What a wild year it has been for those of us enrolled in the DPT program. We acquired the credit hours to partially meet our goal, which is set to be achieved in August 2013. We've learned new techniques, new terminology, diagnostic vocabulary and how to read the literature in our field. Plenty has been absorbed into our practice of physical ...

As this year comes to a close, I'd like to reflect on a most productive, busy and emotional past 12 months. Final grades have arrived this morning for the fall semester of the DPT program. My capstone project will begin very soon. After narrowing down my choices to two patients, this week I came across two more interesting patients who are ...

Rapid change is necessary to stay afloat in healthcare these days. From staffing optimization to unifying rehab across the South Broward Hospital District and becoming the Rehabilitation Institute of South Florida (RISF), we're experiencing exciting and, at times, nerve-wracking changes. This brings with it major renovations, including possible ...

This time of year seems a lot slower than usual, being that I'm officially on winter break from my studies. I'm prepared to start the new semester in January, and in the meantime I must admit I'm a little bored. As a result, I've been more aware of those around me, especially those less fortunate. This is the time of year when we have many ...

I'm embarrassed to say it, but it wasn't until last week that I finally got a grasp of the Affordable Care Act and specifically its implications for the future of physical therapy. As part of our ''Evidence-Based Practice'' coursework, Everette James, director of the Health Policy Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, addressed our class ...

After much sweat and tears this past semester, I've finally managed to finish my three online classes for my DPT with a month to spare. It was perhaps the most challenging semester so far, with a class titled ''Direct Access.'' Having worked 20-plus years for healthcare systems, I was quite comfortable with seeing patients who were required by ...

It has been a very busy week preparing, as best we could, for the changes we're currently experiencing. Working in a hospital-based, outpatient rehabilitation center, there had never been a dollar restriction on the visits allowed through straight Medicare. Beginning Oct. 1, we've been making patients aware of the amount they've used since ...

October 1 is just around the corner from now, and with it will bring changes to the allowances of physical therapy services for our Medicare population (along with occupational and speech therapy). I'd like to think that as a healthcare professional, we've always provided services that were medically necessary. With a cap of $1880, we are ...

Physical therapists who haven't been paying attention to the legislative battle raging in California might want to start. As the APTA detailed in its Aug. 30 press release, ''In California, a Rough Ride for Senate Bill 924,'' the latest salvo was just fired: ''California physical therapists have been infuriated by the legislative wrangling that ...

The first week of summer vacation has been relatively quiet. The most excitement has been switching from satellite to digital television in my home. Timing is everything. With Tropical Storm Debby hitting Florida, satellite would have been interrupted, so digital television was a great choice. Perfect timing, especially, because the flu bug has ...