Colorado PT Activists Join 400 APTA Colleagues
in 2010 March on Washington

Representatives from the Colorado Chapter joined some 400 colleagues from throughout the country in the APTA's annual "March on Washington"  held on April 25-27.

Paying a visit to all nine of the state's congressional offices were: Ira Gorman, PT, Regis University faculty member, who serves as the Chapter's Federal Affairs Liaison; Chapter Governmental Affairs Committee members Jenn Berry, PT, DPT, and Renee Peter, CU Denver Student, and Chapter Executive Director Ellen Caruso.

Sponsored annually by the APTA, participants are briefed on issues by APTA governmental affairs staff members and hear from invited members of Congress. The final day is devoted to meeting with members of the state congressional delegations.

Among the issues discussed with Colorado's elected officials were: allowing direct access to physical therapy by Medicare patients, repealing the therapy cap on outpatient rehab services, including physical therapist students in the national student loan forgiveness program when working in underserved communities, and improving physical therapists' presence at he Veterans Health Administration. Also emphasized was the need for Congress to fund the physician fee schedule that would cut Medicare payments to PTs (as well as physicians) by some 21 percent.

Pictured top right are Ira Gorman, Jenn Berry and Renee Peter.

Left, Jenn Berry meets Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-5).


At right, Jenn Berry and Ellen Caruso visit with Congresswoman Betsy Markey (CO-4).