Northeast District Spring 2013 Newsletter
Hello Northeast District Membership!
Since your last update, several new developments have taken place. There has been a change in your
CEU requirements 2013-2014 licensure renewal periods. Our professional website (www.ppta.org) continues
to develop, and allow for ease of use and FAST transmission of messages/events/update. You will want to see
it for yourself! This will now be the fastest way to keep “up-to-date” on Northeast District (NED) news and
events. The NED is offering a Saturday (6 contact hr) course at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation site in
Allentown, on April 6th , of this year. On the second Tuesday of each month, the district continues to offer 1
contact hour of education, in lecture format. This is a FREE benefit for membership. Non-members are also
welcome to our monthly meetings (and can obtain a contact hour certificate for $50- free if they do not wish to
receive a certificate). Bring a PT/PTA friend or coworker to your monthly meetings. They may soon become a
member to take advantage of this FREE monthly benefit and you could gain a carpool colleague for these
great speakers at impressive locations! Since our District meets after work, refreshments and snacks are
served at every meeting!
Looking forward to seeing you in March,
Elizabeth Marine, PT
Northeast District Director
elizabethmarine@yahoo.com
How can I keep “up-to-date” on the latest NED news and events?
Go to: www.ppta.org and find the “Northeast” section under Districts (on the top right bar). We are making the
site interactive and welcome suggestions! Look for online “polls”, as well!
What is the difference between a contact hour and a CEU? (recap for 2014 licensure requirements)
A CEU means Contining Education Unit. One CEU is equivalent to 10 contact hours. For example, the April 6th
‘Parkinson’s Course’, held at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation (Allentown) was approved for 6 general contact hrs
(for .6 CEU’s). That 6 hrs will count towards the 30 contact hr requirement, for renewing your license by the end
of 2014. Try to prepare for this requirement by taking 15 contact hours every year, and avoid a last minute
scramble for hours!
Need some ideas on the most efficient use of your funds to acquire contact hours?
Here are some ideas!
The NED ‘Monthly Meetings’ are every 2nd Tuesday from 6:30-8:00 pm. Members attending our monthly
meetings (March, April, May and Sept, Oct, Nov) will allow you to acquire 1 contact hour each meeting for
FREE! Check the ppta.org website for meeting topics/locations. All meetings are within the LV-Scranton area to
meet the needs of all of our district’s members!
The NED ‘Parkinson’s Evaluation and Treatment Strategies’ (April 6th) course will net you 6 contact hrs in
one day, for $150. Seating limited to 50 attendees. Register at:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=8uaugccab&oeidk=a07e6xearald5ccc57e&oseq=a02
109f5u6oizp
or call: 800-962-7782
The ‘PPTA Annual Conference’ (Oct 25-27) offers great networking with professionals in your state AND
earning credits toward licensure renewal, what could be better? Earn 16.5 contact hrs in one weekend!
Registration costs vary <$300 (day vs. total course rates). Register at: ppta.org (tba)
The ‘APTA Annual Conference’ (June 26-29th) will be held in Salt Lake City, UT this year. Make a vacation out
of it and earn 20 contact hours in one event! Registration is $370. Register at:
(https://www.apta.org/AptaLogin.aspx?SSORedirect=1&RedirectTo=https://show.jspargo.com/aptapt13/reg/reg00
validate.asp)
or call: 877/585-6003
PPTA.org offers EDUCATA online Courses, as well! These courses are $29.99 per contact hour. Check them out.
Quick courses for busy schedules. Register at:
(http://ppta.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/educata.aspx)
Are contact hours required when I renew my license in December of 2014?
In reference to State Act 38, proof of continuing education (30 contact hours) ARE required for the December
2014 licensure renewal. Those with Direct Access MUST continue to submit 20 contact hrs of continuing
education (relating to evaluative procedures), as previously regulated. Direct Access holders must also acquire 10
additional general or evaluative contact hrs to meet the 30 contact hr requirement, for the period ending in 2014.
You can review conditions for continuing education records keeping, Board audits and submissions when audited,
by entering:
(http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol42/42-51/2468.html) and scrolling down to ‘Continuing Education’ ,
under subsection:
40.67. Continuing education for licensed physical therapist. §
What continuing education course is the Northeast District offering for membership this year?
Topic: “Practical Approaches for Evaluating and Treating Individuals with Parkinson's Disease”
Speaker:
Heather Cianci, PT
Location:
Good Shepherd Rehab, Allentown
Date:
April 6th (Saturday)
Time:
9 am- 430 pm
Contact hours: 6 contact hours
Course Description:
This comprehensive course is designed to educate therapists on practical approaches to working with individuals
with Parkinson's disease. This course will provide therapists who work in a variety of settings with evidencebased strategies for evaluation and treatment options throughout the course of the disease, and will include a
hands-on lab to practice newly learned skills.
Register for the course by contacting (space is limited to 50):
Chapter Office at 800-962-7782
Or online at:
(https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=8uaugccab&oeidk=a07e6xearald5ccc57e&oseq=a0
2109f5u6oizp)
PT member (early bird) $150
PTA member (early bird) $100
Student member (early bird) $50
Call For Nominations:
The Northeast District currently has positions available! If interested, please submit your name NO LATER than
April 1, 2013. The responsibilities for each committee will be in the Northeast District Page, under ‘Northeast
Bylaws’ as a word document. If you cannot access these bylaws, but are interested in the positions posted, please
email Liz Marine (District Chair) at elizabethmarine@yahoo.com. The current available positions are as follows:
Nominating Committee Chair
PR Committee
Meeting Planner
Snapshot of Spring Meetings, mark your calendars!!! (updates online at ppta.org)
March: (Laurie Brogan will be sworn in as Vice Chair)
Topic:
“Arthroscopic Treatment of Hip Pain”
Speaker: Brett Gibson, MD
St. Luke’s Orthopedic Specialists, Bethlehem
Location: St. Luke’s Anderson Campus
Medical Building, 1700 Riverside Circle,
Suite 201, Easton, PA 18045
April
Topic:
”Evaluative Procedures”
Speaker: Michael Ross
Location: University of Scranton
May
Topic: “Practice Rule and Regulation Changes”
Speaker: David Kozich (TBA)
Location: Lehigh Valley Hospital
The Northeast District Sponsored a Member of Our District for the APTA “State Policy and
Payment Forum”! This continuing education event was completed on December 1-3, 2012. The focus of the
seminar was designed to increase involvement in and knowledge of state legislative issues that have an impact on
the practice of physical therapy, and to improve advocacy efforts at the state level.
Congratulations go to Perry Koslow, PT (of ProCare PT) for winning our $1,000 scholarship to attend this
seminar. We look forward to hearing from you, after the lecture, at our March meeting (March 12), and
appreciate your efforts in becoming an Advocate for our great profession!
The Northeast District will be sponsoring a Scholarship for our loyal PT/PTA Students to
attend an APTA CEU Approved Course or APTA/PPTA Conference of your choice!
You must be a member of the APTA to win. You must be a student within the Northeast District PPTA and
enrolled as a student within one of our PT/PTA programs. If you attend 4 out of our 6 monthly meetings (2013),
you will be entered into a drawing to win the $500 scholarship! The winner will be picked after our November
meeting (2013). Please write ‘SCHOLARSHIP’ in the ‘Contact Me’ spot, when you sign in to our monthly
meeting. Good Luck!
As always, the Northeast District PPTA thanks YOU for being involved in your professional
organization, our profession depends on it!