Academy Focus: Get to Know APTA Hand and Upper Extremity

In this episode of the APTA Podcast, Justin Elliott, vice president of government affairs at APTA, and William Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, discuss APTA’s recent report on direct access to PT services. Boissonnault, a key contributor to the report, discusses the purpose of the report, its significance in today’s physical therapy profession and health care system, and how this evidence can be utilized to promote direct access policies at every level.  Don't miss this informative discussion on the state of direct access and the importance of advocacy in the physical therapy profession. Join the APTA Advocacy Network and read all the latest advocacy news.  From the episode: Read APTA’s “State of Direct Access to Physical Therapist Services” report and “The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States” report. From the episode: Use resources on APTA's consumer information website, ChoosePT.com, to help educate patients about physical therapy and direct access. Register for the free APTA Regulatory, Legislative, and Payment Updates Series (2025) for expert insights.

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Shawn Farrokhi, PT, PhD, about winning the 2025 APTA Outstanding Research Award for the article “The Influence of Active, Passive, and Manual Therapy Interventions for Low Back Pain on Opioid Prescription and Health Care Utilization.” They discuss why the article was chosen for the award, how the Military Health System Repository was used as a data source, and how the study has impacted practice and patient care.The APTA Outstanding Research Award encourages the publication of outstanding physical therapy research articles, including both foundational and clinical research impacting practice and patient care. Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn for more research updates.

A brief introduction from the leadership of the academy. Jason Lau, PT, DPT, interviews Jamie Grigsby, PT, DPT, and Melissa Lazinski, PT, DPT, DHSc, with APTA Hand & Upper Extremity at APTA CSM in Houston. Visit the  APTA Hand and Upper Extremity website to learn more about the academy. Watch a video of this interview on the APTA Magazine website. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, PT, PhD, FAPTA, about winning the 2025 Jules M. Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing. The Rothstein Golden Pen Award recognizes an author who has demonstrated superior writing skills in one or more articles published in PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal and has collaborated with or encouraged others to make similar contributions. Listen as Stevens-Lapsley reflects on her notable article contributions, offers writing advice for the toughest aspects of scientific writing, and discusses how to find the right audience for a paper.

APTA staff expert Rachel Miller, MPH, breaks down the proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and what it means for the physical therapy profession.  Use your voice to make a difference: Visit the APTA Patient Action Center to submit your comments on the proposed rule to CMS. You’ll find an easy-to-use template letter that tells CMS to appropriately value physical therapy codes and to recognize physical therapy as a high-quality, low-cost service that prevents and manages chronic disease.  Learn more about this year’s proposed fee schedule:  APTA Regulatory, Legislative, and Payment Update webinar, August 2025 Takeaways From the Proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Part 1 Takeaways From the Proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Part 2 (including an update on the KX modifier) To learn more about the legislative initiatives that would improve payment and reduce administrative burden for PTs, read about APTA’s ongoing advocacy on payment reforms.  Sign up for the APTA Advocacy Network, a free, members-only service that sends you special legislative updates and action alerts so you're up to speed and ready to act. Contact APTA’s Advocacy staff via email: [email protected]. 

A brief introduction from the president of the academy.Thailey Leak, SPT, interviewed APTA Oncology President Chris Wilson, PT, DPT, DScPT, at APTA CSM in Houston. Learn what Wilson says about the skills, settings, and steps to thrive in this specialty. Visit the APTA Oncology website to learn more about the academy. Watch a video of this interview on the APTA Magazine website. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editorial Board Member Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, PT, PhD, talks with Keshrie Naidoo, PT, DPT, EdD, and Diane Jette, PT, DSc, FAPTA, about their recently published perspective titled "An Improvement Science Framework to Advance Sense of Belonging for Physical Therapist Students From Minoritized Backgrounds.” The authors explain how “wicked problems” and “solutionitis” can arise in physical therapist education, discuss how to measure and cultivate a sense of belonging in physical therapist students, and suggest how to use an improvement science framework to face challenges in other education programs.Read the article on the PTJ website, and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.  

In this episode, Alice Bell, PT, DPT, senior specialist, health policy and payment, is joined by Wanda Evans, PT, DPT, MHS, senior specialist, health policy and payment, to discuss how APTA advocacy led to Aetna’s decision to provide unrestricted direct access to physical therapist services. Bell and Evans recap the almost decade’s worth of effort by APTA staff to move the needle and ultimately help deliver this significant win for the profession.     This episode also features insights from Laura Keivel, APTA senior specialist, PAC and grassroots, who shares tips and best practices for making the most out of August’s Congressional recess — and any of your interactions with elected officials. Don’t miss this fascinating episode on the importance of relationship-building and advocacy in advancing  the profession.  

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Matthew Schumacher, PT, DPT, DSc, Kyle Cottone, PT, DPT, DSc, and Laura Siviter, PT, DPT, DSc, about their recently published study, which identified six themes related to barriers to clinical practice guideline implementation for low back pain. The authors discuss why they chose a mixed-methods approach, why clinician training and confidence may be a barrier to clinical practice guideline usage, and how clinicians can use clinical practice guidelines to build therapeutic alliances with patients.Schumacher, Cottone, and Siviter are co-authors of the article "Understanding Barriers to the Use of a Low Back Pain Clinical Practice Guideline in Physical Therapist Practice: A Mixed-Methods Approach.” Read the article on the PTJ website, and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.  

In this episode, Colleen Ward, PT, DPT, board-certified clinical specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, chats with three fellow APTA members about their experiences becoming board-certified clinical specialists. They share how earning certification has transformed their careers and the different paths they took to achieve it. Additionally, they offer advice for anyone considering certification.  Since February 1985, when podcast panelist Meryl Cohen, PT, DPT, MS, FAPTA, and her peers, Linda Crane, PT, and Scot Irwin, PT, DPT, became the first physical therapists to achieve advanced specialist certification, this credential has been opening doors for thousands of professionals in the field. After listening to the episode, visit these resources to learn more: ·                     APTA Specialist Certification Governed by ABPTS website and its “Become an ABPTS-Certified Specialist” page ·                     APTA Report: "A Physical Therapy Profile: Wages for the Profession, 2021-22" ·                     A Brief History: The First Specialist Certification Exams Held