practice Award

District Volunteer Service Award

Click here for full descriptions of each award.

Peer Award Nominations can be submitted online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9Z5XQDN. Those nominated must be current members of the Association.

PT/PTA of the Year Award nominations can be submitted online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y7T2GQB. Those nominated do not need to be members of the Association.

A PT/PTA of the Year Award flyer to post in your clinics and in your communities can be found here. Help us spread the word!

The nomination deadline for all awards is January 31. Awards will be presented at the APTA Wisconsin Spring 2024 Conference in April.

FALL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Visit https://fall.aptawi.org/ to learn more and register to secure your spot.

Accommodations

Rates are $99.99 single/double. Be sure to make your reservation by contacting Glacier Canyon Lodge at 800/867-WILD by September 11. Check-in is after 4 pm and check-out is prior to 11 am. Room and rate availability are not guaranteed after September 11.

VOTE NOW!

Click here to access the voting booth

Key Contacts from across the country gathered for Legislative Day in Washington DC on July 25. Wisconsin held seven meetings with our Senators and Representatives or their staff to discuss important legislative issues affecting the physical therapy profession and patient access.

You have an opportunity to influence legislation on IMPORTANT PT ISSUES! Take five minutes and contact your legislators on these important bills:

• EMPOWER Act-Enabling More of the Physical & Occupational Workforce to Engage in Rehabilitation Act (S. 2459, H.R. 4878). This legislation would permit general supervision of physical therapist assistants under Medicare Part B outpatient practices. This legislation also asked Congress to direct the U.S. Government Accountability office to conduct an analysis of how the 15% payment differential has impacted access to therapist services in rural and medically underserved areas since its implementation in 2022.
• Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.793/H.R.1617). This bill would allow a physical therapist to receive payment under Medicare for services provided to the PT's patients by another physical therapist through a qualifying temporary arrangement, regardless of the geographic area or population served. Currently, PTs may only receive payment with respect to such arrangements for services provided in medically underserved, rural, or health professional shortage areas. Temporary arrangement was formerly called Locum Tenens.
• Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R.3875). This bill would make Medicare's temporary coverage for therapists using telehealth to provide therapy services permanent.
• Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act (H.R. 4829) would allow students to receive partial loan repayment for working in a health professional shortage area (HSPA). In addition, this legislation expands patient access to physical therapist services in rural health clinicals known as community health centers or CHCs.
• The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule and the impact proposed payment reduction will have on providers and physical therapy access. Support was requested for Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474). This would apply a permanent inflation-based update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversation factor.

Find Your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Find Your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

or consider using the APTA Legislative Action Center at https://www.apta.org/advocacy/take-action to voice your support.

The WPT Fund Board of Trustees is proud to announce they have awarded 17 scholarships totaling $30,000 for 2023.

Chris Crivello Community Service Award ($2,000 each)

Morgan Meyer – Carroll University

Lindsay Palmersheim – Carroll University

Tracy Rasor Sports Medicine Scholarship ($2,000)

Ramsey Benkert – UW-Madison

DEI Advocacy Award ($2,000)

Daniel Deuel – UW-Madison

Team Rehab Scholarships ($2,000 each)

Leah Keirn – Blackhawk Technical College

Lindsay Palmersheim – Carroll University

Adam Romanski – Marquette University

Anne Van Den Elzen – Concordia University Wisconsin

WPT Scholars Awards:

Anthony Esh, SPTA – Milwaukee Area Technical College - $1000

Mathew Marty, SPTA – Blackhawk Technical College - $1000

Seth Majerus, SPT – Concordia University Wisconsin - $1000

Nicole Schroeder, SPT – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse - $1000

Christian Apilan, SPT – Marquette University - $2000

Keelyn Gross, SPT – Marquette University - $2000

James Podgorski, SPT – Marquette University - $2000

Lauren Schejbal, SPT – Carroll University - $2000

Ciara Wardenburg, SPT – Concordia University Wisconsin - $2000

**NEW THIS YEAR**

Get some face time with Wisconsin PTs, PTAs and students at the

APTA Wisconsin Student Conclave AND Fall Conference!

APTA Wisconsin is happy to offer your organization several opportunities to increase your visibility in the physical therapy professional community through exhibiting, sponsorships, advertising and material distribution in conjunction with both our Student Conclave being held February 4, 2023 at Carroll University in Waukesha and Fall Conference being held October 5-6 at Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.

If you can't make it in person we have sponsorships, material distribution and mailing list options too!

Click here to learn more about the conference packages and download the registration form.