Proposed Legislation Would Confirm That Physical Therapists Can Continue to Be Employed by Medical Groups
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ancillary Care Solutions (ACS), the nationwide leader in helping healthcare organizations establish and manage physical and occupational therapy programs, today reaffirmed its support for proposed legislation in California guaranteeing that physical therapists can continue to work within medical groups throughout the state. The firm joins the California Medical Association and California Orthopaedic Association in an effort to ensure passage of Assembly Bill 783 to prevent significant job loss among these care providers. A public hearing is scheduled for April 5 in Sacramento.
For more than 20 years, the California physical therapy board has allowed physical therapists to work in medical groups. A reversal of that position, however, now puts the job security of hundreds of physical therapy providers and their support staff at risk. In light of this reversal, California Assembly Member Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) introduced legislation – AB 783 – that will confirm that California physical therapists, like virtually all other healthcare providers, are able to work within medical groups.
ACS, which assists a large number of California medical groups in managing their physical therapy services, is working with the California Medical Association, California Orthopaedic Association, select California Assembly members and physician practices in the state to help pass this legislation by:
- Arranging attendance by physical therapists throughout California at legislative hearings to show support for the proposed legislation;
- Coordinating a letter-writing campaign to California assembly members;
- Compiling data from California physician groups on physical therapy utilization refuting allegations by AB 783 opponents that medical groups over-utilize physical therapy; and
- Helping California Assembly staff members and other proponents prepare for hearings on AB 783.
“We are extremely disappointed that the California PT board reversed its position on the working status of physical therapists,” said Cary Edgar, co-founder and key principal with ACS. “This represents a step backward for patient care. California healthcare systems are leading the country in moving toward efficient integrated delivery systems that coordinate exemplary patient care across the continuum. Conversely, the PT board’s move fragments the coordination of care in addition to causing the loss of hundreds of good jobs. We believe that the ready availability of physical therapy in medical groups affords the opportunity for higher quality and timely patient care and has been shown to reduce the cost of therapy services.”
ACS leverages its financial, operational and regulatory expertise to help healthcare organizations manage their therapy programs, ranging from the development and management of new programs to the expansion of existing programs and reinvigoration of underperforming programs.
About Ancillary Care Solutions
Ancillary Care Solutions (ACS) is the nationwide leader in helping healthcare organizations, hospitals and physician groups develop and optimize the performance of physical and occupational therapy programs. In addition to providing financial, operational and compliance solutions that generate a substantial ROI, ACS offers real-time physical and occupational therapy benchmarking, productivity tracking and reporting through its Web-based TherapyWorks solution. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, ACS currently works with healthcare organizations in more than 25 states. For additional information, visit www.ancillarycaresolutions.com.
CONTACT:
For Ancillary Care Solutions
Dodge Communications
Elizabeth Glaser, 770-576-2551
[email protected]
or
Ancillary Care Solutions
Hilary Hellman, 480-945-6777
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Arizona California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Practice Management Health Public Policy/Government Healthcare Reform Physical Therapy
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