Page 33 - OPTA Access Spring 2019

COMMITTEE & SIG REPORTS
PTA Caucus Representative Report Sanaz Holcomb, PTA - PTA Caucus Representative
Happy New Year to all my physical therapy colleagues . 2018 was an exciting and productive year in our profession . While achieving many of our goals, we have more work ahead and I ask you all to participate . As in every article that I have written, I encourage you as practicing PTAs, along with student PTAs, to become engaged APTA members . Your membership is what drives this organization along with the membership of the PTs and SPTs .
Some of our successes for 2018 included allowing PTAs to treat Tri-Care prescribers with reimbursement which resulted from a tremendous amount of work by many volunteers in our association .
In 2018, Congress finally put an end to the hard cap For Medicare prescribers . This achievement is not only a victory for our patients but an example of APTA’s values . We continue to promote and educate practicing PTAs and SPTAs on the importance
of belonging to the APTA and how everyone’s membership and involvement brings our profession to a stronger level . We have a task force that has been tirelessly working towards our new challenge of a possible decrease in reimbursement for PTAs which is currently under review .
In 2019, we will be celebrating 50 years of the PTA . The PTA membership and participation continues to rise and the APTA will be celebrating 50th anniversary of the first PTA graduates.
Here is a small history from the APTA website –
in 1969, there was reason to celebrate for physical therapist assistants, as 15 students graduated from the first PTA programs at Miami Dade College in Florida and St . Mary's Campus of the College of St . Catherine in Minnesota . APTA is working to reach 10,000 PTA members – a milestone in which we hope Ohio will be an integral part .
In the Ohio chapter, we will be celebrating the 50- year anniversary at our annual conference . I invite all PTAs and SPTAs to join us for this celebration
and recognition at the business meeting in Columbus on Saturday, April 6 . If you attended CSM this year, you had an opportunity to celebrate on a national level with PTs and PTAs from all around the nation . For those of you who were not able to attend, you can join the celebration taking place at the NEXT conference in June in Chicago .
In the Northeast District, we take pride in lecturing the benefits of belonging at various PTA programs while encouraging and involving the students in various district and chapter activities . I encourage
all of you to partake in teaching while engaging
the various PTA programs in the chapter to become more involved in our association . It is at this pivotal time when student engagement, while observing our involvement as clinicians and educators, will create proper mentorship for future leaders who stay active .
I welcome any questions on how to become more involved in the OPTA at any level . I encourage all students and therapist to attend at least one district meeting in 2019 as a goal to witness our volunteers at work . The various districts along with the OPTA staff, work very diligently throughout the year to provide various CEU events, networking opportunities, along with PT Pub nights to help the professionals in our chapter network and continue developing in their professional careers . Please feel free to email me with any questions . Thank you for allowing me to continue serving you as your PTA Caucus Rep .
For more information, contact Sanaz at:
sanazarmand@yahoo.com
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