March 2008
March 2008 - PDF
December 2007
November 2007
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President’s Letter
HAPTA News
Continuing Education
Membership Update
Volunteer!

Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Grassroots, Green Party or unaffiliated. Disinterested. No matter your leanings, the buzz on the primary elections fills the radio, television, and news-papers. All kinds of people are mobilizing behind their favorite candidate to help make a difference. Some who have never been active in politics are taking action, wanting to have their voice heard. And yet, living in Hawaii, it’s hard not to feel somehow distanced from the action. After all, Hawaii isn’t exactly a swing state. National media often name the election winner while we in Hawaii are just getting off work to go vote.

Besides getting out to vote, there’s another way—lots of ways, in fact—to have your voice heard and your vote counted. Know that saying: “Think global, act local”? Think about activism on a more personal—or should I say “professional—local level.”

The Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (HAPTA) welcomes and needs therapists with conviction and energy. People often ask about the benefits of belonging. HAPTA is an organization which represents you on a state and national level. Your organization works for the recognition of the vital need for physical therapists in today’s changing health care world. We offer continuing education courses (at discounted prices for members). HAPTA has a presence at the state Legislature, where we have been educating our lawmakers regarding health care decisions for years with the help of our Legislative Committee and our excellent lobbyist Joy Gold. We organize public awareness events like our Screening for Fitness event last fall. We participate in APTA’s annual policy-making meeting, the House of Delegates.

No matter what your political affiliation or practice setting, as therapists we can agree on plenty of issues like improved reimbursement and improved access to care. That still leaves room for different opinions, discussion, and debate.

Too busy to be involved? Consider helping out with one aspect of our new website. Participate in a community event. Educate your patients, every day, about what physical therapists do. Visit a local school with APTA’s new DVD “You Can Be Me” to recruit more local young people to our profession. Come to a HAPTA board meeting, or legislative committee meeting. Help organize a course. Be our next delegate!

I may not have a name as usual as Barack Obama, but as your new president, I want to mobilize and energize you to be active in your state organization. Represent yourself, your opinions, and your patients. The personal is political. And through your involvement with HAPTA, the political is within your reach.

Ann Frost, President

Mahalo and a hui hou to Heather Fronk, PT for her service as HAPTA Secretary. Heather, her husband Steve, and daughter Maddie are off to Oregon where Heather will be working as a tra-veling therapist. Heather will be missed!

Congratulations to Marianne Patino, PT. Marianne recently passed the exam to become a PCS—Pediatric Clinical Specialist. Marianne, we applaud your hard work and accomplishment.

Don’t miss Shirley Sahrmann, FAFTA, PT, PhD, renowned therapist and instructor who comes to Oahu in April to teach Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement System Impairment Syndromes. Shirley’s course promises to be interesting and immediately useful. Space is limited and the class is filling up quickly. For details at hapta.org, go to Spring Conference 2008.

Welcome to Debbie Kubota, PT and Ed Ho, PTA as our new HAPTA Liaisons to the State PT Licensing Board, and to Lita Peeters, PT and Pam Adams, PT as our new Chair and Co-Chair of our Reimbursement/Payor Relations Committee.

West Hawaii District Report
Aloha from West Hawaii District, Big Island! The hot topic from the Big Island is the new viewing of the recent lava flows into the ocean! But besides that, the PTs in Kona have been "hot" on the trail of PR Activities! This past year we presented a great course for PTs, by Sherrill Rutherford, PT, on Thoracic Manual Therapy. In addition, we also offered a free Golf Posture Assessment Clinic to the public in early November in celebration of National PT Month. The clinic was well attended, with great PR news publications in the paper, radio and TV community bulletin! Mahalo to the PTs who participated in the event to further increase awareness of PT to the West Hawaii Community! We are looking at offering ano-ther course later this year...look for the flyer!
Jean Thompson, Secretary/WHHAPTA

PTA News
Aloha, I hope everyone is doing is well and having a good start in the New Year. As some of you know there has been a change in the Medicare 2008 Physician Fee Schedule Rule regarding New Definitions of P.T. and P.T.A. There is a 6 page "Highlights" version as well as a 29 page version which is available on the APTA’s website under the Medicare link of the popular pages dropdown and look for the Medicare 2008: Changes for Physical Therapy link. I would recommend reading the 6 page “Highlights” first then read the details and provisions as listed in the 29 page version. There is a great deal of title protection given to us as PTA’s and the reality of needing licensure or certification in our state is becoming more evident as we are one of the four remaining states without it. Please let me know what your thoughts are and if you have any questions or concerns feel free to call me via cell 368-1560 or e mail me edloho@hawaii.rr.com. Mahalo, Ed Ho, PTA, Hawaii PTA Caucus Representative.

Aloha from Bianca Hoang and Michelle Garcia, your HAPTA continuing education committee!

We are very happy to announce our Annual Spring Conference on April 12 and 13, 2008, featuring Dr. Shirley Sahrmann, PT, PhD, FAPTA, presenting Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement System Impairment Syndromes at Queen’s Medical Center, Kamehameha Auditorium. The HAPTA Business Meeting is scheduled at 12:00PM-1:30PM, during the lunch hour break. Lunch will be provided to all who attend the business meeting.

Registration for the Spring Conference is through the website or by mail. Please log on to the website for more information or contact Michelle Garcia, PT, at VM 499-9596, pager: 287-0089 or by email at Michelle.Garcia@straub.net.

Tanya Raymond, PT, LMT and Keri Yamamoto, OTR, LMT are presenting two Myofascial Restructuring courses in 2008 for HAPTA. The upper quadrant course is May 3 and 4, 2008, and the lower quadrant course will be September 13-14, 2008. The 1 ½ day courses will be held at Straub Physical Therapy Center, 800 S. King St. Seating is limited to the first 20 registrants, so be sure to register early! Go online to register or request a brochure from Michelle Garcia, PT, at Michelle.Garcia@straub.net.

We are currently planning the Fall Conference to be held in October 2008. Please keep an eye on the new HAPTA website for updates.

There are numerous PT continuing education opportunities being offered throughout the community during 2008. Some are posted on the HAPTA website. Feel free to contact Bianca or Michelle with questions regarding posting courses hosted at your facility.

Finally, we welcome anyone interested in joining the HAPTA continuing education committee or just helping out at 1 event. You can do this by contacting Bianca Hoang, PT or Michelle Garcia.

Thank you!

Our current membership level is at 261, down 10 from last year. As members of the APTA it is our responsibility to educate our colleagues about the benefits of being a member. Benefits include discounts to educational courses, an abundance of references and articles that only members can access, and so many advocates in Washington on our part. Please encourage others to join and please educate them on the benefits. I would be happy to assist with questions or calling or e-mailing prospective members. My contact info is lankfosa@ah.org, work number 263-5303.

Thanks so much.
Susan Lankford, MSPT, Membership Chair

Want to get involved in HAPTA but don’t have much time or don’t know what to do? Please contact Ann Frost, PT, HAPTA President, at annfrost.pt@gmail.com for ideas. HAPTA is a dynamic, growing org-nization with jobs both big and small. There are great opportunities to work with fun people