APTA is not only making a national impact—it's making a difference in the local community and helping its employees stay healthy. And now the association has earned a significant recognition for those efforts.
APTA was recently named "Best in Business" by the Alexandria, Virginia, Chamber of Commerce, an annual award that recognizes a local business that combines excellence in operations with a commitment to the Alexandria community. APTA originally was nominated for the award in the “large organization” category but took home the overall award among a field of 23 nominated businesses.
APTA’s submission highlighted the level of engagement among APTA's members, its solid financial operations, and its efforts in the ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic—particularly it's #ChoosePT opioid awareness campaign. At the local level, APTA engaged with the community through its cosponsorship of the Chamber's annual disability awareness awards and women in leadership initiatives.
Helping to strengthen APTA 's nomination were multiple initiatives stemming from its APTAServe program, a staff-driven effort that encourages local, national, and even international volunteerism by APTA employees. Those efforts have included blood drives, foodbank and school supply collections, and participation in the "Miracles Baseball League," a program that enables athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities to play baseball by pairing them with a volunteer. At a national level, APTA staff worked with volunteers to organize a Special Olympics FUNfitness screening and participated in "Shoes4Kids" drives. This year 2 APTA staff even traveled outside the US to engage in service by joining volunteers from MoveTogether to build, equip, and operationalize a new physical therapy clinic in San Pedro Sacatepequez, Guatemala.
"This award is a recognition of what APTA can do when we combine an energized and engaged membership with careful financial stewardship and a staff that embraces the transformative values of the physical therapy profession," said APTA CEO Justin Moore, PT, DPT. "We have a lot to celebrate and be proud of as we finish out 2018 and move toward the new year and next century for APTA."
The association's nomination also highlighted APTAFit, an employee health and wellness program that offers health-related services to staff, from healthy cooking workshops to individual consultations with health professionals to identify and achieve individual employee wellness goals.
The Chamber of Commerce honor isn't the first major award APTA received in 2018. Earlier this year, the association earned separate national recognitions from the American Society for Association Executives—a Gold Circle award for its member renewal efforts, and a Power of A gold award for its collaborative and successful efforts to stop the cap on payment for therapy services under Medicare.