The VPTA Annual Conference will be held on October 7th and 8th in NewPort News, Virginia. Please mark your calendar for this must attend event. Registration will be posted on the VPTA website within the next month. There will be an entirely new format providing a larger number of shorter courses and more variety for your educational interests similar to the method provided at Combined Sections Meeting.

Don’t miss an opportunity to combine learning and networking at its highest level in Virginia. Your registration will include lunch on Saturday, breaks, a reception on Saturday evening and breakfast on Sunday. Register early to benefit from the Early Bird rates.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Joshua Bailey, President, VPTA

The Tidewater District awarded Erica Searfoss, PT, DPT (ODU) and Brittany Atkins, LPTA (TCC) with our district's Clinical Excellence Award. These students are APTA members and were nominated by their clinical instructors for demonstrating excellent theory application, attitude, communication, acceptance of responsibility, professionalism, and patient rapport. Both students will have their names added to a plaque maintained by each program. Both students also received a commemorative certificate and funds to be used for continuing education or APTA membership. Next year, our district hopes to have more nominees and winners from the 2 PT and 4 PTA programs in our area. 

The Northern District held its last meeting of the calendar year on May 3rd. The host facility was Marymount University. Over 40 students and several dozen members were present. After a brief business meeting, Dr. Diana Venskus acted as facilitator for a student led presentation of the RCs before this year’s House of Delegates. Groups of students presented most of the RCs with pro and con statements for each. There was a lively discussion on many of the points. The consensus afterwards was that the format provided a much more informative method of both disseminating RC information and obtaining member feedback for the delegation from Virginia.

State and District elections are coming. We are currently seeking nominations for District Director and District Secretary. Contact Northern Nominating Chair Francie Mitchel for more information.

Thank you to the PTs and PTAs who came out to our May 10 Member Appreciation Social and Business Meeting! We voted on new district bylaws, reviewed 2017 House of Delegate items, and received some member input for next year's district programming. We enjoyed pizza from World Pizza and drafts from Bold Mariner Brewing Company. Congratulations to our winners of the 3 raffle items - a Bold Mariner growler and gift card (Jonathan McGruder), TASTE Sea Salt Peanuts and a gift card (Samantha Ficksman), and a Starbucks gift card (Joe Speckhart). District leadership and volunteers will be meeting in early June to determine plans and programming for 2017-2018.

The Tidewater District would like to express our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Andy Altman after his unexpected passing on May 11. He was a beloved husband, father, friend, co-owner of Atlantic Physical Therapy, adjunct instructor with ODU's DPT program, ATC, clinician, coach, and mentor. His knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm made him a treasure to our profession and community. We hope all those who loved him will find peace, comfort, and healing in the weeks and months ahead.

The Tidewater District may be helping to host a "Managing CrossFit Athletes" continuing education opportunity in July. Stay tuned for more details!

Tom Bohanon, PT, DPT, OCS, VPTA Government Affairs
Over the last 5 – 6 years, there has been an effort by Insurance companies and the self-insured association of Virginia to reduce workmen’s compensation costs. Initially the attempts were unsuccessful, until the legislature passed a bill to curtail surgical costs in 2013. 

Joshua A. Bailey PT, DPT
It's official: starting June 13, physical therapists (PTs) in certain areas will be able to bring in another licensed PT to treat Medicare patients during temporary absences for illness, pregnancy, vacation, or continuing medical education, and bill Medicare for the services. And just as the new provisions begin, the old term for the concept—"locum tenens"—will be discontinued, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Eric Wicklund, mHealth Intelligence
Physical therapists in 10 states will soon be able to use telehealth to expand their practices and give consumers more access to mobile healthcare services.

Shannon Muchmore, Healthcare Dive
President Donald Trump’s proposed $4.1 trillion budget includes a $610 billion cut to Medicaid along with a 20% cut to the Children’s Health Insurance Program, among other health-related funding reductions.