CHIEF DELEGATE
By Robin Dole
Greetings members! As I sit to write this article for the Summer Newsletter, we
are just a few weeks from this year’s House of Delegates. By the time you are
reading this article, we will have completed 4 days of discussion, debate, and
decision-making in the heat of the Tampa spring. And there are certainly some
“hot” topics that are on the docket for this year’s House! Here are some things
that you might want to get up to date about:
1) Physical Therapy Practice Models/Delivery of Care – At last year’s House
of Delegates, the association made a significant step forward regarding the
way in which we currently practice as well as how we envision practice in
the future. At the center of that debate is the use of “other personnel” in
addition to the PTA in the delivery of physical therapy service. There are
valued and worthwhile opinions on both sides of this debate, and over this
past year a task force investigated this issue from many perspectives and
through several lenses. The report of that task force has generated several
motions to come before the House this year. To learn more about the work
of the task force – visit:
http://www.apta.org/VolunteerGroups/TaskForce/DeliveryofPhysicalThera
py/
2) Educational Preparation – There are several motions that relate to the
entry-level preparation of PTs and PTAs. With over 95% of all accredited PT
programs offering the DPT, one of those motions is designed to make an
official position of the association with regard to the DPT as the required
degree to enter practice. Two other motions relate to whether and how
PTA education should be changed to reflect changes in the practice of
physical therapy. These issues are likely to be closely tied, of course, with
the outcomes of the discussion above!
3) Governance Review - And if we are talking task forces, we should mention
another group that has been working for quite some time to look at overall
“governance” within the APTA. The major decisions regarding the work of
that group is still a year away at the 2013 House – but you may want to
take a look at what is proposed to be a significant change in the way our
association works – read more at: http://www.apta.org/governancereview/
4) Resources for Practice – Several of the motions this year relate to creating
or updating resources for practicing therapists. This includes resources for
acting as an expert witness, practicing in an emergency department,
creating best practices and opportunities to engage “new professionals”,
and considerations for the use of social media. In Pennsylvania, we are
especially fond of the motion we put forth which would create
complimentary access to some basic level tools for evidence based practice
(e.g. Hooked on Evidence)for all physical therapy practitioners worldwide.
If you haven’t visited these resources in a while, you may want to test drive
the beta version of APTA’s latest resource – PTNow – visit:
http://www.apta.org/ptnow/
Those are just some highlights but by no means all of the “hot topics” that will be
whirling around the city of Tampa in June. Thank you to those in the various
districts who attended your May meetings to discuss general business and gave
feedback on the motions that will be up on the floor of the House this year! Your
feedback and your opinions are important to us, we are there to be
representatives of the membership and we value your input! Enjoy your summer!
DISTRICT NEWS
NORTHWEST
By Eddie St. Clair, District Director
The Northwest District has been active and evolving in 2012. The district has
been active hosting a number of events. The NWD held a continuing education
course on March 31st: Manual Physical Therapy of the Peripheral Joints, with
instructor Ronald Schenk, PT, PhD, OCS, AAOMPT, Cert.MDT. Thank you to NWD
member, Chris Bailey, DPT for doing such a fine job on organizing the course. This
event was followed by a fundraiser on April 11th for legislative affairs and was
held at Mercyhurst College. It was a dinner arranged by Janis Haas, PTA. On May
8th, newly elected NWD chair, Eddie St.Clair, DPT CHT attended the Legislative
Training Day in Harrisburg where members were given a chance to meet and
discuss issues with representatives and senators. The NWD held its spring
meeting on May 15th at Gannon University were delegate Greg Waite discussed
the RC’s to be voted on at the Annual Meeting in June.
As for evolving, the NWD has undergone some changes. The district has had the
benefit of being led by Greg Waite over the past few years however, as most
members know, Greg has demonstrated a deeper commitment to the profession
and Pennsylvania’s membership by running for and winning the election for
incoming Chapter President. Congratulations to Greg and we look forward to
your leadership in the challenging years in healthcare to come. As Greg
advances, Eddie St.Clair DPT has moved from the position of Vice Chair into the
position of Chair for the NWD. There will be other new faces in the district as we
enter new terms and elections for many of the officer and committee positions.
There has also been continued work on review of bylaws lead by Mary Nelson, PT.
As for the future, the NWD has its PAC golf outing fundraiser is scheduled for
Tuesday August 7th at Venango golf course. The event is organized by Pam
Reynolds, PT. And finally in early fall, there will another district meeting before
annual conference on September 18th were the NWD will hold a round table
discuss on district and practice issues.
SOUTHWEST
By Jeff Rothman, District Director
The Spring 2012 Programming and Activities of the Southwest District of the PPTA
were met with anticipation and excitement by our valued membership.
Our April membership meeting was held on April 13, 2012, hosted by Western
Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Oakland, PA. Our formal educational
session was presented by a teacher of the visually impaired, Tara McHugh. Tara
was knowledgeable and energetic and provided some great interaction with the
audience. All in attendance donned visual impairing goggles or patches then we
were mobility trained around the building. In addition, we learned how to
overcome communication barriers that may lie between the patient and physical
therapist. In addition, we introduced and recognized our newest SWD APTA
Clinical Specialists for their commitment to professional development as part of
our general membership meeting held thereafter. Thank you to our Education
Committee for your continued efforts in providing quality programming to our
district!
Thank you to all who made our 4th Annual Southwest District of the PPTA MiniCombined Sections Meeting a success! I'd especially like to thank our committee
members and volunteers for their time and support! A big thank you to the
following Southwest District members/professionals for the expertise and
presentations: G. Kelley Fitzgerald, PT, PhD, OCS, FAPTA; Theresa Miller-Ferri,
PT, PCS; Regina A. Fenton, RN, MSN, CRNP; Amanda Pozarnsky, CP; Judith A.
Schaad, PT, CWS, CLT-LANA; Kathleen Brandfass, PT; Rock Heyman, MD. With
around 142 attendees, it was another successful event! We look forward to
preparing for next year’s event.
Our final spring membership meeting was held on May 8, 2012 hosted by
Duquesne University and the School of Physical Therapy led by Dr David Somers,
with an educational session held by our SWD Delegation including Karl Gibson,
Nancy Shipe, Missy Criss, and Kathy Brown to provide insight and overview to
the Reference Committee Motions put forth for the upcoming APTA HOD. A big
thanks to their time and efforts in representing the SWD in Tampa for the 2012
House of Delegates.
Our 7th Annual PT PAC Fundraiser at PNC Park will be held June 23, 2012 at PNC
Park…home of the Pittsburgh Pirates!! An afternoon pregame tailgate coupled
with the arrival of the Detroit Tigers will make for a wonderful afternoon of fun!
Hopefully a Pirates win as well  We look forward to seeing all our valued
members, students, and families in attendance. A special thanks to all for their
support and to Tennille Marie, SWD PT PAC Coordinator, Paul Welk, (ex-officio
coordinator) for his assistance in planning and the committee made up of Larry
Marie and Jeffrey Rothman (Chef Jeff) for their tailgating skills!
WESTCENTRAL
By Steve Podratsky, District Director
On April 21st, the Westcentral District offered a continuing education course at St.
Francis University. Using the Evidence: “Evidence Based Strategies for
Examination and Treatment of Common Cervical, Thoracic, and Upper Extremities
Pathologies: Skills Acquisition and Skills Check Lab Included”.
Instructors were Steven T. Gough, PT, DPT, MS, OCS and Rajiv Sawhney, PT, DPT,
MS, OCS. We had 12 clinicians attend the continuing education course.
On March 31st, the Northwestcentral Sub district of the PPTA hosted a continuing
education seminar on “Clinically Applied Biomechanics for the Tibio-femoral Joint:
Implications for Evaluation and Treatment” at Dubois Regional Medical Center.
Instructors were G. Kelley Fitzgerald, PhD, PT, FAPTA and Shawn Farrokhi, PT,
DPT, PhD.
The PAC fund raiser wine dinner will be held now in the fall. Details will be sent
out after the August Executive meeting.
Thanks to the St. Francis University students who presented their posters at the
district’s last meeting on May1st. Also special thanks to Sandy McCuen, PT who
was kind enough in her travels to present on “Direct Access in Pennsylvania”.
On April 10th Barb Duryea, MSN, RN reviewed clinical research and programs
available at the John P. Murtha Neuroscience and Pain Institute. On March 13
Dr. William Tyndall spoke on “Considerations and Post Surgical Management of a
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement”.
The fall schedule for the WCD meetings has been set. On September 11th at St.
Francis University, Ivan Mulligan, PT, DSc, SCS, ATC, CSCS and Mark Boland, PT,
MPT, OCS will present “Current Concepts in Concussion Management”.
On October 9th at the office of ENT Associates on 348 Budfield Street in Richland
Township (Johnstown) an Audiologist will present “VNG testing: interpretation,
results and implication for vestibular rehab”.
On November 13th Vantage Physical Therapy and Rehab (Ebensburg Office)
290 James Road, Ebensburg, PA 15931 will host an orthopedic topic to be
announced.
All meetings are scheduled to begin with social at 6:30 PM, guest speaker at 7 PM
with brief business meeting to follow.
The Westcentral District nomination for the fall election came to a close at the
last meeting on May 1st. We received nominations for Chair, Vice-Chair, Delegate
and Nominating Chair. Ballots will be sent out electronically and results will be
tallied in the fall
STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY
Patient/Client Management
by Sandra Phipps, PT
Member, PPTA Ethics Committee
The profession of physical therapy is committed to promote optimal health and
function in individuals by pursuing excellence in practice. The House of Delegates
of the APTA adopted and promoted the Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy
to provide guidance for therapists to fulfill this commitment. These standards are
our profession's statement of conditions and performances that are essential for
provision of high quality professional service to society, and provide a foundation
for assessment of physical therapist practice. One of the areas addressed is in
patient/client management.
The Physical Therapist of Record is the therapist responsible for the patient/client
management and is accountable for the coordination, continuation and
progression of the plan of care for that individual. The PT and the patient/client
establish and maintain an ongoing collaborative process of decision making that
exists throughout their service. The PT performs an initial
evaluation/examination to establish a diagnosis and prognosis prior to
intervention.
The therapist then establishes a plan of care and manages the needs of the
patient/client based on the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, goals
and outcomes of the planned interventions for identified impairments, activity
limitations and participation restrictions. The physical therapist involves the
patient/client and appropriate others in the planning, implementation, and
assessment of the plan of care. Finally, in regards to the plan of care, the
therapist, in consultation with appropriate disciplines, plans for discharge of the
patient/client taking into consideration achievement of anticipated goals and
expected outcomes, and provides for appropriate follow-up or referral.
It is up to the physical therapist to provide, direct and supervise the physical
therapy intervention consistent with the results of the examination, evaluation,
diagnosis, prognosis and plan of care.
The physical therapist will periodically reexamine the patient/client to evaluate
progress or change in the patient/client status and modify the plan of care
accordingly or discharge physical therapy services. The physical therapist
discharges the patient/client from physical therapy when the anticipated goals for
the patient/client have been achieved. Physical therapy services are discontinued
when the patient/client is unable to continue to progress towards goals or the
physical therapist determines the patient/client will no longer benefit from
physical therapy.
It is the responsibility of the physical therapist to communicate, coordinate, and
document all aspects of patient/client management including the results of the
initial examination and evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, plan of care,
interventions, response to interventions, changes in patient/client status relative
to the interventions, reexamination, and discharge/discontinuation of
intervention or other patient/client management activities.
In addition to the Standards of Practice, the House of Delegates also adopted the
Code of Ethics for Physical Therapists and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the
Physical Therapist Assistant. These documents direct therapists to adhere to
excellence in standards of behavior and performance by delineating the ethical
obligations expected of all therapists. Several Principles/Standards within these
documents specifically address patient/client management.
Principle 2 in the Code of Ethics for physical therapists mandates that physical
therapists shall provide information necessary and shall collaborate to empower
patient/clients and/or surrogates to make informed decisions about his/her
physical therapy care. Similarly, Standard 2 in the Standards of Ethical Conduct
for the Physical Therapist Assistant directs the physical therapist assistant to
provide information regarding interventions that they provide.
Principle 3 of the Code of Ethics states that physical therapists shall be
accountable for making sound professional judgments. This includes judgments
that are in the patient/client’s best interest and that are informed by professional
standards and current evidence. This principle also directs physical therapists to
communicate with, collaborate, and refer to peers when necessary. Finally,
Principle 3E directs physical therapists to provide appropriate direction of and
communication with physical therapist assistants and support personnel.
Standard 3 of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant
provides similar direction to the PTA regarding sound decisions within the scope
of practice and level of competence, and states that the PTA shall provide
interventions under the direction and supervision of the PT, with ongoing
communication when the plan of care requires modifications.
Finally, Principle 7 of the Code of Ethics states that physical therapists shall
promote organizational behaviors and business practices that benefit
patient/clients and society. Specifically, physical therapists are mandated to
promote practice environments the support accountable professional judgments;
seek deserved remuneration; ensure that documentation and coding for services
accurately reflect the nature and extent of the services provided. Standard 7 of
the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant contains
similar language regarding supporting ethical and accountable work
environments, and assuring accuracy in documentation.
Embedded in the Code of Ethics are references to the core values for
professionalism in physical therapy. Once again, many of the areas support the
standards of practice for patient/client management.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Responding to the patient/client's goals and needs.
Communicating accurately to others (payers, patients/clients, other health care
providers) about professional actions. Participating in the achievement of health
goals of patients/clients and society.
ALTRUISM: Providing patient/client services that go beyond expected standards
of practice. Completing patient/client care and professional responsibility prior to
personal needs.
COMPASSION/CARING: Being an advocate for patient's/client's needs.
Communicating effectively, both verbally and nonverbally, with others taking into
consideration individual differences in learning styles, language, and cognitive
abilities. Designing patient/client programs/interventions that are congruent with
patient/client needs. Empowering patients/clients to achieve the highest level of
function possible and to exercise self-determination in their care. Focusing on
achieving the greatest well-being and the highest potential for a patient/client.
Attending to the patient's/client's personal needs and comforts.
EXCELLENCE: Internalizing the importance of using multiple sources of evidence
to support professional practice and decisions. Demonstrating high levels of
knowledge and skill in all aspects of the profession. Using evidence to
consistently support professional decisions. Pursuing new evidence to expand
knowledge. Sharing one's knowledge with others.
INTEGRITY: Adhering to the highest standards of the profession. Taking
responsibility to be an integral part in the continuing management of
patients/clients. Knowing one's limitations and acting accordingly. Recognizing
the limits of one's expertise and making referrals appropriately.
PROFESSIONAL DUTY: Demonstrating beneficence by providing "optimal care".
Facilitating each individual's achievement of goals for function, health, and
wellness.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Advocating for the health and wellness needs of society
including access to health care and physical therapy services. Ensuring that
existing social policy ins in the best interest of the patient/client. Advocating for
changes in laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines that affect the physical
therapist service provision.
Our professional organization has multiple documents to guide us (physical
therapists/physical therapist assistants) as we are in the profession of physical
therapy. The following are links to the documents referenced in this article:
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy:
http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/HOD/Practice/St
andards.pdf
Code of Ethics:
http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/HOD/Ethics/Cod
eofEthics.pdf
Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant
http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/HOD/Ethics/Sta
ndards.pdf
Professionalism in Physical Therapy: Code Values
http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/BOD/Judicial/Pr
ofessionalisminPT.pdf
The PPTA Ethics Committee welcomes questions and comments on the Standards
of Practice and related ethical obligations and core values of professionalism. We
also welcome comments on all of our publications and presentations, and
encourage individuals to make recommendations for topics they would like to see
addressed in the future. Finally, the PPTA Ethics Committee encourages
members, non-members, and the public to take advantage of the consultative
and educational services that the Committee provides.
Mary Ann Wharton, PT, MS, Chair
Sandra Phipps, PT
Leesa DiBartola, PT, EdD, CHES
Tammy Frey, PTA
COMMITTEE NEWS
MEMBERSHIP
By Susan Kreinbrook, Co-Chair
As we approach the new semester, we wanted to promote our 3rd annual
Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Student Leadership Award. The student award is
based on the criterion of leadership, APTA involvement, and community
involvement. The application for this award can be found on our newly renovated
www.ppta.org. Please consider nominating a deserving student member! Each
year we are excited to find the talent we have in our own chapter and see the
wonderful things our students do for the profession and association!
Please if you have not yet, take a moment to visit our new website and forward
any feedback to your membership committee via email to
kreinbrook@gmail.com. We want to take your input to continue to improve the
site. This ongoing renovation is a direct membership benefit!!
We also wanted to remind you that the state board of PT has notified us that they
will be unable to enforce the CEU requirements for the 2011-2012 renewal cycle
however intends to enforce the 30 credits for the 2013-14 cycle. Please note that
all direct access certificate holders must still get their CEU's for the 2011-12 cycle.
Congratulations to the recent PT and PTA graduates! Just a reminder to renew
your APTA membership within 6 months of expiration in order to take advantage
of the half price career starter dues. Also, with your career starter membership
renewal, you will be able to attend APTA Annual Conference 2013 for free. A
tremendous opportunity and savings!
PUBLIC RELATIONS
By Don Shipe, Chair
In 2011, the PPTA Board of Directs charged the PR chair and a committee to
develop message/messages to be used to market direct access to legislators,
payors and the public. The message(s) should include information about cost
savings whenever available, outcomes and availability of direct access
practitioners. The committee includes: Craig Ruby, Jim Culley, Sandy McCuen,
Carole Galletta and Eddie St.Clair. The committee held two formal GoTo meeting
to work on this charge. Each member performed research and then provided
data to support the charge. The data was organized, reviewed, revised and finally
put into print form for review by the BoD at the April meeting. The final product
was a document that reads like an owner’s manual, a “how to” guide for direct
access. The document was issued to all district directors and the chapter office.
A copy of this manual can be purchased at cost from the chapter office.
There has been a changing of the guards in the PR chair position. Eddie St.Clair
has assumed the position of chair for the Northwest District and had sought a
replacement for the PR position. Don Shipe has agreed to accept the role as PR
Chair for the PPTA. “It has been an honor to work in a capacity that represents
this profession. Thank you for that opportunity”, Eddie St.Clair, DPT.
Don comes from the Northcentral district where he has been serving as the Vice
Chair since the beginning of the year. He has served as the PR chair for the district
prior to that and has some experience working with Eddie. Don works in
outpatient private practice at Lycoming Physical Therapy in Montoursville and is
married to a fellow PT, Tiara, who serves as the district’s Professional
Development and PR chairs. They are expecting their first child, a son, in August.
“I feel that Eddie has done a great service to the PPTA and physical therapy in
general in his term as the PR chair. He has given me a great platform to run with. I
have a lot of ideas, hopefully some are even good haha. All kidding aside, I am
looking forward to learning this process and hitting the ground running while
working with all other PPTA participants.
I am excited for PT month in October and promoting our profession to the public,
members, and non-members alike.
A main goal of mine is to get everyone as involved as I can with PR projects. My
door is always open so to speak so please e-mail me with any thoughts, ideas,
comments, etc at any time at dshipe@lycomingpt.com. I am blessed and honored
with this opportunity and I will not disappoint.”
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS
By Ann Lowrey, Chair
It is now the beginning of May. We are looking forward to the House of
Delegates that will be held in Tampa, FL the beginning of June. I hope you have
been keeping up with all of the information concerning the PTA at your local
district meetings. Changes abound and we do not want left behind.
We have noted on our website a few individuals who have achieved the Advanced
Proficiency from the APTA. We would definitely like to see more names there!
So…if you have achieved this and I am missing your name, send me an email. If
you have yet to look into this, please do so. Continuing Education is vital to being
the best PTA possible and to provide optimal evidence based care. There is also a
new Career Pathways launching in June during APTA’s Annual Conference. It will
begin with the Section on Geriatrics.
The PTA SIG this year will be voting on the PTA Caucus Representative. If there is
an individual you would like to nominate, please let our chapter office know and
the information will be forwarded to the nominating committee. Attendance at
PPTA’s Annual Conference will give you the opportunity to vote.
The PTA SIG will join the Acute Care SIG for our educational programming at this
year’s annual conference. We will then have a business meeting immediately
following the program. We look forward to seeing you there!
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” Albert Einstein
REIMBURSEMENT NEWS
By Sandy McCuen
Keeping up with Regulation and Reimbursement Issues
The PA Chapter of the APTA offers members a direct and timely way to receive
reimbursement and regulation information. If you are a member and would like
to be on the Reimbursement Blast email list, contact the PPTA office through
email at PAPTASSN@aol.com and request that your email address be added to
the Blast list. All PTs and PTAs requesting to receive Blasts must be members of
the PPTA. If you are administrative staff working with a PPTA member, just give
us the member number of your colleague and you can submit your email address.
Reimbursement Specialist Member Benefit
As a PT or PTA member of the PPTA, you or your support staff may contact the
PPTA Reimbursement Specialist for current information on reimbursement and
regulatory issues or to help solve related problems. Contact information is
sandra.mccuen@verizon.net or 717.623.6135. If you email, please include your
name and, if you’re not a member, the PPTA member’s name and number that
you work with, in the message and always complete the subject line.
ICD-10 and Version 5010 Transactions
Enforcement of version 5010 electronic transactions has been delayed by CMS
through June 30, 2012.
Providers should note that the agency did not rescind the January 1, 2012,
compliance deadline, and CMS is urging providers to take advantage of the
additional three months this latest delay provides to "complete outstanding
implementation activities, including software installation, testing and training."
Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed delaying implementation of ICD10. If this finalizes, Physicians, hospitals, clinical laboratories, pathology groups,
and other providers (PTs) will have an additional year before they must comply
with ICD-10. Instead of October 1, 2013, compliance would be required as of
October 1, 2014.
Medicare Therapy Cap to Affect Hospitals October 1, 2012
Therapy services furnished in an outpatient hospital setting have been exempt
from the application of the therapy caps. However, The Middle Class Tax Relief
and Job Creation Act of 2012 (MCTRJCA), requires Original Medicare to
temporarily apply the therapy caps (and related provisions) to the therapy
services furnished in an outpatient hospital between October 1, 2012, and
December 31, 2012.
Although the therapy caps are only applicable to hospitals for services provided
on or after October 1, 2012, in applying the caps after October 1, 2012, claims
paid for outpatient therapy services since January 1, 2012, will be included in the
caps accrual totals.
Use of the KX modifier to attest the therapy exceeding the therapy cap amount is
medically necessary will be available to hospital outpatient services.
Medicare Therapy Cap Manual Exception Process to return October 1, 2012
The therapy cap amounts for 2012 are $1880 for occupational therapy services,
and $1880 for the combined services for physical therapy and speech-language
pathology. Suppliers and providers will continue to use the KX modifier to request
an exception to the therapy caps on claims that are over these amounts. The use
of the KX modifier indicates that the services are reasonable and necessary, and
there is documentation of medical necessity in the patient’s medical record. On
October 1, 2012 the therapy services accrued toward the cap amount will be
recalculated to include outpatient services the beneficiary may have received in a
hospital based department from January 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012.
For services provided on or after October 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2013, if
the accrued amount is $3700 a mandatory medical review will be required to
determine the medical necessity of additional therapy services. There will be one
annual per-beneficiary threshold each for 1) Occupational Therapy (OT) services,
and 2) Physical Therapy (PT) services and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
services combined.
Claims for services at or above the therapy caps or thresholds for which an
exception is not granted will be denied as a benefit category denial, and the
beneficiary will be liable. Although Medicare suppliers and providers are not
required to issue an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) for these benefit category
denials, they are encouraged to issue the voluntary ABN as a courtesy to their
patients requiring services over the therapy cap amounts ($1,880 for each cap in
CY 2012) to alert them of their possible financial liability.
NPI Requirement for the Physician or Non-physician Practitioner Certifying the
Medicare POC Required
The requirement will be implemented October 1, 2012. Providers should report
the NPI of the physician/NPP certifying the therapy plan of care in the Attending
Physician field on institutional claims for outpatient therapy services, for dates of
service on or after October 1, 2012.
For claims processing purposes, the certifying physician/NPP is considered a
referring provider and such providers must follow the instructions in Chapter 15,
Section 220.1.1 of the "Medicare Benefit Policy Manual"
(http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Guidance/Manuals/Downloads/bp102c15.pdf) for reporting the
referring provider on a claim.
Claims without at least one referring provider, including his/her NPI, will be
returned as unprocessable with the following codes:
 Claim Adjustment Reason Code 165 (Referral absent or exceeded).
 Remittance Advice Remark Code of N285 (Missing/incomplete/invalid
referring provider name) and/or N286 (Missing/incomplete/invalid
referring provider number).
Capital Blue Cross Seeking Providers to Participate in Outcomes Project
If you are a CBC provider, you are eligible to participate in the use of the Activity
Measure for Post Acute Care (“AM-PAC”) tool. Capital BlueCross will offer free
access to the web based AM-PAC tool available to members (beneficiaries) so
they can track their functional recovery as they progress through rehabilitation.
If you have not received an invitation letter to participate and would like to do so,
contract your provider representative.
Call for Abstracts for Presentation at the PPTA Annual Conference
The PPTA Research Committee invites abstracts for Research, Special Interest and
Case Reports for presentation at the Annual Conference (Lancaster, PA) October
26-28, 2012. These abstracts will be accepted for platform and poster
presentations. Abstracts which have been submitted or presented at other
conferences may be presented at the Chapter conference. Awards will be given
for the best research abstract and best case reports.
The closing date for the submission of abstracts is July 15th, 2012. Use electronic
mail and send abstract information as described below to:
Jane Wetzel, Chair, PPTA Research Committee wetzeljl@upmc.edu
Submission Instructions:
1. Email one file with the complete abstract with all identifying information as
outlined below. This file title should include the author’s last name.
2. Also email one file with complete abstract with NO identifying information.
This file title should only refer to abstract title.
3. When email is sent to above contact, subject heading should include: PPTA
Abstract Submission. Within the text of the email, include primary contact
name, mailing address, preferred phone contact number, and email
address. Note: Students should use a permanent address, not a school
address.
4. The submitting author must be the presenting author. Correspondence will
be with the presenting author only. The presenting author does not have
to be the first named author listed on the abstract.
Format Instructions:
 Typed, double spaced, 11 point font (preferably Ariel or Times New Roman) on
one 8½” x 11” page with a 1” margin on all sides. Limit the word count to 500
words not including title and authors.
 Identifying information must be single-spaced in the 1” top margin and
include:
1) Title in all CAPITALIZED LETTERS
2) Name(s) of the author(s) with the presenter’s name underlined
3) Place where the work was completed
4) Address of the presenter (enclosed in parentheses)
5) Acknowledgement of any financial support for the work being
presented
 In the lower left margin, indicate the email address of the presenter.
 In the lower right margin, indicate the category of your abstract (Research,
Special Interest or Case Report)and the preferred mode of presentation
(Platform or Poster)
Category Descriptions
Research reports are presentations of original scientific data collected by the
authors. Submissions with pending results will not be accepted. Any established
research approach, design or method will be welcomed. Abstract format for
research abstracts: Purpose/Hypothesis, Materials/Methods, Results,
Conclusions, Clinical Relevance.
Special interest reports include presentations of new services, programs or
theories and descriptions of innovative ways in which established methods have
been adapted to meet the needs of physical therapy practice, management,
education or policy. Reports concerned with the organization, regulation or
management of physical therapy services, education, research development and
service delivery will be considered in this category. Abstract format for special
interest reports: Purpose, Relevance, Description of project/initiative/topic,
Evaluation or Relevance, Conclusion/Implications
Case report abstracts include the application of physical therapy examination or
interventions to improve or document patient outcomes. Small subject sets or
case series may be included in this category. Abstract format for case report
abstracts: Background and Purpose, Case Description, Outcomes, Discussion
(includes Clinical Relevance)
Presentation Formats
Research, Special Interest and Case Reports may be made in one of the following
formats:
 Platform Presentation: A platform presentation is a 12-minute oral
presentation of a paper to a seated audience followed by 3 minutes of
question time, moderated by a chair.
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Poster Presentation: Posters are reports summarizing information using
brief written statements and graphic materials, such as graphs, charts,
figures and photographs mounted on a poster board, the dimensions of
which must not exceed the allocated space per poster (the size/type board
will be provided at the time of acceptance). Presenters will be assigned a
specific time when they will be at their poster for discussion with
conference participants.
Platform and poster presentations are considered by the PPTA Research
Committee to be of equal standing and judged by the same standards.
Selection Criteria
The following selection criteria will be used to review research abstract:
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Abstract written clearly and concisely
Title clearly describes the abstract
A clear purpose is stated
Relevance to the practice of physical therapy
Context within current evidence base presented
Method/approach applied appropriate to aims
Evaluation/analysis and results appropriately applied and interpreted
Strengths and weaknesses of work highlighted
Relevance and implications to physical therapy clearly expressed
Suggestions for further work made
Of interest to audience
All submitted abstracts will go through a blind peer-review process carried out by
the PPTA Research Committee reviewers.
Abstracts will be reviewed using specific criteria developed for each of the
research, special interest and case report categories. Selection will be based on
the abstract’s conformance to the stated criteria and standard of acceptance.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome no later than Sept 15th, 2012.
General Information
1. In keeping with PPTA’s policy, honorarium, fee or payment of expenses will
not be provided for presenters. Only individuals registering for the
conference may receive continuing education credit for attending approved
PPTA educational sessions.
2. Abstracts should address the current evidence, where it exists, the need for
further research, and areas of controversy in the literature. Any reference
to personal experience or hypotheses should be clearly labeled as such.
3. All presentations must adhere to the use of “people-first” language. A
person must not be referred to by disability or condition, and terms that
could be considered biasing or discriminatory in any way should be
removed (e.g. “person with a stroke” instead of “stroke patients”).
4. Any source of funding or support for the work being presented should be
acknowledged.
5. Presenters are responsible for providing all copyright permissions and
securing appropriate ethics review.
6. PowerPoint presentation will be the primary resource available for all
presentations except posters.
7. All presentation rooms provide the following standard equipment:
computer, projector, screen and microphone.
8. Poster presenters should bring supplies for mounting their posters.
9. Presenters SHOULD NOT use these sessions for marketing opportunities for
new products, equipment or organizations, nor to use the presentation
time to refute or denigrate competitors’ products.
10.All decisions of the PPTA Research Committee are final.
SCHOOL NEWS
DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
STUDENT
Congratulations to Erin Rocco, Class of 2013, recipient of the John A. Short Award
in Anatomy. This award is presented in memory of Dr. John Short in recognition of
his dedication to the personal and professional growth of all students in the
Rangos School of Health Sciences.
UNIVERSITY OF THE SCIENCES
Faculty and students were well represented at several events for the Philadelphia
Science Festival between April 20 and 29. Dr. Greg Thielman and students
manned a booth at the Science Carnival on stroke and stroke prevention. Dr.
Thielman, Dr. Karin Silbernagel, faculty member Lora Packel, and students
hosted an open lab day for high school students to learn about strength, flexibility
and power. Dr. Thielman, Dr. Silbernagel and students attended Science Night at
the Ballpark and talked about injury prevention focusing on Achilles tendon
rupture, and Dr. Silbernagel and students participated in Discovery Day at Clark
Park to talk about force in relation to jumping and basketball.
Student News
The annual Research Day was held on April 12, 2012 and our 3rd year DPT
students presented a total of 24 posters.
We are proud to have 55 DPT graduates this year at Commencement on May 23,
2012. Congratulations to all graduates and to the four students who received
university awards:
- Packman Family Award in Physical Therapy: Rosemary O’Mara, DPT
- Physical Therapy Faculty Award: Katherine Sieminski, DPT
- William B. Inverso, Jr., Award for Excellence in Physical Therapy Research:
Bianca Alves, DPT
- Maude E. Hunsberger Prize: Puja Desai, DPT
Faculty News
Publication
Silbernagel KG, Willy R, Davis I. Pre- and post-injury running analysis along with
measurements of strength and tendon length in a patient with a surgically
repaired Achilles tendon rupture. Journal of Orthopedics & Sports Physical
Therapy, Epub 25 January 2012.
Book Chapter
Alfredson H, Cook J, Silbernagel K, Karlsson J. Pain in the Achilles In: Brukner P,
Khan K (2012) Clinical sports medicine. 4th ed. ed. McGraw-Hill: Sydney; London;
2012:776-805.
Presentations
Silbernagel KG, Keynote Speaker at FoMM 2012, Forum on Manual Medicine at
Infracity, Upplandsväsby, Sweden March 22-24, 2012. Presentations: 1. Evaluation
of patients with an Achilles tendon rupture. 2. Painful tendons, What is the
problem? 3. How do we effectively treat painful tendinopathy?
Tefertiller C, French J, Lombardo L, Johnston TE. Conducting a Functional
Electrical Stimulation Program in the Clinic and at Home for People with SCI:
Perspectives from the Clinician and the Consumer. American Spinal Injury
Association conference, April 2012.