2014 spring kpta newsletter

Spring 2014

Program Director at Somerset Community College.

Upcoming Events: Kentucky Student Conclave Mark

your calendar’s for KPTA’s first Ken-

The program will continue on Saturday, September 13 at Bellarmine University with topics on integrating technology in the clinic, conquering student debt, implications of the Affordable Care Act and much more!

tucky Student Conclave! September 12-13 in Louisville.

The event will bring all eight PT & PTA programs together under one roof for fun, education and leadership develop- While this event is for PT & PTA students only, we are still accepting applications for sponsors. For information, click ment. here.

The event will kick-off with an opening reception at 7:00p.m. on September 12 at the Crowne Plaza Northern District Meeting The Northern Dis-

trict will meet May 13 from 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. at the St. Elizabeth Edgewood Doctor’s Building, room 249. The topic is “Measuring Functional Outcomes Across the Continuum of Care,” presented by Eric Mooney, PT, MPT, Cert MDT, MBA and Charlie Workman, PT, MPT, MBA. Because of recent regulation changes, attendees at this meeting will receive category 1 continuing education units. Elections for District Chair and District Secretary will be held at this meeting. The Doctor's Building is in Zone 2. Please visit: http://ow.ly/vyKP9 for a campus map.

KT1 & KT2 Certification KPTA will offer Inside… the KT1 & KT2 certification classes on June 7 & 8 at Louisville that includes an exhibit hall and student awards Baptist Health Paducah. ceremony. The highlight of the evening will be the presen- The class will run from 9:00am-6:00pm on Friday, tation of the first-annual “David A. Pariser Exceptional Educator” award. The award will be given to an outstand- June 7 and 9:00am6:30pm on Saturday, June ing PT or PTA professor, nominated by their students.

8 (all times Central). The “It is so important for students to be involved on their fee will be $350 for KPTA campus, in their community and in their profession. The members; $450 for nonability to learn from these experiences is as important as members. Attendees at what is learned in the classroom,” according to Ron this course will receive 15 Meade, PT, DPT, KPTA’s Chapter/Student Liaison and PTA

3 Patient Engagement 4 Federal Advocacy Scholarship 5 Payment Policy Updates 6 Federal Advocacy Forum 6 KPTA Award Nominations 10 Samantha Grubb Honored 11 PTA Caucus Update 11 Welcome New Membership Chair 13 David Pariser Award Much more!

Upcoming Events: (continued from cover) hours of category 1 continuing education credit, as well as their KT1 & KT2 certification from the Kinesiotaping Association International. Click here to register online.

Annual Conference KPTA’s Annual Conference is being held September 26-27 in Lexington. The 2nd-annual “Celebration of You” member reception & awards gala will be held on Friday, September 26 at 7:00pm at the Barrel House in Lexington’s Historic Distillery District. Educational programming will commence on Saturday, September 27 at Baptist Health Lexington featuring “Out-Think Being Out-Sized: Manual Therapy for the Not-So-Large Clinician.”

This class will address the ever-increasing size of our patients and ways to effectively treat them, but also help clinicians who have sustained injuries or who have neck or back pain conditions. Additional programming is being developed.

The KPTA business meeting will be held Saturday, September 27 from 12:00p.m.—1:00p.m. during the program lunch break. Registration coming soon.

The Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Bellarmine University is expanding its faculty and invites applications for a 12-month faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. This position is available on June 1, 2014. We are seeking an Associate Director of Clinical Education (ADCE). The successful candidate will work closely with the DCE to administer a well-established clinical education program, provide some teaching support in their specialty area, participate in independent and collaborative research, and integrate teaching, scholarship and practice into a student-centered and service oriented curriculum.

If interested in the position, please visit Bellarmine’s Human Resources employment resources website at: http://www.bellarmine.edu/hr/

What’s New? “Patient Engagement”

By Elizabeth Hogue ElizabethHogue@ElizabethHogue.net

There is a new "buzzword" for healthcare providers: "patient engagement." The application of this concept to relationships between providers, including discharge planners, and patients is becoming more prevalent. In the commentary to final regulations governing the establishment of accountable care organizations (ACO's), for example, CMS responded to comments about the inability to control patients' behaviors so that monies are saved, including for the benefit of participants in ACO's. CMS responded to these comments by emphasizing that it is the responsibility of providers to "engage patients" so that patients follow their recommendations.

In 2011, the Center for Advancing Health (CFAH) published an "Engagement Behavior Framework." Below are some of CFAH's recommendations for patients that require involvement by providers: 

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"Ask questions when explanations or next steps are not clear and express any concerns about recommendations or care experiences.

Ensure that relevant medical information is conveyed between providers and institutions.

Negotiate a treatment plan with provider(s).

Learn about any newly prescribed medications and devices, including possible side effects or interactions with existing medications and devices.

Monitor symptoms and conditions (e.g., for diabetes - monitor glucose regularly, check feet; for depression - medical medication and/or counseling and monitor symptoms; for hypertension measure blood pressure regularly maintain blood pressure diary), including danger signs that require urgent attention.

Set and act on priorities for changing behavior to optimize health and prevent disease.

Identify and secure services that support changing behavior to maximize health and functioning and maintain those changes over time.

Manage symptoms by following treatment plans, including diet, exercise and substance use agreed upon by them and their provider.

If diagnosed with a chronic disease, understand the condition(s), the risks and benefits of treatment options and personal behavior change(s) by seeking opportunities to improve health/ disease knowledge."

This concept of "patient engagement" is not only increasingly important to payors, but is also significant from the perspective of risk management. When patients are non-compliant or not engaged, it is difficult to separate non-compliance from poor quality of care. Providers must take steps to get patients engaged and to document that they have done so. It is not enough for providers to simply throw up their hands and bemoan the fact that patients will not follow their recommendations. It is the job of professionals to utilize their expertise to engage patients in a way that will likely support compliance.

Providers have a history of concerns about non-compliance or non-adherence by patients. The tendency has been for providers to complain that patients are non-compliant. It is clear that a different "wind" is starting to blow now. Providers must prepare to take on more responsibility for patient engagement, including involvement in all of the activities described above and more. ©2014 Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. All rights reserved

BELLARMINE DPT STUDENT WINS ESSAY COMPETITION, WILL REPRESENT COMMONWEALTH AT 2014 FEDERAL ADVOCACY FORUM Each spring, the KPTA sponsors an essay competition about the importance of advocacy that is open to PTA and DPT students. The winner of the competition receives a stipend to attend the APTA’s Federal Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C. This year’s winner is Jessica Plummer from Bellarmine University’s DPT Program. Her winning essay is below.

As physical therapists we have the potential to make a huge impact on the quality of life of our patients. We can help a grandfather return to dance at his granddaughter’s wedding after a stroke, but when the grandfather was only hospitalized for 2 days in acute care and wasn’t approved to be admitted into a rehabilitation facility through insurance, he didn’t receive the rehabilitation services he needed and was limited to his wheelchair. Is it acceptable to limit a patient’s rehabilitation potential and decrease their quality of life, even by just a little, because services were refused due to a technicality of length of stay? Advocacy for the physical therapy profession is advocacy for patient health and improved living. The services that physical therapists can offer, whether it be prevention, rehabilitation, or compensation, are often restricted by the lack of direct access laws or limitations imposed by insurance coverage. The advantage that physical therapy advocates have over the patients they act on behalf of is that we are organized, driven, and speak with a louder voice.

Physical therapists possess a valuable point of view! Through our education and experience we know how to improve the lives of anyone willing to seek our guidance. The need to advocate our services and make them widely available extends from reaching out to legislators, insurers, and most importantly individuals who may become patients. By speaking up and teaching others about the importance of utilizing our services we can make a difference and maybe even help a grandfather keep the promise of a dance with his granddaughter.

Jessica Plummer graduated from Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana in May 2011 with a BA in Health and Fitness. She is currently a second year DPT student at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Conferences that she has attended while a DPT student include NSC 2012 in Arlington, Virginia, NSC 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky, CSM 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada and she was an Usher at 2013 House of Delegates in Salt Lake City, Utah. Leadership positions that Jessica currently holds are Bellarmine University DPT Class of 2015 APTA Liaison and Student Assembly Board of Directors SPT Delegate.

From the APTA Payment Policy & Advocacy Department What’s New? APTA Member Input Brought to CMS Meeting on FLR; CMS Provides Information on Claims Processing APTA members' willingness to share their experiences of claims processing errors and payment delays related to functional limitation reporting (FLR) augmented the information that APTA staff provided to representatives of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a recent meeting. During that same meeting, CMS provided information about how claims on the "1500" forms are processed, which APTA believes may help physical therapists (PTs) avoid split claims in the future.

Over the past 2 months, APTA received numerous complaints from members about FLR that helped association staff to identify specific systems problems in claims processing. The systems issues were brought to the attention of CMS for discussion regarding possible changes to the program.

As part of that discussion, CMS explained that its current system can accommodate no more than 13 line items on a 1500 claim form. Given this information, APTA now believes that PTs may experience more efficient processing, and find their claims less likely to be split if they submit claims with no more than 12 line items.

APTA encourages members to continue to provide feedback on FLR processing, so that the association can continue its collaborative work with CMS to correct system issues. To provide feedback, use the online complaint form on theFunctional Limitation Reporting web page.

APTA Advocacy Sparks Medicare Advantage Beneficiary Protections in 2015 CMS recently announced greater cost-sharing protection for Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries receiving physical therapy services in 2015, a change adopted as a result of APTA advocacy efforts.

The association’s work to reduce copayments for physical therapist services in MA plans, resulted in physical therapy being added to the list of services that will be protected by the maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) spending limits for beneficiaries. In its Advance Notice and draft Call Letter, CMS mandates that the MOOP cost-sharing for all in-network physical therapist services be set at $40. This cost-sharing requirement includes copayments, coinsurance, and service category deductibles.

For more information, review the February 25 PT in Motion: News Now article.

APTA Asks Members to Identify Unnecessary Procedures As part of its Integrity in Practice initiative, APTA is exploring the possibility of participating in the “Choosing Wisely” program, a national American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation-sponsored project that provides the public with lists of health care tests and procedures that may be unnecessary under certain circumstances. APTA would join more than 50 medical specialty societies that each has contributed a list of “5 Things a Patient Should Question.”

For more information about “Choosing Wisely” and the Integrity in Practice initiative, visit www.apta.org/ Integrity.

Federal Payment CMS Transitions to New Recovery Audit Program Contracts The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) transition to new recovery audit program contracts will temporarily change prepayment and postpayment manual medical review processes for therapy services exceeding $3,700, and will likely create delays in the typical 10-day review cycle. (continued next page)

From the APTA Payment Policy & Advocacy Department (continued) CMS is procuring the next round of recovery audit program contracts, and the agency is planning a “pause in operations,” while old contracts are closed out and new ones started. The pause will have different ramifications depending on whether a particular state is subject to prepayment review or postpayment review of therapy services exceeding $3,700.

Review the February 25 article in PT in Motion: News Now for more information.

Medicare Only Accepting Revised CMS 1500 Claim Form (02/12) Starting April 1 Starting with claims received on April 1, 2014, Medicare will only accept professional and supplier paper claims on the revised CMS 1500 claim form (02/12). You may purchase the revised CMS 1500 paper claim form (02/12) from theUnited States Government Printing Office, as well as from private printers. For information regarding private printers selling the revised CMS 1500 claim form (02/12), please contact the National Uniform Claim Committee.

Medicare began receiving claims on the revised CMS 1500 claim form (02/12) on January 6, 2014. The CMS 1500 claim form is the required format for submitting professional and supplier claims to Medicare on paper, when submitting paper claims is permissible. The dual-use period, during which Medicare also accepted the old CMS 1500 claim form, began on January 6, 2014 and will end on March 31, 2014. On and after April 1, 2014, Medicare will no longer accept claims on the old CMS 1500 claim form (08/05).

Note: Although the revised CMS 1500 claim form has functionality for accepting ICD-10 codes, do not submit ICD-10 codes on claims for dates of service prior to October 1, 2014.

APTA Resources Free Webinars Available to APTA Members APTA members can order and listen free to a recent webinar “Health Care Reform: 2014 Progress Report,” presented by Roshunda Drummond-Dye, JD, Gillian Leene, JD, and Deborah Crandall, JD. Also available free to members and nonmembers is APTA’s online course to enhance awareness about fraud and abuse. “Navigating the Regulatory Environment: Ensuring Compliance While Promoting Professional Integrity” is presented by Shantanu Agrawal, MD; Anthony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA; Katherine KarkerJennings, JD, MS; and Ellen R. Strunk, PT, MS, GCS. The 2-part course provides expert guidance and strategies to prevent fraud and abuse in your practice.

To locate the courses, go to http://learningcenter.apta.org, click on “Courses,” and search for the course title or a presenter name.

Federal Resources HHS Improves Access to Benefit Plan Information in Marketplaces Physical therapists hoping for a little more light to be shed on the details of health plans available through state health insurance marketplaces, can take heart; the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may have just what they need.

Recently HHS launched a new website with state-by-state charts that include copayment and other benefit information for the health plans available in states that did not set up their own exchanges. Many providers had complained about inadequacy of earlier information from HHS. (continued next page)

From the APTA Payment Policy & Advocacy Department (continued) The site lists the plans for each state alphabetically. Scrolling to the right of the list reveals copayments next to each plan and plan level. This data is only for plans offered in the marketplaces and can take time to extract, but it does represent an improvement over previous information.

APTA reminds therapists that for current patients or those awaiting evaluation, it’s always best to verify an enrollee’s benefit with the payer.

Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage” Booklet–Revised The “Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage” fact sheet (ICN 006266), was revised and is now available in downloadable format. This booklet is designed to provide education on the Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN). It includes information on when an ABN should be used and how it should be completed.

Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System” Fact Sheet–Revised The “Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System” fact sheet (ICN 006820), was revised and is now available in downloadable format. This fact sheet is designed to provide education on the hospital outpatient prospective payment system. It includes the following information: background, ambulatory payment classifications, how payment rates are set, payment rates, and Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program.

APTA Activities/Calendar of Events APTA Webinars and Virtual Programming Provide Valuable Resources 2014 Updates: Payment Policy and Compliance for Today and Tomorrow provides information about the latest developments related to the therapy cap, sustainable growth rate repeal, quality initiatives, program integrity, and the new patient classification and payment system for outpatient physical therapy services. The Thursday, May 8, 2014, webinar will be presented by Helene Fearon, PT, FAPTA, and Gayle Lee, J

Worker’s Comp Fee Schedule: CPT Codes Receive Increase The 2014 Worker’s Compensation Fee Schedule was approved without any changes during the comments/review period. This means an average increase of 38% to the rehabilitation CPT codes.

KPTA’s Payment Policy Committee and lobbyist were instrumental in bringing about this increase. Take a moment to thank these members for their hard work. Payment Policy Committee: Holly Johnson (chair), Jason Chambers, Patrick Myers, Dan Martin and KPTA lobbyist, Leigh Ann Thacker.

KPTA Members Take Message to Don’t Wait to Nominate!

Capitol Hill Nominations Now Being Accepted for KPTA Awards APTA members from across the country met with their legislators on Capitol Hill April 7-8 to discuss issues impacting the physical therapy profession as part of the APTA Federal Advocacy Forum, a 3-day event that focuses on the importance of educating legislators on the role, value, and interests of PTs and PTAs. KPTA was well represented by Kurt Neelly, PT, PhD, Jeff Buis, PTA and Jessica Plummer, SPT. These members focused on delivering three main messages to legislators: 

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The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act: to permanently repeal the Medicare Therapy Cap. The Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act: to exclude Physical Therapy services from the inoffice ancillary services exception under the physician self-referral prohibition (Stark Law).

Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act: would allow Physical Therapists to participate in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program to recruit and retain Physical Therapists to provide PT services to those in rural and underserved Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Nominations are now being accepted for the following KPTA awards, which will be presented at our “Celebration of You” Awards Gala & Member Reception on Friday, September 26, 7:00p.m. at the Barrel House in Lexington. 

Donald H. Lange Lifetime Achievement Award

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Outstanding Physical Therapist Service Award

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Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant Service Award

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Richard V. McDougall “Fledgling” Award

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Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award

The deadline for nominations is July 1st.

Nomination procedure and criteria can be found here.

For more information on these topics or on the Federal Affairs Forum, visit APTA’s Federal Advocacy page at http://www.apta.org/FederalIssues/).

KPTA members attending the 2014 Federal Affairs Forum met with Representative Ed Whitfield. From left, Kurt Neelly, PT, PhD; Stephanie Buis; Rep. Whitfield; V. Jeff Buis, PTA; Jessica Plummer, SPT.

2013 KPTA award recipients were honored at the “Celebration of You” Awards Gala & Member Reception.

Honorees included: Nancy Brinly, PT—Donald H. Lange Lifetime Achievement Award (pictured front center); Ronald Meade, PT, DPT-Outstanding Physical Therapist Service Award (left, front row); Amanda Ball, PT, DPT, NCS—Richard V. McDougall “Fledgling” Award (right, front row), Debora Lasure, PTA—Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant Award (left, standing) and Carrie Clark Hawkins, PT, DPT, OCS—Outstanding Clinical Educator Award (far right, back row). The award winners are flanked

by KPTA’s 2013 RehabCare All-Academic Team.

SCC PTA STUDENT NAMED APTA NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC STUDENT OF THE YEAR A student currently enrolled in second-year studies in the Somerset Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program has been named the recipient of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Orthopaedic Section’s Outstanding PTA Student Award for 2014. Samantha Grubb of Barbourville will receive the award at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada in February. This is the seventh year that a SCC student has won the award. Past recipients include: Bethany Smahaj, Winchester; Glenn Trail, Lexington; Chris Garland, Burkesville; Valarie Cooper, Jamestown; Barry Buchignani, Lexington; and Isaac Mills, Corbin.

Grubb serves as President of her class and is a member of several student organizations, including the SCC Physical Therapy Student Organization, the SCC Martial Arts Club and Phi Theta Kappa International Honorary. She was named the recipient of the James H. Anderson Award for Outstanding First-Year PTA Student and was selected by her peers to be the “Outstanding Physical Therapy Student Organization Member for 2013. She was also named to the Kentucky Physical Therapy Association’s All-Academic Team for 2013.

Grubb is active in a number of charitable and community service activities including assisting with free health screenings at the Kentucky Special Olympics, teaching and mentoring young student in Camp Jump Start and the Governor’s Minority Scholarship Preparation Programs, and volunteering for the Polar Plunge. She has worked as a PT Aide at Total Rehab Center in Somerset.

Samantha Grubb of Barbourville is the APTA Orthopaedic Section’s Outstanding Student Award recipient for 2014. The award was based upon academic performance, community service, service to the APTA, and letters of recommendation. She received the award in Las Vegas, Nevada in February.

Grubb was nominated for the award by Dr. Terry Randall of Total Rehab Center, who states, “Samantha has been an outstanding student, employee, classmate, and will soon be an outstanding PTA. Her potential for contributions to our profession are limitless.”

Grubb is the daughter of Tommy Grubb and Peggy Retherford and is expected to graduate with an Associates of Applied Science Degree from the Physical Therapist Assistant Program in May, 2014. She is the third student in the SCC PTA Program to be recognized nationally. Tyler King of Monticello was elected to the The nomination was supported by program faculty APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors in October; members Steve Hammons, Ron Meade, and Claudette Briana Allen of Monticello was named the APTA Section Prather, and by program students Rachael Adams and on Geriatrics’ Outstanding PTA Student Award for Jessica Lowe.

2014.

For more information about the SCC PTA Program, contact the director at ron.meade@kctcs.edu.

A Message for our PTA Members I would like to reach out to you and encourage as much involvement (or even just a little involvement) as you can the next two months. There are lots of topics of interest that will be developing as we near House of Delegates 2014 and I need your help in letting our Delegates know where you and your PT team stand on several issues.

I am forwarding links to two APTA Board Meeting Livestream feeds that are of interest to the PTA. And by "of interest," I mean..."Holy Cow, find time in the next few days to watch these!" I feel the PTA Caucus is very fortunate to have great Delegates that are actively advocating on our behalf to the Board of Directors. Scroll down past April and start with the February meeting. Feedback and questions encouraged.

Chris Garland, PTA; KPTA’s PTA Caucus Representative

http://www.apta.org/Livestream/ (Member Login Required) 

Board of Directors - February 2, 2014 - 3, Includes the PTA Board Work Group report

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Board of Directors - April 4, 2014 - 2, Includes discussion of the PTA Board Work Group report

Our conference call is scheduled this week for the current motions, Task Force reports and more. I wanted to get you started on these links first and I will disseminate the information from the conference calls later in the week. I will try not to clog your email boxes with much, but please know what I am sending through is important. I look forward to hearing from each of you!

KPTA Welcomes New Membership Chair KPTA is pleased to welcome Stephanie Taylor, PTA, as its new Membership Chair. Stephanie obtained her Associate in Applied Science Degree (Physical Therapist Assistant) in 1997 from Madisonville Community College (MCC), a Bachelor of Independent Studies with an emphasis in Career and Technical Education from Murray State University in 2007 and a Masters of Arts degree in Adult Education from Western Kentucky University in December 2013.

Stephanie’s clinical background as a PTA began in the acute care setting in 1997; transitioning in 1999 to the outpatient sports medicine setting. She obtained her Aquatic Rehabilitation Institute Certification in 2002.

Stephanie Taylor, PTA, recently accepted the position of KPTA Membership Chair.

Stephanie joined Madisonville Community College as an instructor and Academic Clinical Coordinator for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program in the fall of 2005 and then became the Program Coordinator in 2011.

She teaches full-time and provide sinstruction for the following PTA courses: Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology, Pathology and Rehabilitation of Orthopedic Conditions, Pathology and Rehabilitation of Neurological Conditions, and Seminar in Physical Therapy.

In addition, Stephanie is involved in several work groups as part of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She currently serves as a reviewer for the Physical Therapist Assistant Recognition APTA Work Group and on the APTA Education Section - PTA Educators Special Interest Group. Stephanie can be reached at Stephanie.taylor@kctcs.edu.

Chief Delegate Report– Deb Janes, PT, DPT The 2014 House of Delegates will be meeting in Charlotte, NC June 8-14.

The 2014 APTA Slate of Candidates for National Office includes: Treasurer: Stuart Platz, PT

Speaker of the House: Sue Griffin, PT, DPT, MS, GCS William F McGehee, PT, MHS

Director: Jeremy S Angaran, PT, DPT, OCS Susan Appling, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS Jennifer E Green-Wilson, PT, MBA, EdD Matthew R Hyland, PT, PhD, MPA Kathleen K Mairella, PT, DPT, MA Sheila K Nicholson, PT, DPT, JD, MBA, MA

Nominating Committee: Susan M Chalcraft, PT, MS Secili H DeStefano, PT, DPT, OCS Linda Eargle, PT, DPT, CEEAA, MinEd Dode Jackson, PT

All of the RCs are now posted to the APTA website – members as well as nonmembers are allowed to access the motions and comment. There is also a short YouTube video on the APTA website which explains the process of the House as it relates to motions.

Feel free to contact any delegate if you have opinions on motions or national candidates. Delegates include: Michael Muscarella, Melanie Hines, Jason Chambers, Chris Price, Tony Brosky, and Deb Janes.

Jason Bellamy (right), APTA Director of Web & New Media, interviews Speaker of the House, Shawn Stoper on the House of Delegates motions process. Click on the picture to watch the video.

KPTA Creates New Award in Memory of David Pariser, PT, PhD KPTA will inaugurate the “David A. Pariser Exceptional Educator Award,” to be presented at this year’s Kentucky Student Conclave.

Dave was passionate about teaching as evidenced by his professional career. From 1988-2005 he was a full-time faculty member at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center’s Physical Therapy Program. In 2005 Dave accepted a faculty position in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Bellarmine University.

Dave served as KPTA’s Legislative Committee Chair and was a member of the APTA Board of Directors.

Lovingly know as “Dr. Dave” to his students, the award will be presented to an educator in a Kentucky PT or PTA program. Our PT and PTA student members will have the great privilege of nominating their professors for this honor.

Criteria include: 

Nominees must be PTs or PTAs who have been actively engaged in teaching physical therapist students (entry or advanced level) or physical therapist assistant students in formal education for at least five years.

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Nominees must be either clinical or academic educators. Nominees must have a faculty appointment of any rank (part-time or full-time) or receive compensation for their teaching responsibilities.

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Teaching must occur in an academic setting within one or more accredited physical therapist or physical therapist assistant education programs, or advanced level programs for physical therapists, from which students earn an academic qualification.

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Teaching solely as a component of continuing education does not constitute eligibility for this award.

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The nominee must have demonstrated the following: exceptional teaching effectiveness in the academic setting; and excellence as a role model for academic teaching for students, faculty, and clinicians.

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Nominees must be KPTA members.

What Recipients Receive: A plaque will be presented to the recipient at KPTA’s Kentucky Student Conclave and an official announcement will appear in association media.

Submission Requirements: The following documents will be required for upload: 

Current curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee

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A letter of nomination (from a KPTA student member) that specifically focuses on the strengths of the nominee in relation to the award criteria, not to exceed 3 pages

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A letter of support not to exceed 2 pages, from a PT or PTA colleague from the nominee's institution.

Nominations should be submitted by July 1 to the KPTA office at kptaky@gmail.com.

AHIMA Issues Guidance on Use of Copy and Paste Functionality

By Elizabeth Hogue ElizabethHogue@ElizabethHogue.net Electronic health records (EHRs) have been hailed as an enormous step forward in the provision of health care services because they enhance the accuracy, accessibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of documentation of services provided. Use of EHRs, however, also raises a number of important issues that may compromise their usefulness. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently identified use of the so-called "cut and paste" functionality of EHRs as potentially problematic in terms of possible violations of fraud and abuse prohibitions.

Now AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association); on March 17, 2014; issued guidance called "Appropriate Use of the Copy and Paste Functionality in Electronic Health Records." According to AHIMA, the copy and paste function allows providers to re-use all or parts of detailed narrative information. This duplication of notes can occur within a single patient's record or between multiple patients' records. AHIMA acknowledges that misuse of the cut and paste function may enhance the likelihood of fraud and abuse allegations. AHIMA also points out that misuse of this feature has the potential to result in or contribute to challenges regarding the quality and safety of patient care and the integrity of health records.

Specifically, use of the cut and paste feature presents the possibility of the following challenges and risks:

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Inaccurate or outdated information; Duplicate information that makes it difficult to identify current information; Inability to identify the author of the information; Inability to identify the intent of the information; Inability to identify when the documentation was first developed; Propagation of false information; Progress notes that are inconsistent; and Progress notes that are unnecessarily lengthy.

AHIMA's position with regard to use of the cut and paste feature is that use of this feature should be permitted only when strong technical and administrative controls have been put in place that include:

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Organizational policies and procedures that govern the use of the cut and paste feature; Requirements for participation in user training and education; Ongoing monitoring of the use of the cut and paste feature; and A process for weighing the benefits in terms of efficiency and time savings against the potential for inaccurate, fraudulent or unwieldy documentation.

One practical step that providers may want to take in order to address the above issues is to link to the original source, rather than duplicating the information using the cut and paste feature Use of the cut and paste feature clearly needs to be managed consistently and effectively. The healthcare industry is just beginning to consider how best to do so. Stay tuned! ©2014 Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. All rights reserved.

Are You Getting the Attention You Deserve?

If you enjoyed this edition of KPTA’s Newsletter, consider advertising in our next edition. Our newsletter is e-mailed to over 1,300 PTs, PTAs and students throughout the Commonwealth and is archived on our website, www.kpta.org. Our rates are: 

1/4 page ad (approximately 3 1/2" x 4 3/4") $50.00



1/2 page ad (approximately 7 1/2" x 4 3/4") $95.00



Full page ad (approximately 7 1/2" x 10")

$175.00

Contact the KPTA office to make arrangements for your facility to be featured in our next edition, and get the attention you deserve!

PT Clinican APP for APTA Members The PT Clinician App developed by AppGiraffe helps promote streamlined communication with patients by giving them a unique and convenient way to interact with their physical therapists outside the office. With over 65 billion app downloads between Apple and Google, their marketplaces are where your patients are, and your business needs to be there.

The customizable PT Clinician App allows a member to provide patients with a comprehensive menu of tools and capabilities designed specifically to enhance their therapy experience. Choose from features like: Appointment Scheduling Contact Information Coupons Directories Exercise Library Geo-fencing Push Notifications Social Media Extra Pages The AppGiraffe team is available every step of the way to help build the PT Clinician App that is right for you. APTA members are eligible to have an app developed without a setup fee and receive a discount on monthly hosting fees.