PT Policy, Advocacy, and Moving Forward!

Lastly to build a long lasting impact of health promotion and prevention of health conditions later down life we must turn to public policy. As PTs we were taught to advocate for ourselves and for our patients. Therefore the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has advocated for many bills that will do just that. One bill in particular is in Congress right now called the Healthcare Workforce Innovation Act (H.R. 7307). Through this bill, a grant program would authorize funds for community health centers in effort to expand the number of allied health professionals including PTs in underserved communities and rural areas. I chose to bring this into light because of how influential it could be for my community in the RGV. A place with limited resources and access to healthcare for many rural areas. With the increased funding, this could help those who don’t have the resources to pursue a career in healthcare. On the societal level this will not just help my own community, but for other places just like the RGV. With policy changes such as these, healthier environments are achievable. 

Moreso, the RGV is finally getting its own PT school. At UTRGV, their program has a regional focus on diabetes, heart disease and other metabolic disorders. As common these conditions are in the RGV, it is great to see them target their own and how they can learn from this patient population. I hope to see that this H.R. 7307 bill gets seen and passed so that they may continue to benefit and make a great difference in the RGV. 


Throughout my PT school journey, I was fortunate to learn how involved PT can be from the individual level to public policy and society. Hopefully those of you reading this were able to appreciate the information. I hope my Filipino family and friends in the RGV could relate a bit to my experiences and that we have the ability to make a change in our cultures. Whether for ourselves or families, we can surely start to take a hold of our health today and preventing future heart conditions


 For those reading this through social media and are interested in any health professions, especially those incline to learn more about PT school, feel free to swipe up and ask me any questions you may have. I would say that PT as a profession is very rewarding and I’ve grown a lot from my time in school. 



Thank you for reading!


Joshua Opune, SPT 










References:

  • American Physical Therapy Association. APTA Legislative Update: Bill Status. APTA. Published 2024. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.apta.org/advocacy/issues/apta-legislative-update-bill-status

  • National Association of Community Health Centers. Bipartisan Health Care Workforce Innovation Act of 2023 Introduced in House and Senate. NACHC. Published July 26, 2023. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.nachc.org/bipartisan-health-care-workforce-innovation-act-of-2023-introduced-in-house-and-senate/#:~:text=Ron%20Wyden%20(D%2DOR),7307)%20press%20release.

  • U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Wyden, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Tackle Health Care Workforce Shortages. Senate Finance Committee. Published July 26, 2023. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-blackburn-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-tackle-health-care-workforce-shortages

  • U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Health Workforce Innovation Act One-Pager. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/health_workforce_innovation_act_one-pagerdocxpdf.pdf

  • Najmabadi S. In the Rio Grande Valley, diabetes and other health issues persist at higher rates. The Texas Tribune. Published January 23, 2025. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/rio-grande-valley-texas-health-diabetes/#:~:text=The%20obesity%20rate%20sits%20at,Rio%20Grande%20Valley%20are%20higher.

  • Nabong L, Liu WF, Kawano J. Understanding the barriers to care among Filipino Americans: a qualitative exploration. Nurs Open. 2023;11(1):e70175. doi:10.1002/nop2.70175

  • DHR Health Institute for Research and Development. Rio Grande Valley Is Among the Unhealthiest Areas in America. DHR Research. Published February 21, 2024. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://dhrresearch.org/rio-grande-valley-is-among-the-unhealthiest-areas-in-america/

  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). UTRGV. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://www.utrgv.edu/programs/doctor-physical-therapy.htm

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