The Legacy of Vilma Evans, a Pioneering Black Physical Therapy Leader

In this APTA Podcast episode, Vice President of Strategic Affairs Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, and Senior Director of Brand Strategy Alicia Hosmer discuss the partnership between APTA and the National Strength and Conditioning Association with NSCA Board members Jaynie Bjornaraa, PT, PhD, and Antonio Squillante, PhD. The partnership was announced at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, California, in February.  Together, they discuss the associations' missions and the overlap between physical therapists and certified strength and conditioning specialists in promoting health and well-being through evidence-based practices for athletes and patients alike. The discussion also covers how collaboration between these two professions helps improve patient performance and outcomes. Listeners can also get a preview of what to expect at the upcoming joint conference at APTA Centennial Center on Sept. 25-26. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Madeline Ratoza, PT, DPT, PhD, Rupal Patel, PT, PhD, and Julia Chevan, PT, DPT, PhD, who used a cross-sectional geographic information systems approach across census tracts and licensure records to look at rehabilitation provider availability in Texas. Their study found that availability varies dramatically and is often much lower in communities with higher disability prevalence and poverty rates, and with larger proportions of Hispanic and non-white residents. The authors discuss what inspired the research question, how they defined access as a metric, and the follow-up actions they recommend from the study.  Ratoza, Patel, and Chevan are co-authors of the article “Geographic Disparities in Rehabilitation Provider Availability and Community Demographics in Texas: A Cross-Sectional Geographic Information Systems Study.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.   

APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, is joined by three fellow members of the APTA Board of Directors to discuss APTA’s Strategic Framework for 2030. They share details on the three interconnected priorities that APTA believes will shape the next generation of physical therapy: advancing our payment, empowering our members, and evolving our practice. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Katrina Monroe, PT, PhD, about her recently published study, which tracked physical therapist-patient conversations over a six-week care period and found that consistently responding to patients’ emotional cues was associated with lower pain intensity. George and Monroe discuss what empathy looks like during physical therapy visits, why there might be variability in empathetic communication, and why empathy’s influence might take time to appear in patient encounters.  Monroe is co-author of the article “More Frequent Empathic Communication by Physical Therapists is Associated With Improved Outcomes for Low-Impact Chronic Pain.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.    

In this episode, APTA Vice President of Advancement Carmen Elliott sits down with Milly Polovich, a former patient of the pioneering Black physical therapist Vilma Evans.  Together, they discuss Evans\' life, legacy, and barrier-breaking career, which helped open the door for future Black clinicians. Polovich also recalls her time spent with Evans in the 1950s, when Evans helped her regain mobility after a polio diagnosis.  Learn more about Evans and other Black physical therapists who helped pave the way for future generations to follow: * Vision, Courage, Compassion: Black Physical Therapists Who Transformed the Profession 

In this episode, ethics experts discuss the development of the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2026. Members of the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee and the Ethics Task Force break down what the code means for both everyday practice and the future of the profession. Plus, learn how the code was modernized to help PTs, PTAs, and students make ethical decisions in the era of AI and other emerging technologies. Learn more about the new code and other ethical milestones with these resources referenced in the episode: Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession Published in PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal in 2010: “The Revised APTA Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist and Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant: Theory, Purpose, Process, and Significance” The 31st Mary McMillan Lecture by Ruth B Purtilo, PT, PhD, FAPTA: “A Time to Harvest, a Time to Sow: Ethics for a Shifting Landscape” Reach out to [email protected] with any questions about the code of ethics. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Daniel White, PT, ScD, MSc, about his recently published survey study, which evaluated the effectiveness of a physical therapist-administered physical activity intervention in increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adults after total knee replacement. The study found similar increases in physical activity in both the intervention and the control groups. George and White discuss if clinicians should reconsider the use of wearable technology and step goals, and they give advice to PTs aiming to increase physical activity in patients after total knee replacement.White is co-author of the article “Effectiveness of a Physical Therapist-Administered Physical Activity Intervention after Total Knee Replacement: A Randomized Trial.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.  

For the first time in APTA history, physical therapist assistants are eligible to serve on the APTA Board of Directors beginning with the 2026 cycle. In this episode, host Kelley Kubota, PT, DPT, MS, sits down with Evan Bier, PTA, and Timothy Russell, PTA, to discuss what this milestone means for the profession. Bier and Russell share their personal reactions to the news, reflect on how the PTA role has evolved, and discuss why belonging to APTA matters for PTAs at every career stage.  Visit APTA’s website to learn more about PTA membership and explore APTA’s PTA resources.  

Editorial Board member Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, PT, PhD, talks with Jessica Feda, PT, DPT, DSc, and Evan Pucillo, PT, DPT, EdD, about their recently published article, which evaluated the reliability and validity of the Learning and Studies Strategies Inventory, aka LASSI. The authors define what self-regulated learning is, discuss how the instrument assesses self-regulated learning, and explain how LASSI was shortened through exploratory analysis to be more suitable for entry-level DPT students.  Feda and Pucillo are co-authors of the article “Validation of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) in Doctor of Physical Therapy Learners: A Retrospective Observational Study.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.   

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Brittany Lapin, PhD, Joshua Johnson, PT, DPT, PhD, and Sandra Passek, PT, DPT, about their recently published article on the development and validation of the Physical Therapy Frequency Clinical Decision Support Tool, aka PT-PENCIL. The tool identifies which patients are most likely to benefit from daily physical therapy to be discharged home. The authors discuss what spurred their interest in this research, the study design and methodology of the predictive model, and the potential challenges of using large datasets.  Lapin, Passek, and Johnson are co-authors of the article “Development and Validation of PT-PENCIL: The Physical Therapy Frequency Clinical Decision Support Tool to Increase Hospital Discharge to Home.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.