President's MessagePosted: May 17, 2022 Let’s talk about advocacy. Clearly, advocacy is within our role as physical therapists. We advocate for our clients’ best interests every day. But, do we advocate for ourselves and our profession? Probably not as well as we should. Every day, I hear or read stories from our colleagues (some APTA members, some not) about excessive productivity expectations, inappropriate clinical decision-making by non-clinicians in our workplaces, or even clients who treat their PTs inappropriately. When we push back against these issues in a professional manner, we are advocating for ourselves. We as therapists, PTAs, students, and employees in general, have the right to a safe workplace and the obligation to report unethical or fraudulent behavior (it’s in your state practice act!). Don’t be afraid to speak up if you are being treated poorly! Just as important, we are advocates for our profession. By joining APTA and APTA Home Health, you have already taken the first step. There are many issues that may impact our profession, and many more that already have. Telehealth and digital health and value based purchasing are two examples. These will materially change how we practice and how we are reimbursed. We have an obligation to understand these (and other issues) and to voice our concerns for the record. APTA makes it easy for us to do that. Just go to https://www.apta.org/advocacy/take-action and check out the Legislative Action Center and the Regulatory Action Center. And be ready—in about six weeks, the 2023 Proposed Final Rule for Home Health will be published. We will need your help and your comments to address any issues in that proposed rule. Our Government Affairs Committee, with the help of APTA staff, will post a template letter for you to modify and submit. The more comments that CMS receives, the more likely that they will make the changes that we recommend! Thank you for your efforts on behalf of APTA, APTA Home Health, the profession, and the clients that we serve every day! Sincerely,
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