In this News Brief:
FSBPT Office Opens!
We are excited to welcome back both staff and volunteers to our offices very soon! While we have all made our way using virtual means, we are eager to bring back in-person collaborations and connections. Please note, we will require proof of vaccination for all staff and volunteers who plan to work on-site in our office in Alexandria, Virginia. We plan to have in-person meetings in 2022, but we will require proof of vaccination before we issue travel authorizations. As always, we will continue to monitor all pandemic developments closely and follow safety guidance from health organizations. We look forward to seeing many of you next year!
Regulatory Workshop: For the Love of Regulation
FSBPT members, please join us for FSBPT's "Regulatory Workshop: For the Love of Regulation," a virtual event held February 11-13, 2022.
Are you a new board member? Have you been on your board for the past ten years? Either way, the Board Member & Administrator Regulatory Workshop is for you!
- Learn more about FSBPT's Member Services, from the Model Practice Act to the NPTE to the Members' Area.
- Connect with fellow members via breakout discussions, our social wall, and other interactive activities.
- Discuss important topics and trends in regulation and learn how other jurisdictions are handling current challenges.
- Learn regulatory tips and lessons learned from Dale Atkinson.
- Learn about the PT Compact, credentialing of foreign-educated physical therapists, the Exam Licensure and Disciplinary Database (ELDD), and more!
All board members and board staff (administrators, licensing specialists, and attorneys) are eligible to participate at no cost. However, please note, we will only hold this event if we have 35 members registered by December 17. So register now and spread the word to your board members and fellow administrators!
Schedule
Friday, February 11
11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET (2:00-3:00 p.m. break)
Saturday, February 12
11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET (2:00-3:00 p.m. break)
Sunday, February 13
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Express Your Interest in Running for Office in 2022
At the 2022 Delegate Assembly, elections will be held for the following positions on the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee.
PRESIDENT (three-year term):
Must be a current or past member of a Member Board or current or past administrator of a Member Board.
VICE PRESIDENT (three-year term):
Must be a current or past member of a Member Board or current or past administrator of a Member Board.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBER (three-year term):
Must be a member of a Member Board, administrator of a Member Board, an Associate Member*, or an individual with expertise to facilitate the task of the committee.
Are you interested in running for a position? View the job descriptions and email communications@fsbpt.org before December 31, 2021. (Please include the position(s) for which you are interested.) You’ll hear about next steps in early 2022.
*An Associate Member is a former member or administrator of a Member Board, a former member of the Board of Directors, a former committee or task force member, or a member of the Academy of Advanced Item Writers.
First-Time Pass Rates by School
To ensure that schools and candidates have accurate information, FSBPT will begin posting the first-time pass rates for CAPTE-accredited institutions on our website early next year. Based on a review of school websites, some schools had difficulty meeting CAPTE’s requirement to post this information.
The two-year pass rates will be updated in the first quarter of each year and will include the two most recent years with complete data. For example, early in 2022, we will publish the pass rates for the 2020 and 2021 graduating cohorts.
FSBPT will report the following statistics:
- The number of candidates testing across the two-year span
- The weighted average pass rate across the span
- The pass rate for each year within the span
To protect candidate confidentiality, FSBPT will not publish the pass rates from very small cohorts across the reported time frame (< 10 candidates) or the counts of candidates within each cohort year.
First-time pass rates are generally high among CAPTE-accredited programs. Additionally, many factors can affect pass rates, most notably, first-time pass rates may be driven by individual student factors such as preparation strategies, academic achievement at program entry, and individual circumstances (such as life events that delay the NPTE). Users are cautioned against over-interpreting differences among first-time pass rates as strong indicators of the quality of instruction at these institutions.
The Value of State-Based Physical Therapy Regulation
FSBPT recently published "The Value of State-Based Physical Therapy Regulation" in the Physical Therapy Journal of Policy, Administration and Leadership. The purpose of the paper is to describe the value of the state-based system of occupational regulation concentrating on the area of health care, specifically physical therapy. Additionally, the paper rejects the assertion that market forces are a reasonable means for the health care consumer to gauge quality and make informed choices. Finally, a call to action is proposed for jurisdictions to evaluate current levels of regulation, determine the appropriateness, and explore suitable alternatives to maintain public safety.
FSBPT members can access the paper in the Resources and Topics section of the FSBPT Members' Area.
Share Your Webinar and Annual Meeting Ideas!
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for 2022 webinars and in-person sessions at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Orange County, California.
If you have a specific idea, please submit a proposal. However, we are also interested in learning about jurisdictions' experiences with regulatory topics and your general ideas on what issues we should examine. We encourage all board members, board administrators, and other stakeholders to please share topics and ideas with us. You can watch recent webinars and register for upcoming sessions on the FSBPT events platform.
FSBPT Forum: Using Claims Data to Identify Risks in PT Practice
Claims data can help point regulators to risk areas, thereby guiding regulators in creating more effective support systems to promote public protection. This article is based on a webinar presented by Natalie Beswetherick and Jennifer Flynn. Read the article.
Spotlight on Member Resources: Updated Bylaws
Members can find the updated bylaws, which include the actions taken at the 2021 Delegate Assembly, in the Members' Area.
Webinar Clip: Why Should Regulators Care about Diversity?
In the clip below, FSBPT President Nancy Kirsch explains why regulators should care about diversity during the webinar "A Discussion of Diversity in Physical Therapy Regulation." You can also watch full webinar recordings and register for upcoming webinars.
Our Gratitude for Volunteers
This month, we thank the generous volunteer members of these groups for their support of our mission:
- Exam Development Committees
We would like to extend a special thanks to these volunteers who will be rolling off of EDC and item writing committees:
Exam Development Committee PT
- Lisa Dannemiller
- Carlo DeCastro
- Debra Gray
- Kristen Metzler-Wilson
- Becky Rodda
Exam Development Committee PTA
- Claudia Medeiros
- Shannon Turner
Item Writer Coordinators
- Jasmin Jimeno
- Julie Ronnebaum
Item Writer Task Force PT
- Paul-Neil Czujko
- Jason Falvey
- Navpreet Kaur
- Natalia Ruiz
- Beth Williamson
Item Writer Task Force PTA
- Jessica Shrader
- Dawn Smathers
- Robyn Towner
- Maribeth Vowell
- Shelly Watkins
In the News
"'The First Wave' Trailer: Matthew Heineman’s NatGeo Documentary Chronicles Covid Pandemic’s Impact On America," Valerie Complex, Deadline, November 4, 2021
"National Geographic Documentary Films, Neon and Participant have dropped the trailer for The First Wave, the latest film from Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land, A Private War)...The First Wave follows a group of doctors, nurses and patients who were on the pandemic front lines as they desperately try to navigate the crisis. Among those are Dr. Nathalie Dougé and ICU nurse Kellie Wunsch, who put their own lives at risk to save the lives of others, and Covid patients Ahmed Ellis and Brussels Jabon, who were simply fighting to survive."
"ANA Urges US Department of Health and Human Services to Declare Nurse Staffing Shortage a National Crisis," Nursing World, September 1, 2021
"The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million nurses, urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, ANA calls for the Administration to acknowledge and take concrete action to address the current crisis-level nurse staffing shortage that puts nurses’ ability to care for patients in jeopardy."
"A doctor spread COVID misinformation and renewed her license with a mouse click," Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, November 4, 2021
"For much of the pandemic, Dr. Lee Merritt has appeared on talk shows and in lecture halls to spread false information about COVID-19. Among her claims: that the SARS-CoV2 virus is a genetically engineered bioweapon (the U.S. intelligence community says it's not). And that vaccination dramatically increases the risk of death from COVID (data show an enormous drop in risk for those who take the vaccine). The entire pandemic, she says in public lectures, is a vast global conspiracy to exert social control."
"Misinformation and Professional Practice," Physiotherapy Alberta's College Conversations
"In this episode, Jody [Prohar] and Leanne [Loranger] discuss the profound effect that the spread of misinformation has had on the public’s trust of institutions and regulated health professionals alike. We talk about some of the statements issued by professional organizations and regulators during the pandemic about the expectations health professionals need to meet and the importance of avoiding spreading or amplifying misinformation."
Board Report
Motion - Approved
To appoint, reappoint, or extend the following people to the task forces listed.
Ethics and Legislation Committee
- Chair: Sherise Smith, January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions. Current liaison relationships are listed here for your reference.
 Ruggie Canizares |  Ellen Donald |  Joni Kalis |  Nancy Kirsch |
 Cynthia Potter |  Adrienne Price |  David Relling |  Charles E. Reiter |
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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 |
| Assessment or examination development questions | Lorin Mueller
Susan Newman
npte@fsbpt.org |
| Continuing competence | Jeffrey M. Rosa
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 |
| PTC- Physical Therapy Compact | compact@fsbpt.org |
| PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool | peat@fsbpt.org |
| Reimbursement of expenses
Other financial matters | 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 Newman
security@fsbpt.org |
| Anything else, including news to share with members | William A. Hatherill
Caitlin Jennings
Communications@fsbpt.org |
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| | From the falling fall leaves covered banks of the Potomac River, 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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