May 2019
Volume 21, Number 5
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
In this News Brief:
Get Ready for LIF!
Prepare your attendees for the Leadership Issues Forum (LIF)—July 13-14, 2019!
- Compile a list of items you would like to discuss with other member jurisdictions and the FSBPT Board of Directors. LIF is an excellent opportunity to have meaningful dialogue and discussion and provide input from your jurisdiction to your Board of Directors.
- Are you sending a first-time delegate or funded administrator? This meeting also helps prepare them for their roles at the Delegate Assembly in October. Jot down your questions now!
We encourage you to use the month of June to discuss the above with your fellow board members and to give your questions and topics to your LIF attendees.
LIF Travel Authorizations The Leadership Issues Forum is an invite-only event for funded administrators and funded delegates. (Alternate delegates can attend instead of the funded delegate when the funded delegate is unable to make it.)
We have sent travel authorizations to everyone who has confirmed their attendance. If you are an administrator or delegate who has not received a travel authorization and you are planning to attend, please contact us at communications@fsbpt.org.
Submit 2019 Excellence in Regulation Award Nomination Forms — Due June 7
The Excellence in Regulation Award recognizes jurisdictions that have made significant accomplishments towards increasing public protection for consumers of physical therapy services in a number of areas. To nominate a jurisdiction, including your own, submit a Nomination Form to communications@fsbpt.org by 9am ET Friday, June 7, 2019. Late submissions will not be accepted. The winning jurisdiction(s) will be recognized at the Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in October.
LAST CALL: Regulatory Training for Members and Board Staff
All board members and board staff (administrators, licensing specialists, and attorneys) are eligible to participate. This training provides an in-depth understanding of your role as a regulatory board member or staff person in protecting the consumers of physical therapy services. We also provide an overview of the services FSBPT provides to our members.
The training will be held August 16-18, 2019, in Alexandria, Virginia. Costs are covered by FSBPT.Attendance is limited and priority is given to first-time attendees. Read our Frequently Asked Questions about Regulatory Training Registration and Travel for more information.
Requests must be received before June 1, 2019, for consideration. To reserve a spot, email communications@fsbpt.org.
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The PT Compact is Growing
Colorado is now issuing and accepting compact privileges and Delaware recently introduced compact legislation. Additionally, Maryland's governor signed the PT Compact bill, making Maryland the twenty-fifth member state. To see all the states participating in the compact, view our PT Compact Map.
Online Course Available to Foreign Educated PTs
State boards often find that foreign educated applicants who are missing professional content areas have very few options to make up those deficits. The Duke University online course for foreign educated PTs is a ten-week online course that covers the following content areas:
- Federal and State Governments Roles in Health Care
- Administrative Models of Care
- Use and Supervision of Support Staff
- Determinants of Health Promotion, Wellness, and Prevention
- Cultural Competencies
- Client Centered Care Models
- Ethics in the Profession of Physical Therapy
- Direct Access
- Transition to the Workplace
Many of the individuals enrolling in the course are seeking licensure in the United States and have educational deficits. The course is worth 2.0 Duke University credits. The course is open to foreign educated physical therapists who meet specified English language requirements.
Important Information for Boards
- Some of the content taught in the course may help applicants meet educational deficits found on the educational credentials review.
- Boards may inform the licensee of the course and recommend that they take it to be more prepared for working in the United States. The course gives a current view of the health care systems within the United States and the roles of the physical therapist in an autonomous environment.
- This course assists in public protection in that it helps foreign educated PTs better understand U.S. government roles in health care and billing practices.
Catch Up with INPTRA
Keep up with some of the big ideas related to international regulatory practices discussed at the recent INPTRA conference in Geneva, Switzerland, by reading some of the #INPTRA2019 tweets.
Staying Informed
You may have noticed we recently switched to a new email communications provider. Constant Contact allows us more design options, enhanced tools, and increased flexibility. While we have transferred our contact lists, you can ensure that you receive the notifications you want by subscribing directly to the following communications:
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NPTE Workshop for Educators — Now on the West Coast!
FSBPT is preparing to host the NPTE Workshop for Educators Saturday and Sunday, October 5-6, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. Like the workshops held at the FSBPT offices, attendees should expect to receive valuable insights on how the NPTE is developed and how to prepare students for the NPTE as well as hands-on assistance in writing test items similar to those on the NPTE.
Please check the NPTE Workshop for Educators webpage for more information and registration resources as we continue to update and solidify details.
Spotlight on Member Resources: Presentations from Past Live Events
This password-protected area for members includes presentations from the previous year’s Annual Meeting, Regulatory Training, Leadership Issues Forum, and educational WebEx materials that may be accessed at your convenience.
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Our Gratitude for Volunteers
This month, we thank the generous volunteer members of these groups for their support of our mission:
Technical Advisory Panel
- Gregory Cizek
- Scott Oppler
- Kimberly Swygert
- James Wollack
Item Writer Coordinators
Item Writers
Item Bank Cleanup
Board of Directors Report
In April, to advance the business of FSBPT, the Board of Directors approved the motions listed. Information about the May 2019 Board of Directors meeting will appear in the June issue of the News Briefs.
Approve new registration categories and fees for the Annual Meeting attendee registrants.
Fiscal Impact: None
Appoint Jim Clahane as the Chair of the Resolution Committee
Fiscal Impact: None
In the News
"Many More Students, Especially the Affluent, Get Extra Time to Take the SAT," The Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2019
"Across the country, the number of public high-school students getting special allowances for test-taking, such as extra time, has surged in recent years, federal data show. And students in affluent areas such as Scarsdale, Weston and Newton are more likely than students elsewhere to get the fastest-growing type of these special allowances, known as '504' designations, a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from 9,000 public schools found."
Sweeping Practice Act Reform Passes in Indiana
Indiana SB 586 was signed into law on May 1, 2019, by Governor Eric Holcomb. Overall, the law more closely aligns with the Model Practice Act and greatly improves physical therapy regulation in Indiana. The legislation establishes the Indiana Board of Physical Therapy, which currently functions as a committee under the medical board; a physical therapist assistant member is added to the board and the physician member is removed. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners were added as approved referral sources and a physical therapist may now treat a patient for forty-two days, rather than twenty-four days, without a referral from a provider. The law also establishes requirements for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who were educated outside of the United States as well as establishing eligibility requirements for the NPTE consistent with FSBPT recommendations.
Hurdle Cleared to Implement Criminal Background Checks in Oklahoma
Oklahoma HB 2571 was approved by Governor Kevin Stitt on April 29, 2019. Oklahoma originally passed criminal background check requirements with the PT Compact. However, the FBI denied the state’s application due to insufficient statutory authority and missing requirements from their law. HB 2571 contains language recommended by the FBI to give the statutory authority to Oklahoma to require and implement criminal background checks for licensure. If your jurisdiction is interested in adding a criminal background check requirement for licensure, please contact professionalstandards@fsbpt.org to discuss FBI requirements.
"Chiropractic Board announces interim policy on spinal manipulation," Chiopractor Board of Australia, March 14, 2019
"The Chiropractic Board of Australia...has set an interim policy on spinal manipulation for infants and young children while an independent review of the practice is carried out by Safer Care Victoria."
"AHPRA launches WHO Collaborating Center for Health Workforce Regulation," Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, April 5, 2019
"AHPRA, working in partnership with the National Boards, will join a list of over 800 institutions in more than 80 countries supporting WHO programs in areas such as nursing development, communicable diseases, mental health, chronic diseases and health technologies."
"Landmark decision sees a suspended physiotherapist convicted and receiving largest fine ever," Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, April 30, 2019
"Following criminal charges laid by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), in a landmark decision, a Tasmanian court has imposed the largest fine against an individual for offences under the National Law in Australia with the conviction of a suspended physiotherapist, Mr Michael Sylvester Dempsey for holding out.
"On 19 February 2019, Mr Dempsey pleaded guilty to charges of holding out 11 people as registered physiotherapists or occupational therapists, when they were not. Today, Mr Dempsey was convicted and fined $120,000."
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Board Liaisons to Jurisdictions
Members of the Board of Directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions. Current liaison relationships are listed here for your reference.
 Tom Caldwell
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas |  Ruggie Canizares
Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah |  Ellen Donald
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina |  Joni Kalis
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming |
 Nancy Kirsch
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont |  Adrienne Price
Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia |  David Relling
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands |  John Young
The public member of the board does not serve as a liaison to jurisdictions. |
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Staff Contact Information
Staff Contact Information
If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you!
(703) 299-3100
| Subject | Point of Contact/Email Address |
| ADA accommodations | Christine Sousa |
| aPTitude® | competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| Assessment or examination development questions | Lorin Mueller, PhD
Susan Layton
npte@fsbpt.org |
| Continuing competence | Jeffrey M. Rosa
Heidi Herbst Paakkonen
competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| Credentials review | Jaime Nolan, FCCPT |
| ELDD- Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database participation | eldd@fsbpt.org |
| Exam registration processing | Christine Sousa |
| Foreign educated issues | Leslie Adrian |
| Immigration | Jamie Nolan |
| JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module | competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| Legislation or Model Practice Act | Leslie Adrian |
| Meeting arrangements | Paul Delaney |
| NPDB reports/questions | Angela Burnham |
| oPTion® | competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| PTC- Physical Therapy Compact | compact@fsbpt.org |
| PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool | peat@fsbpt.org |
| ProCert® | competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| Reimbursement of expenses
Other financial matters | Bill Aronson
Linda Michelsen |
| School reports | schoolreports@fsbpt.org |
| Score transfer & reporting | Christine Sousa |
| SCP PET- Supervised Clinical Practice Performance Evaluation Tool | scppet@fsbpt.org |
| Security issues | Susan Layton
security@fsbpt.org |
| Anything else, including news to share with members | William A. Hatherill
Francois Marjorie
Caitlin Jennings |
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| | Sign off:
That’s all the news today from the azalea and rhododendron covered banks of the Potomac, where the fish are faster, the fishing boats are longer, and the fishermen are still full of stories. - William A. Hatherill, CEO
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