APTA Minnesota

Event Schedule:

Back to Event Details

Please select any sessions you wish to attend

Session 1 (1 hours 8:00-9:00)

		Start Date	End Date	Start Time	End Time
Learn – Educate – Advocate, Physical Therapy & Our Patients Are Counting on You!		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	8:00 AM	9:00 AM	4/9/2022 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Presenter: Eva Norman, PT, DPT, CEEAA The profession of physical therapy is heavily influenced by state and federal legislation. Therefore, physical therapists must understand policies affecting patient/client care and advocate for the profession effectively. Issues at hand include improved access to physical therapy, fighting payment cuts, reducing administrative burdens, and promoting diversity in the profession. Physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students are intermediaries between patients/clients and policymakers. The keynote session will focus on why it is essential to advocate. Real-life experiences illustrate how the support and passage of critical legislation advanced the profession and provide practical strategies for lifting the voices of our patients/clients to make a difference in the profession's future.

Session 2 (2 hours 9:10-11:10) Please select ONE

		Start Date	End Date	Start Time	End Time
Activity Based Wellness Programs for Adults with Neurologic Conditions: An Expert Panel Discussion		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Melanie Brennan, PT, DPT; Jessica Buss; Jeanne M Olson, PT, MBA; Rob Wudlick Individuals with chronic neurological diseases and disorders often benefit from participation in activity based wellness programs. Activity based wellness programs provide client focused restorative and maintenance rehabilitation services in an environment that is accessible and community based. Additionally, these programs often include specialized adaptive equipment or services that are often not available at traditional community fitness centers. A panel of experts practicing in this unique and important setting of physical therapy will provide important insight into the various business model approaches, program structures, common patient populations/characteristics, and outcome assessments.
Beating Burnout in Physical Therapy		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Justin Berry, PT, DPT, PhD Occupational burnout, which can affect individuals in many occupations, occurs in response to chronic interpersonal job related stress. Healthcare professionals, including physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, are especially at risk for burnout development. Burnout can result in increased levels of depression, absenteeism, and substance abuse, as well as decreased quality of patient care. These negative ramifications can be detrimental to the healthcare practitioner, their patients, their professional license, and to the institutions in which they work. This presentation will also include research on burnout in physical therapy, and potential strategies for decreasing burnout in this population.
Building Values-based Compassion for Oneself and Others during Turbulent Times in Clinical Practice: An Ethics Toolkit		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Jessica Scholl, PTA, MA; Deborah Madanayake, PT, JD, GCS In this interactive course, participants will have an opportunity to learn about and apply a number of tools from the field of ethics while discussing contemporary, challenging clinical situations. The foundation for this session will be the RIPS Model of Ethical Decision-Making. Instruction will include a presentation, small group case application, and large group discussion. Participants will develop strategies for considering stakeholders’ differing values and perspectives, allowing them to compassionately navigate during turbulent times.
Pediatric Intensive Therapy: An Expert Panel Perspective		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Molly Peterson, PT; Kathy Grinde, PT; Rachel Van Heel, DPT Intensive physical therapy programs provide the push a child needs to gain the next level in their development or maintain current conditioning. Short bouts of intensive therapy can progress a child's motor skills, typically taking months to achieve with a traditional outpatient schedule. This panel will focus on the different types of intensive therapy programs used to improve motor function for children with disabilities. Leaders of the various programs will describe program components at their organizations along with factors facilitating success. The panel will accept questions and provide information to guide participants interested in identifying children who can benefit from these services.
The Use of Heavy Lifting as a Primary Treatment for Non-specific Low Back Pain		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Olivia Full, PT, DPT, OCS Literature support for treatment of low back pain continues to evolve. Newer thoughts revolve around the controversy of core strengthening and heavy lifting with the idea that we are not pushing patients hard enough to meet the demands of their functional activities. The aim of the course is to learn how to implement heavy lifting treatment strategies safely and effectively in order to advance patients to the next level of their rehabilitation capabilities. Lecture and lab activities will include the use and progressions of the dead lift, squats and lunges to complement other core activities.
Using Lab Values to Guide Clinical Decision Making		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	9:10 AM	11:10 AM	4/9/2022 9:10 AM - 11:10 AM Presenter: Melissa Hake, PT, DPT, DScPT; Nikita Mohabbat, PT, DPT This course will provide an overview of critical lab values that physical therapy professionals use to help guide patient management decisions. Participants will gain an understanding of normal lab values, patient symptoms related to abnormal values, and relative/absolute parameters to guide clinical decision-making. Participants will have the opportunity to immediately apply new knowledge through discussion of a variety of clinical case scenarios.

Session 3 (1.5 hours 1:10- 2:40) Please select ONE

		Start Date	End Date	Start Time	End Time
APTA Commits to Being an Anti-Racist Organization: What is Your Role?		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	1:10 PM	2:40 PM	4/9/2022 1:10 PM - 2:40 PM Presenter: Elizabeth Ramos Young, PT, DPT; Elora Koepcke, PT, DPT; Patrick Webster, PT, DPT The APTA posits social responsibility and inclusion as core values for the profession. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of APTA MN looks forward to discussing actionable ways to integrate DEI principles, including anti-racism/discrimination, into practice. This presentation will help define terminology in the context of physical therapy, develop skills to recognize and address the root causes of health disparities to optimize client outcomes, and discuss approaches to interrupt and manage racist, discriminatory, and/or inequitable behaviors in our spaces. A portion of the presentation will be dedicated to discussing contentious scenarios from the perspectives of student, researcher, clinician, and APTA MN member emphasizing how to take action as an individual or organization.
Emerging Technologies: Novel Applications of Digital Therapeutics and Telehealth		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	1:10 PM	2:40 PM	4/9/2022 1:10 PM - 2:40 PM Presenter: Jill Lawrence PT, DPT, TPS As technology, patient-needs, healthcare cost and growing populations meet, telehealth is emerging as a viable option serving people in need of healthcare. This is especially true for chronic medical conditions that require monitoring and guidance, such as diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and persistent pain. Telehealth has seen a steady, progressive growth over time and recently catapulted forward due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This 90 min course will discuss a brief history and the growth of telemedicine, initiatives specific to its use, proposed advantages of telehealth, current evidence, barriers, and practice considerations specific to chronic conditions including pain. In addition, clinical practice has become fast-paced, short interactions with patients trying to optimize care. This in turn has driven the push towards self-care by patients. One strategy, tied to an explosion of mobile health (mHealth) is the use of apps. The discussion will also include how mobile health applications and other digital therapeutics can assist providers with persistent pain care. Come learn how digital therapeutics and telehealth can enhance your practice.
Prodromal Parkinsonism: Strategies for Early Detection and Intervention - CANCELLED		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	1:10 PM	2:40 PM	4/9/2022 1:10 PM - 2:40 PM Presenter: Rebekah Summers, PT, DPT, PhD Physical Therapy for Parkinson disease (PD) is commonly delivered when physical function is impaired and substantial neurodegeneration (approximately 50%-90% loss of nigral dopaminergic cells) has already occurred, likely limiting the effectiveness of physical interventions. However, PD and related neurodegenerative diseases are associated with a long early or prodromal stage of disease when the symptoms are so mild that a diagnosis cannot be made. Recent literature has indicated that several motor and non-motor symptoms may make it possible to identify people in the early stage of Parkinsonism, making it possible to study protective therapies like exercise. This course will review motor abnormalities that are linked to early motor system dysfunction and exercise strategies for individuals with mild Parkinsonism.
Re-thinking the Role of Static Interventions in the Treatment of the Dynamic Human Experience		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	1:10 PM	2:40 PM	4/9/2022 1:10 PM - 2:40 PM Presenter: Chris Kramer PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT; Bill Koch PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT The APTA’s Vision Statement discusses our role in “optimizing movement” for the clients we serve. This focus on an approach emphasizing dynamic movement is quite often in contrast to our profession’s longstanding utilization of static interventions. These static interventions include sitting posture, lifting posture/mechanics and static/sustained muscular stretches. As a profession who prides itself on following the “best evidence” it is apparent we have a blind spot for these specific interventions. In this session we will seek to challenge longstanding biases and assumptions around the importance and value of these treatments in clinical practice. Additionally, we will discuss how continued emphasis around these topics distracts our patients from the importance of more effective movement-based interventions.
What Are You Wearing? - Peripheral Neuromodulation Through Wearable Technologies to Enhance Mobility in Older Adults		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	1:10 PM	2:40 PM	4/9/2022 1:10 PM - 2:40 PM Presenter: Laura Jacobs, PT, DPT Wearable technologies using peripheral neuromodulation have the potential to provide much needed therapeutic relief to an unprecedented number of people affected by age-related mobility issues worldwide. Mobility and gait impairments decrease participation in activities of daily living and can lead to loss of independence. Additionally, these impairments contribute to falls, disability, hospitalization, and even death in older adults. The rise of modern-day wearable peripheral neuromodulation therapies suggests novel ways of improving mobility and gait function in older adults and different populations of patients. This course is based on a recent narrative review, which aimed to investigate (1) wearable technologies/ devices that exist to improve mobility through peripheral neuromodulation in older adults and (2) the mechanism behind wearable/ non-invasive devices using neuromodulation to improve mobility in older adults.

Session 4 (1.5 hours 2:50-4:20) Please select ONE

		Start Date	End Date	Start Time	End Time
(Bio) Feedback is Vital: Clinical Applications of Heart Rate Variability and Proprioceptive Laser Training		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: Tom Myers PT, DPT; Jackie Cleereman PT, DPT; Bill Koch PT, DPT; Chris Kramer PT, DPT Biofeedback is a common tool used in many physical therapy practices. However, heart rate variability or HRV is something few have heard of or are implementing. Come find out why this could be helpful in your practice. Along with HRV, we will also be discussing proprioceptive retraining with the use of a laser. We will go deeper into how many different ways a laser can be implemented into your treatment regiment to aide in proprioceptive retraining. These two new biofeedback tools are easy to implement with some solid science behind them, how familiar are you with them?
Boundaries in Physical Therapy Practice		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: Steven Scherger PT, Cert. MDT; Sara Conrad, PTA, ART, APP At the core of our profession, our license allows us to provide therapy to our patients as long as we keep the patient-therapist relationship intact. In ever changing landscape of patient expectations and technology and culture standards; boundary issues with patients can be easy to cross. In this session participants will explore a variety of boundary related issues all therapists need to navigate in clinical practice. Speakers Steven Scherger and Sara Conrad from the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy will help participants examine the issue with discussion, case studies and group interactions. All areas of practice will benefit from this thought filled presentation.
Current Topics and Challenges of Implementing Evidence Into Practice		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: Jena Ogston PT, PhD; Peter Rundquist, PT, PhD It has been over two decades since evidence based practice became one of the integral parts of Vision 2020. EBP contributes to the rationale for avoiding unwarranted practice variation outlined in the APTA’s 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. The ever expanding world of online resources can leave the clinician and consumer alike overwhelmed and confused about what is “best evidence”. The purpose of this educational session is to address some of the current challenges and recent developments in this area and provide a platform for additional discussion. Topics to be addressed include: finding the best evidence and challenges within Clinical Practice Rules and Clinical Practice Guidelines.
Human-Centered Design – VA-Driven Medical Device Innovation for Rehabilitation		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: C Olney, PhD, RN; B Slater, MAEd, CCRC; N Walker, MS, CPO; A Hansen, PhD; P McCracken, PT, DPT, MBA Human-centered design is a participatory, interactive process whereby design solutions are prioritized based on the users’ needs and requirements, while at the same time mitigating any negative effects on safety, performance, and health. The Minneapolis Adaptive Design and Engineering (MADE) Program from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System uses human-centered design to develop new innovations that impact physical therapy practice. This course will introduce the attendee to human-centered design and describe how this process has been used to successfully develop three novel rehabilitation technologies with the potential to influence current practice in rehabilitation: the Multi-Purpose Arm Cycle Ergometer (MPACE), the Habit Camera, and prosthesis technological advances. The MPACE is a versatile supine arm cycle ergometer used for therapeutic exercise that adapts to a variety of positions. The MPACE was developed initially to provide a cardiovascular therapeutic exercise for patients on strict bedrest such as post flap interventions for patients with spinal cord injury or disease. The Habit Camera technology provides an option for patients at risk for pressure injury to monitor and report evidence of skin changes. The Habit Camera has clinical applications in patients with spinal cord disorders, diabetes, or insensate skin at risk for pressure ulcers. Finally, prosthetic socket and ankle technologies that improve the comfort, utility, and quality of life for persons living with limb loss will be presented. By the completion of this course, attendees will learn about opportunities in human-centered design.
POD 0: Clinical Pearls for Same Day Evaluation of Total Joint Arthroplasties		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: Laura Wichman, PT, DPT; Sarah Kraus, PT, DPT This course will provide a comprehensive review of same-day PT evaluations for primary and secondary total joint arthroplasties in the acute care orthopedic setting. As the health care climate changes, shortening length of stay has become mutually beneficial for the patient and hospital. It takes a multidisciplinary team and specific patient characteristics to facilitate successful evaluation on post-operative day zero. The presenters will discuss personal experiences that guide clinical reasoning in higher complexity cases. This course will review evaluation considerations, clinical pearls, and patient education topics that should be considered when working in this practice setting.
Targeted Treatment for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Four Pillars Approach		4/9/2022	4/9/2022	2:50 PM	4:20 PM	4/9/2022 2:50 PM - 4:20 PM Presenter: Jennifer Erdmann, PT, DPT The contents of this course arose out of necessity for the author to have some structure in her own practice when helping “repeat offenders” in the chronic pain population. Often this population has “been through this before", and this practical guideline allows the treating therapist to identify practical pieces of treatment and education that may have been overlooked in previous episodes. It is a sampler of sorts, guiding the therapist through pertinent education, exercises and aerobic progression to help the patient as they navigate their pain experience. This guideline is meant as a resource, not a strict recipe (although most of us learned to cook using a recipe first!) and can be modified/personalized to the individual patient.

Latest News more

3/11/2026Big PT wins in Committee

2/26/2026APTA MN gathering Medicaid Prior Auth challenges

Calendar more

The upcoming calendar is currently empty.

Click here to view past events and photos »

Association Management Software :: Legal