pt alberta...pt alberta | issue 3, 2013 | p. 4 leadership + regulatio n trend strategic plan item 1....

Issue 3, 2013 | www.physiotherapyalberta.ca

PT Alberta

In this Issue:Moving Towards Collaborative Teams

We Said, They Said: Physiotherapists and Pharmacists Discuss the Collaborative Prescribing Model

Introduction to the AMA Youth Run Club

Member Spotlight: Working in a Family Care Clinic

Good Practice Reminder: Protection of Patient Privacy and Informed Consent

Physiotherapy Alberta Strategic Plan

PT Alberta | Issue 3, 2013 | www.physiotherapyalberta.cap. 1

Leadership + Regulation3 President + Registrars’ Message5 Continuing Competence6 Call for Nominations7 Membership Update 9 Council News

9 Conduct Matters

Professional Practice + Development10 Moving Towards Collaborative Teams13 We Said, They Said: Physiotherapists and Pharmacists

Discuss the Collaborative Prescribing Model15 Research How-To: Using Physiopedia16 Physiotherapy Alberta’s Exercise + Rehabilitation

Conference17 AMA Youth Run Club18 Good Practice Reminder: Protection of Patient Privacy and

Informed Consent

PT AlbertaIssue 3, 2013

Communication + Marketing19 Member Spotlight: Working in a Family Care Clinic22 Physiotherapy Alberta’s Strategic Plan23 2013 Award Winners

University News24 Department of Physical Therapy, U of A

Moving Towards

Collaborative Teams

10

We Said, They Said: Physiotherapists and

Pharmacists Discuss the Collaborative Prescribing

Model

13Member Spotlight: Working in a Family Care Clinic

19

Youth Run Club

17

Contents

PT Alberta | Issue 3, 2013 | www.physiotherapyalberta.ca p. 2

Issue 3, 2013 | www.physiotherapyalberta.ca

PT Alberta

PT Alberta is published three times a year by Physiotherapy Alberta* to communicate policies, standards and other important matters to members. All members are expected to read and understand the regulatory items and material within that apply to them. If you have any questions, please contact us.

*The College of Physical Therapists of Alberta operates as Physiotherapy Alberta - College + Association.

Staff Registrar: Dianne MilletteProfessional Practice: Iain MuirRegistration + Corporate Services: Joyce VogelgesangCompetence/Practice Advice: Audrey LoweComplaints + Conduct: Nancy ChisholmCommunications: Alison BairdRegistration: Erin HowesAccounting/Hearings Director: Jane McKenzieAdministration Support: Haylee O’Reilly

Council 2013/2014President: Grant IrwinVice-President: Simone HunterMember-at-large: Sean Fitzgerald Member-at-large: Tress GibsonMember-at-large: Nancy Littke Member-at-large: Candis WhittallPublic Members: Joshua Bezanson, Ron CrossleyStudent Representative: Greg Cugnet, Lisa Hall

Physiotherapy Alberta - College + AssociationSuite 300, 10357 - 109 StreetEdmonton, Alberta T5J 1N3

T: 780.438.0338 | 1.800.291.2782F: 780.436.1908info@physiotherapyalberta.cawww.physiotherapyalberta.ca


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Dianne Millette, PT

Registrar

Grant Irwin, PT

Council President

President + Registrars’ Message

Recently, Council completed the development of Physiotherapy Alberta’s 2013-2016 Strategic Plan. There are four critical success factors included in the plan as well as goals, strategies and tactics specifi c to each. The success factors include:

• Quality patient care

• Engaged members

• Public and stakeholder confi dence

• A high-performing organization

Many of the issues that Council discussed when developing the plan are issues subject to ongoing regulatory debate. The fi nal plan was informed by much conversation, refl ection on our own performance and consideration of the future of regulation and the profession.

The future of regulation is an interesting and hot topic. At the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators, attendees heard from Steven Lewis, a health policy and research consultant based in Saskatoon. Recently, Lewis was the keynote speaker at the Clearing House on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation Annual General Meeting.1 In both presentations Mr. Lewis made the case that the world is changing and health-care regulation needs to change with it. We agree.

Lewis asserts that with these changes come certain challenges to credentialing and regulating health-care practitioners. For example, nurses are now successfully performing services done previously by only highly-trained physicians such as anaesthesia and primary care. Lewis wonders if the idea of requiring highly-trained certifi ed professionals to be the exclusive providers of services needs to be re-examined.

The changes to education are another challenge for regulators. Online learning is in direct competition with the traditional classroom model. For instance, teachers, though certifi cation requirements are vastly diff erent all over the world, produce similar student outcomes. But increased education requirements for physiotherapists do not necessarily lead to higher-quality care. In many cases workplace culture and team dynamics have as much an eff ect on care and performance as individual competence.

Regulators who only focus on the individual’s competence may soon become obsolete.

Another important challenge is the lack of public trust in regulators and/or health-care practitioner groups. The reaction to this decline in trust due to adverse events often leads to calls for more regulation and greater accountability.

Lewis predicts key trends for the future of health-care regulation. We have ensured that our Strategic Plan aligns with these predicted trends and will help overcome the challenges facing the regulation of our profession.


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Trend Strategic Plan Item

1. “Entry-to-practice credentials will matter less and demonstrated career-long competency will matter more. View competence as an ongoing process rather than an event.”

As part of our quality patient care success factor, Physiotherapy Alberta will focus on assessing competence throughout a physiotherapist’s career and build capacity to support and promote a culture of quality improvement. We will also continue to work with The Alliance as part of their ongoing improvement in evaluation services.

2. “The emphasis on core standards for practitioners and even quality assurance will have to give way to continuous quality improvement. Greater trust will be put on real-time performance data (e.g., outcome statistics) than formal stamps of approval.”

We have a specifi c goal on fostering a culture of quality improvement. Quality improvement requires that we all use data to inform improvement.

3. “Regulators will be expected to anticipate more and react less. Regulators will need to anticipate trends by evaluating the information that is already in their fi les or that is readily available to them. Regulators will have to engage in a more deliberate and intense risk-management analysis of their activities and the practice trends within the profession they regulate.”

Our goal is to use evidence in our decision making so that we are regulating the right things at the right time. The concept of “right-touch” regulation is important to consider in all that we do.

4. “Siloed and distinct regulation of individual professions must transition into integrated and fl uid regulatory activities.”

Physiotherapy Alberta has focused on collaborative relationships for many years. This includes our Collaborative Prescribing Model with the Alberta College of Pharmacists (see page 13 for more information), participation in the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions. Our Strategic Plan continues to refl ect this and adds a focus on collaborating with partners and agencies who share common interests in promoting quality.

5. “The culture of professional autonomy will almost certainly be replaced with a culture of collaborative and joint accountability.”

This aligns with our collaborative focus as well as our interest in enhancing member engagement not only with Physiotherapy Alberta but also with the profession and health system more broadly.

Physiotherapy Alberta’s new Strategic Plan covers the next three years. Not only does it refl ect our mandate of protecting the public interest, it refl ects upcoming trends in health-care regulation and our interest in developing the profession. Regulators need to adapt to the current and upcoming future state of health care, and provide structures and policies to maintain public trust and protecting public interest by providing high quality care.

For more information on our strategic plan, turn to page 22.

1 To read more on Steven Lewis’ talk, read the article, “A Futurist Looks at Professional Regulation” by Richard Steinecke in the October 2013 Grey Areas newsletter at www.sml-law.com/resources/newsletters-2/grey-areas/.


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1. Participation in the Refl ective Practice Review is linked to holding a practice permit, regardless of whether you are employed or not. If you hold a practice permit on the General Register you must participate.

2. Going on leave? Contact Physiotherapy Alberta for further information.

3. Physiotherapy Alberta holds physiotherapists on the General Register individually responsible for understanding and completing the Refl ective Practice Review. You sign a declaration to that eff ect when you renew your registration. If you don’t understand what to do, visit: www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/physiotherapists.

4. Know which key competency you reported at renewal. For any given year the number reported at renewal should match what was written on your Learning Planner and Tracker. The document audit will verify this information.

5. Keep your forms in a retrievable format for fi ve years. If your documents are audited, you will be required to send them to Physiotherapy Alberta in an electronic format.

6. Learning goals should be specifi c - the more specifi c the better. List the specifi c knowledge, skill and/or process targeted for improvement. Does your goal name a specifi c population, clinical condition, issue or topic? The goal should be achievable within a one-year period spanning a registration year from October to September. Supplemental information for writing SMART goals and examples of completed Learning Planner and Tracker forms are available on the website.

7. Refl ective practice is designed to stimulate refl ective/critical thinking about physiotherapy-related issues and topics as well as situations encountered in practice. Assumptions and thoughts are meant to be challenged using internally and externally derived information (i.e., evidence, guidelines, feedback from others). Good refl ections not only describe but also require coming to a judgement about an issue, topic or assumption. Refl ection is a competence strategy directed at

creating new knowledge and understanding and is one of the key cognitive activities in developing expertise.

8. Don’t leave the review to the last minute. The Refl ective Practice Review takes time to complete and should not be left until a few days before the registration renewal deadline. Physiotherapy Alberta staff are here to help, we can explain the process, discuss refl ective practice and provide information about goal writing. Contact [email protected].

9. In 2014/2015 Physiotherapy Alberta will start to audit Member’s Refl ective Practice Review documents. We aim to audit 10% per year.

10. The audit will examine if you conducted the Refl ective Practice Review. It will focus on whether the forms are complete, understandable and demonstrate evidence of critical thinking and ongoing learning.

10 Things to Know About the Refl ective Practice Review


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About CouncilCouncil is the governing body responsible for setting policy and strategic direction. Council is made up of:• Six physiotherapists elected by other

physiotherapists.• Two government appointed public members who

provide valuable and insightful public input and perspective into Council’s policy and decision-making process.

• Student representatives from the physiotherapy program at the University of Alberta in a non-voting role.

Being a Council MemberIs it time to give back to your profession by putting your name on the spring 2014 election ballot? It means you would:• Be part of decisions and discussions that help

serve the public and lead the profession.• Share your ideas and experiences with other

physiotherapists.• Gain experience and insight into regulation and

professional practice issues (e.g., registration, conduct, advocacy, professional development, member issues).

• Meet colleagues from around Alberta and learn from their knowledge and experiences.

• Work with other leaders who are shaping the physiotherapy profession in Alberta.

Time commitmentCouncil Members are elected for a three-year term. The term of offi ce begins the day of the fi rst regular meeting of Council following the April election, anticipated to be June 2014.

Being a Council Member requires a time commitment to:• Attend, in person, scheduled meetings (four one-

day Council meetings per year, typically held in Edmonton on a Saturday).

• Attend special meetings or events as necessary.• Prepare for meetings.• Travel to meetings.

• Provide input on issues as they arise between Council meetings.

• Be engaged and participate in all Council functions.

EligibilityYou are eligible to put your name forward for Council election if you:• Are a regulated physiotherapist on the General

Register.• Reside in Alberta.• Are a member in good standing (not involved in

any unprofessional conduct matters within the last three years).

• Are supported by two physiotherapists on the General Register (nominators).

The nomination processNomination steps:• You can self-nominate by submitting the online

Nomination Form. As a member on the General Register, you received an email with a direct link to the online Nomination Form that is unique to you.

• Provide a 400 word description of your professional qualifi cations, previous Board or Council experience and interest in the Council position. This is your candidate statement which is included in election information provided to voters in advance of the election.

• Include the names, registration numbers and email addresses of two members on the General Register who agree to support your nomination.

• Upload a picture of yourself to be included with your candidate statement in pre-election material.

For more information, visit: www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/physiotherapy_alberta

Call for Nominations

Nominations for the 2014 Council election are now being accepted! This year, there are two vacant Council positions that need to be fi lled by members on the General Register.

Is it time to give back to your profession by putting your name on the spring 2014 ballot?


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GeneralYasser Abdel AtiAbdihakim AbdihalimOlanike AgbabiakaJason AllenApril AndrewsMegan Archibald

Kimberly Ardell-Ehmann

Celeena AugustineMariat AugustineMichelle AxelsonJulie BanackAsha BarreJamie BoelmanSamantha CattachErin CharbonneauHeather CodyRobert CollingLarissa CostaDanyel DegenhardtNicole EyolfsonNalin FernandoHimani GoyalAnant Simran GrewalHimani GuptaSamantha HammondKimberly HillierRebecca HolecziErica HolmesEmily JohnsonSteven JonesSurabhi KaulErla KenwayJustin KochDaniel KrebsJanine LangeNatalie LoncanRoselyn LongaresLisa LydiattCrystal MacLellanShannon MacLeodBradley MerkleyLindsay MilneAmanda Moores

Muniswamy Munieaswara Moorthy

Mamatha NambooryBrandi NikolovskiTrisha NovakKaylan O’MearaLizanne PereiraLincoln PisioKatarzyna PlochMary PothacamuriVenkata Naga Mahesh PothulaSmitha PrakashJennifer ReesJessica RichardsonMark RobertsonAudrey RoseSusan RutherfordKenda Salmon

August 1, 2013 to November 17, 2013

Laura SawlerDana ScheppHarpreet SinghKarthik SomasundaramCandice StapletonGopalaramanujam SudhakarVeeraragava ThangavelJennifer TremblayJessica Van SoestCherylyn Vande GlindVanessa VelascoSubha VelusamyLeah WetterJanine WiltonKatie WrayLucia Zdenekova

Cancelled or AlumniMaie AbdullahNoele ArialDonna BalmainAislin BeaulieuKara-Lee BlaisLorraine BlondeelAvaleigh BoilyClaire BouchardThera BreauDebbie BristowSarah BuddinghRafyoullah BurhaniCarolyn CareyAnna CavanaghLisa Chandra


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General Register: member meets all registration requirements, may use title physiotherapist and, if authorized, perform a restricted activity independently.

Provisional Register: member may practice only under supervision and must use title physiotherapist intern.

Cancelled or Alumni member: no longer practicing in Alberta.

Luke ChangHeather CharetteKrystle ChilibeckiNancy ChisholmAlly ChristieCarolyn ClarkLisa ConacherMichele Crites BattieGregory CutforthSylvia DarcelDanielle DawsonRebecca Des RochesDouglas DirkAnne DobsonKatherine DrysdaleVanessa Durham-MunizHeather EnnsErica FarrellMegan FisherJennifer FreyNeil FultonLisa FuocoHugh GilbertCaroline GillGerald GosselinTina GoverKim GrunlingThomas GrunlingLee-Anne HallLorraine HammermeisterTania HaslingerStephanie Hathaway

Natasha HermanPatricia HigginsChelsey HobsonPatricia HolmesJennifer HolubetzAlyson HuangMegan HudsonSelenia IacchelliKimberly JacksonLaura JespersenAnita JonesRenee JonesMatthias KarnerKjariene KasaTarah KaterenchukNadia KeshwaniNicole KilbergKristin KingMegan KohansalCourtney Kosheiff Angie KrasnayBrenda Lee-KempShawna LegaultTanis LodDarren LonsdaleAnn MacDonaldDolly MageeJane MalmbergJacqueline McAllisterMoyra McAllisterJill McAulayKrystina McGuire-Eggins

Sherry MengeringGussie MerrittMary-Jane MinniRachel MitchellKyley MohrenbergerDhivakar NagarajanLisa NossRoberta Nowlan-SmithOlivia OlsonCarrie OsickiKaren OuraKinjal PatelDawn PaulsSarah Pearce-GieckCandice PenzSharon PetkauTracy PotterPat PrestCarol PuriShari QuinnShaan RatherMaureen RibiVictoria RichardsonAlaina RisiVeronica RodriguezHeather RumboltJacquie RussellSamir SahdevKurt ShanskiJennifer SherstanTheodore SimmonsMegan StoneErin SturchEmily TakanaLois TaylorConnor Van BavelKirsten Van CampenhoutHeidi Van RyJudy WoronukJanna YopykMary YoungNicole Zacharias

ProvisionalOluwasanjo AjayiAndrea AllisonCarli Bennett

Danielle BonnenfantMark CabreraMatthew CairnsLiadhan CaseyCarmen ChanAngela ChungRhianne DaviesMalika DharaniJason DyckTravis GaudetBlake GoehringEmma GrahamSarah HallLaura HemsingIrfan JessaZachary KheongPaul KlannMaureen KlettlJen KloepferKyle KortegaardVijay KulasekaranGeralynn LederhosSarah MacDonaldKimberley MacGillivrayBrittany MarkiewiczJason MartynKerri MayMary McEwenErin MiddlebrookMichelle MoonKelsey MountainJanuary MuhlbeierShannon MurrayLaura NabuursOluwaseyi OshoSarah PettipasJeannine PhillipsMandiramoorthy RamamoorthyGillian RichardsonJanelle SchmidtJessica SmithSarah SmithEvangeline TejadaMelanie VaillancourtMichael Wilkinson


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Strategic Plan: The 2013-2016 Strategic Plan was approved along with the 2014 operating and capital budgets. See page 22 for more details on the Strategic Plan.

2013 audit: Council appointed Peterson Walker as auditors for the 2013 fi scal year.

Resignations and appointments: Council accepted the resignation of Greg Cutforth and appointed Nancy Littke for the remainder of Mr. Cutforth’s term of offi ce. Grant Irwin was elected President and Simone Hunter was elected Vice-President. A new Executive Committee was formed including Grant Irwin, Simone Hunter and Candis Whittall.

Natasha Tiemstra was appointed to the Competence Committee. Rakib Mohammed was appointed to the Registration Committee.

Elections 2014: Council approved an election process by electronic vote to take place between April 2-23, 2014. Nominations for election are due by January 20, 2014. For more information, turn to page 6.

Authorization for diagnostic imaging: Council clarifi ed that the clinical experience requirement of fi ve years must be within the Canadian health system.

Conduct MattersA Hearing Tribunal made a fi nding of unprofessional conduct against a regulated member who inappropriately accessed the personal health information of approximately 100 individuals who were not on her client list, and

attempted to share the personal health information of one of those individuals with a fellow employee. The Tribunal ordered a reprimand and suspended the member’s practice permit for a period of 30 days. The reprimand was ordered to remain on the member’s registration record for a period of one year. The Tribunal required the member provide written notifi cation to the College confi rming the name of her employer should she resume employment as a physiotherapist in Alberta within one year of its decision, and provide the employer a copy of the Hearing Tribunal’s Decision.


Moving Towards

Collaborative Teams

Collaborative care, or interprofessional practice, is “the process of developing and maintaining eff ective working relationships with learners, practitioners, patient/clients/families and communities to enable optimal health outcomes.”1 In essence groups of providers work in partnership with the patient, their families and communities towards creating better health for all.2

Alberta’s Ministry of Health has set out its vision for collaborative practice in Collaborative Practice and Education- the Framework for Change1 and the Workplan for Change.3 Alberta is moving from systems that focus on individualized style of care to integrated care models. The emergence of interprofessional health education courses for entry-level health profession training programs, Family Care Clinics and collaborative practice initiatives within Alberta Health Services are all signs of the new collaborative care wave.

The National Interprofessional Competency Framework (NICF)2 has been adopted in Alberta for outlining competencies expected for collaborative practice. NICF breaks the competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required for collaborative practice into six domains:

1. Role Clarifi cation

2. Patient/family/community-centered care

• Practitioners seek out, integrate and value as a partner, the input and the engagement of patient/client/family/community in designing and implementing care/services.

3. Team Functioning

• Practitioners understand principles of team dynamics and group processes to enable eff ective interprofessional team collaboration.

Professional Practice + Development

We’ve all had to work directly or indirectly as part of a team of health-care providers. Collaborative care leads to better patient outcomes and eff ectively working as a team is essential to promoting patient safety and avoiding patient harm. However, just because you work in a team doesn’t necessarily mean you’re producing good teamwork.


4. Collaborative Leadership

• Practitioners work together with all participants, including patients/clients/families to formulate, implement and evaluate care service to enhance health outcomes.

5. Interprofessional Communication

6. Interprofessional Confl ict Resolution

Role clarifi cation

The Alberta Framework envisions collaborative care as being carried out by regulated and unregulated providers.1,3 All too often a signifi cant stumbling block to collaborative care presents in the area of achieving role clarifi cation (understanding and appreciating roles and responsibilities of regulated and unregulated providers).6 Regulated health providers can rely on their scope of practice statements and competency profi les to describe their roles. Unregulated providers may or may not have role descriptions available for their group.

Physiotherapists can use the Essential Competency Profi le for Physiotherapists in Canada7 to describe the role of physiotherapists to other health-care providers. The Profi le lists the knowledge, skills and attitudes physiotherapists require to work in the Canadian health-care system. Physiotherapy Alberta’s Refl ective Practice Review prepares physiotherapists for engaging with other professionals in a discussion around physiotherapist scope and role. In addition to the physiotherapist essential competency profi le Physiotherapy Alberta’s website has links to:

• Health Professions Act – schedule 20 which describes the physiotherapist’s scope and role

• Essential Competency Profi le for Physiotherapist Assistants

The physiotherapist’s role will be to help the team understand the importance of functional goals and assist with setting and tracking them. Tools such as the Goal Attainment Scale4, specifi cally designed for collaborative goal setting in rehabilitative settings or the Patient Specifi c Function Scale5 helps to articulate and communication patient’s functional goals to all team members. These tools could be adapted for integrated patient care plans.

Interprofessional communication

Team dysfunction including breakdown in communication is a leading cause of patient safety events.8 Eff ective, respectful communication builds trust between health providers and creates a foundation for all other

team processes. Physiotherapy Alberta’s Concurrent Care Practice Standard implies that treatment goals are established with patients and that when other health providers are treating the patient for the same problem, the physiotherapist ensures treatment goals and techniques are compatible with the goals and techniques of other providers. Simply put some type of communication with patient’s other health-care providers must take place.

Here are some tools proven to improve team communication and collaboration in health care that are worth considering for your team:

1. Team STEPPS9 is a formal program for improving team work, patient safety and care. Team STEPPS was developed by the United States Department of Defense’s Patient Safety Program in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The program is scientifi cally rooted in more than 20 years of research and lessons from application of teamwork principles.


It can be adopted in full or part to foster teamwork and communication Team STEPPS is:

• An eff ective solution to improving patient safety, care practices and processes within your organization.

• An evidence-based teamwork system to improve communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals.

• A source for ready-to-use materials and a training curriculum to successfully integrate teamwork principles into all areas of your health-care system.

2. SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) is a way to improve communication between providers (usually a provider and physician).10 First developed by the U.S. military, the technique has been adapted successfully for use in rehabilitation settings.10,11

SBAR assists providers in putting the patient’s situation into relevant context, in a consistent and identifi able manner. The SBAR technique organizes communication into four types of information including situation, background, assessment and recommendation.10,11 An adapted SBAR template is available to facilitate interprofessional communication in rehabilitation settings.11

Interprofessional confl ict resolution

When working in teams it is not a question if team confl ict will occur but when. Physiotherapists must gain the skills necessary to eff ectively respond to and resolve any naturally occurring confl icts.

Tuckman’s model of group development12 which consists of fi ve phases or stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing and reforming is a commonly used reference in analyzing and managing team confl ict. Physiotherapy Alberta’s Guide to Managing Challenging Situations13 has information to assist with analyzing where the confl ict in organizations lies (within an individual, between individuals, within or between groups) and individual confl ict management styles (avoiding, accommodating, compromising, competing, collaborating) and assertive communication techniques.

Physiotherapy Alberta recognizes collaborative care is in the patient’s best interest because it leads to positive health outcomes. As you gather information to support collaboration in your workplace, consider contacting the practice advisory service to learn if there are additional resources to help you. [email protected]

References

1) Government of Alberta. (2012) Collaborative Practice and

Education- Framework for Change. Available at: http://www.

health.alberta.ca/initiatives/collaborative-practice-education.

html.

2) Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative. A National

Interprofessional Competency Framework. Retrieved from:

http://www.cihc.ca/fi les/CIHC_IPCompetencies_Feb1210.pdf.

3) Government of Alberta. Collaborative Practice and Education-

Workplan for Change. Available at: http://www.health.alberta.

ca/initiatives/collaborative-practice-education.html.

4) Turner-Stokes, L. (n,d). Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) in

Rehabilitation: a Practical Guide. King’s College London.

Retrieved from http://www.csi.kcl.ac.uk/fi les/Goal%20

Attainment%20Scaling%20in%20Rehabilitation%20%20a%20

practical%20guide.pdf.

5) Stratford, P. Assessing disability and change on individual

patients: a report of a patient specifi c measure.

Physiotherapy Canada; 1995 47(4):258-263.

6) Suter, Esther, et al. Role understanding and eff ective

communication as core competencies for collaborative

practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care; 2009 23.1:41-51.

7) National Physiotherapy Advisory Group. 2011. Essential

competency profi le of physiotherapists in Canada. Retrieved

from http://www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/physiotherapists/

what_you_need_to_know_to_practice_in_alberta/

competencies_for_physiotherapists.

8) Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. Teamwork in

Healthcare: Promoting Eff ective Teamwork in Healthcare in

Canada. www.chsrf.ca.

9) Team STEPPS. Retrieved from http://teamstepps.ahrq.gov/

about-2cl_3.htm.

10) Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. How can

we improve communication between healthcare providers?

Lessons from the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment,

Recommendation) Technique. Retrieved from http://www.

cfhi-fcass.ca/OurImpact/ImpactStories/ImpactStory/08-11-01/

df6c08e1-5bf3-4fa0-8e0c-ee905675b184.aspx#sthash.

11) Velji, Karima, et al. Eff ectiveness of an Adapted SBAR

Communication Tool for a Rehabilitation Setting. Healthcare

Quarterly 2008; 11.3:72-9. Retrieved from http://www.

longwoods.com/content/19653.

12) Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_

development.

13) Physiotherapy Alberta. 2007. Managing Challenging

Situations: a Resource Guide for Physiotherapists. http://

www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/fi les/resource_guide_

managing_challenging_situations.pdf.



In 2008, Physiotherapy Alberta and the Alberta College of Pharmacists agreed to test the merits of collaborative prescribing between pharmacists and physiotherapists in an eff ort to deliver appropriate drug therapy to Albertans with musculoskeletal conditions.

The Alberta Collaborative Prescribing Model was implemented to evaluate if the referral process from a physiotherapist to a pharmacist with additional prescribing authorities is feasible and if the model provides a positive patient experience.

Project descriptionThe project ran for six months and involved four communities: Calgary, Medicine Hat, Barrhead and Cold Lake. Upon completing an assessment, determining a clinical diagnosis and identifying the possible need for drug therapy, the physiotherapist made a referral to a pharmacist with additional prescribing authorization. The pharmacist subsequently assessed the patient to determine whether drug therapy could be benefi cial, and if so, prescribed an appropriate drug therapy.

A few years after the project, a physiotherapist and a pharmacist were asked to discuss the project – its challenges, how it aff ected their practice and how they would like this project to continue.

Name: Angela Forte, PT

1. Describe your professional background and practice setting.

I am a private practice physiotherapist working in a rural community. I have also worked in a larger centre in public practice.

2. Why did you get involved with the prescribing project?

I was contacted by the College and was immediately interested, as access to timely and eff ective medication is a signifi cant problem in my community where there are too few doctors for the population. An acute client could wait weeks to see a doctor or would have to sit in the emergency room just for a prescription of anti-infl ammatories or muscle relaxants. Combining the scope of practice of physiotherapy and pharmacy allowed much more direct access.

3. What were the benefi ts of the project for your own practice and your patients?

The project built a working relationship between myself and the pharmacist with additional prescribing authority. Without it, I would not have known to direct clients to her in order to access appropriate medications. Prior to the project, clients were often using off the shelf medication which may or may not have been appropriate. The referral also provided education to each client about their overall health and medication use.

4. What did you learn from collaborating with a pharmacist?

As I said, I was not aware that some Alberta pharmacists could prescribe medication. I have great respect for the role that pharmacists play in our health-care system. I know that they are the experts regarding medication and was further impressed by my counterpart’s thorough knowledge and skill in communicating their knowledge and information to the patient. I hope the reverse is also true; that pharmacists

We Said, They Said: Physiotherapists and Pharmacists Discuss the Collaborative Prescribing Model

Physiotherapist


involved saw physiotherapists as movement experts and would recommend physiotherapy services beyond back pain and ankle sprains.

5. What were the challenges?The inclusion criterion was quite limiting. Many patients with acute injuries would have benefi ted more but were under 18 or WCB clients. Getting participants to follow through with the evaluations took little eff ort and follow-up.

6. What would you say about the collaborative prescribing project to your own colleagues?

I would suggest that they fi nd out which pharmacists in their community have additional prescribing authority and strongly encourage they use them as a valuable resource in order to provide effi cient, eff ective and client-centered service. It was awesome not to have to wait for a client’s next doctor visit in order to have them begin appropriate pharmaceutical management to help the rehabilitation process.

7. Any other comments?Clients loved it! They were also surprised that this service/resource was available. I still tell people about it and can’t wait until my project counterpart is back at work!

Name: Janelle Fox

1. Describe your professional background and practice setting.

I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2006. I have practiced in a community setting since graduation. I received my additional prescribing authority in December 2009 and became a Diabetes Educator in May 2010.

2. Why did you get involved with the prescribing project?

I got involved in the project because I think that it is important to work collaboratively with other health-care professionals. I feel that this project was important to demonstrate that collaborative relationships between health-care professionals can result in appropriate and timely care for patients.

3. What were the benefi ts of the project for your own practice and your patients?

I found that the project gave me an opportunity to better assess patients requiring medication for pain and/or infl ammation. I was able to read the physiotherapist’s assessment and therefore felt more confi dent with my recommendations and the need for therapy. The patients benefi ted because they did not have to wait in the emergency department or wait to get an appointment to see their doctor. They were able to start therapy sooner and hopefully reach their therapy goals quicker. Also, the physiotherapist and pharmacists both followed up with the patient to assess eff ectiveness and safety.

4. What did you learn from collaborating with a physiotherapist?

I learned that collaborative relationships can work very well and that communication is very important. I learned that it is important that each person’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defi ned.

I also learned that it is important each health professional explain the process to the patients so that expectations are realistic. Knowing how each health-care professional works and communicating this to the patient is vital for the process to run smoothly.

5. What were the challenges?It was challenging in the beginning until we worked out the logistics. For example, what to do if a patient showed up and I was not working. The other challenge I faced was that many of the patients referred to me weren’t regular patients of ours or used another pharmacy. This made it a little more diffi cult to follow up with the patients.

6. What would you say about the collaborative prescribing project to your own colleagues?

I would like to say that the project was an excellent way to demonstrate how various health-care professionals can work together to help their patients. I also feel that it is important to make connections in the community in which you practice and get to know each other’s roles and areas of expertise. I would encourage my colleagues to get involved in this type of collaborative project whether it be formal or simply one that you have created yourself.

Pharmacist



Research How-To: Using PhysiopediaIn the last edition of PT Alberta we discussed using the TRIP Database to quickly and easily fi nd evidence without the need for specialized search skills. In this edition, we continue the theme of providing busy clinicians with tools to quickly fi nd evidence-based information regarding physiotherapy practice. This time around we will focus on Physiopedia, a website that provides the busy clinician with free and open access to up-to-date physiotherapy knowledge.

What is Physiopedia?

Physiopedia is built on the same concept as Wikipedia. It is an online repository of knowledge created, edited and updated by experts from around the world. The content in Physiopedia is driven by physiotherapy experts with a goal to drive an evidence-based approach to patient care.

Features of Physiopedia

• Articles and videos on conditions, examinations, special tests and treatments. The database includes hundreds of articles in various stages of completion. Topics cover everything from Achilles rupture to the Yegusson’s test.

• Resources including case studies, clinical practice guidelines, outcomes measures, rehabilitation protocols and patient guides.

• Audiovisual lectures and presentations on a variety of clinic topics. All presentations are required to undergo a quality review before being posted.

• Projects currently taking place within Physiopedia.

Search interface

The Physiopedia search interface is very easy to navigate. Simply enter a search term or click on the articles for an alphabetical listing of topics. The search interface also sorts articles and content into categories based on practice areas.

Content is shareable on social media

If you’re looking for physiotherapy-related content to share on social media networks, then Physiopedia allows you to link to articles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It’s as simple as clicking the share buttons to link to your own social media networks.

Is the content accurate?

Physiopedia claims the information is up-to-date, reliable and provided by reputable sources. Like any wiki, if the information is not accurate this is generally corrected quickly by the world wide community reviewing the materials. Physiopedia has many academic, professional and organizational partners including the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.

So next time you’re looking for specifi c physiotherapy information on a condition, test or treatment then check out Physiopedia.


The Exercise + Rehabilitation Conference was a success! This year, tickets sold out a month in advance – even after more seats were added. 175 people attended to discuss the latest evidence and network with other physiotherapists.

The weekend was off to a good start with the Honourable Fred Horne, Minister of Health bringing greetings from Alberta Health. Dr. Julia Alleyne followed with her keynote address on the Wellness Connection. The rest of the weekend showcased a number of workshops on exercise prescription, functional testing and more.

The weekend ended with an inspiring talk from Krishna Tailor and his brother Nino, a Special Olympics athlete. Krishna discussed the health issues facing his brother and other Special Olympics athletes and how they work to overcome them. Nino also shared his personal story about the value of Special Olympics.

The pre-conference low back pain course, Management of Low Back Pain for Primary Care Providers, was also a hit with over 90 people attending at the Lister Centre on Friday, October 25. Attendees learned about managing low back pain in a primary care setting.

Thank you to those of you who attended the conference, it would not have been such a success without you!

Physiotherapy Alberta’s Exercise + Rehabilitation Conference

• 97% agreed or strongly agreed the conference provided value for their money.

• 98% agreed or strongly agreed that the conference was clinically relevant.

• 98% would recommend the conference to their colleagues.

Comments include:• “Quality of speakers and relevance of information

provided was very impressive. A lot of excellent clinical material was shared, as well as latest scientifi c research. Thank you!”

• “Very informative. I felt like it was a great weekend to get all the updates on recent research and was very clinically relevant. I have already started using some of this information in my clinic this week.”

Former President Greg Cutforth was also presented with a

painting of his hometown of Hinton as a thank-you for his many

years of service.


Ever Active Schools and the Alberta Medical Association teamed up last spring to increase physical activity levels in children and youth across Alberta.

After a spring pilot project exceeded expectations with 74 participating schools and 4,000 runners, this September was the offi cial roll out of the provincial Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Youth Run Club. To date, over 200 schools are actively participating in the AMA Youth Run Club with over 8,000 students running.

The AMA Youth Run Club is a free, fun, school-based running program designed to increase physical activity levels and instill healthy habits among Alberta children and youth. Schools receive resources, a coach’s t-shirt, prizes for all participants and general support from a provincial run club coordinator.

Physiotherapy Alberta has come on board to team up with the Alberta Medical Association and Ever Active Schools on this great initiative. Physiotherapists will lead messaging and education around injury prevention and will be engaged with the run clubs at a community level.

Check out the website for further updates: www.everactive.org/alberta-medical-association-youth-run-club.

Success Story:Dr. Kim Kelly still has trouble believing that her promotion of a partnership between Ever Active Schools and the Alberta Medical Association back in April 2013, has blossomed into a program that is now represented in over 200 Alberta schools!

Dr. Kelly discovered the Ever Active Schools program while researching ways to combat childhood obesity. “I decided to initiate this health promotion program at my sons’ school in Edmonton,” she says. The Belgravia Elementary Ever Active program is now in its second year and has implemented several healthy initiatives like a walking school bus, a fruits and vegetables fundraiser, an outdoor adventure club and a community-partnered skating party.

Belgravia Elementary was one of 74 schools that participated in the pilot project of the AMA Youth Run Club in the spring of 2013. Belgravia’s running club had never operated in the spring, and this change allowed for a longer running season with more parent volunteers. Two direct benefi ts of increased volunteers were the accommodation of more interested students and the ability of the club to run off of school grounds in the beautiful river valley.

Dr. Kelly has observed that it does take time for the school community to become engaged. However, she feels that the support of one person can have a lot of impact on the health of an entire community. “By participating in or initiating healthy activities at your local school,” says Dr. Kelly, “we can combat childhood obesity together.”

Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Youth Run Club


Dr. Kim Kelly out for a run with her son.


Privacy

There is signifi cant variation in how protection of privacy and consent to treatment is approached within physiotherapy practices. Some organizations have lengthy policy and procedure manuals that set out privacy policies while others have no privacy policies in place. Some physiotherapists have administrative staff who ensure patients complete a consent form as part of the intake process, while others document consent obtained in detail in the patient record. It is important that you consider best practices in these two policy areas to protect yourself and your patients.

Physiotherapy Alberta has resources available to assist physiotherapists in better understanding how to manage these issues.

The Privacy Guide for Alberta Physiotherapists is designed to provide both general and practical information on privacy legislation, policies and procedures. Privacy is a complicated topic and is governed by both federal and provincial legislation, so this guide attempts to make it as simple as it can be. There are tools and a sample policy template that might be helpful to you in your practice.

Key recommendations in the guide include:

1. Appoint a privacy offi cer

2. Develop a privacy policy

3. Obtain consent

4. Adopt physical, technical and administrative safeguards for personal information

5. Institute processes to facilitate access to personal information

The full Privacy Guide can be found at www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/physiotherapists/resources_to_help_you_meet_practice_standards/privacy.

Consent

The Informed Consent practice guideline was recently updated, although the basic tenants of consent have not changed. As the guideline states, “obtaining consent is an ongoing communication process, not a one time event. Its purpose is to provide information to enable patients to make informed decisions/choices about accepting/refusing proposed treatment. The consent process should include an explanation of the diagnosis and recommended treatment including: benefi ts, risks and other options for treatment. It is important that patients understand the nature/purpose of what is being proposed and have an opportunity to ask questions or get further clarifi cation if required. The process is further helped by communicating to patients in plain, easy to understand language; technical terms or jargon is not recommended”

Guidelines for consent include that it must be

• Given voluntarily

• Given by a patient who has capacity

• Referable both to the treatment and to the person who is to administer the treatment

• Given by a patient who is informed

Further, these guidelines are based on a set of more detailed principles. While all are important to understand, physiotherapists should be specifi cally aware that it is the physiotherapist providing the treatment who is responsible to obtain the consent and that informed consent must be based on a careful discussion of relevant information and consideration regarding the proposed treatment. In the end, the patient has the right to refuse any treatment proposed and your job is to make sure that they have the information necessary to make an informed decision.

The practice guideline can be found at www.physiotherapyalberta.ca/physiotherapists/resources_to_help_you_meet_practice_standards/informed_consent.

Good Practice Reminder: Protection of Patient Privacy and Informed Consent


Member Spotlight: Working in a Family Care Clinic

Coreen Dutton has spent the last year working at the East Calgary Family Care Centre, where she works with a number of other health-care disciplines. In this issue’s Member Spotlight, Coreen refl ects on taking on an underdeveloped physiotherapy role in a Family Care Clinic.

1. Tell us about your role in the Family Care Clinic.

My role in the Family Care Clinic has been and continues to be an evolving process.

My primary role is to screen and assess clients presenting to our clinic with functional limitations and/or musculoskeletal pain issues and determine their need or appropriateness for therapy services. Clients can access physiotherapy directly if they identify a need, or they may be referred from other members of our team. Team members will frequently consult with me to determine if a client would benefi t from further follow up or a physiotherapy assessment.

After screening, I then work with the client to determine the right environment or program they require and assist with access. This may necessitate referrals for imaging, consultation with other health providers for further testing, or direct referral to other rehabilitation agencies and programs. Therapy treatment may be provided

for those who do not have access to other services, primarily in the form of education and exercise/activity recommendations.

As we become more established with our clientele, I see a strong role for physiotherapy in this setting in being able to identify gaps in service and barriers to access that exist in the current framework. I see this as leading to further development of our relationships with community partners, both within and outside of Alberta Health Services to enhance community wellness and provide opportunities for healthy lifestyles.

There is a considerable amount of consultation, education and collaboration with other specialties on the role physiotherapy can play both in terms of rehabilitation and in wellness and lifestyle management education. Assisting clients to learn self-management skills for chronic and complex health conditions is a part of all the roles within the primary care setting.

Communication + Marketing


2. Who else works in the Family Care Clinic?

The model for our clinic is for an interdisciplinary team. This includes eight physicians and fi ve nurse practitioners that work varying hours. There are eight registered nurses, divided into two subgroups – family care and chronic disease management. The team also consists of a pharmacist, social workers, mental health, physiotherapists, dieticians, a diabetes educator and multiple clerks. A secretary manages the general processes of the clinic. The team is overseen by a Clinic Manager and a Medical Director.

At any one time in the clinic a physician or nurse practitioner will be present, along with registered nurses and varied other members of the team.

3. How have you sorted out roles and who does what?

Role clarity remains an ongoing development. We have had some opportunity to shadow other disciplines and discuss and view unique skills and strengths. More formally, we have worked on creating role clarity documents, which not only outline scope of practice, but also indicate areas of more specialized training and experience. We also indicated skills or training we would like to develop further.

The clinic and staff were all new at approximately the same time, so learning and developing roles and responsibilities has been a process of trial and error. A lot of our processes, how they are performed and by whom have evolved over time. Regular team meetings and request for input from all staff has helped to streamline some of the processes and triage decisions.

Additionally, there has been ongoing informal and formal discussion among smaller groups on those areas that can be performed or assessed by diff erent providers. For example, diabetic foot screening can be performed by several providers. So we have met to trial standardizing the assessment and ensuring that each provider is comfortable with the process.

4. What have been the biggest challenges working with others?

Learning the scope and boundaries of each provider has been challenging. Within a discipline, each provider has special skills, interests and comfort areas, so learning what each individual within the team feels confi dent

with is an ongoing process. Additionally, there are those areas that are common to more than one discipline. Learning to trust others and identifying and establishing standardized practices for areas of overlap will always be an area for development.

It was also a challenge to educate other providers on the role of physiotherapy within the clinic, as it was a new position and the caseload was largely unknown. I initially anticipated my role would primarily be consultation and system navigation, but have found a large portion is education and often unexpected treatment needs. While physiotherapy is a profession focused primarily on functional mobility, there are many aspects to that depending on the clientele. So, frequently I will be consulted by another staff member with the questions – can you deal with this specifi c issue, and have to consider “Do I have the necessary expertise”?

We began as one large team with diff ering shifts and shifting caseloads. So communication and trust building were challenges. Diff erent providers had diff erent comfort levels and expectations, and there was an amount of frustration that accompanied getting to know each of the team member’s comfort level. Our clinic expanded quickly, so we all had to learn in a trial and error way. To facilitate better communication and trust building, the clinic moved to the creation of smaller medical teams within the large team – these smaller teams consisted of specifi c physicians, nurse practitioners and nursing staff with a defi ned clientele.


Coreen Dutton graduated from the University of Alberta Physical Therapy Program in 1998. She moved to BC shortly after graduation and worked in rotating positions in acute, rehab and outpatient settings. In 2002, she returned to Alberta and for the past 11 years has worked at a number of sites encompassing all

areas of the rehabilitation continuum of care.

Within these smaller teams it was easier to set boundaries, establish comfort with scope of practice and build trust. Client caseloads were assigned to each team, allowing more continuity of care with complex clients. As one of the specialty providers, I am not attached to any one team.

Developing client trust in this model was another challenge – clients typically want to see a physician when they fi rst seek medical care, so some reluctance to start with other providers has been encountered. By providing thorough explanation of the roles and specialties involved in the clinic, as well as ensuring that the client has knowledge of the team approach, the majority of our clients feel very satisfi ed with seeing the right provider at the right time.

5. What have been some of the surprises?

This experience has provided the closest collaboration

with a diverse group of practitioners that I have had.

It has been a surprise to see the impact this has made

on our clients. Very frequently, clients express comfort

in their health care as the team is all providing and

reinforcing the same messages. Having the diversity

of providers also ensures that all the client’s physical,

psychosocial and economic concerns are part of the

picture with health planning and often the level of

engagement increases dramatically.

I have been surprised and inspired by the commonality

that we all share within the team. Several months after

opening we were tasked with developing our mission

statement. We formed small groups to each develop a

statement, then through voting and tweaking, came up

with the statement that resonated most signifi cantly

with all of us. I found this exercise to be powerful in

building trust, primarily by making each of us aware of

what our bottom line goals for the clinic and our clientele

was, and realizing how much we had in common. This

shared responsibility for how the clinic operates has been

reinforced with many of our process modifi cations and

role identifi cation and development and really enhances

the team concept.

I have also been surprised at recognizing in myself some

of my “turf guarding” behaviors. Working in a team with

fuzzy boundaries makes a person constantly evaluate

unique scope and those areas of shared expertise. I have

found myself eager to provide information on the Canada

Food Guide to a client (more dietician expertise), but

not so eager to have the dietician provide information

on Activity Guidelines. Awareness of these protective

tendencies allows constant questioning of what “right

provider at the right time” means in practice.

6. What advice would you give to other physiotherapists considering working in a family care team?

The newly developing roles within the Family Care Clinic provide an excellent opportunity for physiotherapists to learn and expand their scope. The interdisciplinary team model is a powerful platform for growth and shared learning. As a profession, we have a strong background in independent thinking, innovation and client education skills. Flexibility, uncertainty and ongoing practice evaluation are guaranteed in this environment. Not all Family Care Clinics and teams will be the same, as they will vary to meet the needs of the community they serve. This allows endless opportunity for completing yearly professional competency – I have diffi culty selecting which of the many learning goals will take precedence.

Team building, setting boundaries and creating trust among interdisciplinary members is a process and early days can be quite overwhelming, particularly in unfamiliar settings. It helps to remember that all members are going through the same process and the end goal is the same – enhanced health-care provision for our clients.

Continuing to develop and maintain a community of “primary care physiotherapists” will aid in establishment of new positions in these settings.


Council approved a Strategic Plan that will guide Physiotherapy Alberta for the next three years. The Strategic Plan was created with Council and staff input with the intent of refocusing the purpose of Physiotherapy Alberta and how to achieve the mission through critical success factors, goals and tactics. Moving forward, Physiotherapy Alberta staff will determine a more specifi c plan and schedule on how the goals set out in the plan will be achieved. To view the plan in whole, contact Physiotherapy Alberta at [email protected]

Physiotherapy Alberta Strategic Plan

VisionPhysiotherapists are an essential resource for healthier Albertans.

MissionGovern physiotherapists, ensure professionalism & support the

delivery of quality physiotherapy practice.

ValuesCouncil and staff working on behalf of Physiotherapy Alberta are

committed to: excellence, innovation, professionalism, collaboration, accountability & evidence-informed decision making.

Critical Success Factors, Goals

Quality patient carePatients receive quality physiotherapy care from competent physiotherapists and support personnel

Engaged membersPhysiotherapists are engaged with Physiotherapy Alberta, within the profession and the health system

Public & stakeholder confi denceThe public and stakeholders are confi dent in the work of Physiotherapy Alberta

High performing organizationThe organization is high performing, healthy and eff ective


About Jade HuynhBorn and raised in Calgary, Jade always had an interest in healthcare. Jade completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Health Physiology at the University of Calgary. After being involved in a car accident, she attended a physiotherapy clinic and felt that it would be the perfect career choice. She recently completed her Master’s of Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta and will be working at Diverse Sports Physical Therapy Ltd in Calgary in the New Year.

She enjoys being active and playing sports like soccer, badminton, curling, and snowboarding. She is excited to embark on the next chapter of her life and develop her skills as a physiotherapist.

2013 Award WinnersEvery year, Physiotherapy Alberta gives three awards to three outstanding Alberta physiotherapists. Award recipients are nominated by fellow physiotherapists and determined by the Awards Committee.

Communications + Marketing

Pinnacle Award of Distinction

Student Leadership AwardAward for Excellence in Innovation

This award recognizes one physiotherapist who signifi cantly contributes to Alberta’s physiotherapy profession through excellence in practice and/or promotion of the profession.

Reasons for Nomination“Mary is an incredible ambassador for our profession. Mary is consistently

out speaking in the community about the merits of physiotherapy, be it

to physicians who have specifi cally requested she talk about pelvic health to new moms through Alberta Health

Services... Mary is absolutely dedicated to professional development and this is apparent in her encouragement for her employees to take extra courses, along with the regular inservices we hold at

the clinic.”

About Mary WoodMary graduated from the U of A in 1981, and has worked in private practices in Edmonton, hospitals in Toronto and rural Alberta. She is the Clinic Director of CURA Physical Therapies which opened in 2003 with a vision of collaborative practice that successfully combines pelvic health and orthopedics. Mary is a passionate lifelong learner in all aspects of life and continues to explore ways to improve patient outcomes. She is on the board of the Pain Society of Alberta and actively

involved in the Alberta Council of Professionals for Sexual Health and Pelvic Health Physiotherapists of Alberta. She recharges her energy by spending time with family and gardening.

Awarded to: Mary Wood Awarded to: Jodi Boucher Awarded to: Jade Huynh

This award recognizes one clinically-based physiotherapist who is directly involved in advancing the profession through research focused on improving the quality of care or delivery of physiotherapy services, e.g.,

practice models, program development.

Physiotherapy Alberta recognizes the leadership skills of future members by annually presenting the Student Leadership Award to one individual in each academic year who demonstrates leadership.

Reasons for Nomination “Jodi is an excellent nominee... for developing a program that serves a

patient population while working within the constraints of public health funding

and limited resource allocation. By off ering an education class as a fi rst point of contact, she has allowed a

much more effi cient method of triage for postpartum women who have sustained

perineal tears. As well, the ones who truly need to see a physician or

physiotherapist will get that care faster than before.”

Reasons for Nomination“Ms. Huynh shows a high-level of

enthusiasm for physiotherapy, eager to learn and face any challenge she was

fronted with. She is eager to learn and uses her skills to make clear diagnosis as well as diff erential diagnosis. She

has had the opportunity to meet with physicians and present the physiotherapy profession. She is also a caring individual towards her clients and establishes great

rapport with her clients and all staff .”

About Jodi BoucherJodi is a physiotherapist with a passion for women’s health and pelvic health promotion. Jodi got a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy from the University of Alberta in 1996 and a Master of Rehabilitation Science from the University of British Columbia in 2013. She is the current public relations chair for the Women’s Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Jodi believes in the value of community and is grateful to be a part of a vibrant pelvic health physiotherapy group.

To learn more about the work she is doing in postpartum pelvic health check out her ‘Your Body After Baby’ workshops run through Women’s Health Resources in Calgary.


University N

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Department of Physical Therapy

Clinical Placements on the Other Side of the World

Each year, several MScPT students work with the Department’s Clinical Education team, Mark Hall and Jon Gabbai, to secure international placements in their last term. This fall six students went to Indonesia, two to Kuwait, and one each to Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Some funding is available for select locations but students do pay the bulk of their expenses. These invaluable opportunities off er students a chance to live and work in another part of the world and to have some fun!

“Indonesia was an absolutely incredible trip that exposed us all to unique cultural experiences and diff erent aspects of PT/healthcare that you defi nitely don’t see everyday in Canada. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do an international placement... and now even more grateful for the health care and resources we have access to in Canada!”

- Kelsea Bain, MScPT 2014

MScPT Students perform a Javanese dance

Dr. Nawand Takarini, PT demonstrates for UofA MScPT Students at the Pediatric

Neurodevelopmental Centre in Indonesia


Univ

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Congrats MScPT Class of 2014!

Congratulations to the 10th graduating class of the MScPT Program. With the academic and clinical coursework behind them, most of the 92 grads have already secured employment and entered the clinical workforce. This graduating class includes the second cohort of twelve MScPT students to complete the MScPT Program at the UofA Augustana campus in Camrose.

Andrea AllisonJytte ApelKelsea BainColin BialkoskiDarren BishopMatt CairnsDemian CarsonCarmen ChanSarah ChisamHeather ClayJoshua CollierWes CollingeMichelle CuthbertRobert De Fleuriot de la ColiniereSamantha DollmaierNellie DowChristy DreverJason DyckLuckmini FernanadoMarc-Andre FilionKelli FranklinKayla FriesenStephanie GilbertKimberly GillisBlake GoehringLaura HagstromDani HanniganLaura HemsingBrooke HenderStephanie HendersonGrant Hutchings

Jade HuynhPhi HuynhTravis JonesCarol KalninsZachary KheongImran KianiElina KimJennifer KloepferKyle KortegaardBrett KurioAlan LamRobin LangnerSean LazuardiJoshua LehmanRoberta LittleAlexander LoachKimberley MacGillivrayKyla MajewskiBrittany MarkiewiczAmanda Martel PoirierJason MartynKerri MayHilary McDermottMary McEwenLisa McTaggartCarli MilnerAndrea MitchellTyler MoncurMichelle MoonKelsey MountainShannon Murray

Sarah PettipasCarolyn PlewesAaron RudeAmber Sandeman-AllenJanelle SchmidtColleen SharpKaylynn ShewagaSonja ShouldiceJessica SmithSarah SmithNicole SmolikJessica SobiewskiMary StangKatelyn StarkeySarah TanKirsten TaylorShauna TelfordKelsey TompkinsNele Van AerdeMichael WalperJeremy WarfordAmber WillcocksKyle WilsonJane WongYung Yung WongAfton WorobeckLaurin WrightShannon YemenEric YoungShu Juan Zhou


University N

ewsCorbett Hall Student PT Clinic Update

The Corbett Hall Student PT Clinic also continues to off er unique placements to UofA students as well as students from other Canadian and some International physiotherapy Schools. Under the shared guidance of Michelle Barnes, Geoff Bostick, Heather Bredy, Judy Chepeha, Kim Dao and Katelyn Brown, students work with a mixed caseload of patients. One morning may be patients with neurological conditions while the afternoon could be patients with chronic pain. The next day is patients with musckuloskeletal and sports injuries followed by a Better Choices, Better Health class. Students love the variety and requests to complete placements at the clinic are high. The student clinic approach diff ers from a regular service in that the supervising physiotherapists do not carry their own caseload. Students organize and run the service, learning from the supervisors as well as from each other. One to four students work in the clinic at any one time.

Alberta Internationally Educated Physiotherapy Bridging (AIEPB) Program

The fi rst cohort of IEPT students are now near completion of their second academic course in the 14-month AIEPB Program. The experience for all involved has been very rewarding. Thanks especially to all the clinicians who are providing ongoing mentoring to the IEPTs. The next AIEPB Program Admission assessments will be Saturday January 18, 2014 in Edmonton and Saturday March 1, 2014 in Calgary. Watch the AIEPB Program website for more information.

http://www.physicaltherapy.ualberta.ca/en/AB%20Internationally%20Educated%20PT%20Bridging%20Program.aspx

Department News

Congratulations to Dr. Geoff Bostick for his CAN/Pfi zer/TAS Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award received through the Arthritis Society in October 2013.Congratulations to Mark Hall! Dr. Hall convocated with a PhD in Rehabilitation Science in November 2013.

Submitted by: Bernadette Martin, Associate Chair

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The Movement Specialists.

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