APTA New York Members Share Their Experiences at Advocacy Day page

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

APTA wrapped up its centennial celebration with an in-person advocacy day in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 14th. More than 450 PTs, PTAs, students, and supporters turned out for the event, which was preceded by a training session on Sept. 13th.

This year was a little different as it was a hybrid meeting, with some people having in person meetings and some having virtual. No matter though, we were all at Capitol Hill to fight for the profession and our patients. Our asks included: • Stopping the Medicare cuts! • Making Telehealth Permanent • Adding PTs and our rehab friends to the National Health Service Corp • Funding diversity in higher Ed programs for PT and our rehab colleagues

We had a great group this year with 14 people, which is bigger than normal! Clinician members from APTA New York Included: • Mark Herbrich, PT • Roger Herr, PT, MPA, APTA President-Elect • Peggy Lynam, PT, DPT, APTA New York President • Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS • Gretchen Roman, PT, DPT, PhD, APTA New York Centennial Scholar • Jim Smith, PT, DPT, MA

Students Included: Tom Ammirati, SPT Alvernia University Sabrina Basile, SPT Daemen College, APTA New York SSIG Advocacy Chair Gabriella DeVito, SPT Alvernia University Angelica Maldonado, SPT Mercy College Zaryna Sanchez, SPT Mercy College Joseph Santangelo, SPT George Washington University Justina Snyder, SPT, Ithaca College, APTA New York SSIG President Emily Yong, SPT George Washington University

The following article captures my experience as the Federal Affairs Liaison, attending APTA’s Federal Advocacy Day.

(This originally appeared as “We Went to D.C. to Advocate for Our Profession. Here’s What It Was Like” on September 29, 2021, as a perspective piece on apta.org, republished with permission from the American Physical Therapy Association.) So what happens during an APTA advocacy event? We asked Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, the New York Physical Therapy Association’s; federal affairs liaison, to chronicle her experience. She was joined in the project by Sabrina Basile, SPT, a student at Daemen College and advocacy chair of the NYPTA student special interest group; and Zaryna Sanchez, SPT, from Mercy College.

Monday Sept. 13, 2021: Getting Our Footing (and Getting Fired Up)

THERESA: Everyone got together at the Omni Shoreham hotel ballroom, grouped by state delegation, to meet and get trained on all the advocacy asks we would be taking to Capitol Hill. This was my first time acting as the Federal Affairs Liaison for New York. (Continues on pages 20-26)

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

This was the first time APTA had met together for this kind of event in two years! And of course, because our profession is known for being pioneers, we were told that APTA was one of the first groups back on the Hill doing an advocacy day. Mary MacMillan would be proud.

SABRINA: When I first walked into the conference room for training, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the room, which was filled with PTs, PTAs, and SPTs from every state. The tables labeled with the state delegations made me realize how large APTA is and left me feeling a sense of camaraderie and magic in the shared goal we all had in meeting up for this event.

THERESA: This was a hybrid event; with some people having in-person meetings and others meeting virtually, as the members of Congress are on differing levels of in-person or work-fromhome status.

This year I invited four students from New York colleges to come to advocacy day, and they all came! I was excited to meet them all and help them navigate the event. I remember when I attended my first event how overwhelming it felt, how it seemed like a lot, and that so many people knew more than me. This time around, my goal was to be a source of knowledge for the students but also to make it as smooth as possible for them.

ZARYNA: When my classmate Angelica and I found the table for New York we were greeted by Theresa Marko, who then introduced us to fellow APTA members. Everyone was so kind and offered to answer any questions since it was our first event.

Refining Our Message

SABRINA: Even though APTA sent out virtual training materials ahead of time, I felt the training was so helpful in refreshing my memory about what the issues were. We also learned how to use the advocacy app so that we could see when our meetings were and how to document how they went. I learned that I would have four meetings the next day, which made me nervous, as two of the meetings would be just me and another team member.

THERESA: We were trained by APTA staff on four main asks: addressing the Medicare cuts, making telehealth permanent for PTs and PTAs under Medicare, adding PTs to the National Health Services Corps program (which offers student loan forgiveness), and improving workforce diversity. The breakout session after the training allowed me to coordinate with my New York teammates and our amazing team leader, Theresa. She and the other experienced members who had been to Federal Advocacy Day before made me feel comfortable and prepared for the meetings the next day.

These issues are important for so many reasons and can appeal to the practicing clinician as well as the current DPT student. To make everyone feel part of my team, I bought “APTA 100 year” pins and gave them out to the students and new delegates. I explained the PT pin obsession and they are now excited to add to their collections!

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

ZARYNA: The in-person training was a great experience. It was nice to review the issues we would be presenting and how we could explain their impact on our profession. When we decided that I would explain the National Health Services Corps program to members of Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones’ office, I was a bit nervous. However, Theresa reassured me that she would walk me through the process and help during the meeting if needed. This calmed my nerves and made me feel better about the whole experience.

Making A Party Affiliation

THERESA: Later that evening was the PTPAC party. All four of “my” students were able to attend thanks to generous donors who sponsored their tickets to the event (thank you, Matt and Nan Hyland and Lynn Rivers!). The students had an amazing time. I know how it is to be the new person, and my goal was to make everyone feel included and welcomed as part of my team.

SABRINA: The PTPAC party was a great event. Theresa brought other students and me around to meet some of the notable people in APTA. (Justin Elliott, APTA vice president of governmental affairs, even gave me his business card, which was so exciting!) I couldn’t help but think what a great opportunity this was to meet so many people and build relationships with members who are so involved in my professional organization.

ZARYNA: I will never forget this event or the interactions I had at the party! I had the opportunity to talk with dedicated PTs, PTAs, and students from all over the country. I was able to reconnect with Robert Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS, who introduced me to some amazing individuals such as Susan Appling, PT, DPT, PhD. I was lucky to have the opportunity to speak to them in person and gain some insight on their prestigious residency programs.

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

After the PTPAC party, my fellow SPTs and I decided to go outside and continue our evening talking about the profession and the big day ahead of us.

THERESA: At that point, I headed to bed and told the students, “Good for you, do all the things! Just make sure you can wake up tomorrow.” They laughed!

Tuesday Sept. 14, 2021: The Big Day

THERESA: This is the day! And WE ARE READY! We all met in the ballroom of the hotel again for some final words by President Sharon Dunn. She inspired us as she talked about our mission ahead. Some people left on buses to go to Capitol Hill for their in-person meetings, but our first meeting was virtual with Sen. Chuck Schumer.

We decided we would all be in the same room to take this call, and graciously someone offered their suite for this purpose. I made sure I brought cold water and snack bars to help everyone stay fresh and on top of our game.

A Challenging Start

THERESA: As it turned out, the first call was rather difficult. The staffer asked some tough questions, the answers to some of which I simply didn’t know. Earlier, I had explained to the new people that this might happen during any meeting and to simply be authentic and say “I don’t know, but I will find out for you” — which is exactly what I did. I also explained to the new folks that staffers have different personalities and have differing levels of receptiveness when you speak to them on issues.

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

All in all, this conversation was good for everyone to see and hear. We had the entire New York delegation on that first call, which included NYPTA President Peggy Lynam PT, DPT; APTA President-elect Roger Herr, PT, MPA; and past APTA Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy President Jim Smith, PT, DPT, MBA. We were in no shortage of presidents! Being surrounded by all of the seasoned (and exceptional) advocators made the students feel very special and confident.

The more experienced people took this first call. We broke up the legislative asks among ourselves to allow the students and new people to listen how we framed our requests. I told the students and new people that once you hear it in real life, by the end of the day, you’ll be a pro. Even so, I ensured ahead of time that all the new advocates would have an experienced person on their zoom calls so they would have someone to lean on.

ZARYNA: It was great to see the experienced team members collaborate and explain the importance of these issues within our profession and society. Although the first meeting was tough, it prepared us for the difficult questions we might face later. Being able to witness the meeting firsthand provided me with confidence to speak in our next meeting.

SABRINA: Seeing how Theresa and our other more experienced teammates navigated explaining the issues and answering questions from the staff was helpful, but the after-meeting discussion also illuminated dynamics about the call I hadn’t even noticed, which further prepared me for things to look forward to in my next meeting.

Exercising Those Advocacy Muscles

SABRINA: My next call was getting ready to happen — just me, a more experienced New York teammate, and Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins’ chief of staff.

My nervous system was definitely in high gear getting ready for the meeting. Chiefs of staff are at the level right below the representatives themselves, so I knew this was a pretty important meeting. Even though I was in high gear, I mostly felt super-excited for the meeting because I knew that I had the training and general knowledge of how to handle anything that might come up.

The chief of staff was engaged in our conversation. When it was my turn to speak on the addition of PTs to the NHSC and workforce diversity legislation, I felt in my flow because even though this was a new and challenging environment for me, I knew I had the capabilities to just be myself and speak from the heart about these issues, both of which are very important to me.

THERESA: I held a call with Rep. Jones and the two students in his district: Zaryna Sanchez and Angelica Maldonado. They both did great and delivered the asks well, referring to me for any additional information that might be needed.

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

After that, I facilitated a call with Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Tom Ammirati, SPT, who attends Alvernia University in Pennsylvania. Tom went to advocacy day with his school, but since he’s from New York he had calls with his own legislators. He did a fantastic job and delivered our messages well. My last call of the day was an old-fashioned telephone conference call with Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office and the entire New York team, who phoned in from wherever they were at that moment. Again, the more senior people led the call, but Sabrina did chime in when she felt it was important, and we welcomed her to do so.

ZARYNA: It was time! Our appointment with Rep. Jones’ office came quicker than I expected. I was to discuss the importance of the National Health Services Corps program alongside Theresa and my classmate Angelica. As a Hispanic SPT, I felt comfortable discussing this issue since it directly affects students and underrepresented individuals. This bill would provide students from various rehab disciplines to apply for a loan repayment program while working in underserved areas. This issue resonates with me on a personal level. Overall, I’m thankful I was able to share my story with Rep. Jones’ office and be alongside supportive individuals.

SABRINA: I wasn’t expecting to speak up on the call with Sen. Gillibrand because, like the first call, so many esteemed and experienced people from our New York team were on the call. However, at one point, after the representative from Sen. Gillibrand’s office asked a question, I felt like I did have something to say that would add to the discussion. I wasn’t sure if I should and, to be honest, I almost didn’t say anything because I didn’t know if it would be welcomed. But the other speakers on the call seemed pleased that I had added my voice to the conversation. No regrets there!

The Power of the Profession — and the Importance of Connection

THERESA: After all the calls were done, I took some of the students to the Capitol building so we could get “The Picture” in front of the Capitol dome. It was literally 100 degrees in D.C. — another reminder that was nice to have hybrid calls in an air-conditioned hotel. I must admit — I was skeptical about why we had to meet in person if many of us were only doing zoom calls.

By the end of the event, I understood. There is nothing like being together, getting all whooped up about the future of our profession, and making our collective voice heard. There is nothing like those in-person moments together, where you can get to know your colleagues and benefit from their mentorship. This hybrid model allowed us all to be together and be one voice, which is what it’s all about.

This year we avoided the heat and the foot blisters, but we gained a presence among Congress that let them know our profession means business.

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

ZARYNA: After the meetings finished, we all felt accomplished. Theresa brought us to the Capitol so we could take pictures. During our time there, we saw fellow APTA members who had in-person meetings and spoke about our outcomes.

This entire trip was one I will cherish forever. Connecting with these amazing individuals has encouraged me to continue advocating for the profession and stay involved. I hope sharing my experience sparks an interest in fellow members who are curious about getting involved.

SABRINA: I felt such a great sense of accomplishment and gratitude. Not only was I meeting and making connections in Washington, D.C., with peers, professional mentors, and the policymakers, but I was also making a real difference. At the conclusion of Advocacy Day, I could not have felt more confident, hopeful, and optimistic about my future and the profession of physical therapy. I cannot wait to come back to the next one!

Sabrina Basile, SPT, is a second-year DPT student at Daemen College in Buffalo, New York. She is the advocacy chair of the NYPTA Student Special Interest Group and serves as graduate representative in her school’s Student Government Association.

By: Theresa Marko PT, DPT, MS, New York Federal Affairs Liaison

She is interested in pelvic floor physical therapy and sports medicine, and she hopes to pursue a residency in orthopedics after graduating. You can reach Sabrina on twitter through @sabrinabee27 and by email at sabrina.basile@daemon.edu.

Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS, is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy. She is a member of the APTA Public Policy and Advocacy Committee and the APTA Private Practice Section Government Affairs Committee. In addition, she serves on the Finance Committee of the APTA Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and on the Practice Affairs Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. She was recently named federal affairs liaison for NYPTA. She can be found fervently advocating on Twitter at @TheresaMarkoPT.

Zaryna Sanchez, SPT, is a third-year DPT student at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and an Area Health Education Scholar. She is interested in sports medicine and she hopes to pursue a residency after graduation. You can reach Zaryna on twitter using @zsanchez_spt and by email zsanchez2@mercy.edu

2021 Advocacy Day Meeting with Senator Gillibrand