Legislation to Promote Workforce Diversity in Allied Health Professions Re-Introduced in Congress
(Washington, DC) US Senators Robert Casey (D-PA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and US Representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), introduced the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act (HR 3320/S 1679) in the House of Representatives and US Senate.
This legislation would provide grants to increase opportunities for individuals who are from underrepresented backgrounds, including students who are from racial and ethnic minority groups, in the professions of occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) are thrilled to have committed champions to a more dive
Occupational Therapy Paves Path to Faster, Safer Returns to Work
Occupational therapy (OT) doesn’t top too many lists of most important healthcare benefits, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. April is Occupational Therapy Month, the perfect time to take stock of the part OT plays in helping employees safely and confidently return to work following a sickness, surgery, injury, or other physical trauma.
“Returning to work after an injury or illness can be a particularly challenging time for those who are still recovering, especially if they are experiencing gaps in their ability to be independent in their work life,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital BlueCross. “Occupational therapists support individuals through their recovery, providing therapy and other interventions that allow a person to return to work as fully and quickly as possible.”
Occupational Therapy Paves Path to Faster, Safer Returns to Work
Occupational therapy (OT) doesn’t top too many lists of most important healthcare benefits, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. April is Occupational Therapy Month, the perfect time to take stock of the part OT plays in helping employees safely and confidently return to work following a sickness, surgery, injury, or other physical trauma.
“Returning to work after an injury or illness can be a particularly challenging time for those who are still recovering, especially if they are experiencing gaps in their ability to be independent in their work life,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital BlueCross. “Occupational therapists support individuals through their recovery, providing therapy and other interventions that allow a person to return to work as fully and quickly as possible.”
Holzer observes Occupational Therapy Month
Pictured are Holzer Occupational Therapists Andrea R. Roush, OTR/L, lead occupational therapist, Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, Holzer Health System, at left with Stella Barrett, OTR/L, director, Therapy Services, Holzer Health System.
Occupational Therapy Month is celebrated during the month of April each year. During this time, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) celebrates the more than 200,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students who work across the country.
According to a news release from Holzer Health System, occupational therapy helps people of all ages be able to do the things they want and need through therapeutic use of daily activities. Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person.
TOPS Study: Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Postacute Settings is Beneficial
Physical therapy and occupational therapy provide functional benefits to most Medicare patients in postacute care settings, according to data from the “Therapy Outcomes in Post-Acute Care Settings” (TOPS) study.
The study, which uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, provides evidence that PT and OT has significant rehabilitative value across 1.4 million Medicare cases. Findings from the study have implications for postacute care payment system reforms and can serve as a baseline for future studies, APTA notes in a media release.
APTA/AOTA Statements
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) comment on the study’s findings, in a joint statement: