Page 8 - OPTA Volume 48

Central District Report
Daniel Chelette, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, FAAOMPT - Chair
Challenges present themselves in many different forms throughout life. Difficult circumstances force us to adapt, to be resilient, to sacrifice, to lose, to come back, and to ultimately reassess our perspective of ourselves and our space in society . 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, unrest, hurt, confusion, and unpredictability . In these times, we have all had to adjust the way we operate on a daily basis and to reflect upon the lens that we view life and society through . As healthcare workers, we have all displayed resilience, dedication, and compassion in remaining available and willing to help our patients and each other during these times . We at the Central District are truly thankful and appreciative of all our colleagues for their strength and persistence in these times .
The recent deaths of George Floyd, Amaud
Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks
have reminded us of the wounds that remain in our society that have been caused by racism, a lack of understanding, and prejudice . As physical therapists, we have dedicated ourselves to a Code of Ethics that calls us to show understanding, compassion, and care to all who seek it from us . As a collective group with a platform, we want
to invite and facilitate a discussion regarding diversity, equality, and inclusion in our work as healthcare providers . We are putting together
a Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion open forum
in July in which we will facilitate a discussion regarding disparities in healthcare and how
we as physical therapists can individually and collectively work to combat these disparities .
Our distinguished panelists will be Dr . Rupal
Patel from Texas Woman’s University, and Dr . Ajit Chaudhari from The Ohio State University . Both Dr . Patel and Dr . Chaudhari are highly involved in DEI efforts at both the national and local levels . They are highly valuable resources, and we are very
excited to have them be a part of our forum . Though the forum will have been held by time of publication, links to their more in-depth bios are below
• Dr . Patel: https://twu .edu/institute-womens- leadership/women-who-lead/rupal-m-patel- pt-phd/
• Dr . Chaudhari: https://hrs .osu .edu/faculty-and- staff/faculty-directory/chaudhari-ajit
These are difficult and uncertain times. History has shown us, however, that from these difficult times, greatness and excellence can rise, and we can become better versions of ourselves . We at the Central District of the OPTA are committed to moving the profession forward through these challenging times . We are open and available to the concerns, questions, and ideas from all our members . We are working to adapt our programming and our initiatives to the changing demands of the times and the changing needs of our members . We thank you for your continued dedication to the profession and to caring for the patients that need us .
For more information, contact Daniel at:
jdc66912@gmail.com
8 | September 2020 | OPTA