Day 2 Part 1

Back in Mass and working on catching up/organizing my life. Somehow that included a group session at MGH about internships, sea kayaking, a bbq, misplacing my wallet, and an outdoor concert featuring Vega 4, The John Butler Trio, Mat Kearney, KT Tunstall, and Guster. It was a good time. Now after spending some time trying to find my wallet and cleaning...haven't found the wallet yet and am nervous about that.... but anyway, time to reflect on some more of the House of Delegates.

The day started nice and early with a coffee at 7:15am. It was a time where the delegates could follow up with the candidates for the Board of Directors, Secretary, and Vice Speaker. Again, I didn't have much to do with this, but whole-heartedly took part in the coffee. We had a quick caucus before the House started with a plan of attack so to speak, and then headed to hopefully make more progress than the day prior.

And what progress was made immediately: The board withdrew RCs 5-9! They had realized that at this point, the RCs were too convoluted and wordsmithing them on the floor would take too much time with, perhaps, unequal return.

RC 10 - Passed - Opening the House document on therapy documentation beyond intervention to "plan of care"

RC 11 - Passed - Changed the wording of HOD p06-00-21-33 on PT and PTA regulation to require graduation from a PT education program accredited by CAPTE...where before it had just said "an accredited PT education program" without saying who it had to do the accreditation. Someone tried to amend the document by allowing newly graduated PTs who had not passed the boards practice as PTAs. I do not think that part passed, but I'll have to check the minutes when they are posted.

RC 12 - Withdrawn

RC13 - Defeated - Keeping all the wording of PT Patient/Client Management Model on Diagnosis present. While some thought it to be cumbersome and that having it in there was overkill as people should know that when we say we can diagnose, we mean everything that diagnosis entails, others made the point that they use this document in legal cases and having all the language there would be very helpful to continue to protect physical therapists.

RC14 - Withdrawn

RC15 - Withdrawn

RC16 - Defeated - but with GREAT difficulty. This was Arizona's tricky motion trying to replace PT with DPT as the regulatory designator...making it difficult to rationalize that those who had not achieved a DPT degree would be doctors. After discussion on the original wording, there was more on two proposed amendments, and finally all three were defeated. I don't know how long this went on, but it was fiery because people have very strong views on this topic. And again, refer to the minutes please, but I think this one took a standing counted vote. I am not sure and wish I had taken note, but I'll try to remember to follow up.

RC 17 - Withdrawn (see day 1 part 2)

RC 18 - Defeated - Keeping the Guidelines for Student and Employer Contracts as a House document. It was proposed to replace it with a document that the education staff are working on, but it is not completely finished. Also, it was thought that these were good for employers as well. A common agreement throughout this discussion was that in these days of high demand for PTs, students do need to take care not to eat up the best deal, and realize they are hooked in a facility that will not serve their development as a therapist well.

RC19 - Withdrawn

RC20 - Passed - To include web-bases and media APTA documents in a copyright.

RC21 - Withdrawn

RC22 - Passed - Adopting a position on professional development, lifelong learning, and continued competence in physical therapy as a house document. It outlines definitions of this and a method for reflecting back on this to see how one is practicing in comparison.

RC23 - Passed - The position on continuing education is now included in the document passed in the prior motion and so the document outlining just the position on cont. ed. is now unnecessary.

RC24 - Passed - Same as above but with regards to the position on professional development.

RC25 - Defeated - But again, a very long discussion - which I will leave for next time because we took a recess half way through and I need one now to continue the search for my wallet. My friend who had the bbq does not have it at his house and so it HAS to be here or I am in bad shape.

More to come on the rest of the house. Right now, picture the MA delegation caucusing pool-side and eating steak burritos or taco salad because that is what we did.