We know that our members do amazing work and we want to celebrate these achievements. Do you want to be featured or know someone you think should be featured? Are you in an innovative role? Spoken about physiotherapy in a podcast or the news? Published an article? Or represented the physiotherapy profession through advocacy?
We want to celebrate you as a physiotherapist, PT or PTA student or PTA!
Check out all that our members do on behalf of clients, the profession, and their communities.
“I am the only physiotherapist at our clinic” Andrea explains. “If one of the nurse practitioners has a patient who they feel requires physiotherapy, they refer them to me if they do not have extended health benefits.
If I think they need imaging, all I have to do is ask and they order it” Andrea explains, “and if I think cortisone could be a good idea, it usually gets done.”
“Even if the plan is to focus in a different area of physiotherapy after graduation, I’ve had many students who have learned valuable communication techniques in challenging populations, who learn to think about the whole person and not just the one acute issue and also learn more about the complex chronic disease populations” says Ashley.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Venkata has come to value clinical judgment as one of the most important skills in physiotherapy. “It’s not just about treating. It’s about knowing when something does not fit the usual pattern and taking a closer look,” he explains.
For Sarah, long-term care work is deeply fulfilling and meaningful, not only to her, but to the individuals she supports. “The most rewarding part is that I get to influence an individual’s life and journey during the final stages of their life. Each resident has a story, and I get to hear it and have some impact on their end-of-life journey,” Sarah explains.
Through a first contact model, Elizabeth explains, patients were often seen by physiotherapists faster than by family physicians for musculoskeletal concerns. “Physiotherapists functioned as a triage service, escalating care when red flags were identified and initiating treatment when appropriate,” she says. This approach preserved physician capacity and contributed to reduced emergency department utilization.
“Through established relationships with several rehabilitation hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area, we have developed an efficient process to identify suitable patients [for inpatient rehab], set goals and care plans, complete applications, and successfully facilitate admissions and same-day transfers,” Madison shares.
“Although still early in my time in this role, I’ve seen firsthand how early physiotherapy involvement can support better patient flow and lead to more appropriate, timely discharges” Sarah shares about her role in an Emergency Department.
“Rural Northern Ontario is totally different,” Jody says. “The geography, the travel, the lack of resources, all of those things matter.” Because of these realities, Jody worked closely with leadership and regional partners to develop a role tailored to community needs.
Primary care is fundamentally oriented toward continuity says Brian, “I think of what primary care is, and its longitudinal care over the lifespan,” he says. Patients may be followed for extended periods, particularly those managing chronic pain, functional decline, or complex health conditions which provides a unique opportunity for patient support.
“I recognized the value of physiotherapy in the ED, particularly in preventing non-medical admissions, reducing length of stay through early mobilization, and facilitating discharge planning,” Natasha explains.
“We were able to triage patients with rehabilitation needs within hours or on the same day, which significantly reduced delays and facilitated faster discharge of patients with TIA/minor stroke.“ Ven explains.
“Having the experience of working in a role that allows for basic medical imaging and administering analgesia allows me to experience first-hand what a full scope of practice in Ontario could look like,” Andrew shares.
Thank you for your interest in submitting your story to OPA’s Member Spotlights. Showcasing these endeavours can inspire other members in their career, show the value of physiotherapy to the public, and connects our community.
How to Submit Your Story
1. Complete the form below.
2. Aleksandra Nikolovski will contact you if you are selected for our Member Spotlight. We will work with you to develop your article, and will publish it upon your final approval.
Please note that not all submissions may be chosen to be featured. We prioritize stories that align with OPA’s advocacy goals. Contact Aleksandra (Alli) Nikolovski with any questions.