Dr. Martha Sliwinski, member of the APTA House of Delegates (HOD)

Dr. Sliwinski is a member of the APTA House of Delegates (HOD) for the state of New Jersey. In early June she attended the HOD session and presented a topic/motion in the House. Here is a summary of activities & actions in the HOD for 2020:

The 76th House of Delegates was held June 1 to June 3, 2020 virtually using the Zoom platform and the Lumi platform for delegate voting.  The President of the APTA gives an annual address that is pre-recorded. Her address was recorded prior to the killing of George Floyd, she added an address to the house addressing racial discrimination available on the APTA website. The HOD is led by the Speaker and, made up of representatives from each state along with Board of Directors (BOD), staff and section representatives totaling over 400 individuals. The HOD agenda included 52 items to vote on and to set as policy for the Board of Directors to carry out. Breaking down the items, nine were on the consent calendar and voted to set as policy without objection. Twenty-four carried, one failed, six withdrawn and two sent to the bylaws committee for next year.  

The APTA website posted a summary here are some of the highlights of the 24 carried motions.  Practice related issues highlighted telehealth, behavioral and mental health, sleep health and emergency practice.

Professional Values, Ethics and Standards addressed values in the association ethics and guidance conduct, standards around patient management, patient safety, and environmentally responsible practice. 

The world conference of PT will be held in Dubai this year; two strong statements of disapproval were accepted.  Workforce and education issues included transparency of accredited PT programs to provide full disclosure of the degree costs, practice and business financial arrangements, workforce planning, recruiting and hiring internationally educated physical therapists. Additionally, the BOD will now have the ability to elect a public member and set APTA national dues.  The summary was posted in enews and can be found on the APTA website. Full details of the HOD will be posted on the website once the document has been completed.