February 22nd, 2012 by Ryan Lantz
Wow………..that was close. As usual, our dysfunctional political class makes the therapy community stressed out and frustrated. The good news is HR 3630 has been passed by both the house and senate. The “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act includes an extension of the therapy cap exceptions process until Dec. 31, 2012. Unfortunately, a full repeal was not in the cards, however this extension is a great credit to the thousands of therapists, providers, and educators who worked tirelessly to avoid devastating consequences for patients and therapists alike. At some point someone will have to explain why middle class tax relief is paired with Healthcare legislation but at least in some ways this extension is welcome news for those underserved patients in need of preventative and rehabilitative services. Now, the fight continues until the arbitrary and medically suspect caps are abolished for good. The bill did contain a few changes. A KX modifier will now be standard procedure on claims indicating why additional spending is justified for certain procedures. Effective Oct 1, 2012 each therapy case will be reported by the NPI(national provider identifier) stating the physician in care who will periodically review the plan of care. A manual review process will also be enforced for claims exceeding 3700 dollars-this process is expected to affect less than 5% of all cases. In January 2013 2 reports will be commissioned dealing with the manual review process as well as patient care costs and outcomes. For more details on these changes I recommend the APTA and AOTA legislative coverage-both organizations have done tremendous work educating, lobbying, and fighting for the therapy profession. Although we face a long road ahead, today we can all breath a little easier. Perhaps our broken system of government is still capable of acting on critical issues when we speak as a unified voice.
February 17th, 2012 by Ryan Lantz
Last week saw Advanced Medical bring style and substance to the Combined Sections Meeting in Chicago. CSM is the largest annual gathering of physical therapy professionals, including students, employers, and retailers. This year set an attendance record with 12,654 attendees. The large crowds came despite bone chilling weather, which dipped to -9 wind chill on Friday. Adjacent to our show was the National Auto Convention, in which it became quickly apparent that they spend a little more on their show booths than the therapy profession. Hoping everyone followed our exploits on our Twitter Feed @AdvanceMedical. This year saw a number of smaller travel firms, joining with the usual suspects among the competition. Thankfully, we had a special guest star working our booth. Margaret Huebner is our Senior Mentor PT, and we brought her to CSM from her current assignment in Washington State. With thousands of students in attendance, Margaret was able to bring real-world experience to our message. Our pitch revolves around a singular focus on therapy. The fact that we can provide layers of support through our New Grad Program, while giving national travel options with a personal touch. Margaret was able to successfully relay her positive experiences and answer numerous questions-often we had students coming back just to get her outlook. Hordes of students swarmed our booth, with many saying they had heard about us from classmates or read our material in their departments. The week mixed in plenty of fun as well-with a wintery trip to Wrigley Field and a night on the town in the trendy Lincoln Park. We look forward to April, when Indianapolis hosts the OT’s-See ya then!
February 7th, 2012 by Ryan Lantz
Last week, on a blustery morning in Olympia, WA, hundreds of physical therapists marched on the Capitol Campus to bring attention to a host of critical issues. Legislative Impact Day was a huge success, combining elements of education, awareness, and fellowship. Advanced Medical was proud to serve as a “Feed the Masses” sponsor, providing lunch for the this passionate group. ”Masses”, proved to be an accurate word, as over 450 marchers descended on Olympia from all corners of the state. Read the full article →
January 6th, 2012 by Ryan Lantz
Happy new year and best wishes for 2012. With exciting enhancements in technology, continuing education, and university outreach-plan on a marvelous 2012 with Advanced Medical.
Now on to today’s topic. As someone who has never been particularly enamored with american architecture, I can’t say I was surprised to come across this article; in the November issue of MNT (medical news today). The article discusses a study done in Sweden showing the benefits of an aesthetically pleasing environment on therapy patients. Read the full article →
December 19th, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
This holiday season Advanced Medical is thankful for its growing relationships, forged through a commitment to the highest standards in patient care. 2011 was a year of uncertainty in the complex and cluttered world of healthcare. Amidst that uncertainty was Advanced Medical; providing daily stability and a laser-like focus on clinical support, targeted growth, and the legislative causes that you care about. Read the full article →
December 14th, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
When Advanced Medical went searching for a west coast headquarters a couple of years ago, it was important to find a location that reflected the personality of the company. As a leading name in Travel Therapy, Advanced Medical has always strived to combine excellent customer service with an adventurous attitude. With cutting edge technology and groundbreaking new programs, Advanced Medical has always stood for innovative leadership in the field of travel therapy. After examining a number of cities, it was obvious that one place stood out above the rest. Denver, Colorado combines modern urban development with first class parks and infrastructure. As a travel company, being located in a city known for being outdoor oriented is a tremendous plus. Being close to beautiful mountain ranges inspires skiing, mountain biking, kayaking as well as a penchant for beer drinking. Colorado is also home to a number of renowned breweries and is 1st in the nation in beer production per capita. Yes……….a perfect match for our west coast home. Read the full article →
December 9th, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
Read the full article →
December 4th, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
Each Spring Advanced Medical heads to Tobacco Road, a location made famous for its proximity between 2 proud College Basketball programs. There lies the renowned Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. A short distance away is the top Public University in the state, UNC. The 2 schools have shared an intense rivalry on the hardwood for decades, while both schools are covered in prestige. When we head to Duke for the annual Career Fair, we know to expect a classy and professional group of students. The Duke DPT program is consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally and dates back to 1943 when it started a 9 month post-baccalaureate program. The program became a full-fledged Doctoral Program in 1999. Duke lies in the heart of the “research triangle” an area that boasts world class research facilities, and leading organizations in the fields of Life Sciences and Technology. Just recently, Duke welcomed in a new Division Chief. Michael Landry comes over from the University of Toronto with 17 years of experience in the areas of global health, humanitarian aid, and health service research. One of the things that makes Duke such a top-flight DPT destination is its proximity to Duke University Medical Center, which ranks as one of the finest in the nation. The faculty takes prides in a number of honors and awards. For example, just recently Chad Cook was selected by the APTA as the winner of the Dorothy E Baethke Carlin Award for Excellence for doing innovative work in the field of Manual Therapy. Duke also believes in International experiences;partnering with Bergen University in Norway and Honduras for student exchange programs that focus on evidence-based practice. Upcoming are developing initiatives in Shanghai and Singapore. Duke DPT makes it a priority to give back, both locally and nationally. Cerebral Palsy, Homelessness, and Senior Citizen Health Education are just a few of the areas where Duke DPT performs community service. The Duke program admits up to 75 students per class and last year placed 100% of their students into the workforce. Staff Assistant Heidi Oehme always does a terrific job setting up the April career fair. With highly engaged students, a warm staff, and a delicious buffet, the Duke show is truly a delight. There is also no better time to be in North Carolina than the spring. We look forward to continuing our mutual friendship with the Duke DPT program.
December 1st, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
As we wrap up another exciting Fall campaign of events and campus visits we are proud to announce our latest Vacation Card Winner. Megan Setlock is a third year OT student from Towson University. Megan is from Indiana, Pennsylvania……yes, there is a city named Indiana located in Pennsylvania. Megan attended undergrad at Towson as well. An outdoors fan, Megan is adept at skeet shooting and is a faithful follower of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A passion for travel along with versatile interests in OT settings make Megan a fitting winner. If you are inclined to escape the cold weather with the vacation card please come see us in Daytona Beach and thanks for your interest in traveling with Advanced Medical. Towson University was founded in 1866 and is the 2nd largest public University in Maryland. The OT program was founded in 1974 and a Doctoral Program was instituted in 2000. The Towson program benefits from its close proximity to Baltimore with its world class medical facilities such as John Hopkins Hospital. Advanced Medical looks forward to visiting Towson next year. Congratulations Megan!
November 22nd, 2011 by Ryan Lantz
Tucked away amongst the music city of Nashville sits Belmont University. Belmont sits a stones throw away from world-renowned Vanderbilt Medical Center. Some have even dubbed Nashville the “US Healthcare Capital”, due to being the home of over 250 major health care companies, including the Hospital Corporation of America which is the largest private operator of hospitals in the country. Over the last 3 years Advanced Medical has had the privilege of hosting a lunch and learn on the Belmont Campus. We have always been welcomed with open arms and come away duly impressed with the faculty and students alike. In 2010 the DPT program moved into a new building-the state of the art Gordon Inman College of Health and Science. The school boasts access to the world-class Vanderbilt Medical Library. At Belmont, students can expect an 8-1 ratio of students to faculty. In addition, Belmont offers a 39 week clinical experience with over 400 sites to choose from. Each incoming class average about 32 students and Belmont boasts an opportunity for clinical rotations at various sites internationally. A sterling Academic reputation is born out with a 100% pass rate on NPTE boards over the last 8 years. Being a Christian College, Belmont has always urged its students to contribute their skills to the less fortunate. Over the past 4 years, Belmont PT students have traveled to Guatemala City to assist in the building of a new Christian school, while working with malnourished children to help them reach their ideal height and weight. The chair of Belmont DPT is John Halle. John is an expert in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. John is also active at Vanderbilt Medical School-teaching Human Anatomy as part of an exclusive Anatomy Team. Advanced Medical is proud of its relationship with Belmont University and looks forward to its next visit. Although Nashville is the “music city”, never forget it also is home to some of the finest minds in Health.
