As you read this latest Virginian, the VPTA will have just completed the Annual Fall Conference in Newport News. The hotel was welcoming and the new format to conference was intriguing. It was great to see faces, old and new, that comprise the heart and soul of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association. Between Annual Conference participants, Special Interest Groups, and Student Conclave there were around 275 participants this year at our 2-day event. Although this may seem like a large number, attendance to this conference has dwindled over the last 4-6 years. In order to ensure that the VPTA is as relevant as possible, the Board has assembled a task force to look at our programming in detail and to provide the board with the best alternatives to provide the value needed to membership but maintain a revenue neutral budget. Stay tuned for details as new and exciting information will be forthcoming. 

Josh Bailey, VPTA President

As you know, 2017-2018 Elections have closed signaling the start of a new Board of Directors of the VPTA. I would like to take a moment to thank a few board members who completed their terms and welcome their replacements.

If you were not at the VPTA conference in Newport News you missed the first PTrivia event. The event pitted school against school and Clinician against Clinician with questions like: How many presidents were born in Virginia, what is the longest muscle in the body, and name that tune. This event raised $1,143 for the VPT-PAC. Remember the VPTA-PAC fundraising supports the legislative efforts of the VPTA. This is how we were able to gain Direct Access over the years, have term protection and prevent encroachment by other groups on our practice to name a few.

The big winners of the event were the Emory and Henry college team that won the collegiate category and Rehab Associates team won the Clinician category. Both teams won bragging rights for a year and a plaque extoling their prowess that they will need to defend next year. If you have questions about the VPTA-PAC, please visit the VPTA website to learn more. Thanks for all you do Keeping the Patient First!

Andy Tatum
We are Physical Therapy…Our Goal is Your Success.

Thirty PT and PTA clinicians, educators, and students helped to update and repair the outdoor sensory trail at EQUI-Kids on Saturday, October 14. Rain that morning and in preceding days limited some of the outdoor painting planned but there was still some indoor paint projects and outdoor work to be done. "Sight" projects including painting a brightly colored pinball-style game, creating a board with baskets for a ball toss, and repairing poles for a ring toss activity. "Touch" projects included repairing boards with objects of different textures. "Sound" projects included replacing buckets to serve as drums and helping create a "dinner bell" music triangle. Participants of hippotherapy and adaptive riding can engage with all of these stations while riding on the outdoor trail on a wooded portion of EQUI-Kids's property. 

The Tidewater District would like to thank Brian Beaulieu, PT, for facilitating this service event. Brian is a Regional Manager for PIVOT Physical Therapy, Leadership Team volunteer for VPTA Tidewater District, and EQUI-Kids Advisory Board member. 

The Tidewater District Executive Committee is pleased to appoint Alysia Horeczko, PT, as the new Treasurer. Alysia will serve the remaining 10 months of Mira Mariano's term. We would like to thank Mira for her years of service as Treasurer and congratulate her on her new role on the State Board of Physical Therapy. We welcome Alysia to the Executive Committee and Leadership Team. 

The sign-up is FULL for the trunk/spine review in ODU's Applied Anatomy Lab at the Student Recreation Center on Tuesday, November 14, at 7:00 pm. You may still sign-up using this Google Form (https://goo.gl/forms/b4X1EHPcHRJwUprD2) but will be added to the Wait List.

On September 19th Northern District kicked off fall with our 2nd annual Social and Networking event at Oh George Tables and Taphouse in Fairfax, Virginia.  Several specialists were on hand ranging from pelvic floor, home health, to vestibular and concussion along  with several small raffle prizes for attendees. Over 90 professional or student members passed through the doors to drop in the event. Sign up for the annual Parkinson’s walk was on hand and we had a great turn out.

Our second meeting of the year is set to be on November 15th at Northern Virginia Community College Medical Campus on blood flow restriction, featured by Seth Blee, PT.  If you would like to get plugged in, there are some committee openings; some are ongoing and some are task oriented.  We would love help you find a way to connect and help serve in whatever capacity fits your time and energy best!