Plz read the following call to action in it's entirety:

By now everyone should be aware that the General Assembly is back in Richmond
and will be voting on legislation which will impact Physical Therapy in a very
significant way.

At the request of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association,
legislation has been introduced that deals with direct access to PT
services (HB 1112) and also restrict advertisements using the term
"physical therapy" to only services provided by those licensed by the Board of
Physical Therapy (HB 1111).

This legislation is an important step towards making safe and
appropriate health care more accessible to more people. The referral mandate in
Virginia causes delays in the provision of physical therapists' services to
individuals who would benefit from our care.
Delays in care can result in higher cost, decreased functional
outcomes, and frustration to patients.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IF THESE BILLS ARE TO PASS THIS SESSION AND ACTION IS NEEDED
NOW. Already legislators are hearing from opponents of these bills -- who are
casting doubt on our ability to evaluate and treat a patient without a referral.
They are also insisting that the term "physical therapy" is a term that can be
applied generically across health professions. You can help reinforce our
lobbying efforts to speak the truth and defend our profession by following these
few simple steps.

STEP ONE: Access the General Assembly website to determine who is
your Delegate and Senator in Richmond. Through this website, you are
also given the opportunity to send a message to these legislators in
support of our legislation.

The website is: http://legis.state.va.us (click on the "Who's my legislator?"
icon on the right-hand side under Quick Links.)

Once you enter your name and address, click "LOOKUP" and your
legislators information will be displayed. At the bottom of that page you are
given the option to "SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR".

STEP TWO: One you have clicked "SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR DELEGATE AND
SENATOR", you are given a box to enter a message. Please fill out all of the
empty fields, such as your name, email address and subject line.

Your message should be short and to the point. You are asking them to please
vote in favor of House Bills 1112 and 1111 which would give their constituents
the ability to access physical therapists'
services without professional practice restrictions regarding
referral and restrict using the term "physical therapy" in
advertising to only services provided by professionals licensed by
the Board of Physical Therapy.

It would be helpful if you would describe your personal situation.
Make a statement about how long you have been practicing physical
therapy, where you practice, and how these bills would benefit your
patients. Also mention that most states have not only recognized but have
eliminated this barrier to consumer access and choice. The US Armed Forces and
the US Public Health Service also have some form of direct access to physical
therapist services.

Other points you may wish to include (depending on the flow of you
letter) -- or you can expand on your own personal experiences with
the need for direct access by your patients:

+ Direct access can eliminate delays of service - waiting for a
referral can take weeks

+ PTs are educated at the post-baccalaureate level (all Virginia PT
schools only offer a DPT degree) and receive extensive education and clinical
training to be able to practice without a referral. Most states allow some form
of direct access.

+ Liability insurers affirm that direct access does not jeopardize
the health, safety, or welfare of patients seeking PT services
without referral.

+ PTs are qualified to recognize when a patient's signs and symptoms are
inconsistent with or outside of their scope of practice and when the patient
should be referred to a physician. Current law in Virginia requires that a PTs
must immediately refer to the appropriate health care provider on these
occasions.

+ Why should PTs continue to be required to work under a referral
requirement when a referral is not required before receiving services such as
massage therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy,podiatrists or
chiropractic services.

+ This legislation would restrict advertising or promoting services
by using the term "Physical Therapy" to only services rendered by a
licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant under the direction
of a physical therapist. With the recent trends of emerging health professionals
and the growth of the fitness and health industry, physical therapy has been
misrepresented to the public.
This term protection does not restrict any other licensed
professional from working within their scope of practice. Given the
education and licensure requirements of Physical Therapists, this
legislation ensures the public that use of the term "Physical
Therapy" is synonymous with physical therapists.

If you receive any feedback, or you have a particularly close
relationship with your legislators, please let our legislative chair know. Terry
Izzo can be reached via: "taeng@..."

If I haven't emphasized this enough, I'll say it again -- we can't do this
without your help and we need that help NOW. These bills could be voted on
within days, and it takes time for legislators to look at and react to their
correspondence. Please take the 10 minutes or so that is needed to TAKE ACTION
RIGHT NOW!
Thank You

Terry Izzo PT,PCS
Legislative Chair
Virginia Physical Therapy Association