January 2020
Volume 22, Number 1

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

In this News Brief:

• Funded Members for the Leadership Issues Forum and the Annual Meeting
• Regulatory Training for Members and Board Staff
• Trauma’s Impact on Boundary Violation Investigations Training
• ProCert Certified Activities
• Topics at the Leadership Issues Forum
• PT Compact Updates
• Call for Presentation Proposals and Ideas for the 2020 Annual Meeting
• New Mexico Opts into the Alternate Approval Process
• Update Your Information
• University of Missouri School of Medicine partners with Missouri Board of Healing Arts to Collect PT Work Force Data
• Coming to the USA: Immigration and Visas
• Educators' Satisfaction Survey
• Winter 2019 FSBPT Forum
• Spotlight on Member Resources: Resource and Topic Papers
• In the News
• Board of Directors Report
• FSBPT Board of Directors
• Staff Contact Information

Funded Members for the Leadership Issues Forum and the Annual Meeting

This year FSBPT will fund the following attendees at LIF and the Annual Meeting. We will email administrators instructions on selecting delegates (voting and alternate) and identifying the funded administrator.

Leadership Issues Forum, July 18-19, Alexandria, Virginia 

• Voting delegate
• Board administrator

Delegate Assembly & Annual Meeting, October 22-24, Orange County, California

• Voting delegate
• Funded alternate delegate
• Board administrator 

Regulatory Training for Members and Board Staff

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. All board members and board staff (administrators, licensing specialists, and attorneys) are eligible to participate.

The training will be held June 19-21, 2020, in Alexandria, Virginia. Costs are covered by FSBPT. Current (new and seasoned) regulatory board members and administrators can request to attend by completing this form. Requests must be received before March 15, 2020, for consideration. Attendance is limited and priority is given to first time attendees. Read our Frequently Asked Questions about Regulatory Training for more information. 

Trauma’s Impact on Boundary Violation Investigations Training

Justice 3D is a leading educator in issues related to investigating and prosecuting sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cases. At the 2019 FSBPT Annual Meeting, Nancy Oglesby, a career sexual assault prosecutor, and Michael Milnor, a retired Chief of Police, shared an overview of how the brain reacts when experiencing trauma and the impact this has on memory, emotions, and behavior. They also discussed communications and interview techniques for working with victims of trauma.

Based on the level of interest expressed at the 2019 Annual Meeting, FSBPT has arranged to offer a two-day training by Justice 3D for board members, administrators, investigators, and attorneys.

Based on the presenters' availability and feedback from membership, the event will be held March 26-27 in Arlington, Virginia, at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City. FSBPT will cover lunch for all participants on both days of the workshop. 

The FSBPT Board has also approved funds to help support ONE board or staff member from each jurisdiction to attend this training.

• FSBPT will cover air travel and hotel.
• The State Board’s selected participant will cover a $50 registration fee, travel incidentals, meals while traveling, and all breakfasts and dinners.

Additionally, the training will be open to all other members who would like to attend. The registration fee will be $300 and all travel costs will be the responsibility of the participant. Register Now!

ProCert Certified Activities

Although ProCert stopped certifying new activities at the end of 2019, many activities will remain certified through 2021. Since licensees and member boards will no longer be able to search for certified activities through aPTitude, we have posted a complete list of all certified activities.

Topics at the Leadership Issues Forum

FSBPT strives to be a deliberative organization and seeks to present new approaches and changes in a purposeful manner before our Leadership Issues Forum (LIF). Providing topics in advance allows the board an opportunity to carefully prepare topics for consideration. Bringing topics to LIF where our members have plenty of time to engage in thoughtful dialogue allows us to truly get member input into important topics. A number of topics have been presented at consecutive LIF meetings to make sure they are vetted properly, like the most recent bylaw changes or the disciplinary action guidelines. We welcome your input into future topics for LIF and look forward to hearing from you all!  We already have some potential topics in the pipeline for this year’s meeting so stay tuned for more information in future News Briefs.

PT Compact Updates

In 2019, we sold a total of 1,015 compact privileges!

Compact privileges are now available in Virginia and Oklahoma. This brings the total number of states issuing compact privileges to eighteen, following Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington. To see the jurisdictions that have introduced or passed legislation, view our PT Compact map.

Call for Presentation Proposals and Ideas for the 2020 Annual Meeting

We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for the 2020 Annual Meeting!
Please submit your proposal by March 3, 2020.

If your proposal is chosen, two presenters will be funded to attend the FSBPT Annual Meeting in Orange County, California, October 22-24.

If you have a topic of interest but you do not have suggested speakers or an official proposal, please share the topic with us. We welcome ideas!

Back to Top

New Mexico Opts into the Alternate Approval Process

New Mexico joined seventeen other states by opting into the Alternate Approval Process (AAP). Under AAP, when an applicant who is a graduate of a CAPTE accredited program registers for the NPTE, FSBPT will make the candidate eligible to sit for the NPTE provided that the candidate meets all NPTE eligibility requirements. Under AAP, FSBPT also handles the review of all requests for testing accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact FSBPT if your jurisdiction is interested in opting into AAP.

Update Your Information

Members and Jurisdiction Board Administrators, please help us keep your profiles current. We use this information to ensure our contact lists are up to date so that members can receive the News Briefs, surveys, travel authorizations, and other important notifications.

Members:

• Login to the Members’ Area.
• On the right side of the screen under “My Directory Info,” click the link to “Update My Contact Info.”
• Make edits as needed to your profile.
• Hit “Save Changes.”

Board Administrators:

• Login to the Members’ Area.
• On the right side of the screen under “My Directory Info,” click the link to “Update My Contact Info.”
• Click "Edit Positions."
• On the Left Menu, under "Membership Directories," you should now see an option to "Update Board Info." Click on it.
• Click the icon to the left of each person’s name to open their profile.
• Click the “Edit Positions” button to view/edit the person’s role and term dates.
• Make edits as needed for all your board members.
• Hit “Save Changes.”

Please note, when a new director, administrator, or other member comes on board, please click “Add Member” to create a new profile. Then edit the position for the member who is rolling off to reflect their actual end date. DO NOT edit an existing director by changing their name to the new member’s name as each profile is unique to each individual.

Please keep these updated on a regular basis. If you have any questions about the process or trouble logging in, please email us.

University of Missouri School of Medicine partners with Missouri Board of Healing Arts to Collect PT Work Force Data

The Missouri Board of Healing Arts and the University of Missouri School of Medicine are collaborating to collect data to better understand Missouri’s physical therapy workforce. Physical therapists and physical therapists assistants receive a link to the survey when completing their license renewal. The survey results will be used in conjunction with other health care workforce data to inform local and state policymakers, public and private health care providers, and health care workforce training programs to better meet Missourians’ health care needs and to ensure the best possible outcomes for Missouri’s population health.

“This project is a decade-long collaboration of the Missouri Healthcare Workforce Advisory Group to plan, develop, and implement a system to collect data to benefit Missourians,” said Kathleen Quinn, associate dean for rural health. “We’re monitoring trends and developing training programs to understand our state’s distribution of health care professionals and meet the needs of local communities.”

Coming to the USA: Immigration and Visas 

When a foreign national seeks admission to the United States specifically to work as a physical therapist (or one of six other professions), the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires the individual to have a Health Care Worker Certification (HCWC) prior to obtaining a visa, which allows an individual to work.

The HCWC is for professions that have a minimum of a BS entry-level degree. As PTAs are considered para-professionals, they are not eligible for a HCWC. The HCWC is valid for five years and may be renewed. If an individual becomes a legal permanent resident of the United States, they no longer need the HCWC.

USCIS has approved two credentialing organizations, the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) and the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), to verify the individual has met the minimum requirements and issue the certification. 

In order to obtain a HCWC, the individual must contact FCCPT or CGFNS. The FCCPT service is called the Comprehensive Credentials Review (Type 1 Review). CGFNS calls their service VisaScreen©. The credentialing agencies complete the following tasks:

• Assess education for comparability to the first professional degree in physical therapy in the United States (CAPTE accredited program). 
• Verify that all professional health care licenses held by the applicant are valid and without restrictions.
• Verify the eligibility of the applicant to practice physical therapy in the country where the first professional degree in PT was obtained. 
• Confirm the applicant has demonstrated the necessary level of proficiency in oral/written English as defined by USCIS regulations. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for PTs. 
• Assess verification of NPTE scores. 

The HCWC is for immigration visa purposes only and should not be used for licensure. If a licensing board has questions regarding the specific requirements to issue the HCWC, such as the tool used to evaluate educational equivalence, they should contact CGFNS or FCCPT. 

The HCWC is not a visa. However, there are at least four types of Visas that require the HCWC: 

• H-1B Visa allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers (non-immigrant) in specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. An H-1B allows the foreign national to enter the United States for up to three years (extendable up to six years with some exceptions to extend beyond). The number of H-1B Visas are capped annually. 
• EB2 is a permanent worker (immigrant) visa allowing an individual holding an advanced degree to enter the United States for employment. The visa holder will be eligible to apply for permanent resident (green card) status. 
• EB3 is a permanent worker (immigrant) visa allowing a skilled worker, professional, or other to enter the United States for employment. The visa holder will be eligible to apply for permanent resident (green card) status. 
• The TN non-immigrant classification allows, under the NAFTA agreement, a qualified Canadian or Mexican citizen to temporarily enter the United States to engage in professional level business activities. 

Boards should keep the following information in mind: 

• The HCWC is often mistakenly called the Type 1. Comprehensive Credentials Review (Type 1 Review) is a service review provided by FCCPT that results in a HCWC. 
• Statutes that require or refer to a Type 1 rather than the specific requirements (see above) are not accurate and may be confusing. 
• The TOEFL requirements for the HCWC are lower than those recommended for licensure. 
• An individual can only apply for one type of visa at any given time.
• Immigration regulations and requirements are unsettled and changing frequently. 
• It’s important to understand that an H1B Visa and a Health Care Worker Certification are not the only routes to legal employment in the United States as a physical therapist.
• Visas that allow a foreign national to live in the United States do not necessarily allow a foreign national to work in the United States. E-Verify is an internet-based service of the USCIS that allows employers to confirm an individual is authorized to work in the United States.

Educators' Satisfaction Survey

FSBPT strives to provide the most effective and useful tools for educators. If you are an educator, we are interested in your opinion on the services and products that we offer to you.

Please take a moment to complete the survey. Your input is extremely valuable and it helps to ensure that we are providing the best tools for now and into the future.

Winter 2019 FSBPT Forum

Read these articles that were included in the Winter 2019 FSBPT Forum:

• President's Message
• Administrative Staff Corner
• Overcoming Roadblocks to PT Compact Implementation—The State Perspective
• What’s the Buzz All About? Marijuana Legalization and Physical Therapy
• The Art of Considering Criminal History as an Indicator of Moral Character
• NPTE Updates
• Burnout: What Every Regulator Should Know

Spotlight on Member Resources: Resource and Topic Papers

Members can find resources on a wide variety of topics from the FSBPT Areas of Focus.

Our Gratitude for Volunteers

This month, we thank all of our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission:

In the News

"Challenges and Opportunities in Telehealth: A Q&A With the Experts," January 8, 2020, PTTransforms

"#PTTransforms Blog spoke to APTA members Sarah Gallagher, PT, DPT, and Alan Lee, PT, DPT, PhD, about the possibilities, challenges, and current use of telehealth across health care professions. Gallagher is the owner of South Valley Physical Therapy, a Colorado private practice specializing in neurologic and vestibular physical therapy that began providing telehealth services to solve an access to specialty care problem. Lee is the telehealth lead for the APTA Frontiers in Rehabilitation Science and Technology (FiRST) Council and vice president of the Technology in Physical Therapy Special Interest Group of HPA The Catalyst, APTA's section on health policy and administration."

"A.I. Comes to the Operating Room," Denise Grady, January 6, 2020, The New York Times

"Brain surgeons are bringing artificial intelligence and new imaging techniques into the operating room, to diagnose tumors as accurately as pathologists, and much faster, according to a report in the journal Nature Medicine."

"Artificial intelligence has come to medicine. Are patients being put at risk?," Liz Szabo, January 3, 2020, The Los Angeles Times

"Health products powered by artificial intelligence are streaming into our lives, from virtual doctor apps to wearable sensors and drugstore chatbots."

"The New State Medical Board: Life In The Antitrust Shadow," Eli Y. Adashi Barak D. Richman Reuben C. Baker, January 6, 2020, Health Affairs Blog

"For the better part of the twentieth century, state medical boards (SMBs) strove to protect the US public by licensing, disciplining, and regulating health care professionals. For much of this time, however, SMBs, along with the corresponding state medical society, have also engaged in vigorous economic advocacy on behalf of their members. It was this facet of the medical enterprise that drew the attention of federal antitrust overseers. Decades of legal battles over alleged anticompetitive practices followed. None proved more significant than the recent North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission. It was here that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) concluded that SMBs made up of “active market participants” may not claim immunity from antitrust laws unless they are “actively supervised by the State.” The implications of this and subsequent verdicts to present-day SMBs cannot be overestimated. In this communication, we describe the evolution of the SMBs, trace their exposure to federal antitrust liability, examine the erosion of their economic brief, and discuss the legal boundaries of their state-given authority."

"B.C. dentist who lost licence has disappeared, still owes $100,000 in fines," Katya Slepian, January 2, 2020, Haida Gwaii Observer

"A Richmond dentist has lost his licence and must pay nearly $100,000 after dozens of instances of professional misconduct, according to a December decision from the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C."

"Military spouses will get reimbursed up to $1,000 for professional relicensing costs," Karen Jowers, December 19, 2019, Military Times

"A new provision in the defense bill bumps up the maximum military spouse reimbursement to $1,000, for relicensing and recertification costs each time they relocate with their service member."

"Global health care sector issues in 2020," Stephanie Allenm December 16, 2019, Deloitte Insights

"This global health care outlook reviews the state of the sector, explores key issues shaping 2020, and poses questions and actions leaders should consider as they lay a foundation for the future."

"A consumer-centered future of health," David Betts and Leslie Korendam November 21, 2019, Deloitte Insights

"Our survey finds people are exhibiting traditional “consumer behaviors” when it comes to health care: They are willing to shop for deals, disagree with their doctor, and use technology to track and maintain their health."

"Narrowing the rural-urban health divide," Alex Schulte, Jessica Nadler, and Melissa Majerol, November 27, 2019, Deloitte Insights

"There is growing evidence that virtual health can be a cost-effective and powerful tool to improve rural health care. Here's how health care providers can get started, and how government agencies can help."

"Unprofessionalism, sloppiness, and rudeness of surgeons linked to patients’ post-op complications," November 21, 2019, Professional Licensing Report

"The patient outcomes of surgeons who had been reported by coworkers for unprofessional behavior were significantly worse than those of surgeons with no such reports, in a study by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which was published in June in JAMA Surgery."

Board of Directors Report

Recently, to advance the business of FSBPT, the board approved the motions listed.

Motion Adopted:
Move to approve waiving of the 2020 membership dues from Puerto Rico due to recent earthquake. 
Rationale: Assist a member during jurisdiction crisis
Fiscal Impact: Up to $2,500

Motion Adopted:
Approve the In Defense of Regulation paper to be disseminated. 
Rationale: To further education/research results
Fiscal Impact: None

Appointments

Boundary Violations Task Force

• Arkena Dailey, VA
• Robert Friberg, GA
• Kristina Lounsberry, LA
• Chrisandra Osborne, WA
• Sherri Paru, OR
• Tom Pennington, KY
• Byron Russel, AZ
• Laurie Scripsack, RI
• Sherise Smith, NV
• Jennifer Wissinger, OH

Impaired Practitioner Task Force 

• Danielle Bohl, KS
• Troy Costales, OR
• Maggie Donohue, NH
• Dorothy (Dorie) Gaskin, GA
• David Harris, TN
• Andrew Koenig, FL
• Jennifer Nash, NV
• Laura Oppermann, TX
• Christine Snyder, FL
• M. Judd Warren, SC

Artificial Intelligence Task Force 

• Kathryn Dale, WA
• Randy Jean, MA
• Sze Wing Kwok, NY
• Alan Lee, CA
• Scott Majors, KY
• Brian Miller, MT
• David Reed, NC
• Michelle Sigmund Gains, OR
• Anne Thompson, GA
• Jeffrey Vinzant, AL

Re-Entry Task Force 

• Michele Finnegan, MD
• Karen Gordon, TX
• Tom Mohr, ND
• Carol Sawyer, MO
• Joseph Shanley, NH 

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.

Back to Top

Staff Contact Information