Pre-Con | The Role of PTs in Primary Care

William Boissonnault, PT, DPT, FAPTA
Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin–Madison

William Boissonnault is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and holds multiple adjunct faculty positions teaching differential diagnosis and imaging. He has consulted with more than 100 hospitals and health systems on implementing direct access care models and has presented nationally and internationally on direct access, differential diagnosis, and imaging. Dr. Boissonnault is editor of Primary Care for the Physical Therapist: Examination and Triage (4th) and has numerous publications in these areas. A former president of the Academy of orthopedic Physical Therapy and the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, he is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of APTA. He has received multiple honors, including the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award and national awards for excellence in teaching and education.

Samantha Schmidt, PT
Co-chair APTA Primary Care Special Interest Group

[Bio coming soon]

Trevor Lentz, PT, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor in Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy

Trevor Lentz is an Associate Professor at Duke University with appointments in orthopedic Surgery, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy. His research focuses on advancing value-based musculoskeletal care by developing and evaluating models that improve access, outcomes, and efficiency. His work uses real-world data and implementation science to inform payer policy, benefit design, and clinical practice.

Justin Carrier, PT
President, APTA Utah

[Bio coming soon]

General Session | Alternative Care and Payment Models

Dana Strauss, PT, DPT
Lead Director, Public Policy and Government Affairs, CVS Health

Dana Strauss is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Lead Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at CVS Health, where she leads work on value-based care and healthcare delivery policy. With nearly 20 years of experience as a clinician and population health leader, she brings deep expertise to her role. She is also co-host of the Future-Proof PT podcast and author of a weekly newsletter on health policy and career growth.

Christopher Carlin, OTR/L, MBA
Vice President of Operations, Hartford Healthcare Rehabilitation Network

Christopher Carlin is Vice President of Operations for Hartford HealthCare's Community Network, overseeing Rehabilitation, EMS, Senior Services, and a Special Needs School. He focuses on advancing integrated, value-based care models that improve access, outcomes, and patient experience. Chris also serves as President of the National Association of Rehab Agencies (NARA) and is active in national advocacy and quality initiatives supporting rehabilitation services.

Dr. Jospeh Kamerath, MD
Senior Medical Director for Rehabilitation, Intermountain Health

Joseph Kamerath is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician and Senior Medical Director for Rehabilitation at Intermountain Health, overseeing rehabilitation services across 33 hospitals, 70+ outpatient therapy clinics, 5 inpatient rehabilitation units, medical group practices, a rehabilitation research team, and more than 1,700 rehabilitation caregivers. He has been involved in policy and legislative efforts regarding physical therapy in Utah and is a member of the Utah Medical Association's legislative committee. He served 17 years in the United States Army.

Craig Johnson, PT, MBA
Chief Operating Officer, Therapy Partners Inc. (TPI)

Craig Johnson is a physical therapist with more than 45 years of experience in clinical care, practice ownership, and management. He is COO and partner at Therapy Partners Inc., supporting independent practices across Minnesota and Wisconsin. He has led initiatives in value-based care, outcomes management, and payer contracting, including nationwide payer pilots that demonstrate the value of therapy services through outcomes and care management. He serves on the APTA Board of Directors and has held numerous state and national leadership roles.

General Session | Care Coordination and Direct Provider Referrals

Howard Manuel, JD
Deputy Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Howard Manuel is the Deputy Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he provides strategic counsel to senior leadership on key priorities. His work focuses on advancing Community Care and Direct Care, strengthening suicide prevention efforts, addressing veteran homelessness, and modernizing VA Police operations to better serve the Nation's Veterans.

General Session | Role of AI Utilization and the Impact on Providers, Payers, and Patients

Pedro Teixeira, MD, PhD
Co-Founder and CEO, PredictionHealth

Pedro Teixeira is Co-Founder and CEO of PredictionHealth, where he leads development of AI-driven solutions to improve clinical documentation and transform patient-provider conversations into compliant records. He holds advanced training in biomedical informatics from Vanderbilt University and degrees in biochemical sciences and computer science from Harvard University.

Kevin Smith, MBA
Leader, Fusion Business Unit, Ensora Health

Kevin Smith leads the Fusion business unit at Ensora Health, supporting EHR and practice management solutions for PT, OT, and SLP practices. With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare technology, he specializes in translating clinical needs into tools that support efficient practice operations. He holds an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and an AI Certificate from MIT.

Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, SCS
Vice President, Strategic Affairs, American Physical Therapy Association

Drew Contreras is Vice President of Strategic Affairs at the American Physical Therapy Association. A board-certified sports clinical specialist, he served for more than 20 years in the U.S. Army as a physical therapist, including as the White House physical therapist.

Learning Lab | Track 1: State Infrastructure & Advocacy

Lauri Jacobson
Executive Director, APTA Maryland

Lauri Jacobson is an association executive, public health leader, and clinical social worker with extensive experience in healthcare, maternal and child health, and legislative advocacy. She has served as Executive Director of APTA Maryland for 18 years, leading operations, governance, membership engagement, and strategic initiatives.

Amber Gadow, PT, DPT
Legislative Chair, APTA South Carolina

Amber Gadow is a board-certified pediatric physical therapist with experience across outpatient, private practice, and early intervention settings. She practices at Sprout Pediatrics and serves as Director of Admissions and core faculty at South College Nashville’s hybrid DPT program. Dr. Gadow is active in APTA South Carolina leadership and the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, with a focus on advocacy, education, and empowering clinicians, patients, and families to advance access to care.

Deborah Alexander, DPT, MEd, PT
APTA Pediatrics

Deborah Alexander is a physical therapist with more than 35 years of experience across acute care, private practice, home health, and post-acute settings. She specializes in compliance, HIPAA, documentation, and reimbursement, advising providers and legal counsel on regulatory and audit matters. Deb is a Senior Consultant with LW Consulting and a member of the APTA Private Practice Payment and Ethics Committees. A frequent national speaker, she presents on compliance, coding, and ethical practice and supports the development of compliance-focused software and auditing tools.

Tricia Catalino, PT, DSc, PCS (Emeritus)
Dean, Graduate College of Health Sciences, Hawai‘i Pacific University

Tricia Catalino is President of the APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy and Dean at Hawai‘i Pacific University. A pediatric physical therapist and higher education leader, she focuses on advancing access to high-quality care for children and families through workforce development, leadership, and advocacy. She collaborates nationally to build interdisciplinary partnerships and leads initiatives to expand the pediatric physical therapy workforce.

Tom DiAngelis, PT, DPT
CEO, DiAngelis Consulting

Tom DiAngelis is a physical therapist and CEO of DiAngelis Consulting with more than 40 years of experience in private practice. He chairs the State Payer Advocacy Resource Consortium (SPARC). He has held numerous leadership roles within APTA, including service as Director, Vice President, and President of the APTA Private Practice Board.

Robert Hall, JD, MPAff
Executive Chair, Sabre Advocacy

Bob Hall is Executive Chair of Sabre Advocacy and a senior consultant to APTA Private Practice and APTA Orthopedics on payment issues. He previously led government relations at the American Academy of Family Physicians. He directed access-to-care initiatives at the American Academy of Pediatrics, helping expand coverage to millions of children. His career includes senior policy roles across federal agencies, Congress, and national health organizations.

Kenny Erb, PT
Owner, Erb Physical Therapy

Kenny Erb is the Owner of Erb Physical Therapy, a three-site outpatient practice in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He serves as Vice President of APTA Pennsylvania, where he leads the Tri-Alliance to improve payment and reduce administrative burden with major payers. Kenny is also a faculty member at Duquesne University, teaching business, leadership, and clinical practice, and mentoring students interested in private practice.

Jason Putz, PT
Owner, Physical Therapy Solutions

Jason Putz is a physical therapist and the owner of Physical Therapy Solutions, an outpatient practice he founded in 2003. With experience in orthopedics, neurology, ergonomics, and chronic pain, he is passionate about advocacy and payment policy. Jason is a Past President of APTA Iowa and continues to serve on its Payment Committee.

Learning Lab | Track 2: Contracts & Negotiations

Rick Gawenda, PT
Founder and President, Gawenda Seminars & Consulting, Inc.

Rick Gawenda is a physical therapist with 35 years of experience and the Founder and President of Gawenda Seminars & Consulting. He provides education and consulting on coding, billing, compliance, and practice management for outpatient therapy providers nationwide. A frequent national speaker, he has delivered more than 1,000 seminars and webinars and serves as an expert on regulatory and compliance matters. He is active in APTA leadership and is the author of industry resources on rehabilitation documentation, coding, and billing.

Kelly Sanders, PT, DPT, ATC
Board of Directors, APTA Private Practice

Kelly Snaders is President of Movement for Life, an employee-owned organization operating outpatient therapy practices across four states. She began her career as a certified athletic trainer before earning her physical therapy degree from the University of Southern California, where she also worked as a high school athletic trainer. Kelly is active in APTA Private Practice leadership and currently serves on its Board of Directors.

Gabe Freyaldenhoven, PT, DPT, SCS
Owner, River Valley Therapy and Sports Medicine

Gabe Freyaldenhoven is the Owner of River Valley Therapy and Sports Medicine in Arkansas. He serves on the APTA Arkansas Board and PPS Payment and Policy Committee, where he chairs the Utilization Management Subcommittee. He is also President of Rehab Net, a network of 200 therapy clinics providing delegated contracting and credentialing for 2,300 providers. Gabe participates in payer advisory committees and serves on the Board of Directors for CareSource PASSE, an Arkansas managed Medicaid insurance company.

Learning Lab | Track 3: State Legislative Payment Strategies

Gwen Simons, PT, Esq.
Simons & Associates Law, Lobbyist, APTA Maine

[Bio coming soon]

Rebekah, Griffith, PT, DPT
Founder, The ED DPT and Top of Scope Consulting

Rebekah Griffith is President of APTA Colorado and founder of The ED DPT and Top of Scope Consulting. A board-certified neurologic specialist, fellowship-trained manual therapist, and author of Top of Scope: The Emergency Department Physical Therapist Handbook. She focuses on advancing physical therapist practice at the top of the scope, particularly in emergency department care, clinical decision-making, and expanding PT's role within the healthcare system.

Melissa Johnson, JD
Bogard & Johnson, LLC, Lobbyist, APTA Washington

Melissa Johnson is a government affairs professional with nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare, early learning, human services, and business policy. She specializes in government relations, advocacy, and policy development, with a focus on advancing equitable solutions that improve access to care and strengthen communities. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington and a JD from American University. Melissa is a lobbyist for APTA Washington.

Rep. Ken Clouston, PT, DPT
Wyoming House of Representatives

Kenneth Clouston is a physical therapist and Wyoming State Representative with extensive experience in clinical practice, leadership, and healthcare advocacy. As President of Gillette Physical Therapy, he has led initiatives in practice management and reimbursement. A past President of the Wyoming Physical Therapy Association, he has championed direct access and payment reforms, bringing a frontline and legislative perspective to advancing state-level payment policy and reducing administrative burden.

Emily Herndon, PT, DPT, CLT
President and Owner, Plains Physical Therapy

Emily Herndon is the President and Owner of Plains Physical Therapy in Plains, Montana, where she has built and led a small business practice serving rural patients since 2008. She is also the founder of Urgent Care Physical Therapy and the owner of WHP Administration. Emily serves as President of APTA Montana and Chair of the APTA Chapter Presidents Council. She has led APTA Montana's payment and legislative work since 2021, including successful efforts to advance Medicaid reimbursement reform and legislation to establish physical therapist-physician status. She is a 2026 recipient of both the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award and the APTA State Legislative Leadership Award.

Learning Lab | Track 4: Collaboration on Payment Challenges and Opportunities

Nicole Kluckhohn, PT, DPT
ATC Chair, Credentialing Subcommittee, APTA Private Practice

[Bio coming soon]

Cristina Faucheux, PT
Chair, Government Affairs Committee, APTA Private Practice

[Bio coming soon]

Angela Pennisi, PT, DPT
Consultant, Compliance and Practice Management

Angela Wilson Pennisi is a physical therapist and healthcare compliance consultant who advises practice owners and administrators on compliance, strategic planning, and management. A board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), she previously founded and led a three-location private practice in the Chicago area for nearly 25 years. Angela is a past Vice President of APTA Private Practice, currently serves as Secretary of the International Private Physiotherapy Association, and is APTA's Alternate Advisor to the American Medical Association's Relative Value Scale Update Committee.

Rick Rausch, PT, DPT
Member, APTA Payment Reform Task Force

[Bio coming soon]

Sharon Vitti
CEO, ATI Physical Therapy

Sharon Vitti is CEO of ATI Physical Therapy, bringing nearly 30 years of healthcare leadership experience. Before joining ATI, she served as Senior Vice President at CVS Health and President of MinuteClinic, where she led care delivery, operations, and strategy. She also held executive leadership roles at Brigham and Women's Hospital, including Senior Vice President of Clinical Services. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science from Clark University and a Master of Public Administration from New York University.

Chris Bise, PT, DPT, PhD
University of Pittsburgh

[Bio coming soon]

Brent Huber
Executive Director, Northwest Rehab Alliance

[Bio coming soon]