APTA Nebraska Podcast
The APTA Nebraska Podcast dives into the stories, challenges, and innovations shaping physical therapy in our state. We’re here to advance, promote, and protect the practice of physical therapy, build our community, and optimize the health and quality of life for all Nebraskans.
APTA Nebraska Podcast
E6 - Membership Committee
The APTA Nebraska membership committee shares their diverse backgrounds and motivation for joining the organization while highlighting the benefits of engagement for physical therapists at all career stages. Members discuss how building professional relationships across practice settings and geographical areas creates a stronger, more connected PT community in Nebraska.
• Committee members include Brad Dexter, Adam Meirose, Candice McCoy, and Nathan Halm.
• Professional networking provides valuable cross-pollination of ideas and solutions across different practice settings
• APTA membership offers tangible benefits including discounted specialty certification exams and access to continuing education
• The organization helps newer graduates find mentorship and study partners, particularly valuable when relocating to new areas
• APTA Engage platform makes it easy to get involved at state and national levels with opportunities matching different time commitments
• Virtual engagement options ensure even rural practitioners can participate and benefit from membership
• Despite being geographically dispersed, the PT community is interconnected with potential for significant collective impact
To get involved with APTA Nebraska, visit the APTA Engage platform through the link in our show notes or reach out directly via the APTA Nebraska email address.
Links:
- Nebraska Physical Therapy Association Home Page
- APTA Engage Link
- APTA Nebraska Email Address
Welcome to the APTA Nebraska podcast, where we dive into the stories, challenges and innovations shaping physical therapy in our state. We're here to advance, promote and protect the practice of physical therapy, optimizing the health and quality of life for all Nebraskans. Join us as we connect with experts, share insights and build communities throughout our profession.
Speaker 2:Connect with experts, share insights and build communities throughout our profession. Welcome back to the APTA Nebraska podcast. My name is Brad Dexter and today I'm joined by our APTA Nebraska membership committee. This is a relatively new group of folks that have kind of pulled together to try to serve the organization and I wanted to take, you know, 15 to 20 minutes to try to serve the organization and I wanted to take 15 to 20 minutes to try to highlight some of the ideas that have come out from each of these folks individually and then from some of the time that we've had together, and hopefully it spawns even more ideas from those of you that are listening and maybe even potential engagement as well. So we'll take a moment to just introduce ourselves to start, and so, adam, I might kick it to you to begin.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely Thanks, brad. So my name is Adam Myrose. I'm a physical therapist based out of Lincoln, nebraska. I've been practicing for just over five years. I spent the first five years of my career in the private outpatient sector just doing private outpatient orthopedic physical therapy and then about a year or so ago I decided I wanted to transition out of that clinical role and into more of an administrative role and so I currently am the outpatient clinic manager with Madonna Outpatient, and it's been a challenge and a change for me, going from that day-to-day physical therapy realm seeing patients being in charge of 20 therapists at a time, really really enjoy it. And with that change I was like you know, what could I do to help support my profession? So I figured I'd go in to see what I could help out with the state association. So landed on the membership committee and really enjoying getting to know everyone here and glad to hear and looking forward to hear some good stories.
Speaker 2:Thanks, adam Candace. How about you?
Speaker 4:Yep, thanks. I moved to Lincoln actually in July. I graduated in 2020. So I was part of the COVID group. So I've worked in just about every setting of healthcare. I'm a neurologic clinical specialist by certification, but I work on the orthopedic team. I'm actually at Madonna Outpatient with Adam Although when I signed up for the membership committee I didn't know that he was on this already. So I wanted to get involved with APTA Nebraska because I've worked in a lot of different states and I'm really passionate about students and getting young professionals involved. And probably the best part about PT is for, as big as we are rural and urban, it's really a pretty small world. So even just within our committee, seeing faces that I didn't know were on the same committee not having lived in Lincoln very often as far as getting to know people I'm already seeing similar faces. So I'm just trying to get involved and then promote connecting our rural and our urban settings.
Speaker 2:Love it, Nate. How about you?
Speaker 5:Yeah, my name is Nathan Hall. I've been in three different states working I have a career of 16 years at this point on outpatient physical therapy for a handful of companies. Currently I still work PRN for Athletico, filling in here and there when my schedule allows, and primarily my day-to-day operations. I am an instructor at Clarkson College in the PTA program, so that tends to keep me quite busy. Looking to get involved within the physical therapy professional realm. Really, what kind of inspired me was? I helped teach in one of the labs at Creighton, so I'm familiar and actually work with Nick Weber in that lab and just seeing some of the knowledge, the interactions and all the going on that he was involved with made me realize how much I was not really aware of what's going on here locally in Nebraska and even then nationally. So with my schedule being a little bit more solidified from the teaching realm, I had some extra time and I felt that it was appropriate that I could contribute back to the profession that I am investing my career in.
Speaker 2:And I think that that leaves it to me then. So again, brad Dexter. I have been a physical therapist for about 14 years now and spent 13 of those years at QLI in Omaha, nebraska, before transitioning into a faculty role at UNMC, where I'm teaching within a neuromuscular track and a variety of other courses there as well. You know I had been involved in more of a national organization, so I worked with a lot of catastrophic injuries brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes and organization that was centered around spinal cord injury close to a decade ago and that led into board roles within that organization. And as my time was kind of winding down there, I was, you know, similar thoughts to what you guys had. I was kind of realizing I haven't been as engaged at a state level as I would like to and I feel like I have things that I could offer and could give there. I would like to engage somehow, and so I reached out to Nick and was just trying to figure out what some of the needs were and where some of my interests might align as well, and so that led me into the membership committee for APT Nebraska, the membership committee for APT Nebraska, and led me to getting to know all of you fine people too, so it's kind of fun that you know all. At the same time we have a kind of a newer crew of folks that are coming into some of these roles and I think you guys have maybe experienced this in different capacities too.
Speaker 2:But one of the things I really enjoyed about being a part of that national organization was just a lot of the relationships that I developed with people from all over the country, the ways that they started to influence my career. I could use them as as mentors, as peers in different, different settings, different practice settings. You know they might be seeing people in more of an acute setting or an outpatient setting. I was in this post hospital skilled type of setting, and so it's just really fun to develop those relationships and that network a little bit more and call a lot of them really good friends. Um, to this day now, uh, but that that took crossing over, uh, or crossing paths once a year at a conference and a lot of zoom meetings, or one point in time it was telephone calls for committee meetings or boards that we did, and you know I would love to see that grow within our state organization too.
Speaker 2:I think one of the things that we've talked about in regards to this podcast is just how do we build community like that, how do we get to know other people's stories and get to kind of understand what practice is like, and get to kind of understand what practice is like and so kind of along, or in that vein, along that line, I think, idea of ideas are just how do we offer things that are engaging to our members throughout the state. And so, candice, I know I'm kind of putting you on the spot a little bit, but we've had some really great conversations from experiences. Of the four of us, you are the newest grad, right, so you've kind of been on this new grad, early career and getting involved trajectory. Would you mind just sharing some of the things that you've been thinking about in terms of helping to engage people within our state organization?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So I graduated in 2020, which was when COVID was starting. So finding jobs moved very much online and was built around who you know and who's hiring. So I got involved in the states I was living in with the early professionals, sig and I know Nebraska has one as well and the resources they offer and just getting connected with other people who were graduating at my same time. So having some of that camaraderie of trying to find a job and trying just to build off each other but then also getting connected with people within the APTA as mentors or ideas of here's where I'm at and here's where I want to go.
Speaker 4:So for me, I did my NCS. A lot of that mentorship came from people I met through APTA in the different states I lived in, from people I met through APTA and the different states I lived in. I first worked at a critical access hospital in northern North Dakota. So if not for APTA and those types of programs, it's really hard to have anybody within a couple hours driving radius. So those experiences have kept me involved and engaged and now that I'm in Lincoln, it's really helping to promote those pieces, because APTA Nebraska has similar programs to everywhere else in the country and just helping people know that they exist and then get connected to them, whether you're urban or rural, early professional straight out of school or even a couple of years out.
Speaker 4:Because if you want to go after like for me, my NCS, finding mentors even just within your home state can make a huge difference. So APTA Nebraska for residents helped connect me to other people who are sitting the exam at the same time. So instead of having to study on my own, I was able to get connected with that piece. So instead of having to study on my own, I was able to get connected with that piece. So I think those are really kind of positives of being connected to the organization, even as a young person, professional just starting out.
Speaker 2:Adam Nate. What thoughts do you guys have that you've kind of been mulling over.
Speaker 3:You know, one thing I was thinking about early on in my career. At my previous job I floated around many different clinics and working with a lot of different professionals and you really get that sense of community and that central goal of helping out our patients. And so when I really look at that, from how that, how I learned and developed as a therapist in my early years, I can see how that can be really beneficial at a state level. As a member of this committee, um is a big part of helping support that. And then, like going back to what you were talking about, brad, with meetings and conferences, you know, going to the state meeting year after year, you start recognizing some of those familiar faces and you know, hey, it's nice to see you. How's the family? Just that community discussion getting to know each other rather than oh, so-and-so works for one place in this setting. But how can we really grow the profession beyond what it's been for many years to reach a wider audience and a wider population?
Speaker 5:I can tap onto a little bit more of that.
Speaker 5:Something that really kind of struck me was I mean, we kind of have an idea of how many therapists there are, but we don't also really comprehend that.
Speaker 5:So I went to CSM right before COVID started it was in Denver and just the sheer amount of PTs that were even just PT PTAs, that were just even at that one conference, really made me realize how impactful our profession can be.
Speaker 5:And also in the midst of the 20-some-odd thousand people I was bumping into classmates that I had lost contact with, coworkers from different companies, so truly to that community standpoint, even state meeting, all the way up to something as big as CSM. We are as big as we are. We're also a small group, it's a small world in PT and that comes to our benefit. And that's something that from the kind of the back to the why to get involved piece, driving some more membership into that, because I've seen other organizations or professions that have a lot more involvement at times from their members and I've seen what they've been able to potentially do, whether it's legislative or just as a global or a larger force going in the same direction. You know not to use the row the boat in the same direction. Analogy, but that kind of momentum and force that can create a change, I think is very vital for us to look at.
Speaker 2:Yeah, back to some of these same ideas of you know, I I said one of the things that I valued I was a part of was those relationships, but it was. It was also the fact that, man, I know that we had a lot of really great people and great ideas within the organization I was in, but kind of cross pollinating and getting getting ideas from people that are outside of my organization was always really helpful to me. And even, you know, being at the state conference a few weeks ago that I was in, it was just fun to hear from people that maybe I hadn't seen in a decade or was just meeting, right, and they're in a completely different practice setting than me. But to kind of hear what some of the issues that they have are and to balance ideas off of one another, like that kind of ideation, is really fun to me too, um, and I'm sure there can be a lot more of that, right. So I'm I'm sure that, uh, wherever we're at in our practice setting, like, sometimes we get in our little bubble and it can just be really helpful to get outside of that and to get ideas from, uh, other colleagues as well.
Speaker 2:It can feel a little bit intimidating at times, right, like none of us want to be wrong, we all want to be promoting the things that we're doing.
Speaker 2:As you know, hey, I'm contributing, I'm doing something good here, right, but like having the humility to and the courage honestly to ask questions of other people and to understand the problems that they're facing and to try to become a part of the solution, that's how we are going to get things done. Nate, at this point, I think you guys have all kind of said this in a different capacity. But strength in numbers, right, and hey, again, we're all newbies to this committee, but we're, we're going to come at it from a perspective of, uh, we, we want to try to just engage our membership and find things that are valuable, um, to engage our members and and hopefully, uh, that makes our organization stronger five, ten years down the line, all right. Well, I've enjoyed the conversation so far, guys. I think, as we start to wind things up, I would love to hear from all of you, really, what are some of the membership benefits that you have found most beneficial as a member of APT Nebraska.
Speaker 5:I can start. Recently I did take my OCS exam, so there is a discounted rate for the specialty examinations that does occur through the APTA, so that obviously is a financial benefit on the overall. I mean there are obviously the other benefits you know perks here for shoes and hotels and things of that nature but the big one that just comes recently to my mind was the OCS discount which, through even the studying and acquisition of that material, is going to only help my teaching for future students as well as my clinical practice as I continue to move forth in my career.
Speaker 4:I can kind of talk to. I took the NCS and applied after living in Nebraska for less than a year, so I didn't have a lot of local connections. So I reached out to APTA Nebraska just to find mentors and people who worked in some of the areas for neurologic care that I didn't have experience in. So just helping to connect me with people in the state that I could bounce questions off of and then start to build that network was really helpful. And I even found a couple of people to study with who, if I hadn't had a way to get connected with the state membership piece, building any of those connections on my own would have been really challenging living in a new state on my own without having gone to school here. Other connections already built, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then for me it's transitioned, as my role in my professional job is transitioned. I am planning to take go through the American or the Academy of Leadership and Innovation. They have a board certification for therapy executive, so more of that practice management role. So that's. I'm looking forward to utilizing, you know, all the resources that come with being a member of not only the state level but the national level to help develop myself from a practice management standpoint, which is something that when I went through school seems so far fetched and unattainable. But now it's like, wow, this really meets my day-to-day goals.
Speaker 3:So I know there's so many different areas that what we get exposed to in school that this is a really good opportunity to, and the only way I frankly found about it is through being a member and the emails that come through on a regular basis.
Speaker 3:You know Nate talked about some of the discounts that they have and the offerings. I think another important part is just all the different continuing education offerings that the national level has. And then, because you know where, where I work now, I may not offer that continuing ed um as accessible as it used to, and so using those resources from at the national level and their learning center, as well as the job board and connecting with other people. When it comes to you know whether it's a payer, um, an issue with an insurance company, or saying up to date with some of the practice management that it's really been invaluable. And staying up to date with some of the practice management that it's really been invaluable. And you know, to be a member of the state level, you have to be a member of that national level, so having that combination of both is really, really beneficial for me.
Speaker 2:Thanks guys. I know we're just highlighting a few of the benefits and there's plenty of opportunities for growth and development and benefits through our organization. The number of people that are working behind the scenes within our state organization I don't think I realized the number of people that were doing that and so I just have grown quickly to appreciate that. And you know, candice and Adam, I know you guys both got plugged in to our organization through APTA Engage.
Speaker 2:Apta Engage is a platform that helps you to get connected within your state organization or other ways within the APTA organization through the APTA website, and so if any of you are listening and you would like to get engaged in a new way you've been thinking about it for a while and you just haven't quite been able to do it that's probably the easiest way to get connected. You can go on that website and you can get connected to us that way. We'll have that in the show notes, a link directly to it, so that you're able to link to that and reach out in that way. We'll also put our organization email in there if you'd like to get connected with us that way and if any of you have any ideas of creating more community or engagement opportunities within our organization certainly reach out via the APTA Nebraska email address as well. Guys, any final thoughts for our listeners.
Speaker 3:You know you were talking about the APTA Engage, and I think one of my favorite things about that is you can get a reoccurring notification center email so you don't necessarily have to be looking, they can send it to you, and I found that being kind of helpful to be like oh, that seems like a really interesting opportunity to give my time, and the nice thing is they lay it out by kind of what the responsibility level Is it a small project, is it a full day, is it a quick task, is it a few hours here, a few hours there, or is it a large scale thing? So that's a really good opportunity and that's what brought me into the nominating committee and brought me here tonight, and so it's just a really good opportunity to, you know, put a little bit more into supporting the state association and getting a good value back out of it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I can echo some of that because I've used the Engage platform for the last four or five years because even when I lived in more rural areas, it has virtual options as much as in-person ways to get engaged in your state or the national level. So even if you're in rural areas where you don't have as many opportunities to be around local PT schools or other in-person events, that still gives you an access point to use your membership but also stay engaged national or state, with lots of different opportunities.
Speaker 2:Guys, thank you for your time. I hope this is helpful for our listeners as well. And if you haven't had a chance to listeners, we have a couple other interviews with our student representatives, the student interest group for Nebraska, nsig, as well as our early professional special interest group podcasts that have dropped as well. So if you haven't listened to those, make sure you get a when you get a chance to go ahead and listen to those as well. But again, thanks guys for the conversation and we'll look forward to the next one.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the APTA Nebraska podcast. Stay connected with us for more conversations that elevate our profession and improve the lives of Nebraskans. Don't forget to subscribe, share and join the discussion, because together we're driving the future of physical therapy forward.
