In this News Brief:
In Memoriam: Barbara Safriet
It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Barbara Safriet, a distinguished legal scholar, educator, and advocate whose work left a lasting imprint on health policy and professional regulation. Barbara passed away peacefully on March 21, 2025, at the age of 77.
She was appointed as the FSBPT Board’s first public member in October 2000, while serving as an Associate Dean of Yale’s Law School. Her initial one-year term turned into a commitment that lasted until her final term concluded in 2010. During her tenure she also served on multiple committees, including the Ethics and Legislation committee, the Referral for Financial Gain Task Force, and the Standard Setting PTA Task Force.
Barbara set an exemplary initial standard for what a public member could achieve on FSBPT’s Board of Directors. Her ability to bridge professional expertise and public interest was unmatched, leaving a model of service that continues to guide those who follow in her footsteps.
Barbara was also actively involved with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, contributing significantly to their initiatives. You can read more about her contributions in their obituary.
After rolling off the FSBPT Board, she stayed involved in many ways, including with the legal profession as a Professor at Lewis and Clark. Her dedication to FSBPT’s mission also continued through her work on the Licensure Compact Drafting Task Force, where she was one of the original visionaries for the PT Compact. She also continued to attend the Annual Meeting to connect with colleagues and contribute to important regulatory discussions.
In 2021, she brought her characteristic depth of insight when hosting the webinar, "How Can Boards Reckon with the Post-COVID Future while Grappling with Current Regulations." At a time when confusion and uncertainty reigned, her session provided clarity and emphasized the many opportunities highlighted by the emergency regulatory changes enacted during the COVID-19 crisis. Her ability to cut through complexities and foster meaningful dialogue greatly helped boards navigate the new landscape.
Even in moments of personal difficulty, such as when illness prevented her from traveling to an FSBPT conference, she remained gracious and self-deprecating, joking that she might “just spray [her] body with WD-40” to ease her symptoms.
Barbara’s correspondence with colleagues at the FSBPT reveals a person of deep integrity, humility, and humor. She was thoughtful in her approach to regulation, generous in her gratitude, and always mindful of the people around her. She had a deep commitment to FSBPT's mission and a genuine affection for its people. We will greatly miss her.
Get Ready for LIF!
Prepare your attendees for the Leadership Issues Forum (LIF): July 19-20, 2025!
Compile a list of items you would like to discuss with other member jurisdictions and the FSBPT Board of Directors. LIF is an excellent opportunity to have meaningful dialogue and discussion and provide input from your jurisdiction to your Board of Directors.
Are you sending a first-time delegate or funded administrator? This meeting also helps prepare them for their roles at the Delegate Assembly in October. Jot down your questions now!
We encourage you to discuss the above with your fellow board members and give your questions and topics to your LIF attendees.
The Slate for the 2025 Elections
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate for this year’s elections, to take place virtually during the Annual Education Meeting, October 23-25. Please read the Candidate Statements to learn more about the candidates.
The Nominating Committee will hold a Candidate Forum on July 14 in conjunction with the 2025 Leadership Issues Forum to introduce the 2025 candidates for the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. To register, please login to the FSBPT portal. You must be an FSBPT member to see the event. This will be followed by a Candidate Forum in the fall.
Please join FSBPT in thanking the 2025 Nominating Committee Members, Robert Friberg (chair), Adrienne (Stacy) Price, and Bernardine Evans, for their work this year.
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David Relling, ND
President |
Ruggie Canizares, OR
President |
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Michele Thorman, WI
Vice President |
Deanne Yates, KS
Vice President |
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Mario Baker, OH
Nominating Committee |
Anne Thompson, GA
Nominating Committee |
2025 Candidate Statement for the Council of Board Administrators (CBA)
We are pleased to announce that Missy Anthony (OH) will be running for this year’s 2025 CBA Chair. We encourage you to read her candidate statement:
I have enjoyed the challenge of working to grow the Council of Board Administrators over the past two years, and I feel as if the work has only started. One thing I have learned in over 26 years of state government experience is that networking is key. One of the best ways to find answers to problems is to collaborate and exchange ideas with someone else—especially those in similar positions.
I would love to continue as CBA chair for another term. I will listen to the membership and foster a dialogue that will help us all be able to access the resources we need to continue the goal of excellence in regulation. Another priority is to work with members of the CBA to support growing leaders among the CBA ranks. I am happy to be able to bring a cross-profession point of view to the CBA as the Executive Director of an agency that regulates a total of ten professions and is always aiming to do it as efficiently as possible. I look forward to hearing from everyone and working together!
Share Your Webinar and Annual Education Meeting Ideas!
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for 2025 webinars and in-person sessions at the 2025 Annual Education Meeting in Spokane, Washington.
If you have a specific idea, please submit a proposal. However, we are also interested in learning about jurisdictions' experiences with regulatory topics and your general ideas on what issues we should examine. We encourage all board members, administrators, and other stakeholders to share topics and ideas with us. You can also watch webinars and meeting sessions on FSBPT's YouTube Channel to learn what we've recently covered.
Model Practice Act Moment
Each month, we will focus on a different statute section from the Model Practice Act and its accompanying commentary. Learn more by reading the Model Practice Act.
Article 4: Regulation of Physical Therapy
4.06 Hearings
[No model statute language is offered under this section heading. See Commentary for additional information.]
- Issue a censure.
- Restrict a license [or certificate]. The board may require a licensee [or certificate holder] to report regularly to the board on matters related to the grounds for the restricted license [or certificate].
- Suspend a license [or certificate] for a period prescribed by the board.
- Revoke a license [or certificate].
- Refuse to issue or renew a license [or certificate].
- Impose a civil penalty of at least ____________ but not more than ____________. (Include minimum and maximum dollar amounts of civil penalties.)
- Accept a voluntary surrendering of a license [or certificate] based on an order of consent from the board.
Commentary
At the very minimum, there should be a statute paragraph referring to the jurisdiction’s Administrative Procedures Act. For jurisdictions that might have or feel that they have an inadequate Administrative Procedures Act, this statute section is appropriately placed at this point in the physical therapy practice act. Topics under this section may include:
- Authority to request hearings
- Authority to take disciplinary action after hearings
- Authority and procedure for notice of a formal hearing
- The right of anyone appearing before the board to be represented by counsel
- Authority to administer the oath to witnesses
- The right of a board to waive the technical rules of evidence in hearings
- The right to file a motion for rehearing or review of a board decision within a specified time period
- The right to appeal a disciplinary action
Available Funding Opportunities
The FSBPT Board is committed to supporting its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. Join the ranks of states, including Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and the Virgin Islands, that have all taken a big step toward both administrative efficiency and protecting the public. They are currently leveraging FSBPT Grants to enhance the ELDD, improve compact privilege implementation, and collect workforce data.
Your state should be next! Learn more about our available grants to help jurisdictions with enhancing your participation in or communication with our Examination, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database (ELDD), improving compact privilege implementation, or collecting workforce data.
FSBPT offers grant funding to support its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. If you are interested in receiving a grant, please send an email to FSBPT's CEO, William A. Hatherill summarizing what you would like to have funded and why it is important or how it can improve efficiencies for your board.
Upcoming Webinars
We are hosting multiple upcoming webinars within the FSBPT Portal, allowing you to easily access member resources, groups, and events all in one place! Be sure to register for these upcoming webinars:
Regulatory Hour with Dale Atkinson: Proactive Boards
August 20, 4:00 p.m. ET
Regulatory Hour with Jennifer Semko: Legal Landscape Related to Artificial Intelligence
September 30, 4:00 p.m. ET
Regulatory Hour with Dale Atkinson: Final Orders
October 15, 4:00 p.m. ET
Regulatory Hour with Paul Welk: Expanding PT Practice into Health and Wellness Services
November 18, 4:00 p.m. ET
Regulatory Hour with Dale Atkinson: A Year in Review
December 17, 4:00 p.m. ET
To register, please log in to the FSBPT Portal, select "Events," and click on the event you'd like to register for.
Send Us Additional Recipients
Do you know of any individuals or groups that would be interested in receiving our monthly News Brief? Do you have new board members or staff starting in 2025? Or did someone forward this to you, and you'd like to be on our list?
Please send any referrals our way! Contact us via email at communications@fsbpt.org with information, ideas, or suggestions.
We appreciate your collaboration in our effort to further our mission to protect the public.
FSBPT Forum: Close Encounters of the Unprofessional Kind: Advancing Boundaries Education in Physical Therapy
Regulators need to understand sexual misconduct and boundary violations in physical therapy, including power dynamics, informed consent, and cultural competency, to ensure ethical practices and patient well-being. This article is based on a 2024 Annual Education Meeting session presented by Sherri Paru, Mira Mariano, Samantha Mohn-Johnsen, and Michael Noonan.
Spotlight on Member Resources: Informed Consent Resources
The following resources may assist jurisdictions as they navigate informed consent in physical therapy.
Many Thanks to Our Volunteers
This month, we thank our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission.
- Exam Development Committee
In the News
FSBPT provides the following links for your education and awareness but does not endorse the content.
"French Doctor Who Sexually Abused Hundreds of Children Is Sentenced," Catherine Porter and Ségolène Le Stradic, The New York Times, May 28, 2025
"A former surgeon had confessed to abusing at least 299 people, mostly children, in what is considered the largest case of its kind in French history."
"Heartbeat of health: Reimagining the healthcare workforce of the future," McKinsey Health Institute, May 14, 2025
"Closing the healthcare worker shortage gap could eliminate 7 percent of the global disease burden and add $1.1 trillion to the global economy."
Board Report
This month’s board meeting concluded without any motions.
FSBPT Board of Directors
Members of the board of directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions.
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Stephen Curley Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia
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Craig Miller Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah
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David Relling Hawaii, New Jersey, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Virgin Islands
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Steven Scherger Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas
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Michelle Sigmund-Gaines Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
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Michele Thorman Delaware, District of Columbia, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin
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Krista Wolfe Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
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Charles E. Reiter The public member of the board does not serve as a liaison to jurisdictions
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Did you know...?
FSBPT’s Board of Directors wants members to know staff is available to assist any jurisdiction with writing statutory or regulatory language. When you are crafting new laws or regulations/rules, especially involving FSBPT products such as the NPTE or Coursework Tool, or controversial topics such as dry needling, FSBPT is a resource to remember!
Staff Contact Information
Staff Contact Information
If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you!
(703) 299-3100
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Subject
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Point of Contact/Email Address
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ADA accommodations
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Christine Sousa
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Assessment or examination development questions
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Lorin Mueller npte@fsbpt.org
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Continuing competence
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Jeffrey M. Rosa
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Credentials review
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Jaime Nolan, FCCPT
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ELDD- Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database participation
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eldd@fsbpt.org
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Exam registration processing
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Christine Sousa
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Foreign educated issues
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Leslie Adrian
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Immigration
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Jamie Nolan
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JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module
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JAM@fsbpt.org
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Legislation or Model Practice Act
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Leslie Adrian
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Meeting arrangements
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Paul Delaney
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NPDB reports/questions
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Angela Burnham
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PTC- Physical Therapy Compact
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compact@fsbpt.org
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PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool
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peat@fsbpt.org
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Reimbursement of expenses and other financial matters
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David Sigman, ext. 226
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School reports
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schoolreports@fsbpt.org
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Score transfer & reporting
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Christine Sousa
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SCP PET- Supervised Clinical Practice Performance Evaluation Tool
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scppet@fsbpt.org
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Security issues
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Susan Newman security@fsbpt.org
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Anything else, including news to share with members
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William A. Hatherill Caitlin Jennings Communications@fsbpt.org
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From the wild orange lily-covered banks of the Potomac, where the fish are faster, the fishing boats are longer, and the fishermen are still full of stories.
- William A. Hatherill, CEO
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