Disability Policy Seminar- day THREE and Hill visits!

Disability Policy Seminar
April 29, 2009
Day three- hill visits

Today I visited Ohio House of Representatives staff members from Mary Jo Kilroy and Tim Ryan’s offices. We spoke mostly about the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) which (I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t know this) funds the UCCEDD’s. We had such a great combination of perspectives including parents, a clinic coordinator, a physician and me, a trainee!

A photo outside the office of Ohio Representative, Mary Jo Kilroy

I was able to talk to one representative about the benefits of the LEND traineeship from a trainee perspective. I told her how I feel more prepared than my non-LEND trainee classmates to enter the field as a pediatric PT because of my additional clinical experience but more importantly my knowledge of the systems, resources, funding options for families and the other disciplines involved in the child and family’s life. I think she liked what I had to say because I saw her take some notes. And I tried to get in that training programs ultimately save the system money because clinicians are (hopefully) more knowledgeable, efficient and well-prepared. She conveyed that the Representative she works with is in support of the act. Maybe this team will have some tools to convince fellow representatives to support the DD Act

Disability Policy Seminar day TWO

Disability Policy Seminar
April 28, 2009
Day two

Today was another busy day of session and planning for tomorrow’s hill visits. A few key items caught my attention.

First, I learned about some internet resources for keeping up with government spending and funding and legislative news:

http://www.recovery.gov/ is a website with information about how the US is spending stimulus money. It is updated daily to reflect the most accurate current spending. Each state has a similar website. I found Ohio's by visiting this link and clicking on the state of Ohio on the map: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/state-recovery-page

http://www.grants.gov/ is a website with information about how to get the funds that are being provided by the stimulus packages.

Also, http://aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id=164publishes online legislative news briefs every Monday. It sounds like a quick and simple way to stay up to date regarding new bills and appropriations.

Health care reform came up in many of the discussions today. I am enrolled in a health policy course this quarter as part of my DPT curriculum and we completed a group project in which we had to design a new health care system so I have a relatively new interest in this topic. Some of the most interesting points were mentioned during the question and answer sessions! One self-advocate spoke about the inaccessibility of medical equipment (exam tables, etc) and need for better education regarding care for persons with developmental disabilities for all physicians.

She mentioned that a physician told her she needed to get a cardiovascular workout in order to lose weight but she was unable to find an accessible fitness facility. That comment, of course, sent my brain spinning with possible projects for physical and occupational therapists and trainees!

A LEND trainee takes advantage of Q and A time during legislative briefs

One final noteworthy mention is the confusion and differences in opinion related to autism legislation. Some conference participants felt that the legislation needed to be specific to Autism. Others urged the panel of specialists to include “Autism and other developmental disabilities” in the legislation. The most interesting idiosyncrasy to me (and the trainees I was seated with) was a panelist’s response to the request to include all disabilities in the legislation. She responded that the legislation contains the wording “Autism spectrum disorders and other related disabilities.” Well, what constitutes a related disability? It sounds a bit like a loophole. Was this merely a poor paraphrasing of the legislation? I think its something we need to be aware of. After all, it was poor phrasing that caused the Medicare cap to include reimbursement for $1500 of speech or physical therapy services instead of $1500 for speech and $1500 for physical therapy.

Trainees from The Ohio State University relax after a busy day!

It was another very busy day and I’m starting to regret that I only packed one pair of black shoes because my feet could use a change! Looking forward to tomorrow.

Disability Policy Seminar Day ONE

Disability Policy Seminar
Day one
April 27, 2009

What a jam-packed and exciting day! I started the day with a trainee meet and greet where I met some new faces and reunited with some familiar ones. At “Lobbying 101,” a session for Disability Policy Seminar first timers, I gained some tips for successful interactions with legislators. Most notable were the importance of personalizing messages (including the subject line of an email) and emphasizing a personal connection with the legislator or staff member such as your membership in their district or a mutual acquaintance.

Kareem Dale addresses the audience

Later we heard from disability policy specialists Kareem Dale and Connie Garner. Kareem is an assistant to President Obama while Connie works for Senator Ted Kennedy. It was a great dichotomy to hear perspectives and priorities from both the executive and legislative branches.

Connie Garner shares her insights

In the afternoon, policy and advocacy specialists from all the co-sponsors for the Disability Policy Seminar gave quick briefs and entertained questions related to upcoming legislative issues including social security, healthcare reform, employment, education, autism, and others. I am looking forward to more detailed information and focused discussions at the concurrent sessions on Tuesday.

Kim Musheno briefs on current legislation and policy updates

I had the privilege to share in the Leadership in Disability Policy Award ceremony where Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) was recognized. He shared an empowering message regarding the impact we as constituents can have in influencing our legislators.

In the evening, the trainee reception was a big success. Trainees from NY, NH, MA, OH, RI, OK, VA, NM, WI and others gathered to network with AUCD staff, program faculty and most importantly, other trainees! It was wonderful to meet fellow trainees and learn about other programs. After the reception, some trainees met for dinner which included an interesting conversation about school-based services for children with disabilities.

It was a busy first day and it passed very quickly! I am looking forward to the concurrent session on Education Policy Updates during day two.

Trainees from The Ohio State University take a break from the sessions for a photo!

Physical Therapy Conference in Las Vegas, NV

In February, physical therapists and physical therapy students gathered in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada for the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association. All three days were jam-packed with innovative presentations and motivating meetings. A few highlights come to mind.

The opening session focused on the continuum of care for individuals with life long disabilities, a task-force established by the APTA in 2005. The session was sponsored by all sections of the APTA and included case presentations by pediatric, orthopedic, and cardiopulmonary physical therapists; the most valuable part of the session was a testimony shared by a self-advocate, Janice Brunstrom, a pediatric neurologist with cerebral palsy. The session brought physical therapists of all specialties together and effectively communicated each sections contributions and responsibility in treating muscular, skeletal, and cardiovascular injuries for patients with life long disabilities.

I attended the pediatric section business meeting where I learned details regarding the first annual section on pediatrics’ conference January 10-13, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The event will take place the week of the Disney Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k with the theme “Goofy for Fitness.” Since fitness is one of my passions, I was so excited to hear this idea! The section is encouraging attendees to participate in the various running and walking events during the weekend. It sounds like a great event to promote physical therapists as both fitness enthusiasts and professionals trained in promoting fitness.

Another highlight of the conference was meeting trainees from multiple LEND programs. I was able to attend an interesting presentation and view an innovative poster created by Jenny Kronberg-Haire, LEND graduate and physical therapist at University of Nebraska Monroe-Meyer Center. I was also able to reunite with Erin Enright, Ohio State University LEND graduate, current LEND trainee and pediatric physical therapy resident at Oregon Health Sciences University.

Erin and Liz with Jenny and her creative poster

A few trainees found time in their busy conference schedules to share lunch and conversation. Jenny, Nikki Lokenvitz, physical therapy student and LEND trainee from University of Iowa and Lindsay Alfano, pediatric physical therapy resident and LEND trainee at The Ohio State University shared experiences, compared LEND program features, and discussed the conference sessions. It was wonderful to meet other trainees and learn about the diverse projects that are made possible through the support of LEND programs and creativity of their trainees.

Liz, Nikki, Lindsay and Jenny after lunch

I am eager to meet more trainees at the Policy Seminar this April 27th through 29th in Washington, DC. If you are interested in participating in this unique, contact your training director for more information or visit the AUCD's page: http://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=1468&id=379&parent=379#reserve