President's MessagePosted: November 15, 2022 Recently, an APTA member brought to my attention that a large health system eliminated all of its home health rehab management staff, stating that “industry standard” dictated this change, and that they were “no longer qualified” to hold management positions. As President of APTA Home Health, I couldn’t disagree with this more! Our members, and physical therapists in general, are well qualified to lead in many practice arenas. I know of several Academy members who are successful agency owners and agency leaders! Furthermore, it is well within our scope of practice and education to lead others. In this reimbursement environment, I feel that it is key that rehabilitation professionals are led by other rehabilitation professionals who understand and have experience with the detailed clinical and documentation requirements of rehabilitation in home health. Quite simply, most nurse managers and business professionals don’t have a deep enough understanding of these requirements. I challenge each of you, and your agencies and employers, to promote physical therapists as leaders and managers. It is vital to the success of our profession, and it is vital to the success of our employers! Sincerely, Phil Goldsmith |