APTA's Multidisciplinary Summit Establishes Opportunities for Physical Therapists to Drive Health C...(cal therapy profession's willingness to ...),Health

Clem Bezold, PhD, founder and chair of the Institute for Alternative Futures, presented the Keynote Address "Society's Expectations for Healthcare in a Time of Challenge and Opportunity." We have a "Hummer" of a non-health care system, he said, noting the growing number of uninsured Americans, variations in patient care, and the unsustainable cost increases of the US health system. Bezold spoke about the emergence of the comprehensive medical home, new delivery models, disruptive innovations, and competition.

Panelist presentations and highly interactive sessions focused on education and professional preparation; health care access, systems, and funding; practice models; technology; and research. Common themes included: the pivotal role of the physical therapist in patient care; the importance of collaborating with other health care disciplines and technology experts; the need to coordinate, direct, and manage a collaborative model of practice for neuromusculoskeletal care; the development of new models of education for faculty and students to achieve best practice, and the opportunities that health care reform will offer providers, like physical therapists, who are ready and willing to be a part of - and drive - change.

"This Summit represented a truly unique opportunity for discussing opportunities to address societal needs," said Kigin. "The makers of the motion that brought this concept to APTA's House of Delegates had the vision to include professionals from outside the world of physical therapy. When you work, live, and breathe something every day it can sometimes be difficult to step back and take inventory. These other participants played a vital role in helping us to step outside the boundaries of what we know and do day
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