Established in 2016, the Education Leadership Partnership (ELP) includes representatives from APTA, the Academy of Physical Therapy Education (APTE), and the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT). The Partnership is intended to be a group with a more global perspective than that of any one organization represented or any other stakeholder. The voting members of the Partnership are committed to pursuing the interests of the whole profession as well as those of the organization presidents that appointed them. Nonvoting members likewise are committed to pursuing the interests of the whole profession as well as those of the organization with which they are associated.
Purpose
To guide its work, in January 2019 the ELP adopted the purpose statement of "Partnering to drive excellence in physical therapy education."
Leadership Committee
A leadership committee of the ELP comprises 3 categories of members. Nine voting members represent the 3 partnering groups (3 each). In addition are 4 nonvoting community members and 9 nonvoting ex officio members. Leadership committee members typically will serve staggered 3-year terms.
Voting members by organization:
- ACAPT representatives: Zoher Kapasi, PT, MSPT, MBA, PhD , Nancy Reese, PT, PhD, MHSA, John Buford, PT, PhD
- APTA representatives: Susan Appling, PT, DPT, PhD, Anthony DiFilippo, PT, DPT, MEd, Bob Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS
- APTE representatives: Laurie Kontney, PT, DPT, MS, Carol Beckel, PT, PhD, Chalee Engelhard, PT, EdD, MBA
Nonvoting members:
- ABPTRFE: Noel Goodstadt, PT, DPT, Kendra Harrington, PT, DPT
- ABPTS: Marie Johanson, PT, PhD, Derek Stepp
- CAPTE representatives: Sandra Wise, PhD, Pam Ritzline, PT, EdD
- Clinical community representatives: Christopher Meachem, PT, DPT (VA); Traci Norris, PT, DPT (AACPT); Susan Ropp, PT, DPT (Health Systems Council), Leigh Langerwerf, PT, DPT (PPS)
- FSBPT: Nancy Kirsch, PT, DPT, PhD, Richard Woolf, PT, DPT
- PTA Education: Katherine Giffin, PTA, MEd
Staff contacts:
- ACAPT: Sandy Brooks, Executive Director
- APTA: Steven Chesbro, PT, DPT, EdD, Vice President for Education
- APTE : Sarah Berke, Executive Director
The chair of the partnership rotates annually among the 3 organizations. Susan Appling, APTA, assumed the chair in June 2019.
Work of the ELP
The ELP holds monthly conference calls, with face-to-face meetings at Combined Sections Meeting, NEXT, and the Education Leadership Conference. To date the work of the partnership has focused on recommendations from the Excellence in Physical Therapist Education Task Force, with an additional focus on student debt, diversity, equity and inclusion, and the Best Practice for Physical Therapist Clinical Education Task Force.
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