In this News Brief:
2024 Award Recipients
Please join us in congratulating our 2024 awardees! They will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at the Annual Education Meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!
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Richard McDougall
Long Term Service Award
Sherri Paru, OR
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President's Award
Sara Maher, MI
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NPTE Pricing in 2025
NPTE Exam Fee
The FSBPT Board of Directors has decided to delay any NPTE fee increase until at least 2028. The fees for the NPTE-PT and the NPTE-PTA are $485, and they will remain that amount until December 31, 2027. The last increase occurred in 2019, meaning there will be an eight-year period with no adjustments. Historically, the fee has increased about every five years. However, after a review of FSBPT’s financial standing, the board determined that a fee increase was not necessary.
Prometric Sitting Fee
The sitting fee paid to Prometric when a candidate schedules an appointment will increase in 2025. The last Prometric sitting fee increase was in January 2020.
Exam |
Current Fee |
Fee for Exams
Beginning 1/1/2025 |
NPTE-PT |
$100.30 |
$112.00 |
NPTE-PTA |
$82.60 |
$92.00 |
LAW |
$29.50 |
$32.50 |
FSBPT Exam Scheduling Gets Faster and Easier!
FSBPT is committed to providing a smooth and efficient experience for all candidates. Effective May 7, FSBPT has integrated with Prometric's platform to enable real-time data transfer regarding candidate eligibility and scheduling. This eliminates delays previously experienced due to data transfer times.
Candidates will now receive their Authorization to Test (ATT) letters and be able to schedule their exams immediately upon becoming eligible. For candidates applying through a jurisdiction using FSBPT's Alternate Approval Pathway (AAP), a single transaction will now handle both registration and scheduling.
Additionally, we added a new scheduling widget to the candidate dashboard. This tool provides direct access to Prometric's scheduling system, allowing candidates to schedule, reschedule, or cancel their exam appointments easily.
The Slate for the 2024 Elections
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate for this year’s elections, to take place virtually during the Annual Education Meeting, October 31–November 2. Please read the Candidate Statements to get to know the candidates.
The Nominating Committee will hold a Candidate Forum on Tuesday, July 2, in conjunction with the 2024 Leadership Issues Forum, to introduce 2024 candidates for the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. This will be followed by a Candidate Forum in the fall.
Please join FSBPT in thanking the 2024 Nominating Committee Members, Ron Barredo (Chair), Robert Friberg, and Adrienne (Stacy) Price for their work this year.
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Stephen Curley (KY)
Secretary
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Deanne Grier Yates (KS)
Secretary
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Steven Scherger (MN)
Treasurer
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Krista M. Wolfe (PA)
Treasurer |
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David Harris (TN)
Director #1
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Craig Thomas Miller (MI)
Director #1 |
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Bernardine Spaulding Evans (DC)
Nominating Committee Member
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Kristina Lounsberry (LA)
Nominating Committee Member
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Share Your Annual Education Meeting, Webinar, and LIF Ideas!
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for 2024 webinars and in-person sessions at the 2024 Annual Education Meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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 in webinars, Annual Education Meeting sessions, and during the Leadership Issues Forum. We encourage all board members, administrators, and other stakeholders to share topics and ideas with us. You can also watch webinars and meeting sessions on FSBPT's YouTube Channel to learn what we've recently covered.
Excellence in Regulation Award Nominations Due May 31
The Excellence in Regulation Award recognizes jurisdictions that have made significant accomplishments toward 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 by Friday, May 31, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Model Practice Act Moment
Each month, we will focus on a different statute section from the Model Practice Act and its accompanying commentary.
MPA Moment
Statute
1.02 Definitions As specifically used in this [act], the following terms have the meanings set forth below, unless the context requires otherwise.
5. “Examination” means a national examination approved by the board for the licensure of a physical therapist or the [certification/licensure] of a physical therapist assistant.
Commentary
This definition of examination clarifies that each jurisdiction’s practice act requires a national examination approved by the Board for licensure or certification. It also allows for the term “examination” to be used consistently throughout the act. The name of the examination shall be specified in the rules, as many jurisdictions now specify the National Physical Therapy Examination of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
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, Virgin Islands, and Texas, that 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 enhancing your participation in or communication with our Examination, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database (ELDD), improving compact privilege implementation, or collecting workforce data.
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! Be sure to register for these upcoming webinars:
Regulatory Modernization: PT Reflections on the Journey to Amalgamation in British Columbia, Canada
- Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 4:00 p.m. ET
June 2024 Regulatory Hour: Let's Clear The Air: Administrative and Criminal Expungement
- Thursday, June 20, 4:00 p.m. ET
Navigating Multi-State Investigations: Best Practices and Strategies
- Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 4:00 p.m. ET
August 2024 Regulatory Hour Don't Say A Word: Speech vs. Conduct
- Wednesday, August 21, 4:00 p.m. ET
To register, please log in to the FSBPT Portal, select "Events," and click on the event you'd like to register for.
Send Us Additional Recipients
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.
FSBPT Forum: AI, ChatGPT, and Licensing Exams
Claims that artificial intelligence (AI) systems have passed some licensure exams have raised concerns about exam validity and test security. However, doubts remain over how AI systems were used in these exams and the extent to which researchers had to use judgment to identify correct versus incorrect responses. This article is by Lorin Mueller, FSBPT Managing Director of Assessment.
Spotlight on Member Resources: Licensure Reference Guide
The Jurisdiction Licensure Reference Guide is a resource that compares some of the major similarities and differences among the jurisdictions. Developed by FSBPT, the guide is used as a reference for educational programs, students, licensing boards, professional associations, and others.
Many Thanks to Our Volunteers
This month, we thank our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission.
- PT Compact Executive Board
- Exam Development Committee - PTA
In the News
FSBPT provides the following links for your education and awareness but does not endorse the content.
"NVIDIA to create AI ‘agents’ that outperform human nurses," New Atlas, Paul McClure, March 25, 2024
"NVIDIA has partnered with Hippocratic AI to develop AI-powered ‘healthcare agents’ that have already been shown to outperform other large language models and human nurses in specific tasks. Will these agents help ease the global healthcare worker shortage, or will they lead to more problems?"
"The misguided laws contributing to America’s rural health crisis," The Hill, Liam Sigaud and Vitor Melo, April 26, 2024
"We study certificate-of-need (CON) laws, which require health care providers to obtain approval from state officials before offering new services, expanding facilities or investing in technology. Currently, CON laws exist in 35 states. A large amount of evidence shows that these regulations limit competition and drive up prices in the health care industry, but our study is one of the first to examine their impact on rural America."
"Timing of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity, Mortality, Cardiovascular Disease, and Microvascular Disease in Adults With Obesity," Diabetes Care, Sabag et al., April 20, 2024
"Aerobic MVPA bouts undertaken in the evening were associated with the lowest risk of mortality, CVD, and MVD. Timing of physical activity may play a role in the future of obesity and T2D management."
"A British Nurse Was Found Guilty of Killing Seven Babies. Did She Do It?" The New Yorker, Rachel Aviv, May 13, 2024
"Colleagues reportedly called Lucy Letby an “angel of death,” and the Prime Minister condemned her. But, in the rush to judgment, serious questions about the evidence were ignored."
"FSMB, Intealth, ACGME Establish Advisory Commission to Guide Alternate Pathways for State Licensure of International Medical Graduates," Intealth, March 27, 2024
"The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Intealth™, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced today they have established a new “Advisory Commission on Alternate Licensing Models” to provide guidance on alternative pathways for state licensure of physicians who have completed training and/or practiced outside of the United States. The majority of these physicians are international medical graduates (IMGs), encompassing both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens who completed their medical education and training outside the United States and Canada."
"In Medicine, the Morally Unthinkable Too Easily Comes to Seem Normal," The New York Times, Carl Elliot, May 7, 2024
"Last month the Department of Health and Human Services issued new guidance requiring written informed consent for pelvic exams and other intimate procedures performed under anesthesia. Much of the force behind the new requirement came from distressed medical students who saw these pelvic exams as wrong and summoned the courage to speak out."
"Money as Medicine — Clinicism, Cash Transfers, and the Political–Economic Determinants of Health," The New England Journal of Medicine, Eric Reinhart, April 10, 2024
"Cash transfers to individuals that the U.S. government made during the Covid pandemic demonstrated how such a policy tool could help address the political–economic determinants of health."
"Former nurse sentenced to life for murdering patients with insulin injections," Health Exec, Chad Van Alstin, May 06, 2024
"A former nurse has been sentenced to life in prison for killing three patients and attempting to murder 19 others, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office said in a statement. Heather Pressdee, 41, pleaded guilty to the charges, which included three counts of first-degree murder and 19 counts of attempt to commit murder. She was sentenced to three consecutive life prison terms for the murders, plus an additional 380 to 760 years on the remaining charges."
"Artificial intelligence viewed through the lens of state regulation," Intelligence-Based Medicine, Sarvam P. TerKonda and Eric M. Fish
"In fulfilling their duty to regulate the practice of medicine, state medical boards face complex regulatory challenges and patient safety concerns in adapting regulations and standards for the provision of medical care where the use of artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent. This article raises preliminary, yet foundational, questions of how artificial intelligence will continue to change the patient experience and the duties of a physician, and calls for increased regulatory attention from state and federal regulators. This article introduces the important role of state medical boards and why those interested in deploying artificial intelligence in clinical settings should be aware of how medical boards approach issues of standard of care and ethics. It also offers suggestions on how regulators may be able to improve collaboration to promote an innovation-friendly regulatory strategy."
"Twin doctors plead guilty in $45M insurance fraud scheme," Health Exec, Chad Van Alstin, May 22, 2024
"Twin brothers Desi Barroga, MD, and Deno Barroga, MD, operated a pain management clinic and were accused of billing insurers for $45 million in injections that they never gave patients. Further, the duo would give patients prescriptions for controlled substances, specifically opioids, in exchange for the patients billing their insurance for services not delivered, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement."
"Fears over affording care overwhelmingly top list of health-related concerns for older Americans," Health Exec, Chad Van Alstin, May 23, 2024
"For aging Americans who are 50 and older, the number one concern related to their health is affording care—not only for themselves but also for their friends and fellow citizens."
"Former NBA player sentenced to 40 months in prison for role in $5M healthcare fraud conspiracy," Health Exec, Chad Van Alstin, May 23, 2024
"Professional basketball player Glen “Big Baby” Davis, 38, has been sentenced for his role in defrauding the NBA’s healthcare plan of $5 million over a four-year period."
"Scientists Reveal Simple Trick for a Longer Life," Newsweek, Pandora Dewan,
“Scientists Reveal Simple Trick for a Longer Life,” Newsweek, Pandora Dewan, April 26, 2024
"If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart," Sophie Paddock, a cardiologist at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the U.K., said in a statement. "Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines."
"Navigating the Clinician Shortage Crisis," NEJM Catalyst
"Clinician shortages are a global emergency. Many clinicians have left their jobs, and even their profession, resulting in unsustainable workloads, burnout, and exhaustion for their former colleagues. Addressing the problem has required multi-layered approaches, innovative solutions, and new care models to fix the shortage in the short-term while planning for longer-term sustainable solutions."
"Federal Agencies Launch Portal for Public Reporting of Anticompetitive Practices in Health Care Sector," Department of Justice, April 18, 2024
"The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched an easily accessible online portal for the public to report health care practices that may harm competition."
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.
To approve the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
To award the Richard McDougall Long Term Service Award to
FSBPT 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
Hawaii, 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 |
Back to Top
Staff Contact Information
Staff Contact Information
If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you!
(703) 299-3100
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Subject
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Point of Contact/Email Address
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ADA accommodations
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Christine Sousa
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Assessment or examination development questions
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Lorin Muelle
Susan Newman
npte@fsbpt.org
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Continuing competence
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Jeffrey M. Rosa
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Credentials review
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Jaime Nolan, FCCPT
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ELDD- Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database participation
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eldd@fsbpt.org
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Exam registration processing
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Christine Sousa
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Foreign educated issues
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Leslie Adrian
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Immigration
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Jamie Nolan
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JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module
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JAM@fsbpt.org
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Legislation or Model Practice Act
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Leslie Adrian
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Meeting arrangements
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Paul Delaney
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NPDB reports/questions
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Angela Burnham
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PTC- Physical Therapy Compact
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compact@fsbpt.org
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PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool
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peat@fsbpt.org
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Reimbursement of expenses
Other financial matters
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Linda Michelsen
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School reports
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schoolreports@fsbpt.org
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Score transfer & reporting
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Christine Sousa
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SCP PET- Supervised Clinical Practice Performance Evaluation Tool
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scppet@fsbpt.org
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Security issues
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Susan Newman
security@fsbpt.org
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Anything else, including news to share with members
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William A. Hatherill
Caitlin Jennings
Communications@fsbpt.org
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From the Japanese Iris Ensata-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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