Praise for New Law Allowing Colleges and Universities to Form Physical Therapy Practices

Law Will Enhance Training of Physical Therapists and Help Increase Access to Important Physical Therapy Services for Consumers

ALBANY , NY (06/25/2012)(readMedia)-- The New York Physical Therapy Association (NYPTA) praised the passage of S. 6980/ A. 10002. The bill, which passed the Assembly on June 6 and the Senate on June 21, 2012, allows colleges and universities that offer an accredited doctor of physical therapy program to establish faculty physical therapy group practices.

"This is an important piece of legislation for both physical therapy students and patients, as well as the profession of physical therapy itself," said Matthew R. Hyland, PhD., PT, president of the NYPTA. "It will provide for more clinical training opportunities for PT students while at the same time expanding access to essential physical therapy services for patients. It also recognizes physical therapists as clinicians in much the same way as the law already recognized physicians, optometrists, dentists and chiropractors.

Under current law higher educational institutions are permitted to form faculty practices for medical, dental, optometric and chiropractic care. This bill now extends the formation of faculty practices to physical therapy.

The ability to form faculty practices will enhance the educational experience for physical therapy students by significantly increasing opportunities for hands-on clinical experience as part of their degree program. In addition, the creation of college and university-based faculty physical therapy practices will also expand access to physical therapy services, particularly for many underserved communities.

"We want to thank Senator Ranzenhofer for his leadership in the Senate on this issue, his colleagues Senators Oppenheimer and Avella for co-sponsoring the bill and Majority Leader Skelos," Hyland continued. "In the Assembly we would like to thank Assemblyman Brennan, sponsor of the bill, his co-sponsors Assemblymen Weprin, Schimel, Babryszak and Peoples -Stokes as well as Speaker Silver for their support of this legislation.

"We also want to recognize Daemen College President, Dr. Edwin Clausen, for his college's efforts in helping to make college and university-based faculty physical therapy practices a reality," Hyland continued.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION:

The New York Physical Therapy Association is a professional, non-profit association representing approximately 12,000 Physical Therapists (PTs), Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) and PT/PTA students. The NYPTA is dedicated to serving the public's health interests, improving the standard of health for people of all ages and advancing the benefits of physical therapy and the interests of physical therapy professionals in state of New York. To learn more about the New York Physical Therapy Association please visit www.nypta.org.