APTQI Celebrates Successful Summer Tours, Looks Ahead to Fall Meetings

APTQI continues to host local practice tours for Members of Congress and their staff to learn about the importance of physical and occupational therapy and how they can better support our community. Throughout the summer, lawmakers toured nine APTQI member clinics across the country, engaging with patients and providers about legislative issues affecting the physical therapists and patient care.

We thank the lawmakers and their staff who visited our facilities, including Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and Joe Manchin (WV) and Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Darren Soto (FL-09), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Lori Trahan (MA-03), and Dwight Evans (PA-03).

During the tours, APTQI members advocated for the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618). The SAFE Act recognizes physical therapists as experts in fall prevention for older Americans and aims to bolster patient safety by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive a no-cost fall risk assessment from a physical or occupational therapist as part of their Annual Wellness Benefit. This legislation is crucial in reducing the incidence of falls among our aging population, which can lead to severe injuries and high medical costs. By supporting the SAFE Act, lawmakers can help to ensure that older adults have access to the preventative care they need to stay safe, healthy, and independent.

We look forward to welcoming lawmakers nationwide as our tour program continues in August.

A special thanks to our member clinics who make these tours possible including First Settlement Physical Therapy in Lancaster, OH and Charleston, WV, The Jackson Clinics in Alexandria, VA, Silver Creek Physical Therapy in San Jose, CA, Ability Health Services & Rehabilitation in Kissimmee, FL, Team Rehabilitation Physical Therapy in Glendale, WI, All Star Physical Therapy in Hemet, CA, ATI Physical Therapy in Billerica, MA, and Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy in Philadelphia, PA!