Guest guest Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Hello. I am often the one encouraging participation in and/ or through our professional associations. Perhaps it is in my direction that this comment is hurled. That is fine. There are times when all of us are too busy to attend meetings. I wish the spring APTA of land meeting were NOT the weekend of the Washington College vs. Salisbury lacrosse game, but it is EVERY YEAR! Some years I go to the game instead... The readers of this board are a rotating bunch, new ones come in, and perhaps some others (foolishly) stop checking out what is written here. Others scroll through ... haphazardly. I never stop offering being the chance to join, get involved, and get more involved. And often I try and come up with new ways to encourage involvement. They include: Just give cash to the PAC. Go to a meeting. Send a letter. Call your congressman. others I choose not to think of right now. There is a reason for this. Our association benefits maximally if more of us are involved. There are PTs out there who have heard this message but have not responded. There are those who have not gotten the message. There are others who have heard it, became discouraged, and fell from involvement. We continue to sound off, continue to send the message. One day, they will hear it. Maybe. But we should not stop the message, we should not stop trying to get more PTs on board. Regardless of the excuses, regardless of the explanations. Why? I dont know, but it sounds like something I learned in Bible school. Peace Simonetti DPT land > > I would like to caution those on this list serve that question others about their involvement in the APTA. First let me say I am a member. Second, I may not be as active in the organization as others, but I maybe the one coaching your son or daughters sports team, I maybe very activity in MS society, American Heart Association, run a stroke group in the community, teach the bible study at your church. This allows you the time and energy to be active in the organization of your choice. I also maybe writing letters to my congressman, financially supporting the APTA, etc... So just because I am not involved in a committee, attending meetings, or chosen to join the APTA actively that I don't support my profession. > > Kathy > > Re: Re: AOTA/APTA Dispute? > > > > > Kathy, > You have a good point, but I feel that we have to respect the role of an OT > in our health care community but not have to support their bid for direct > access as well as our own. By this, I mean that as a professional > association, the APTA does not represent the majority of PT's in this > country. As an APTA member, it bothers me that other PT's don't take an > active role in their professional organization. The reality is that more > OT's belong to their professional organization than PT's. As PT's we need to > continue to lobby for Medicare direct access for ourselves and respect the > same outcome for OT's. Since we don't have universal participation in our > professional organization, then we need to focus on our own efforts and > leave the OT lobbying for direct access to the AOTA. > > Connors, MPT > Greater Therapy Centers-Trinity > Carrollton, TX > > Re: AOTA/APTA Dispute? > > > > > > > > > > As a rehab director with all disciplines under my responsibility and > > as > > an OT I would like to share my perspective on this. I think most > > importantly we need to differentiate between direct access to care and > > > > direct access to payment. This seems to come up frequently as a point > > of confusion and one that clouds the true discussion. I don't believe > > anyone within rehab is against the concept of direct access. This > > means > > that we as professionals do not require a physician's order to be able > > to treat a patient. It makes sense from a cost savings perspective > > and > > from a patient care perspective. I think we, for the most part, can > > recognize when it is appropriate to refer back to a physician for > > medical management or any other discipline who may be able to provide > > care that is beyond our scope and ability. > > > > So what this really comes down to is money. All the direct access in > > the world won't make any difference if we don't get paid when the > > payers > > require a physician referral. This is where the Medicare direct > > access > > issue comes in. In my opinion, this is less about getting direct > > access > > to Medicare patients and more about getting paid to see these patients > > when a physician is not involved in the care. So why would the OT's > > be > > against this? > > > > Should Medicare allow direct access to payment to physical therapists > > and not to other disciplines, this will create a significant > > professional differential between physical therapists and other allied > > health professionals. Take hand therapy as an example. Both PT's and > > OT's practice in this domain. Under direct access for PT's, a > > patient > > requiring hand therapy could go directly to a PT to receive treatment. > > > > The alternative would be to see their physician, be evaluated for > > their > > clinical needs, and referred to an OT. The OT would then evaluate the > > patient, develop a treatment plan and request a certification for care > > from the physician with subsequent followups for recerts as needed. I > > think anyone would look at this and see why the OT's would be against > > such legislation that didn't include all disciplines. Couple this > > with > > the expanded PT standards of practice and the writing is on the wall > > that such legislation could potentially eliminate outpatient > > occupational therapy as a discipline. > > > > I'll be one of many OT's to admit that we have a reputation of > > allowing > > the PT's to break the ground ahead of us and to then try to follow up > > to > > take advantage of the gains made. However I question how much this > > has > > been the reluctance of OT's to fight the good fight and how much has > > been the desire of PT's to go it alone to achieve the goals of their > > professional organization. To my understanding, the OT's have also > > been > > advocating for direct access along with the PT's but there has been > > little collaboration from APTA on joining together to achieve this. > > > > I would ask those PT's who are at the front of the direct access > > movement to discuss why OT should not have direct access as well, and > > why it isn't in the best interest of our patients to open all of > > ancillary care to direct access and payment for our services. > > > > > > > > Redge L MS OTR/L > > Director of Rehabilitation Services > > on Hospital > > Bremerton, WA 98310 > > > > > > Administrative Assistant: > > Wanda Kotte: wandakotte@h... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Looking to start your own Practice? > > Visit www.InHomeRehab.com. > > Bring PTManager to your organization or State Association with a > > professional workshop or course - call us at 313 884-8920 to arrange > > PTManager encourages participation in your professional association. > > Join > > and participate now! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 In a message dated 12/8/2004 6:35:11 PM Central Standard Time, cmarti@... writes: I think that everyone participating in this lively discussion should reflect on why the Tri-alliance, comprised of PT, OT, and SLP, came to exist in the first place. The heck with the Tri-alliance, who needs it. Everyone is much better off without a large group pulling collectively toward a common goal. We can all accomplish everything we want on our own and probably get better terms without all of the administrative headaches and nightmares. I don't know about the rest of you, but I just tell insurance companies what I want and they all fall over backward to try to accomodate all of my dreams... And then I woke up and realized I wasn't living in fantasyland. Run as quickly as you can to join your professional association. Pay your dues, add your voice to the Tri-alliance and work together. Funny thing how BCBS has 40% of the covered lives in any given state. Anyone on their own out there ever able to get a penny more than BCBS dictated to you? Didn't think so. What if the Tri-alliance collectively walked away from BCBS terms in one state? While the above has no bearing on direct access, I think you can see the applicability to the issue. Off my soapbox now! Jim <///>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 I'm a little concerned by the following quote that I read in this ongoing debate: " Hear Hear!! I agree completely! We are totally different disciplines, organizations, etc. We don't speak for each other and I don't know why anyone would think that we should. " I think that everyone participating in this lively discussion should reflect on why the Tri-alliance, comprised of PT, OT, and SLP, came to exist in the first place. My understanding of the organization's mission is to further the advancement of each of the professions in a collective manner. In order to preserve a spirit of cooperation in the tri-alliance, we need our leadership to stick their necks out for each other, not just themselves. I don't believe that this is a naive or unrealistic expectation. We have OT's and PT's working cohesively in team models all across the country and there's no reason why that cannot exist on a national level in the tri-alliance. I don't know how exactly the events transpired in the direct access debate. I don't know for sure which national organization sent memos to whom. Really, I don't even care. The leadership in our national organizations need to realize that their constituancy understands the importance of the tri-alliance and the vision that it represents. Thanks, Curtis Marti, OTR/L Inpatient Coordinator or Therapies Hillcrest Medical Center Tulsa, Oklahoma cmarti@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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