Greetings! Day light savings time has come. This is the time of year where PTs and PTAs can actually drive home from work in the day light. It is truly a time for rejoicing! Day light savings time also signifies that Spring in upon us. During the spring we typically have two events. The first event was Spring Education which was held at the Radford University School of PT on March 3rd. Two successful courses were held. We look forward to your feedback on these courses as well as suggestions for future education. Please email me president@VPTA.org or Mona Fazzina, Education Chair at mona.fazzina@racva.com.

Many of you are likely aware of the Medicare Cap Patch (vs repeal) that was signed by President Trump on February 9th, 2018. Although this ended a 20-year battle for providers to protect services to Medicare recipients, it came with a price. A single line of the nearly 600-page bill stated that in 2022, a modifier must be placed on any bill submitted for reimbursement in which a PTA participated either in whole or in part of the care. In those cases, a 15% reduction in reimbursement would be applied and this "savings" would be used to pay for the patch to the Medicare Cap. This pay-for addition to the Cap bill was surprising in that it was never part of the discussion with the APTA or others negotiating on our behalf.

The Communications team is actively seeking 1 more member to join our amazing team! The position is "Social Media Advertising Management". Volunteer responsibilities include:

1. Create posts unique to each social media source (currently Facebook and Twitter) for paid advertisements of courses and jobs. Posts will include: Text, hyperlinks, graphics, images
2. Boost paid advertisement posts
3. Interaction with followers on Social Media related to the events

Those interested in this position should write to vpta@apta.org.

Thanks for your interest,
Heather Byrne for the Communications Team 

APTA wants to share an opportunity for local members to be involved in a special event this month. We’re hosting the North America Caribbean Region (NACR) of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) meeting at APTA headquarters. APTA is one of 14 members of NACR and is excited to host this meeting with our international colleagues. As part of that meeting, we are hosting a special course as a fundraiser for the NACR and would like to invite local PTs to participate.

It’s a chance to attend a great course at APTA headquarters, represent APTA among our international guests, and help support the global physical therapy community. Please note that space is limited for this event, so we encourage early registration. Click here to register

We have exciting things going on this spring at the VCU Department of Physical Therapy! The students are busy in their push to the finish with the Marquette Challenge to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy. What you may not know is that the VCU students have raised over $200,000 for the Foundation. There are only 3 schools in the country that have raised more - University of Pittsburgh, Marquette University, and University of Miami. The students have placed either first or second in the Marquette Challenge for the past 3 years and are hoping to continue that success.

The Tidewater District is pleased to host and offer "Gait Theory and Practice", a 15 hour Type I course offering. The course will be held at Pivot Physical Therapy's Oyster Point clinic on June 2-3, 2018. See the attached flyer/brochure for more details on course content, registration fees, and more! APTA members who register during the Early Bird time frame get the best rate!

The Tidewater District will be sponsoring the 12th Annual Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine Update on June 14, 2018, at CHKD in Norfolk, VA. There will be a discounted registration fee for APTA members because of our sponsorship. Visit the CHKD CME webpage to register and learn more about the educational offerings.

New PSIG Leadership:
New PSIG Board members were elected at the Annual Conference in October. Please see PCS Spotlight to meet them!
Kristin Sanders – Vice Chair
Nancy Lynch – Secretary

VPTA PSIG Officers:
Vpta.psig@gmail.com
Chair: Kim Lephart, PT, DPT, MBA, PCS
Vice Chair: Kristin Sanders, PT, MPT, PCS
Secretary: Nancy Lynch, PT
Treasurer: Terri (Izzo) Solano, PT, DPT, PCS

PSIG Leadership Shadow Program: Interested in leadership, but not sure exactly where to start or what is really involved?  Apply to shadow a PSIG Board member!  Terms are for 1 year.

Thinking about taking your PCS? Apply for the Carol Lichtenberg Scholarship Fund! Deadline is usually in July.  The $1500 scholarship that can be used for registration fees, preparation courses, etc. http://pediatricapta.org/about-pediatric-physical-therapy/awards/

Mark your calendars!  Wednesday  April 11, 2018 at 7:30pm.

The article will be announced April 1 and will be emailed along with the link, to all APPT members.

We need PTs, PTAs, Student PTs, and Student PTAs!
Volunteer for Special Olympics FUNfitness at Virginia’s Summer Games!

Click Here for more information about FUNfitness.

If you a physical therapists working in a school-based setting please consider assisting with this study.  I am collecting data on the use of various physical therapy interventions in school-based practice. Please use the URL below to begin the survey.

This month's featured Pediatric Certified Specialists (PCS) are:

Nancy Lynch, PT, DPT, PCS who currently serves as the VPTA PSIG's Secretary
Kristin Sanders, PT, MPT, PCS who serves as the VPTA PSIG's Vice Chair

Time to meet the new VPTA SSIG Executive Board! The current Executive Board would like to thank all of the applicants and the student members of the VPTA for their involvement in this election process.

Kaiser Health News
The removal of annual Medicare payments caps for physical therapy as well as other types of therapy is a welcome change for many patients.

delawareonline
Physical therapists can help determine why a patient is feeling back pain and customize a plan to help that patient achieve relief.