Originally posted on: 2014-02-11
The problem:
In October 2013 the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy adopted a new rule requiring ALL continuing education courses and activities be reviewed by ProCert. Mandating ProCert as the sole source provider for course approval potentially severely restricts licensees’ access to a wide range of high-quality continuing education opportunities. The restrictions imposed by the Alabama Board mean that in the future, licensees in the state will not be able to utilize any continuing education courses offered by APTA, the AL Chapter, courses from CAPTE-accredited physical therapy programs, residency & fellowship work, etc. toward their licensure renewal.
The solution:
The Alabama PT Licensing Board has proposed a ‘rule change’ to address this problem. The proposed rule change will allow additional courses and activities to count toward licensure renewal including attending courses sponsored by APTA (i.e. Combined Sections Meeting), courses from APTA chapters or sections, and courses approve by ProCert. In addition, the proposed rule will allow licensees to utilize the successful completion of a residency or fellowship program approved by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE), successful completion of a college credit course offered by a CAPTE accredited PT or PTA program, and continuing education courses provided by a University/College program that has a CAPTE-accredited PT/PTA program to count toward their licensure renewal.
We need YOUR HELP to show the Alabama PT Licensing Board that there is SUPPORT for the proposed rule change!
CONTACTING THE ALABAMA PT LICENSING BOARD
Deadline is Friday, February 28th!
PHONE: (334) 242-4064 or (888) 726-9743
EMAIL: glenn.davis@pt.alabama.gov (IMPORTANT: Please be sure to cc’ the AL Chapter at alabama@apta.org)
FAX: (334) 242-3288
Mailing Address:
Alabama Board of Physical Therapy
100 North Union Street, Suite 724
Montgomery, AL 36130-5040
TALKING POINTS IN SUPPORT OF THE RULE CHANGE TO USE IN EMAILS/LETTERS/FAXES:
The purpose of continuing competence is to ensure public protection. The proposed rule change will ensure licensees have ACCESS to a wide-range of quality courses and activities to meet that goal. The current regulation does not provide enough quality CE and CCU options to licensees so that they can keep current in their field of practice, which totally defeats the purpose of the continuing competency requirements.
The proposed rule change provides immediate relief to the current problem regarding which continuing competence activities and courses are available to licensees that will count toward their licensure renewal. The change will also give the licensing board more time to work with stakeholders to investigate options regarding ProCert.
The proposed rule change provides licensees CHOICE and OPTIONS for continuing competence activities and courses while also ensuring public protection.
The licensure board should allow a range of pathways to approval that include acceptance of courses from CE providers already accredited by nationally-recognized independent approval entities, while ensuring that all offerings meet scope-of-practice and other standards.
WHAT DOES THE PROPOSED RULE LANGUAGE SAY?
Below is the proposed language that, if adopted, will include activities and courses that can count toward your licensure renewal:
700-X-2-.09 Renewal Of License.
# 7. Practicing licensees who successfully complete a residency or fellowship program approved by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) shall be awarded fifteen (15) CCU for each 1,000 hours completed.
# 8. Practicing licensees who successfully complete a college course offered by a CAPTE accredited PT or PTA program shall be awarded one (1) CCU for each semester hour completed.
#9. For the 2013-2018 compliance period, practicing licensees who complete continuing education courses provided by a University/College program that has a CAPTE-accredited PT/PTA program, or an IACET approved provider, FSBPT, or components of the APTA that meet the requirements described in 700-X-2.09(3)(a)(1)(i) through 700-X-2-.09(3)(a)(1)(v) shall be awarded one (1) CCU for each contact hour completed.
Please note that the Board has added ABPTRFE residencies and fellowships in #7, and college courses offered by a CAPTE accredited PT or PTA program in #8, and in #9 above, several options have been added:
Courses provided by a university/college with an accredited PT/PTA program.
APTA live courses and courses taken through the APTA Learning Center, such as the Jurisprudence Course which PTs must complete this year for licensure renewal. (APTA uses IACET as its accrediting body.)
Courses sponsored by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
Courses (live or online) sponsored by an APTA component, which includes the Alabama Physical Therapy Association, other state chapters, and sections (such as the Section on Geriatrics, the Orthopedic Section, the Home Heath Section, etc…)
Since the rule states “For the 2013-2018 compliance period…”, any course you may have completed by one of these providers since October 1, 2013 will count towards your licensure renewal in 2014.
