July 2019
Volume 21, Number 7

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

In this News Brief:

• Our 2019 Award Recipients
• Eligibility Requirements—2022
• Digital Practice White Paper and Survey
• Reporting Disciplinary Action
• Discontinuation of aPTitude, ProCert, and oPTion
• FSBPT Forum: Test Accommodations
• PT Compact Updates
• New Hampshire Opts into the Alternate Approval Process
• NPTE Workshop for Educators—Now on the West Coast!
• Spotlight on Member Resources: 2019 Leadership Issues Forum Presentations
• Our Gratitude for Volunteers
• In the News
• FSBPT Board of Directors
• Staff Contact Information

Our 2019 Award Recipients

Please join us in congratulating our 2019 awardees! They will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at the Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

Academy of Advanced Item Writers

• Jason Falvey
• Dawn James
• Jessica Johnson
• Rebecca Johnson
• Laura Neely
• Deborah Molnar
• Marsha Rutland
• Robyn Towner
• Maribeth Vowell
• Shelly Watkins
• Deanne Yates

Outstanding Service Awards

• Kenneth Amsler, FL
• Tina Baum, SD
• Jeanne Cook, MO
• Peggy Hiller, AZ
• Jason Kaiser, CA
• Kristina Lounsberry, LA
• Scott Majors, KY
• Charlotte Martin, LA
• Deborah Richardson-Peter, VI
• Sandra Levi, IL
• Jason Shaw, ID
• Jeffrey Vinzant, AL

Eligibility Requirements2022

The board of directors has determined that implementation of two eligibility requirements for graduates of non-CAPTE schools—substantial equivalence based on the CWT6 and passing the TOEFL—will be deferred until at least January 2022. The eligibility requirements that are currently in use allow FSBPT to collect data related to substantial equivalence and English proficiency for each test taker. That data will be evaluated over the course of the next year and the board will make implementation decisions after that.

Digital Practice White Paper and Survey

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and the International Network of Physiotherapy Regulatory Authorities (INPTRA) established a joint Digital Physical Therapy Practice Task Force to develop a white paper addressing physical therapy practice and regulation in the digital age. This white paper is an initial look at international digital practice and proposes a definition and purpose for digital physical therapy practice while exploring benefits, current limitations, regulatory concerns, guidelines, and considerations for educational programs.

A survey was created in the hopes of obtaining your feedback on the white paper. The WCPT and INPTRA boards of directors and the task force members want to ensure this report is a global representation of digital physical therapy practice. Therefore, we need your help! We encourage you to take a moment to read the white paper and respond to the survey with as much detail as possible. This is a short survey that will only take a few minutes to complete. If you have any questions please email us at info@INPTRA.org.

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Reporting Disciplinary Action

Did you know that disciplinary actions that are reportable to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) are considered public? FSBPT needs your help to make sure all disciplinary actions taken by state boards are reported to the NPBD and to FSBPT for inclusion in the ELDD (Exam, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database). At your next board meeting where action is taken, ask the administrative staff if they will be reporting the action to FSBPT. If they do not have plans to do so, email eldd@fsbpt.org with the name of the licensee and the date the action was taken and we can reach out to the board staff or check the state’s website to see if we can download the complete action report. Every disciplinary action that is reported to FSBPT increases the quality of the ELDD and supports our shared public protection mission. A state board member sending a quick email to FSBPT staff could make a big difference!

Discontinuation of aPTitude, ProCert, and oPTion

As discussed at the Leadership Issues Forum in 2018 and 2019, emerging and expanding research is focusing on a more proactive approach to the maintenance of competence. With this, the FSBPT Continuing Competence Committee has philosophically pivoted its focus towards a model of risks and supports. Our existing tools—aPTitude, oPTion, and ProCert—do not fit well with where we believe continuing competence is heading.

Meanwhile, jurisdictions are moving away from products that are focused on specific professions toward resources that can work across professions and boards. Therefore, a PT-focused continuing education product that requires a $2.5 million technology upgrade is no longer viable in the current environment.

The membership survey indicated that many of our other services are more highly valued than these products. We are looking forward to focusing our resources on these areas—the examination program, the ELDD (Exam, Licensure, and Disciplinary Database), member educational programming, foreign-educated PT resources, and the PT Compact.

We are currently working with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition away from these products. Please direct any questions to communications@fsbpt.org.

FSBPT Forum: Test Accommodations

FSBPT is committed to providing full access to the NPTE to individuals with documented disabilities. FSBPT is also committed to ensuring that the security, integrity, and validity of the examination are not compromised. In order to ensure a fair and consistent process, Paradigm Testing, experts in the field of accessibility and disability services, has been contracted by FSBPT to review accommodations requests and supporting evidence and to provide accommodations recommendations to FSBPT. This article is based on a presentation by John A. Hosterman, Chief of Accessibility & Disability Services, Paradigm Testing, at the 2018 FSBPT Annual Meeting

PT Compact Updates

Compact privileges are now available for the state of Louisiana as of Monday, July 22, 2019. This brings the total number of states issuing compact privileges to fifteen, following Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. To see the jurisdictions that have introduced or passed legislation, view our PT Compact map.

New Hampshire Opts into the Alternate Approval Process

New Hampshire joined fourteen other states by opting into the Alternate Approval Process (AAP). Under AAP, when an applicant who is a graduate of a CAPTE accredited program registers for the NPTE, FSBPT will make the candidate eligible to sit for the NPTE provided that the candidate meets all NPTE eligibility requirements. Under AAP, FSBPT also handles the review of all requests for testing accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact FSBPT if your jurisdiction is interested in opting into AAP.

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NPTE Workshop for Educators—Now on the West Coast!

FSBPT is preparing to host the NPTE Workshop for Educators Saturday and Sunday, October 5-6, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. Like the workshops held at the FSBPT offices, attendees should expect to receive valuable insights on how the NPTE is developed and how to prepare students for the NPTE as well as hands-on assistance in writing test items similar to those on the NPTE.

Please check the NPTE Workshop for Educators webpage for more information and registration resources as we continue to update and solidify details.

Spotlight on Member Resources: 2019 Leadership Issues Forum Presentations

The Leadership Issues Forum took place in Alexandria, Virginia, this month. The 2019 agenda, speaker bios, and presentations are all available in the Member's Area of the FSBPT website.

Our Gratitude for Volunteers

This month, we thank the generous volunteer members of these groups for their support of our mission:
Board Assessment Task Force

• Charlotte Martin
• Kathy Arney
• Jason Kaiser
• Deborah Richard-Peter
• Michele Sigmund-Gaines
• Jeffrey Vinzant
• Adrienne Price
•  

Exam Chairs Committee

In the News

"An Update on Setarehshenas v. NCCPA," Institute for Credentialing Excellence, June 6, 2019

"A federal court has held that antidiscrimination laws that apply to governmental licensure and permit decisions cannot be used to assert claims against non-governmental professional certification bodies, even when a state mandates that individuals hold the professional certification as a 'condition precedent' to licensure."

"State opens up occupational licensing to non-citizens," Nevada Current, June 14, 2019

"One of several bills Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law this month allows any individual regardless of immigration or citizenship status to apply for a state occupational license. From mammography technicians to court interpreters to dental hygienists, a number of careers in Nevada require people to get professional licenses issued by the state."

"Americans Concerned About Healthcare Worker Burnout," Health Leaders, June 18, 2019

"The issue of healthcare professional burnout is a major concern for 74% of Americans, according to a new survey released this week by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)....Patients are aware of healthcare professional burnout, with 47% saying they would avoid asking questions if they thought their care provider appeared burned out so as not to add to the provider’s stress."

"Doximity Charts the Top 15 Medical Specialties Embracing Telemedicine," mHealth Intelligence, July 18, 2019

"Radiologists and psychologists are jumping on the telehealth wagon, according to what’s being billed as the first-ever analysis of physician interest in telemedicine. Those working in surgery, meanwhile, aren’t that interested.... Ironically, the survey lists physical medicine and rehabilitation as among the top five specialties least interested in telehealth, yet those in the field who are using telemedicine have shown success and seen some reimbursement from Medicare. In addition, the physical therapy field is one of just four that have launched a licensing compact aimed at helping providers practice across state lines."

Board of Directors Report

In July, to advance the business of FSBPT, the Board of Directors approved the motions listed.

Recommend to approve change of status from Investment Manager to Investment Consultant and approve the revised FSBPT Investment Policy to take into account the move to index funds.
Fiscal Impact: none

Recommend to approve revision of Finance Committee (Member and Chair) Job Description to better reflect what is currently the role of the committee.
Rationale:
Fiscal Impact: none

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Board Liaisons to Jurisdictions

Members of the Board of Directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions. Current liaison relationships are listed here for your reference.

Tom Caldwell Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas	Ruggie Canizares Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah	Ellen Donald Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina	Joni Kalis Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Nancy Kirsch Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont	Adrienne Price Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia	David Relling Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands	John Young The public member of the board does not serve as a liaison to jurisdictions.

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Staff Contact Information