Hi all,
I hope you had a great summer. APTA Massachusetts has a full fall ahead, so I am sharing key dates and updates to make planning easy. Below the fall updates, you will find a brief recap of our summer activity.
PT Day on the Hill will be held on Thursday, October 30 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Massachusetts State House. This is our first PT Day on the Hill since COVID! We have a large legislative agenda with much to discuss with legislative teams, and I am hoping to see you there. No need to have any legislative experience – you’ll receive all the training you need to feel confident during the day. Please RSVP here. You can view our advocacy priorities here.
Our APTA MA Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, November 8 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Norwood. The theme is Together we Thrive: Building Bridges to Comprehensive Care. Early bird registration ends October 15, and the conference grants 7 continuing competency points for the day. Members will also receive access to our online ethics course that meets the 2-hour Massachusetts licensure requirement. This year we will start earlier, hold our first annual membership meeting during the day, and offer expanded programming. For details and registration, click here.
Chapter Awards nominations are open. Submissions are due Saturday, October 12. Please review the criteria and submit here.
Chapter Elections and Getting Involved: As we look to Chapter Elections for 2026, there are many elected and appointed roles we are looking for your help to fill! If you want to get more involved but are not sure where to start, complete this brief form and our Nominating Committee will reach out to you.
APTA MA had a strong and busy summer! Below you’ll find the updates that most impact you:
APTA’s House of Delegates met for two days, working to ensure APTA continues to work with a visionary mindset and move our profession forward. This work included:
- An updated Code of Ethics: This document is codified in the Massachusetts Practice Act, and it is vital that all clinicians are familiar with this standard.
- A clear stance on payment: A position statement was passed solidifying that securing better payment for physical therapist services is APTA’s top priority. Fair and sustainable payment is essential to advance the physical therapy profession, support clinicians across all practice settings, and ensure access to high quality care that meets the evolving health and wellness needs of society.
APTA’s New Strategic Plan was shared, and while not finalized, will have a three-prong approach focused on advancing our payment, empowering our members, and evolving our practice.
Advocacy Update: President-Elect Steve Smith and I represented APTA Massachusetts giving testimony in support of APTA MA’s submitted bills H.2490 and S.1506 An Act establishing a physical therapy licensure compact and S.215, An Act relative to physical therapy. These bills are with the Joint Committee on Public Health, and we should hear in September what the next steps are for these bills.
National PT Day on the Hill was a huge success! Shout out to our Federal Affairs Liaison, Julia Chevan, and APTA MA leaders Renae Gorman and Tim Dreher for representing Massachusetts!
Lastly, we were thrilled to celebrate our Executive Director, Jim Leahy, on his Honorary APTA Membership. Jim Leahy has been a PT Association Executive Director for over 30 years and is a fierce advocate for Physical Therapy. Below Jim and I are pictured with Heather Jennings, current APTA Board Member and APTA MA past president, and Eric Folmar, APTA MA past president.
Thank you for everything you do for your patients and for our profession, and your continued membership and support. Your membership helps our leadership to do everything possible to work towards a strong outlook for physical therapy in Massachusetts.
I look forward to seeing you this fall at PT Day on the Hill in October and at Annual Conference in November!
MK Miller, APTA MA President