APTA Michigan News

APTA Michigan 2023 Fall Membership Meeting Packet and Slideshow

APTA Michigan held it’s Annual Membership Meeting at our Fall Conference on October 28th in Grand Rapids.  Please click on the links for details.

 

UHC Says Treatment Time Can Be Used in Lieu of Start and Stop Time

December 2, 2023

The latest clarification from the mega-insurer comes after it released a set of burdensome policy expansions earlier this year.

Providers who contract with insurer UnitedHealthcare experienced a rollercoaster ride over the summer, when the company first announced a series of expanded plan of care policies that contained some burdensome provisions for PTs, then walked back one of the most problematic requirements. Now, APTA has received clarification on another issue that may make things easier.

For more information from APTA

November 28th APTA Michigan Town Hall: Legislative and Payment Updates

November 29, 2023

Watch the replay on Youtube and stay informed with updates from Brian Gilbert, President; Chris Nawrocki, Payment Director; Barb Herzog, Payment Specialist; and Abigail Skallerud, Legislative Director.

Giving Tuesday is November 28th: Consider Making a Gift This Year to APTA Michigan Institute for Education and Research

November 22, 2023

The trustees of APTA Michigan Institute for Education and Research, our sister 501-(c)3 organization, would like to highlight the impact of their work with the following example.  Please consider making a contribution to the Institute this coming Giving Tuesday, November 28th.  Donate Here!

Karen Grossnickle has provided a snapshot into her research and how the Institute Grant her team received is impacting clinical education research and DPT students in Michigan.
Her current research project is entitled:

The impact of clinical education on perception and attitudes of third-year doctor of physical therapy students towards interprofessional collaboration in healthcare.

Photo: See Haven Westra and Sophia Grossnickle, DPT students at CMU and part of the Large Grant Award for our project analyzing verbatim transcripts from participants.

Quotes:

Karen Grossnickle:  “The Institutes grants allow physical therapists one of the few opportunities to support research projects that are meaningful to physical therapy education and best-practice care for the citizens of Michigan.”

Haven Westra (SPT):  “This grant not only allows me to take one more step towards completing my DPT degree, but it allows me to contribute to the future of clinical and interprofessional education.”

Sophia Grossnickle (SPT): ” I am so grateful for the Large Grant that my research team was awarded because it has allowed us to investigate a question and topic we are very passionate about.  As a DPT student, the opportunity to engage in research that contributes to our field and aids in our professional development is very valuable and meaningful to me.”
Thank you for considering making a donation this year!

Share your Story: Support Unrestricted Direct Access via Survey

November 15, 2023

The Legislative Committee has created a link to share your story

Please print this flier for use in your clinics as we work towards passing unrestricted direct access for PT in Michigan. We need your help! Your stories, including stories from your patients will be helpful when we bring this issue to the legislators in Lansing. Please scan the QR code or use this link to access the survey. Direct Access Flier 

APTA Michigan Renames Award to Honor Bonni Kinne

November 15, 2023

The APTA Michigan Board of Directors after consulting with the Clinical Education Consortium (CEC) and the APTA Michigan Institute for Education and Research recently approved renaming the Clinical Education Consortium (CEC) Research Grant, to the Bonni Kinne Clinical Education Research Grant.

After her passing, we considered various ways in which to honor Bonni’s legacy and her years of outstanding service to our professional community. Given that this grant is a partnership between the CEC and Institute, groups that Bonni gave so much of her time and energy to over the years, we felt that this would be incredibly reflective of her and her work.

We also recognized Bonni with a moment of silence at both our Honor and Awards Banquet and our Annual Membership Meeting during this past weekend’s Fall Conference.

In addition to this, we’d like to a share that a tree memorial dedicated in honor of Bonni has been successfully planted. Bonni would’ve appreciated this living tribute to her memory but also that it will contribute to a healthier and greener planet.

We hope that the renaming of this grant will serve as a fitting tribute to Bonni’s tireless dedication and commitment to our profession and inspire others to follow in her footsteps. Let us all remember Bonni not only as a colleague but as a mentor, a friend, and an advocate for our profession. Her contributions have left a lasting impact on APTA Michigan, the CEC, the Institute, and the community at large. We will continue to honor Bonni’s legacy by carrying forward her passion for clinical education and research. We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have shared their love and support during this time. With the renaming of the grant and the tree memorial, we aim to keep Bonni’s spirit alive. She will forever be remembered for her passion, dedication, and immense contribution to the world of physical therapy in Michigan. To know more about the Bonni Kinne Clinical Education Research Grant and how it supports the work of the CEC and Institute, please visit  https://aptami.org/clinical-ed-sig/

Congratulations to our 2023 Honors and Awards Recipients

November 10, 2023

We recently recognized the following individuals on October 27th at our annual APTA Honors and Awards Banquet.  Please consider making a nomination in 2024 Photos from event.

Marjorie Stamm Outstanding Service Award    

Karen Berg, PT, DPT

Christopher Nawrocki, PT, MS

Jane Murdock Legislative Award

Representative Julie Rogers, PT

Alan Jeffrey Outstanding Service Award

Representative John Fitzgerald

Representative Dale Zorn

President’s Award

Erica Sherman PT, DPT, MBA & Emily Compagner, PT, DPT

Outstanding Clinician Awards – Physical Therapist

Meghan Malley, PT, DPT

APTA Emerging Leader Award

Kathleen Walworth PT, DPT

Deborah Doherty Oncology Rehabilitation Award

Lori Boright, PT, DPT, DScPT

Mabel E. Holton Research Award

Tzu-Chieh (Jennifer) Liao, PT, PhD

Norene Clouten – Outstanding Center Coordinator of Clinical Education Award

Valerie MacPherson PT, MHS, SCCE

Cindy Kincaid Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award

Nicole Boufford, PTA

APTA Michigan Outstanding Student Award

  • Ashley Barker, SPTA – Delta College
  • Jessica M. Christy, SPT – Oakland
  • Nicole Hawes, SPT – Wayne State
  • Jose-Santiago Estrada Murray, SPT – Central Michigan University
  • April Peera, SPTA – Baker College
  • Abigail Sarchet, SPT – Grand Valley State
  • Claire Ward, SPT – WMU

APTA Michigan Institute for Education and Research Awards

Large Grants

Karen Grossnickle – Central Michigan University

The impact of clinical education on perception and attitudes of third-year doctor of physical therapy students towards interprofessional collaboration in healthcare.

Jessica Gibson – Henry Ford Health

Initiating a self-directed exercise program in inpatient cancer survivors

with cancer related fatigue.

APTA Michigan Research – Poster Awards

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH REPORT
IDENTIFICATION OF MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS: A METHOD COMPARISON STUDY TO DETERMINE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MANUAL PALPATION AND ULTRASOUND IMAGING. Rose JM, Teft MP, Stephenson PL, Boerst ME, Cressman SG, Slayton JL; Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI

STUDENT RESEARCH REPORT

THE EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC ANKLE TRAINING WITH VISUAL FEEDBACK IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC STROKE. Almoussa H, Krinke A, Gordon K, Simjanoski T, Maher S, Pardo V; Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

PROFESSIONAL CASE REPORT

A NEW SPECIAL TEST FOR DIAGNOSING POSTERIOR TIBIAL TENDON TEARS AT THE ANKLE-A CASE STUDY Udhawani, NS1; Beacon Health Three Rivers Outpatient Therapy, Three Rivers, MI Hoover, DL2; DPT Department, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI  Lawson, DJ3; DPT Department, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

STUDENT CASE REPORT
EFFICACY OF PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS IN AN OUTPATIENT PEDIATRIC ENVIRONMENT FOR A 9-YEAR-OLD FEMALE STATUS POST HEMISPHERECTOMY: A CASE REPORT. Kulik, M.K., Hall, L.M.; Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI

Team Rehab Scholarship Awards

  • Emmy Kinner – CMU
  • Katelyn Bonhaus – GVSU
  • Eric McElrath – OU
  • Olivia Roe – UM-Flint
  • Brianna Pajakowski – WSU
  • Ashley Barker – PTA

Lookabaugh Memorial Scholarship

Jessica Christy (OU)

Orthopedic Rehab Specialist Scholarship

  • Service Scholarship – Anna Krinke (WSU)
  • Accountability Scholarship – Abigail Sarchet (GVSU)
  • Environment Scholarship – Desiree Frantum (UMFlint)
  • Respect Scholarship – Shelby Schneider (CMU)

Recognition of 2023 APTA Honors and Awards Recipients

Societal Impact Award: Stephen Leppard, PT

Eugene Michaels New Investigator Award: Nora Fritz, PT, DPT, PhD

Minority Scholarship: Brianna Seawood, SPT   Andrews University

 

Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Providers

January 27, 2022

The information below was updated by APTA on January 20. Visit the APTA website to download  this document:  APTA Practice Advisory: CMS COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Rule

 

APTA issued this guidance on November 5:

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have released their expansive new rules on coronavirus vaccines. The CMS rule, which essentially mandates vaccination with limited exceptions, applies to an estimated 76,000 health care facilities and 17 million workers, while OSHA’s rule requiring vaccination or weekly testing is focused on all entities with 100 or more employees. Both rules officially went into effect on Nov. 5, with full compliance expected by Jan. 4, 2022.

What does it all mean for PTs and PTAs? Our latest APTA Practice Advisory provides an in-depth look at the CMS rule to help members navigate the requirements. It’s highly recommended reading, but for a quick overview, here are six things you should know about the new rules right now.

1. If you work for just about any health care facility, the CMS rule probably applies to you.
The CMS rule requires vaccination for staff associated with any facility regulated by Medicare conditions of participation or conditions for coverage. That’s a large swath that includes everything from nursing homes to ambulatory surgical centers to clinics, rehabilitation agencies, and public health agencies as providers of outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services (see the APTA Practice Advisory for a detailed list). And it applies to not just health care providers, but to all current and future staff including students, trainees, and volunteers, as well as anyone who provides services under contracts or other arrangements with the facility.

2. The CMS rule doesn’t apply to private physical therapy practices.
The line between who does and doesn’t have to follow the new rule is drawn around the Medicare Conditions of Participation. Since private practices aren’t subject to those conditions, they are not addressed in the new rule.

3. First shots need to be received by Dec. 5, and the second before Jan. 4.
The CMS rule now in place has two compliance phases. At phase one, effective Dec. 5, all employees must have received their first vaccine dose or been granted a formal exemption (more on that below), and facilities must have policies and procedures in place for tracking compliance. Phase two begins on Jan. 4 — that’s the deadline for all employees to be fully vaccinated. Employees who are fewer than 14 days from their second shot by then will need to take additional safety precautions until those days are up.

4. There are (limited) exemptions.
If you work 100% remotely, you aren’t subject to the CMS requirements. The rule also carves out the potential for exceptions based on medical conditions and religious beliefs. Facilities are permitted to develop their own policies and procedures for making exception determinations, but they must follow applicable federal law, and in the case of medical exemptions they must document the specific contraindications and include a statement from a health care practitioner affirming the need for an exemption. The exempted employees must in turn receive accommodations in line with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines.

5. The rule has teeth.
Facilities need to take the new rule seriously. For nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospice the ramifications of noncompliance include monetary penalties, denial of payment, and even termination from the Medicare and Medicaid program as a final measure. The remedy for noncompliance among hospitals and certain other acute and continuing care providers is termination. At the same time, CMS says its goal is to bring health care facilities into compliance, and that termination would be a last resort. For more detail, check out the APTA Practice Advisory.

6. If the CMS rule doesn’t apply to you, the OSHA rule might.
Although the vast majority of PTs and PTAs affected by the new rules are subject to the CMS version, it’s also possible that some may be required to follow the new OSHA requirements. That rule, which applies to employers with 100 or more employees, takes a bit less stringent approach than CMS does, requiring either a full course of vaccine or weekly COVID-19 testing. The vaccine will be supplied to employees free of charge, but employers aren’t required to pay for either testing or masks, and could pass along these costs to their nonvaccinated employees. Check out the entire OSHA rule.

Coding Edits Changed to allow Manual Therapy and Multi-Layer Compression in Same Visit

January 12, 2022

Update to the previous post:

APTA is seeking clarification from CMS. We have updated our news story to indicate that this discrepancy remains and we will provide an additional update as soon as we hear from CMS. Right now, the ability to bill for multilayer compression with manual therapy is limited to non-lymphedema conditions.

Previous Post:

Due to advocacy efforts by APTA, according to the most recent National Correct Coding Initiative edits, providers can now use CPT codes 29581-29584 (multi-layer compression systems) during the same episode as code 97140 (manual therapy) — a combination that often makes clinical sense, but wasn’t always permitted.

In terms of exactly how the codes should be reported, CMS advises that it may be necessary to use the 59 or X modifier to indicate that the two activities are distinct from each other. APTA provides guidance on the use of the X and 59 modifiers in this easy-to-use decision tree.

Mandatory Reporting Legislative Update

January 7, 2022

HB 4880 PTs and PTAs as Mandatory Reporters of Child
Abuse and Neglect

Our Legislative Director, Jena Colon, testified on 10/26/2021, and the bill successfully passed out of committee 12-0-1 vote on the same day. On 11/9/2021, this bill passed out of the House successfully, with a vote of 101 – 3!!

On 11/10/2021, this bill was referred to the Senate Health Policy Committee.  We hope to move this out of committee and to the full Senate for a vote in the near future.

Implicit Bias Training – Requirements for License Renewal

June 9, 2021

On June 1, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) announced new requirements for over 400,000 health care professionals licensed in Michigan.  Licensees who have email addresses listed with the Bureau of Health Professions/LARA should have received an email outlining the new requirement.  That message is copied below.  Licensees renewing in 2021 will not be impacted.  Those renewing in 2022 will need 2 hours of implicit bias training.  APTA Michigan is developing course content to meet this new requirement and we hope to offer both sessions at our conferences along with live webinars.

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Dear Licensee –

The Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL) within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) would like to inform you that the Public Health Code – General Rules have been revised which will require implicit bias training for your profession, effective June 1, 2022.

The new training requirements are the product of numerous workgroup meetings over the past year and represent feedback from 86 organizations including our health professional boards, insurance providers, health systems, health care associations, legislators, state agencies, higher education, and community and advocacy groups. The requirements apply to both new applicants as well as those renewing their existing licenses or registrations.

Below are the changes in the rules that pertain to the new training requirements:

  • The term “implicit bias” is defined as:

(A)n attitude or internalized stereotype that affects an individual’s perception, action, or decision making in an unconscious manner and often contributes to unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, disability, or other characteristic. (R 338.7001 (c) )

  • Specifically, the new rule (R 338.7004) requires the following:

Rule 4. (1) Beginning 1 year after promulgation of this rule, an applicant for licensure or registration under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except those seeking to be licensed under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, shall have completed a minimum of 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license or registration.

(2) Beginning 1 year after promulgation of this rule and for every renewal cycle thereafter, in addition to completing any continuing education required for renewal, an applicant for license or registration renewal under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except those licensed under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, shall have completed a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant’s license or registration cycle.

(3) The implicit bias training must be related to reducing barriers and disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and meet all of the following requirements:

(a) Training content must include, but is not limited to, 1 or more of the following topics:

(i) Information on implicit bias, equitable access to health care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and cultural sensitivity.
(ii) Strategies to remedy the negative impact of implicit bias by recognizing and understanding how it impacts perception, judgment, and actions that may result in inequitable decision making, failure to effectively communicate, and result in barriers and disparities in the access to and delivery of health care services.
(iii) The historical basis and present consequences of implicit biases based on an individual’s characteristics.
(iv) Discussion of current research on implicit bias in the access to and delivery of health care services.

(b) Training must include strategies to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and the administration of pre- and post-test implicit bias assessments.

(c) Acceptable sponsors of this training include any of the following:

(i) Training offered by a nationally-recognized or state-recognized health-related organization.
(ii) Training offered by, or in conjunction with, a state or federal agency.
(iii) Training obtained in an educational program that has been approved by any board created under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, for initial licensure or registration or for the accumulation of continuing education credits.
(iv) Training offered by an accredited college or university.
(v) An organization specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

(d) Acceptable modalities of training include any of the following:

(i) A teleconference or webinar that permits live synchronous interaction.
(ii) A live presentation.
(iii) Interactive online instruction.

(4) Submission of an application for licensure, registration, or renewal constitutes an applicant’s certificate of compliance with the requirements of this rule. A licensee or registrant shall retain documentation of meeting the requirements of this rule for a period of 6 years from the date of applying for licensure, registration, or renewal. The department may select and audit a sample of a licensees or registrants and request documentation of proof of compliance with this rule. If audited by the department, a licensee or registrant shall provide the proof of completion of training, including either of the following:

(a) A completion certificate issued by the training program that includes the date of the training, the program sponsor’s name, the title of the program, and licensee’s or registrant’s name.

(b) A self-attestation by the licensee or registrant that includes the date of the training, the program sponsor’s name, the title of the program, and licensee’s or registrant’s name.

Please send any questions you may have about these revised rules to BPLHelp@michigan.gov .

Thank you,

Debra Gagliardi, Director
Bureau of Professional Licensing
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs


LARA is an equal opportunity employer/program.

Auxiliary aids, services and other reasonable accommodations are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

BUREAU OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
P.O. BOX 30670· LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909
www.michigan.gov/bpl

For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara

Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/michiganLARA

Like” us on Facebook or find us on YouTube www.youtube.com/michiganLARA

 

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