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Do you know of any individuals or groups that would be interested in receiving our monthly News Brief? Or, did someone forward this to you and you'd like to be on our list?
Please send any referrals our way! Contact us via email at communications@fsbpt.org with information, ideas, or suggestions.
We appreciate your collaboration in our effort to further our mission to protect the public.
2023 Annual Education Meeting Wrap-up
Many thanks to those who could join us this year! Here are a few post-meeting reminders:
Get Involved! The deadline is today, October 31!
We look forward to your continued involvement with FSBPT. The Board of Directors seeks members and staff of physical therapy member boards and FSBPT Associate Members who work well with others and understand and support FSBPT’s mission to serve on the membership committees. Learn more and submit your name for consideration today!
Save the dates!
2024 Leadership Issues Forum July 13-14, 2024 Alexandria, Virginia
2024 Annual Education Meeting October 31-November 2, 2024 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Expense Reports Due by November 7
If you were a funded attendee, please submit your expense report with receipts via email to meetingplanner@fsbpt.org no later than November 7, 2023.
Certificates of Attendance
You will receive a Certificate of Attendance via email in early to mid-November.
Questions?
As always, feel free to reach out to us.
Contact communications@fsbpt.org for general questions.
Contact meetingplanner@fsbpt.org if you have questions about traveling, expense reports, or the hotel.
The Results of the 2023 Elections
At the Annual Education Meeting and the CBA Forum this month, the following individuals were elected to serve. We congratulate these members and are grateful for their willingness to serve in these leadership roles.
 |  |  |  |  |
Steven Scherger (MN)
Board Director #2 | Michelle Sigmund-Gaines (OR)
Board Director #3 | Adrienne (Stacy) Price (GA)
Nominating Committee | Missy Anthony (OH)
CBA Chair | Erin DeTomaso (MN)
CBA Nominating Committee |
Membership Survey Action: You Answered, We Listened
In the second installment of the membership survey action series, we continue the discussion highlighting the ways in which the FSBPT Board fulfills its financial fiduciary responsibilities.
How the FSBPT Board Fulfills Its Financial Fiduciary Responsibilities: Installment Two
The Board also takes the time to carefully review and approve the organization's policies on an annual basis. Moreover, each director completes a conflict of interest and confidentiality statement each year to guarantee that both the Board and its individual directors consistently act in the organization's best financial interests.
Once a year, the Board gathers for its strategic planning session, during which they receive a comprehensive five-year forecast. This forecast plays a pivotal role in guiding their decisions concerning vital projects the organization might embark on. It also aids them in establishing financial goals and priorities that are closely aligned with the overarching strategic plan.
New feature! Model Practice Act Moment
Each month will focus on a different statute section from the Model Practice Act and its accompanying commentary. We are pleased to bring you this second installment.
Statute: 2.02 Powers and Duties of the Board The board shall:
22.Have the authority to fully participate in a national Exam, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database as defined by rule.
Commentary: "Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database (ELDD)" means an integrated process for collecting, storing, and sharing information on physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensure/certification and enforcement activities related to physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensure laws that are administered by a nonprofit organization composed of and controlled by licensing boards." The preferred Exam, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database named in rules is the FSBPT’s ELDD. Even though states are required to report disciplinary actions to the National Practitioner Databank (NPDB), this is not sufficient. Boards should participate in another profession-specific database, such as the FSBPT ELDD, to maximize public protection. To find out if someone has been reported to the NPDB, a state board must send a query to the NPDB for that information, the information is not automatically sent to the Board. The Board also must pay to query the NPDB for that specific person; the FSBPT automatically notifies all jurisdictions of the disciplinary record associated with an individual (existing license or open score transfer) in the FSBPT’s Exam, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database (ELDD) for no charge.
“Fully participate” must be defined in the rules. Fully participate means supplying licensure and discipline data meaning identifying information that includes but is not limited to the licensee's name, address, nationally recognized unique number of identification (such as the FSBPT ID number), date of birth, and physical therapist/physical therapist education. It is necessary to have at least one unique identifier to confirm identity and avoid mistakes in matching data to individuals. By applying for physical therapist or physical therapist assistant licensure[certification], individuals shall consent to allowing the board to share their licensure and discipline data with the ELDD.
Jurisdictions should be concerned with the security of the information provided to the ELDD. Unless specific permission is granted by the individual, such as releasing a score to a school, access to the information should be restricted to sharing only with other member jurisdictions. Whenever possible, such as for research purposes, information released by the ELDD should only be in the aggregate without reference to any person’s name or other individual identifiers. FSBPT maintains a high level of security for ELDD data and follows these recommendations.
The When, How, and Why of the 2024 NPTE Redesign
Over the past year, FSBPT has been working diligently to continue to update and improve many aspects of the National Physical Therapy Examinations, from candidate registration to examination development and delivery. Some of these efforts have already been implemented, while others will take effect later in 2023 and into 2024
Learn more by reading this article, "2022 NPTE Updates: Research, Innovation, and Practice Analysis Updates," and registering for the second iteration of the webinar, "The When, How, and Why of the 2024 NPTE Redesign," scheduled for November 14 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
You can also find the new content outlines on the FSBPT website, as well as Frequently Asked Questions on all the upcoming changes to the NPTE.
Did you know about available funding opportunities?
The FSBPT Board is committed to supporting its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. Join the ranks of states including Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Texas who have all taken a big step toward both administrative efficiency and protecting the public. They are currently leveraging FSBPT Grants to enhance the ELDD, improve compact privilege implementation, and collect workforce data.
Your state should be next! Learn more about our available grants to help jurisdictions with the following activities:
Enhancing the ELDD
The ELDD is the Examination, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database that stores information about physical therapy licenses and disciplinary actions against licensees. Jurisdictions can apply for grants to fund consulting, programming, data entry, technological upgrades, and other activities that enhance updates to the ELDD, including connecting to the API, FSBPT's tool for easily connecting data. The API automates the process of jurisdictions receiving NPTE scores and sending licensure files at a frequency of their choosing. The API enhances the accuracy, security, and timeliness of the data.
Improving Compact Privilege Implementation
For jurisdictions that are part of the PT Compact, FSBPT encourages jurisdictions to create a button on their website to "Obtain a Compact Privilege" near the "Renew My License" button so that licensees think about the compact when they renew their state license. This website enhancement can be funded through the grant program. Additionally, grants can help jurisdictions use the API to allow jurisdictions to display Compact Privilege holder information on their licensure verification system to ensure that the individual is authorized to practice in the jurisdiction.
Collecting Workforce Data
FSBPT is also interested in enhancing workforce data collection as part of licensure renewal. This can include collecting information on demographics, employment status, practice settings, and more. The data can be used to inform workforce development and policy decisions.
FSBPT offers grant funding to support its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. If you are interested in receiving a grant, please send an email to FSBPT's CEO, William A. Hatherill summarizing what you would like to have funded and why it is important, or how it can improve efficiencies for your board.
Upcoming Webinars
We are hosting multiple upcoming webinars within the FSBPT Portal, allowing you to easily access member resources, groups, and events all in one place! Please follow the instructions to register.
- Login to the FSBPT Portal.
- Once you are in the portal, select "Events."
- Click on the webinar you want to register for.
- Follow the registration process.
- Select "Register Now" (it may take a moment to load).
- You will see a screen indicating the registration was successful, and you will receive an email confirmation.
- You can also use the calendar icon on the top right to add the event to your calendar. Please note, depending on your calendar and time zone settings, it may not have the right time. The time is included in the calendar description. Please confirm your time settings are correct.
- All done! We will send more information on how to join the webinar closer to the event.
FSBPT Forum: Revised Model Practice Act: Spotlight on Animal Physical Therapy
The revised seventh edition of the Model Practice Act includes information and guidance on animal physical therapy and offers appropriate legislative language to reflect an emerging practice area.
This article is by Kirk Peck, Vice Chair of the Nebraska Board of Physical Therapy.
Spotlight on Member Resources: Executive Summary Now Available
Which sounds better- reading 24 or 4 pages?
The FSBPT’s "Telehealth in Physical Therapy" resource paper is now available in a four-page summary.
FSBPT Board of Directors has heard from the membership that our resources are sometimes too hefty to tackle in one sitting and an abbreviated version would be helpful.
Enter the Executive Summary! The most important points from the full resource are included allowing you to access the most critical information quickly.
Be on the lookout for more Executive Summaries in 2024.
Many Thanks to Our Volunteers
This month, we thank our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission.
- Exam Development Committee
- Exam Chairs Committee
- Re-entry Demographics Task Force
- Continuing Competence Committee
In The News
"DC considers tossing social work exam over concerns it fails too many people of color," NBC Washington, October 2023
The D.C. Council is considering doing away with the exam requirement for certain types of social workers over concerns of racial bias. Citing a need to fill social worker positions in the District, a bill from Councilman Robert White would eliminate the exam for entry and masters-level licensure applicants, whose work must still be supervised.
"No universal licensing for now," Indiana Capital Chronicle, October 2023
The Interim Study Committee on Employment and Labor finalized a final report Monday that recommended against interstate mobility of occupational licensing.
"Multi-Agency Report Examines State CIOs' Use of AI, Automation to Build Up Resilience," ExecutiveGov, September 2023
A report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, IBM and the Center for Digital Government has found that state CIOs see a direct connection between resilience and information technology modernization and look at innovation as an enabler of resilience.
"Georgia considering occupational licensing reform," R Street, September 2023
As Georgia grapples with a severe workforce shortage, a Senate committee is looking at changing laws and policies that keep skilled professionals, including doctors and nurses, waiting a year or more to get to work.
"Charting the fourth wave: Geographic, temporal, race/ethnicity and demographic trends in polysubstance fentanyl overdose deaths in the United States, 2010–2021," Wiley, September 2023
The rise of illicitly manufactured fentanyls has ushered in an overdose crisis in the United States of unprecedented magnitude [4, 12-14]. This has created conditions that have promoted a number of other shifts in the illicit drug supply, leading to rising polysubstance overdose deaths—the so-called ‘fourth wave’ of the crisis.
"Nearly 39,000 Alabama nurses likely to leave profession in next five years," Alabama Daily News, October 2023.
A total of 38,727 experienced nurses in Alabama indicated that they intend to leave the profession within the next five years, according to a new survey conducted by the Alabama Board of Nursing. Shared during a recent meeting of the legislative Health Care Task Force, the survey also revealed that based on current trends, nurse vacancies in the state could grow to as high as 14,000 by 2027, nearly double the current nurse shortage of around 7,200.
"Former Trump Advisor Sends Law Schools 'Warning Letter' Over SCOTUS Ruling," Newsweek, July 2022
A campaign group headed by Stephen Miller, formerly a senior advisor to Donald Trump in the White House, has written to "the deans of 200 law schools" threatening them with legal action if they violate Thursday's Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions. The decision was in response to two cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions, a non-profit led by right-wing legal activist Edward Blum, against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Board Report
Recently, to advance the business of FSBPT, the board approved the motions listed. Please contact your jurisdiction board liaison if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Motion Approved Adopt the PT and PTA passing standards, as recommended, for exams administered after January 1, 2024.
Rationale: The PT and PTA standard review processes were conducted in a manner consistent with professional standards and the participants were representative of the professions and well-qualified to make their recommendations.
Motion Approved To approve the adjusted Grant Funding for Ohio (Motion 23-09-02) to the new total amount of $20,831.34 through the PT Compact for API CP verification on public lookup.
Motion Approved To appoint, reappoint or extend the following board members to committees.
| Audit Committee | Dave Relling, Ruggie Canizares, Ellen Donald, Steve Scherger |
| Compensation Committee | Dave Relling, Ruggie Canizares, Ellen Donald, Steve Scherger |
| Investment Committee | Dave Relling, Ruggie Canizares, Ellen Donald, Steve Scherger |
| CBA | Michelle Sigmund-Gaines |
| Continuing Comp | Michelle Sigmund-Gaines |
| Education Committee | Steve Scherger |
| Ethics & Legislation | Cindy Potter |
| Exam Development Cmtes (PT & PTA) | Ellen Donald |
| FCCPT | Ruggie Canizares |
| Finance | Ruggie Canizares |
| LCASO | Dave Relling, Michele Thorman |
| Re-Entry Demographics | Cindy Potter |
| Resolutions | Dave Relling |
| Sexual Misconduct & Boundaries | Ellen Donald |
| PT Compact Executive | Michele Thorman |
| Board Informed Consent Task Force | Steve Scherger |
| CPMDS - PT Specific Task Force | Michele Thorman |
Board of Directors
Members of the board of directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions.
 Ruggie Canizares
Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah |  Ellen Donald
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee |  Cynthia Potter
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont |  David Relling
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Virgin Islands |
 Steven Scherger
Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia |  Michelle Sigmund-Gaines
Alaska, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming |  Michele Thorman
Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin |  Charles E. Reiter
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, ext 201 |
| Assessment or examination development questions | Lorin Mueller, PHD
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, ext 201 |
| Foreign educated issues | Leslie Adrian, ext 233 |
| Immigration | Jamie Nolan, ext 403 |
| JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module | competencestaff@fsbpt.org |
| Legislation or Model Practice Act | Leslie Adrian, ext 233 |
| Meeting arrangements | Paul Delaney, ext 223 |
| NPDB reports/questions | Angela Burnham, ext 249 |
| PTC- Physical Therapy Compact | compact@fsbpt.org |
| PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool | peat@fsbpt.org |
| Reimbursement of expenses
Other financial matters | Linda Michelsen, ext 226 |
| School reports | schoolreports@fsbpt.org |
| Score transfer & reporting | Christine Sousa, ext 201 |
| 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 encore azalea-lined 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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