In this News Brief:
Please join us in congratulating our 2026 awardees! They will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at the Annual Education Meeting, October 22-24, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina.
Anne Thompson Richard McDougall LongTerm Service Award
Karen GordonRichard McDougall LongTerm Service Award
Missy AnthonyPresident's Award
Recently, the President and Vice President of the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy, Steven Scherger and Samantha Mohn-Johnsen, respectively, partnered with the Minnesota Chapter of APTA to present on informed consent and professional boundaries. Steven, who is also the Treasurer of FSBPT, and Samantha brought FSBPT-developed resources directly to practicing clinicians. Their session highlighted how informed consent is an ongoing process that supports patient autonomy and safety, while professional boundaries protect the therapeutic relationship and help prevent misconduct. When asked what meant the most to Steven about the opportunity, he said, “Our committees put enormous care into developing these materials and bringing them into a room full of practicing PTs and PTAs in Minnesota felt like closing the loop.”Samantha designed the session to connect these topics in practical ways—using case studies, discussion, and real-world examples to show how consent and boundaries work together in everyday practice.Minnesota’s work offers a model for other jurisdictions: partner with local associations, leverage existing FSBPT resources, and engage directly with licensees to strengthen public protection. “You don’t have to start from scratch,” Scherger noted. “The resources are already there…What we did in Minnesota can genuinely be replicated in any of the fifty-three jurisdictions.” Conversations are already underway about expanding these efforts—including sessions at the Annual Education Meeting and presentation templates—so keep an eye out for even more tools your jurisdiction can use to engage licensees and support safe, ethical care.
Prepare your attendees for the Leadership Issues Forum (LIF): July 18-19, 2026!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 Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate for this year’s elections, to take place virtually during the Annual Education Meeting, October 22-24. Please read the Candidate Statements to learn more about the candidates.The Nominating Committee will hold a Candidate Forum on July 13 at 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with the 2026 Leadership Issues Forum to introduce 2026 candidates for the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. This will be followed by a Candidate Forum in the fall. Members can register for the July forum on the FSBPT Member Portal.Please join FSBPT in thanking the 2026 Nominating Committee Members, Adrienne (Stacy) Price (chair), Bernardine Evans, and Mario Baker for their work this year.
Michelle Sigmund-GainesOregonDirector 2
Jonathan BirdIdahoDirector 3
Krista WolfePennsylvaniaDirector 3
Justin BerryNorth DakotaNominating Committee Member
Susan GileKansasNominating Committee Member
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for 2026 webinars.
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.
The FSBPT Board supports its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. Join the ranks of states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, the Virgin Islands, and West Virginia, that have all taken a big step toward both administrative efficiency and protecting the public. They are currently leveraging FSBPT funding to enhance the ELDD, improve compact privilege implementation, and collect workforce data.
Your state should be next! Learn more about how FSBPT can help your jurisdiction to improve participation in our Examination, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database (ELDD), improve compact privilege implementation, or collect workforce data.
FSBPT offers funding to support its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. If you are interested in more information, please send an email to FSBPT's CEO, Susan Newman, summarizing what you would like to have funded and why it is important or how it can improve efficiencies for your board.
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:
July 2026 Regulatory Hour with Amigo WadeExploring Regulatory Board Authority: Powers and Limitations
July 7, 4:00 p.m. ET
August 2026 Regulatory Hour: Dale Atkinson
August 18, 4:00 p.m. ET
September 2026 Regulatory Hour: Amigo Wade
September 8, 4:00 p.m. ET
October 2026 Regulatory Hour: Dale Atkinson
October 6, 4:00 p.m. ET
November 2026 Regulatory Hour: Jennifer Semko
November 17, 4:00 p.m. ET (Tentative)
December 2026 Regulatory Hour: Dale Atkinson
December 15, 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.
Each month, we will focus on a different statute section from the Model Practice Act and its accompanying commentary. For 2026, the Model Practice Act Moment will focus on Article 3: Examination and Licensure. Last year, in 2025, we covered one of the twelve sections under Article 4: Regulation of Physical Therapy each month. Learn more by reading the Model Practice Act.
3.05 License [or Certificate] RenewalA. A physical therapist applying for renewal of the license shall:
B. A physical therapist assistant applying for renewal of the license [certificate] shall:
Commentary
Although at this time, there is no specific model language for statute or regulation suggested for jurisdictions when shifting to a continuing competence model, there are some elements that are recommended. First, the language must state “continuing competence” activities rather than continuing education. Second, a minimum number of continuing competence units for re-licensure should be established. Third, an approval process of “continuing competence” activities should be established. Fourth, a determination must be made of the minimum standard continuing competence activities must meet in order to gain approval. Fifth, the jurisdiction must retain the ability to designate an outside body to do the approval of “continuing competence” activities. Finally, the jurisdiction should in some way require evidence of accomplishment by the participant of the required minimum standard.
Additionally, there are suggested principles to consider when implementing a continuing competence model which will need to be communicated:
AI is being used in physical therapy education and assessment to support tasks like item writing, formative assessment, and simulated learning. This article is based on a presentation at the 2025 Annual Education Meeting by Kimberly Swygert, Colleen Lettvin, Marcia Himes, and Jonathan Bird.
FSBPT offers a free educational resource designed to help the public understand:
✔ What appropriate care looks like during physical therapy✔ What may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional behavior✔ How to recognize when something doesn’t feel right✔ How to report concerns
We encourage you to post on your website to empower patients to advocate for themselves and understand the standards they deserve.
This month, we thank our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission.
FSBPT provides the following links for your education and awareness, but does not endorse the content.
"States ranked by share of healthcare workers," Kelly Gooch, Becker's Hospital Review, June 1, 2026"Becker’s analyzed May 2025 employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Healthcare workforce share was calculated by dividing employment in ambulatory healthcare services, hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities by total employment across all industries in each state and the District of Columbia. The estimates cover jobs subject to unemployment insurance and exclude the self-employed."
"The AI Recommendation Era: Preparing Healthcare Practices For AI-Driven Patient Discovery," Lauren Parr Banks, Forbes, June 4, 2026"For nearly two decades, healthcare marketing operated on a navigational logic. When a patient searched for a cardiologist or a surgeon, the goal was straightforward: appear in the results and earn the click. The digital front door was a website, and getting a patient there was the whole game. We are now in the synthesis era, a moment where AI tools increasingly intercept the patient's discovery journey before a single URL is visited. Rather than returning 10 blue links, AI-powered search synthesizes clinical information, evaluates provider credibility and delivers a recommendation directly to the user. In a growing number of patient interactions, the digital front door is becoming an AI-generated summary, influencing which providers patients consider before they ever visit a website."
"Utah is experimenting with a new role for AI: renewing prescriptions," Alexandra Olgin, Marketplace, June 3, 2026"Utah is drawing attention for piloting an AI program that promises faster and cheaper prescription renewals, while raising questions about patient safety and liability."
"CVS sues Tennessee over pharmacy benefit manager monopoly law," Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout, May 26, 2026"CVS Health sued Tennessee lawmakers on Friday hours after Gov. Bill Lee signed a law banning a pharmacy benefit manager from also owning a pharmacy."
"The Future Of The American Healthcare Workforce," NPR, May 26, 2026"The U.S. is facing a steep healthcare worker shortage. A 2025 federal analysis projected that by 2038, 30 out of 35 physician specialties will be hurting for practitioners, with over 140,000 roles left unfilled. And for nurses, that shortage is projected to be over 108,000."
Members of the board of directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions.
Stephen Curley Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia
Craig Miller Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah
David Relling Hawaii, New Jersey, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Virgin Islands
Steven Scherger Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas
Michelle Sigmund-Gaines Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Michele Thorman Delaware, District of Columbia, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin
Krista Wolfe Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Charles E. Reiter The public member of the board does not serve as a liaison to jurisdictions
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!
Each month, we highlight an FSBPT staff member or volunteer and share how their role supports our mission of protecting the public.
Lisa Singleton is an Exam Services Associate with more than eighteen years of customer service experience and a strong commitment to helping individuals achieve their professional goals. Known for her empathy, professionalism, and attention to detail, she consistently delivers exceptional service and support.Lisa works closely with NPTE candidates pursuing careers as physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, guiding them through the licensure process. She also assists licensed professionals seeking licensure in new states or those returning to practice by helping them successfully navigate the required steps.
Thank you, Lisa, for your efforts to make each person’s journey with FSBPT a little better.
Susan L. Newman, CEO
Subject
Point of Contact/Email Address
ADA accommodations
Christine Sousa, ext. 201
Assessment or examination development questions
Lorin Mueller npte@fsbpt.org
Continuing competence
Jeffrey M. Rosa, ext. 239
Credentials review
Jaime Nolan, FCCPT
ELDD- Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database participation
eldd@fsbpt.org
Exam registration processing
Foreign educated issues
Leslie Adrian, ext. 233
Immigration
Jamie Nolan, ext. 403
JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module
JAM@fsbpt.org
Legislation or Model Practice Act
Meeting arrangements
Paul Delaney, ext. 223
NPDB reports/questions
Angela Burnham, 249
PTC- Physical Therapy Compact
compact@fsbpt.org
PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool
peat@fsbpt.org
Reimbursement of expenses and other financial matters
David Sigman, ext. 226
School reports
schoolreports@fsbpt.org
Score transfer & reporting
SCP PET- Supervised Clinical Practice Performance Evaluation Tool
scppet@fsbpt.org
Security issues
Susan Newman security@fsbpt.org
Anything else, including news to share with members
Susan NewmanCaitlin Jennings Communications@fsbpt.org