Spring is officially here, and I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. It was great to see many of you at CSM and it felt great to be back in person at such a large event! Here in Virginia, we hope to be having more in person events as restrictions gradually begin to lift in many areas.

 

On this note, we have gotten many questions regarding the position of APTA Virginia on wearing masks in the workplace. As it is now and will continue to be, APTA VA does not have an official position on mask usage and urge people to defer to the CDC and VA DHP guidelines. As you can imagine we represent clinicians in a wide variety of settings and there is no one size fits all recommendation, and similarly do not take an official position for individual specialties or practice settings. The CDC and DHP guidelines are constantly changing which presents a challenge, and each county and region may enforce different mandates based on the professional setting. There is a large gray area open for interpretation and a good deal of variability from one facility to another. We realize this can be frustrating for patients, clinicians, and practice managers alike. We are happy to answer any questions or offer resources as best as we can. Hopefully soon this will all be a non-issue.

 

I also wanted to remind everyone that we have some fantastic continuing education opportunities coming up. The first is our Spring Education event which will be held Saturday, April 23 at Old Dominion University. Check out our website for details including how to register. At APTA Virginia, we are getting more excited as we continue to rev up for our new educational program ‘Virginia is for Learners,’ which will kick off July of this year and offer both virtual and in-person courses throughout the state every other month. Don’t miss out and keep an eye open for offerings coming to your region.

 

Sincerely,

 

Tony Grillo, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

Governor Youngkin hailed a move by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Worker Safety Board to remove a set of rules that required employers to treat COVID-19 as a workplace hazard and institute mitigation measures such as social distancing and masks.

Here is a recent update regarding the Federal Affairs Liaison 2022 Briefing and APTA.

Virginia’s Board of Physical Therapy, within the Commonwealth’s Department of Health Professions, has two positions up for nomination this summer. This Board, consisting of six clinicians and a citizen member, serves to enforce standards of practice, ensure competent patient care via licensed health professionals, and provide sound information to healthcare practitioners and the public.

 

Two Board members have terms expiring on June 30, including a Physical Therapist member and Physical Therapist Assistant member. In order to serve on the Board, eligible candidates must have practiced for at least seven years, three of which were in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Candidates must commit to meeting in Richmond at least 4 times per year, with all mileage and accommodation reimbursed. Once nominated, individuals are appointed by the governor.

 

Although APTA Virginia is no longer able to apply to these positions on the behalf of a candidate, eligible individuals can seek out further information on the Board of PT website, contact their Executive Director Corie E. Tillman Wolf, J.D. at Corie.Wolf@dhp.virginia.gov, and apply online. Alternatively, feel free to contact Brandon Smith, chapter vice president, at smithbk@alumni.vcu.edu.

 

American Physical Therapy Association
For patients who pay cash or are uninsured, CMS requires providers offer an accurate estimate on products and services.

Much of the research for stress on students during the pandemic has been focused on nursing and medical students. A new study explored stress for Doctor of Physical Therapy students during COVID-19, finding sources of stress related to academics, finances, and more.

Physical therapists are critical for recovery and continued care for patients with limb loss or limb difference.