MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com - A part of the 1T - the "One Thing" you need for PT practice.

EIM Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program!!

EIM and Sports Medicine: The EIM Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program

EIM is excited to introduce its new Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program(SPTR)!  Dr. Teresa Schuemann has joined the EIM team as the SPTR content developer and director.  She is an experienced Program Director who has been Chair of the APTA Residency and Fellowship Credentialing Committee and now serves as one of seven members on the APTA American Board of Residency and Fellowship Education. 

“Going through a residency program was the best decision of my professional career”, states Dr. Teresa Schumann, SPTR director.  “I am thrilled to provide such and experience for other Physical Therapy clinicians.”

The SPTR is an 18-month program of post-professional clinical and didactic education for physical therapists designed to advance the physical therapist resident's preparation as a provider of client care services in sports physical therapy.  The SPTR incorporates key Orthopaedic Residency topics, such as Evidence-based Practice and Upper and Lower Extremity, with Sports specific courses, such as Emergency Response and SCS Prep.  The SPTR also requires Athletic Venue Hours in addition to Mentor Hours and Out Come Tracking. 

EIM’s SPTR is designed so that graduates will become highly skilled, autonomous practitioners who have substantially increased their ability to provide care to a full spectrum of clients with athletic injuries.  Sports Residents will gain a strong base of knowledge of evidence-based practice and preventative and rehabilitative sports therapy techniques.  Graduates will also be positioned to both achieve the Sports Certified Specialist (SCS) certification from the ABPTS and to be leaders in the sports physical therapy field.

The first cohort begins in June 2010 and the application deadline is May 1, 2010. 

Click here for additional details, SPTR FAQ’s, and the SPTR Fact Sheet.

Sen. Cornyn to Highlight Benefits of Prevention & Workplace Wellness at San Antonio's Frito-Lay Facility

AUSTIN—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, will be in San Antonio Thursday, January 14, to visit the Frito-Lay Food Manufacturing Facility and see how local company Fit For Work LLC is helping Frito-Lay employees prevent work-related injuries and lower health care costs. Studies show an emphasis on workplace wellness leads to a healthier and more productive workforce, along with savings on health costs. Sen. Cornyn will be briefed and have the opportunity to see a training demonstration in which Fit For Work staff will train Frito-Lay employees how to carry out their responsibilities at work in a way that promotes wellness and prevents injury.

Sen. Cornyn believes a focus on prevention and wellness must be central to broader health care reform efforts in Washington. He has introduced two bills that promote the concept of workplace wellness and disease prevention: the WHIP Act and the Healthy Workforce Act. The Workforce Health Improvement Program Act, or the WHIP Act, is a bipartisan measure that would level the playing field for small businesses that cannot afford to provide an on-site fitness facility for their employees. Specifically, it would allow employees to exclude from their federal taxes up to $900 of any off-site wellness benefit they receive from their employer.

In the same vein, the Healthy Workforce Act would provide a tax credit to companies that offer effective and comprehensive wellness programs for their employees.

• WHAT: Sen. Cornyn To Highlight Benefits Of Prevention & Workplace Wellness At San Antonio’s Frito-Lay Facility  
• WHEN: Thursday, January 14: 2:50 p.m. – briefing and demonstration & 3:30 p.m. – media availability
• WHERE: Frito-Lay Food Manufacturing Facility, 4855 Greatland Dr., San Antonio, TX  78218

Background on Fit For Work:

Fit For Work is a San Antonio-based company that is hired by labor-intensive businesses to provide their employees with injury prevention techniques. Fit For Work’s techniques include training, ergonomics, and identifying musculoskeletal disorders through on-site clinical diagnostics. Since Fit For Work implemented its program at the San Antonio Frito-Lay facility in 1998, Frito-Lay has seen an 86% reduction in injury frequency and has not experienced an ergo-related injury in the last 7 years. Frito-Lay estimates it has saved millions of dollars as a result of these preventive measures.

Physical Therapists and Contracts

Our family's traditional stocking stuffer extravaganza took place last week.  For those of you unfamiliar, this event is highlighted by driving for 10 minutes to find the last parking space at the mall, entering the mall and hearing Christmas music, negotiating the dollar limit for the stuffed stocking while eating the grease at the food court, determining the time limit to accomplish the feat, and of course, exchanging last minute wishes between our kids.  This tradition is for our kids and they are solely responsible for each others' stockings.

As our daughter and I embarked on our mission, we came upon this sign.  It made me pause and think.  This sign could be the future of physical therapists.  Really... John and Larry have shared (multiple times throughout the years) the contracts coming down the pipes.  If physical therapist business owners continue down the path of making life easy for referral sources by participating with all third party arrangements and accepting contracts that pay poorly because something is better than nothing, the one change that just might have to happen is reflected in this sign. 

How many physical therapists do you know that love their career so much they they would be willing to be paid $24.99/month? 

~Selena

Halloween and the Bundling Flaw

Larry gave me the most excellent idea.  Bundling the Cost of Care got me thinking about the future.

Last night was my initiation as a physical therapist gone negotiator!  I was 100% successful in acquiring THE largest pieces of chocolate candy (or whatever choice I wanted) out of the bucket!  In some cases, the whole bucket of candy was just handed to me!  (I was polite every time and smiled and said, "thank you.")

I am so ready to be at the service of any physical therapist that has to negotiate with some large hospital system for the payment of physical therapy services provided by an independent physical therapist.  Trust me, as your negotiator, I know how to walk quietly and carry a big stick.  Your company will survive this change; you and your family will survive this change.  I know you have to put food on the table and eat.  Call me and make my day... I am so ready to negotiate for you!

Physical therapists in independent practice really can't negotiate AND treat patients.  Consumers really should have quick access to physical therapists no matter where they practice; consumers should have the freedom to choose their physical therapist.  Seriously now... Larry didn't get any responses.  My humor won't solve the issue.  Really though, will the next growing field in the future be physical therapist gone negotiator? 

photo by dunechaser via Flick

~Selena

The Results of One Court Case Will Affect the Nation

Is an orthopaedic surgeon a "qualified health care provider" with regard to providing physical therapy services?

According to the Kentucky Supreme Court, yes, an orthopaedic surgeon can provide physical therapy services and is a qualified health care provider. What can I say? Over the last 6 years, the case went through the whole darn court system and a final ruling occurred in the Kentucky Supreme Court. The result... since section (1) proviso allows orthopaedic surgeons the authorization to provide physical therapy services, but since section (3) disallows the orthopaedic surgeon from referring to the services as physical therapy either directly or indirectly - an "absurd" situation is created. Apparently, the General Assembly wanted the statute to be considered as a whole and for all pieces within the statute to be relevant. The General Assembly would not want an absurd statute.  It all comes down to it being absurd that an orthopaedic surgeon can't offer and bill for physical therapy services provided by an athletic trainer using CPT 97001 and 97002.

Personally, I find it not only absurd but also illogical that an orthopaedic surgeon would be allowed to provide physical therapy services without a physical therapist providing services.

If we put some practicality into the situation... first of all, an orthopaedic surgeon is not in the clinic every day of the week.  The "surgeon" will have 1 or 2 days (or more) per week in an operating room, right?  So, when the surgeon is operating, the surgeon really can't be supervising any physical therapy services that might be concurrently provided within the surgeon's clinic right?  We'll forget about that reality for a minute.  When the surgeon IS in the clinic, what is the surgeon doing?  If we guesstimate the surgeon has an 8 hour working day, then that means the surgeon has basically 480 minutes.  Of that 480 minutes, the surgeon will probably have 20% downtime - waiting for radiographs or MRI results or conversing with other colleagues or documenting... that leaves 364 patient contact minutes.  Approximating an average of 10 minutes of surgeon-to-patient contact, a full day would be approximately 36.4 patients.  In that full day of surgeon-to-patient contact, does it seem reasonable that a surgeon would have the time to adequately address and supervise the provision of physical therapy services being provided by an athletic trainer?

Until third party payers eliminate referral for profit situations, the Kentucky Supreme Court opinion just may create ripples across the nation substantiating the legal right for physicians to provide physical therapy services.  Until consumers care enough to compare before they seek a physical therapist for their condition, the situation won't change.

Is it possible for physical therapists to create a viral message?  Physical therapy isn't physical therapy without a physical therapist. Put the PT in physical therapy. 

What are your thoughts?

~Selena

2010 International Private Practice Business Summit!!

Larry Benz at the 2010 International Private Practice Business Summit

 

Hello!

I would like to personally invite you to the 2010 International Private Practice Business Summit on January 22-24, 2010.  The Summit is a 3-day business meeting for private physical therapy practice owners. There will be more than a dozen experts presenting on topics related to the business of physical therapy and strategies for creating high performing and prosperous world-class clinics.  This Summit will motivate, inspire and teach everything you need to know to transform your clinic into a top-notch, competitive, enjoyable business. 

 

I will be presenting “Clinical Excellence Begins with World Class Customer Service”  on January 22^nd.  While physical therapy clinics are stressing their clinical expertise, practices with unprecedented focus on the customer experience and service excellence are gaining market share, “buzz”, and loyal repeat patients trumpeting their competition.  I will focus on the ultimate outcome of a physical therapy experience-an emotionally engaged, enthusiastic ambassador who has been impacted for life from treatment at your physical therapy clinic.   This session will give you the tools to deliver and sustain “the best” customer service experience for your patients.

 

Registration opens today, October 28.  If you register prior to November 19 you will receive an early decision maker discount.  Click here to register.  

 

Hope to see you there!

Larry

EIM Receives Small Business Award!!

EIM won the 2009 Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) Inc.credible Award for an outstanding small business. This award plays tribute to the top small businesses in the Louisville, KY area and EIM received the award for businesses with 10-49 employees. Nominated businesses were judged on the following criteria: community involvement, growth in employment, number of years in business, financial performance, innovativeness of product/service, and response to adversity. EIM was selected specifically for its flexible workplace model that has allowed for inc.credible talent attraction and cultivation. In recognition of EIM’s accomplishments, GLI states in their announcement that “EIM has created a genuinely unique on-line/on-site, best practice marketplace (an ‘educational-studio’) for the advancement of musculoskeletal physical therapy practice, incorporating a variety of educational strategies in a coordinated fashion, including; weekend courses, on-line courses, topical discussion threads, on-line journal clubs, and residency and fellowship degree tracks.” GLI went on to state, ”What makes EIM special is their founders and professional faculty. While administrative services are centralized, their network of subject matter experts (faculty/instructors/authors) reside throughout the US and occasionally beyond national borders. These experts would not be able to closely collaborate if required to reside in single or limited geographic location. Keeping this virtual office in mind, EIM developed and launched the first (and at this time, only) distance-leaning based residency and fellowship education model for physical therapists.” Thanks to everyone that has contributed to EIM’s success! Visit GLI’s website for more information.

Lights, Camera, Action

News... is it all about being IN the news or CREATING the news?  I suppose it depends on the content of the news.

I was completely impressed with a string of articles Google Alert fed me last week.  A reporter for Deseret News focused some health articles on low back pain, incontinence and physical therapists.  The "series" all started on May 7th with the topic for Saturday's Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline.  This wasn't just a lone announcement.  There was also an article published about incontinence and low back pain.  The news didn't stop there... on May 8th there was another article published about low back pain.  Amazingly, another article about chronic back pain and physical therapists was published on May 9th!  It won't be ending there either.  On the 15th answers to emails on the topic will be posted on deseretnews.com

Jake Magel, PT, DSc and  Susan McLaughlin, PT really did a nice job throughout that whole series.  I couldn't put my finger on it initially, but as I sit here writing, I can now tell you exactly why the whole series was impressive for me.  Jake and Susan were being "Freds."    They were sharing evidence in a manner that was genuinely helpful to the public yet at the same time not self-serving. 

When I see quality like those articles, for some reason, I have a need to reach out and learn more.   Poor Jake... he was the one in my line of fire.  Let's just say I peppered him with enough questions that I can give you all the scoop on how something like what he and Susan did can happen in your community.

It all started with an opportunity.  As with anything else in life, if you see an opportunity, you either take it or leave it.  If I am understanding correctly, the Intermountain Health public relations department has a working relationship with the Deseret News.  Apparently for the last 17 years, Intermountain Health and Deseret News have joined together to help the community in their health by offering health hotlines on predetermined topics.  Jake happened to be contacted by the PR department to see if he was interested in some sort of women's health related issue (being close Mother's Day and all).

The articles were published to meet a need.  Deseret News in working with Intermountain Health needed to have material in order to really reach the community.  I'd assume that just announcing a health hotline date, time and topic wouldn't capture participation of the community at large without some effort being put into educating the community to interest them enough to want to call in and learn more.

When Jake mentioned he and Susan were interviewed, I had this slight feel of anxiety in my gut.  Whoa... interview?  This wasn't some written "news release" kind of deal that was sent in to Deseret News?  Rest assured, the reporter didn't interview in person.  Jake and Susan just had to call in and have a conversation with the reporter.  I shouldn't say "just call in," because based on what I read in those articles, Jake and Susan had to have spent some time mentally preparing and envisioning what information would be the most relevant for the community.  The beauty of being an "expert" in something is that you will have more control of the information because the person interviewing you probably isn't going to know enough and will need your assistance in focusing on the relevant information.  (Now, Jake didn't say that, I'm just taking liberties with what he did say.)

Jake and Susan were the physical therapists involved in both the interviews and the hotline phone calls.  Jake indicated there wasn't any quiet time on Saturday from 10-noon and the calls actually started before 10 and continued after noon.  Jake thought about 60% of the calls were incontinence issues and 40% low back pain issues.  The feedback Jake received from PR was that Jake and Susan's session was "one of the 6 or 7 most successful" in the last 17 years.

At this point in time, Jake doesn't know the departmental impact the recent health hotline will have on referrals.  He did mention by Tuesday 3 new patients scheduled due to the articles.

The public really doesn't know the role physical therapists can have in improving lives.  As physical therapists, we really don't have training in marketing, interviewing or managing a business.  What Jake and Susan did probably isn't within our comfort zone.  At the same time, the unknown brings fear.  Often times that fear is just in our imaginations and holds us back from acting. 

Hopefully, the time Jake took responding to me can be helpful for you.  Who better than physical therapists to create the news about how we can help?  Even if it costs money to educate the public, I liked that Jake did mention there was an immediate response due to a need for the services of a physical therapist.  That means, from a business perspective, there will be some return on your investment.

Thank you, Jake, for sharing.  It was kind of fun learning this way.  I'm also sorry for interrupting you with so many questions...  I honestly didn't realize you were working on a deadline.  I'm assuming you have many emailed questions that need a response to be posted at deseretnews.com

~Selena

EIM's Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Awarded Status as an APTA Credentialed Program!

EIM's Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Awarded Status as an APTA Credentialed Program! Evidence in Motion’s Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program is now credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association as a post-professional clinical fellowship program. We are very excited to share this new, and we are thankful for the contributions made by so many talented, skilled, and hard-working professionals who helped to make this happen.

This is another important step for EIM in our work and mission to elevate the physical therapy profession and the role of physical therapists in health care delivery. In our residency and fellowship training programs, we seek to partner with and equip individual practitioners and physical therapy practices with premiere resources and training necessary for becoming leaders in evidence-based practice while creating and promoting a culture of evidence-based practice within the physical therapy profession. Our fellowship program, in particular, is structured not only to create highly skilled evidence based manual physical therapists, but also to mold and develop our fellows into leaders in our profession.

At EIM, we believe that post-professional residency and fellowship training for physical therapists is the most effective and efficient way to accomplish and realize the goals stated in APTA's Vision 2020 and we are committed to the task. We also believe our programs are unique in the ability to make accessible and provide post-professional residency and fellowship training to large numbers of physical therapists, including relatively new graduates, who otherwise would not be able to take advantage of this important aspect of professional development which is critical to the future of our profession.

Our programs are centered around an advanced distributed distance learning model that utilizes the BlackBoard Learning Management System for didactic instruction, group projects, and Virtual Grand Rounds. For the clinical mentoring component of our residency programs, we partner with high quality Network Partner practices across the nation that support and facilitate locally the clinical mentoring process for residents who are affiliated with or assigned to those Network Partner practices. For our fellowship program, we partner with Fellows of the AAOMPT who are eager to work together to move evidence based practice and the profession forward. The end result is that PTs who are motivated to go through post-professional education and training, but don't want to or are unable to move from their current location or place of employment, now have the opportunity to participate in a world-class post-professional residency or fellowship training program.

Here is a quote from one of our first Fellows-In-Training regarding the impact of fellowship training on his professional performance:

"When trying to figure out what I wanted to do next in reference to my professional development, I knew I wanted to do something that would alter the way I practice and change me as a clinician.  I knew after completing my DPT and becoming board certified in orthopedics that fellowship training was the next step.  I researched every fellowship listed on AAOMPT's website.  EIM was not listed as they hadn't been credentialed yet.  However, my company mentioned EIM to me and, after comparing what EIM had to offer as opposed to other programs, I was sold.  The faculty is well recognized in their research work, they are progressive, and they are change agents.  These are things I to aspire to be. 

In the last 9 months, I've become a more skilled clinician, much better at clinical reasoning, a more confident PT, and have created relationships with professionals who are always looking to better the profession and themselves, never being satisfied. 

Many great opportunities have already opened up for me and many more will likely follow due to this choice I've made.  I am excited to be a part of this program and I urge all who are considering fellowship in orthopaedic manual physical therapy to strongly consider EIM's program."

Our next class starts in June of 09. If have an interest in pursuing residency and fellowship training and would like to learn more or want to take the next step, you can find further details about our program on the residency/fellowship link of our website. Obviously e-mail and phone calls are always welcome.

Once again, thanks to the many folks who have made this achievement possible and we look forward to working with our current and future residents and fellows as well as our valued current and future Network Partner practices in order to make a lasting impact on our profession.

Sincerely,

The EIM Team

Do You Want to be "Compensated" Properly Too?

Larry beat me too it!