Cricket and PT - Branding Woes

This blog was posted on myphysicaltherapyspace.com on September 26th

After a recent conversation I realize that there is an analogy that for me shows how it feels trying to communicate what PT is without a success brand:

Imagine going your friends, family and business contacts and try to get them to buy tickets to a Cricket game. They have heard of it, have their own idea of what it is but, if pressed, have no idea of the reality of the game. They would make comments like: isn’t that like Baseball? (Same as – isn’t that like a massage therapist or a personal trainer?), Don’t know if I’d like it. (Same as I don’t think it will help my condition), Never been to a Cricket Game before so I don’t think I want to take the time. (Same as never been to PT and so why would I take the time if I am not sure what it is, or I can exercise on my own?) What are the rules of the game? (Same as – I didn’t know that you could treat that, or I didn’t know you could do manipulation…), and they wouldn’t think to ask who is playing because one team is just like the rest given their perspective (they go where the MD tells them to with go or an MD just sends them to the closest PT).

PT is like Cricket because we have no Brand in this country, the public has heard of us but has no true understanding of what we do. I fear that our existence (with diminished benefits, higher co-pays and a state of significant undervalue in the market place) is truly at risk. Do the powers to be at the APTA understand what Cricket really is? If not then they have an opportunity to understand how the vast majority of the public, many physicians and almost all payors perceive PT.

Been to a Cricket game lately??? - Jeff

Watch a Surgery through Genesis

Ever wonder what it would be like to see a total hip replacement from the surgeon's eyes? Well now you can, at 7 PM on Monday, September 8th an anterior approach THA surgery will be broadcast on the Genesis website with color commentary from the surgeon. To get to the site, just click the link below.

http://www.or-live.com/genesishealth/2045/

Clinic gives disabled opportunity to water ski

QC Times
By Tamara Fudge Saturday, August 16, 2008 11:03 PM CDT

Watching the Olympics from an armchair is the closest many get to the high thrill of sport. But on Saturday, nearly two dozen people with various disabilities participated in their own show: The fourth Access to Waves adaptive water-skiing clinic.Held in Rock Island at the Backwater Gamblers club dock, this event brought tears of joy and cheers from the crowd as skiers with prosthetic legs, blindness and various other disabilities took a personal ride on the Rock River. Genesis Health Systems, the Backwater Gamblers and St. Ambrose University made it happen.“I have heard so many say the experience changed their life,” said Glen Sancken, a recreational therapist with Genesis and clinic coordinator for the event. “It makes a positive impact on their overall being.”Sancken explained that each budding skier wore a life jacket and was properly fitted for a “cage,” a padded basket-like chair. “They have to be able to get out,” he said, “and everyone has different size hips and length of legs.”The day’s skiers were given instructions in the shallows near the edge of the river and then skied behind a motorboat. Two jet skis each with a driver and a safety spotter followed. The moment the ride was over, two or three swimmers were in the water with the participants to ensure their safety.Backwater Gamblers board member Dennis Heggen said that about 30 club members volunteered their time and expertise for the day. “It’s one of the most rewarding events that we do,” he said. “We really look forward to it.”Heggen also praised the participants: “The people who are skiing have such great attitudes and big hearts,” he said.“It is a very emotional experience to see the glowing faces,” said college student and volunteer Renee Pollitt. “This is very well organized, and there are very caring people here,” she said.Pollitt is a third-year student in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at St. Ambrose University, which sent several faculty and two dozen students to help fit skiers for cages and get out in the water to help with training.“The students learn so much just being out here,” said program director Phyllis Wenthe. “They’re getting ideas for when they are therapists.”“It’s immeasurable, the value to the people who are participating,” said volunteer Wes Deibert. “It’s the highlight of the year for some of them.” Deibert said that one returning participant prepared all year by lifting weights, just so she would have the strength to hold on to the rope.Skiing in the clinic for his third time, Craig McDearmon of Davenport brought a paraplegic friend this year to share in the benefits.“It’s absolutely amazing,” said McDearmon. “What these volunteers here do is such an experience for disabled people. It gives a sense of accomplishment and is definitely a confidence booster. I can’t thank them enough.”

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR PAIN LEADING TO ALARMING RISE IN DEATHS
Physical Therapy an Alternative to the High Risks of Methadone
Tallahassee, Florida, August 18, 2008 – A recent investigative report1 published in the New York Times highlights the alarming increase in methadone prescriptions for the treatment of chronic spinal pain. The result has been a shocking increase in methadone related deaths. Physical therapists can play a role in providing patients and physicians with an alternative to dangerous pain medications like oxycodone and methadone. Methadone was once limited to use in addiction treatment centers to replace heroin, but today it is frequently given out by physicians to manage spine and joint pain. The Drug Enforcement Administration noted that from 1998 to 2006, the number of methadone prescriptions increased by 700 percent. “Many legitimate patients, following the direction of their doctor, have run into trouble with methadone, including death,” noted pain specialist Dr. Howard A. Heit from Georgetown University. Florida alone, which keeps detailed data, listed methadone as a cause in 785 deaths in 2007, up from 367 in 2003. “These are senseless deaths,” said Dr. Timothy Flynn of Regis University in Denver, CO, and President of the
American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT). “Patients should be aware that these medications are not the best option to reduce the symptoms of spinal pain. Research has shown that early movement and treatments like exercise and spinal manipulation offer strong benefits to spine pain and disability.” “The medical management of spinal pain in this country is a failure,” continued Flynn, “we too often initiate prescription drug therapy before choosing safe and effective alternatives.” Flynn suggests that patients seek out physical therapists as a first-line treatment for these conditions.

A February 2008 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that from 1997 to 2005, pharmaceutical expenditures for the management of low back pain increased by 171% while the rate of good outcomes fell. "All the imaging we do, all the drug treatments, all the injections, all the operations have some benefit for some patients,” said Richard A. Deyo, a physician at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a coauthor of the report. “But I think in each of those situations we've begun using those tests or treatments more widely than science would really support." For more on the benefits physical therapists can provide in the management of spinal pain, contact your nearest physical therapist or visit the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists website at www.aaompt.org. AAOMPT represents physical therapists by promoting excellence in orthopaedic manual physical therapy practice, education and research.

Dr. Richard Deyo, MD, MPH will be the key note speaker at AAOMPT’s Annual Conference in Seattle this November. The conference theme will focus on pain management and physical therapists’ role in this important area of care.

CONTACT: Timothy Flynn, PT, PhD
President, American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists
Phone: 303-964-5137
tflynn@regis.edu
www.aaompt.org

Tuition Reimbursement

On July 31, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to expand an
existing program under the Department of Education that will provide
eligibility for student loan repayment for physical therapists that
practice with children, adolescents, or veterans. This provision was
part of a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
Reauthorization is the process by which Congress prescribes changes,
additions, and deletions to meet evolving needs of current programs
(such as education). The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HR 4137) also
includes extensive provisions that impact student loans, accreditation
of physical therapy education programs, and other programs for
universities and graduate schools. This legislation was signed by the
President today.

Please note - application for loan repayment is not yet available. The
Department of Education will issue regulations that will provide
physical therapists with the eligibility to apply and compete for
student loan repayment up to $2,000 per year for up to 5 years. The
legislation specifies that the physical therapist must practice in an
identified area of need and with children, adolescents, or veterans.
This will be a competitive process with a number of other professionals
eligible for this program. This is one step in APTA's comprehensive
legislative agenda to provide physical therapists with student loan
repayment opportunities and separate from the Physical Therapists
Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act (HR 1134 / S. 2485), which would
provide student loan repayment for service in the National Health
Service Corp.

This was a significant legislative victory for APTA and its advocates.
In early 2007, APTA worked with the US House Committee on Education and
Labor to add physical therapists to this section of the legislation to
reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA)
offered the addition of physical therapists to this section of HR 4137
on the floor of the US House, and this amendment passed on unanimous
consent. Representative Sestak represents suburban Philadelphia, a
district with a high number of physical therapist students and faculty
from education programs in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Representative
Sestak felt so strongly about the need for student loan repayment as a
tool for the recruitment and retention of physical therapists that he
highlighted the issue in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Senate did not include a specific listing of professions in its
version of the legislation, so APTA advocated for inclusion of the House
provision in the House-Senate conference report. In mid July, the final
conference agreement included the House provision.

Chaoyang Park Sponsored by Kenisiotape

When watching the Olympics like so many others this summer I couldn't help but notice the amount of Kenisiotape used. First, I saw it on May-Walsh then the Latvin team and last the Argentinian team. So I am designating the Beijing Olympics beach volleyball stadium, Chaoyang Park Sponsored by Kenisiotape.

My Experience at the 2008 APTA House of Delegates

Imagine an enormous room filled with more than 400 physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and students from around the nation. As you walk into this room for the first time, you can hear the music blaring, papers rustling, loud chatter, and ongoing debate, as the giant clock projected on the screen counts down and everyone scurries to take their seat. The stage is set for the APTA House of Delegates, the governing body of our profession. Over the next few days, the speaker of the house, with his witty humor, will direct over 200 voting members, selected by their state associations, along the legislative path. On this floor, they will debate, amend, postpone, withdraw, and refer on several motions brought forth by different components of APTA, until a vote is called and affirmed with either, a “Yay” or “Nay”.

I remember the very moment I walked into the room for the first time; I was speechless. I thought to myself, WOW! This is where it all takes place, where leaders make the decisions as to the direction of our profession. At this moment, my understanding of the purpose of APTA became very clear. I felt proud to be a member. I realized that APTA brings unity to our profession and without it we would not thrive and flourish as a whole. This organization is well run by the top leaders in our profession who are dedicated to the advancement of all of our interests. So, for all of you who wonder where your dues money goes and why you pay so much to belong to one organization, I can assure you, it is all worth it. I have made it my duty and obligation as a future physical therapist to support my profession by being a member for life. I challenge you to do so as well.

Sincerely,

Brett Neilson

PTWA Student Liaison