How did we get here so quickly? Memorial Day weekend is already upon us, and all around the country patients, families, and colleagues are comparing notes for the much-anticipated jolly times ahead — after all, a three-day weekend is a rare jewel of an event, and is not to be squandered. But as I make my own plans, I have to stop and consider the reason the holiday exists.
We are SO lucky to be a part of this great country, and even more blessed by the heroes in our history who fought for our rights to vote, to voice our concerns aloud without fear of retribution, and to engage in the satisfying work of our chosen profession.
But it really isn’t enough anymore to merely show up. Unless PTs and PTAs as individuals and as a cohesive group become more active, we may suffer restrictions of our professional freedoms; or, worse yet, lose them altogether. Although many states already enjoy direct access, there are still more mired down in the legislative muck, getting trampled on in their attempt to gain freedom for their patients to seek care from the health professionals of their choice. Then there are the turf wars with other groups who are continually trying to carve away a piece of the PT pie and put it on their own plate. And goodness knows what will happen next, with the uncertainty of healthcare reform …
So now, more than ever, is the time to fight for our profession, honoring the sacrifices of those who have gone before to give us the freedoms we currently enjoy. Those of us who have fought in a quiet way need to become louder in our support for the PT profession so those already advocating on our behalf can become stronger.
But, you ask, “What can I, as one incredibly busy individual, actually do to help?” The options are many: If you haven’t already done so, you can join the APTA, the profession’s largest political resource and advocate; you can contact your congressperson or senator to ask for their support of PT-sensitive legislation; and you can become more educated about the issues and concerns that might affect you and your patients.
Together, we need to honor our freedom by helping to protect it.
Anne Ahlman, MPT
Comments