Hospital & Rehab Archives - Page 5 of 9 - Ontario Physiotherapy Association

Physiotherapists Part of Team Improving Stroke Care in Sudbury

August 5, 2025

Innovative Stroke Care Model Launched

Venkadesan Rajendran, District President of the Northern Ontario District of OPA, is the project lead for a new innovative stroke care model called MOTIVE in Sudbury.

The project brings an expert team, which includes stroke neurologists/stroke physicians, an advanced practice physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a stroke nurse, a speech-language pathologist and a reactivation worker, to the patients directly. They conduct an early assessment, coordinate treatment planning and streamline access to rehab. MOTIVE stands for MObile TIA and Stroke with AdaptiVE Workflow.

“Health Science North (HSN) indicates that it allows for faster access to care and fewer hospital admissions for patients in the Sudbury area.” says Venkadesan Rajendran in Sudbury.com.

Rajendran also said that HSN supported the initial development of Advanced Practice Physiotherapy in stroke care a few years ago. He is grateful to Dr. Ravinder-Jeet Singh, Stroke Neurologist, Lisa Zeman, Clinical Manager, and Lisa Smith, VP of Nursing services who supported the development of the role.

Benefits to Interprofessional Care

MOTIVE demonstrates how including physiotherapy in interprofessional stroke care contributes to more effective care for patients in Ontario. As Venkadesan Rajendran remarks “Instead of waiting for patients to be transferred to the designated stroke unit, we bring the care to them. We’re reducing the time lost due to system inefficiencies.”

Since its launch in February 2025, the program has seen 109 patients so far and saved roughly 70 inpatient bed days. Currently supported by one-time funding through the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Innovative Model of Care Fund, the aim is to sustain the model over time said Chantal Liddard, the Director of the Medicine Program at HSN.

About Stroke in Canada

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability with nearly 1 million people in Canada currently living with stroke. Furthermore, the number of people in Canada living with stroke has steadily increased over the past 20 years due to the aging population, and because younger people are having more strokes.

Physiotherapist Leader, Advocate, and Award Winner

OPA applauds Venkadesan Rajendran for his commendable leadership in physiotherapy – as the Northern Ontario District President of OPA, through his research, and as the Project Lead for MOTIVE. Venkadesan also won OPA’s Innovation and Advancement Award in 2023.

Read HSN news release

Read Sudbury Star article

Read article on Sudbury.com

OPA is Hiring: Director – Practice and Policy

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) is searching for a strategic and experienced professional to join our team as Director – Practice and Policy. This permanent, full-time position offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of physiotherapy practice across Ontario while advancing the profession through policy development, advocacy, and member services.

Job Description

Director – Practice and Policy – Permanent Full Time Position

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) is a dynamic professional non-profit organization with over 5,500 physiotherapist, physiotherapist assistant and student members across the province. We are committed to the values of equity, diversity and inclusion and welcome those who will help us increase our capacity for diversity. OPA welcomes all qualified applicants and we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including Black, Indigenous and other racialized persons, and persons with disabilities.

The Director, Practice and Policy, is the Association’s primary contact with and resource to staff, members, volunteers and the public in the areas of practice and policy related to physiotherapy in Ontario. They are responsible for activities that contribute to the achievement of OPA’s strategic goals in member services, professional practice issues and resources, advocacy, policy and strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Manage internal and external environmental scanning and analysis of existing and emerging legislation and policy pertaining to physiotherapy in Ontario.
Identify and research emerging issues related to the practice of physiotherapy and recommend and implement strategies.
Develop policy and advocacy positions on behalf of OPA members.
Provide support to the Board of Directors, Advisory Committees and other governance groups related to the work of the Association.
Contribute to the development of the Strategic and Operational Plans, monitors and reports on the progress of annual objectives of the Association.
Develop and/or coordinate content related to areas of responsibility for association communication vehicles including newsletter, website and social media.
Lead and manage the education portfolio, including the OPA conference.
Oversee all aspects of members services, including evaluation of current programs and services and recommending and developing new member services to enhance the value of membership.
Participate in the hiring process of staff; responsible for the supervision and development of staff in the practice and policy area.
Acts as senior manager in the absence of the CEO and supports the CEO as a member of senior management.

Requirements

Knowledge:

Knowledge and experience with provincial/regional health systems and health system policy

Graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g. public relations, political science, health policy, public or business administration) an asset

Masters of Science in Physical Therapy – plus current registration with a Canadian regulatory College of Physiotherapists (in good standing)

Experience:

5+ years of progressive leadership experience
Policy & Advocacy experience
Experience working with volunteers in a not-for-profit environment an asset

Skillsets:

5+ years of progressive leadership experience
Policy & Advocacy experience
Experience working with volunteers in a not-for-profit environment an asset
Skillsets:
Excellent interpersonal skills including team building, mentoring, networking and leadership
Strong analytical, facilitation, presentation and communication, including written, skills
Ability to search for and synthesize information and research
Solid time management, organizational and coordination skills
Strong problem-solving skills combined with effective risk management skills

Location
Hybrid – this position is a combination of work from home and in-person at our office location at 110 Sheppard Ave East, Toronto. The successful candidate will need to be available to work regular hours and occasional evenings and weekends.

Compensation
Salary Range: $90,000 to $115,000. Offer commensurate with experience.
Comprehensive Benefit Package.

Contact Information
Interested individuals are directed to forward a letter of interest and resume by Friday, August 22nd 2025.
Send your application to the attention of:
Sarah Hutchison, CEO
sh utchison@opa.on.ca
Please also send electronically to:
apply@opa.on.ca

Another Successful 2025 Donate Your Kicks Campaign!

The Windsor District of OPA has organized a Donate Your Kicks Campaign in their district for several years during National Physiotherapy Month in May. The campaign involves collecting used, but in good shape, footwear, so that more patients get the footwear they need to support their mobility needs.

Each year, Amy Doiron, PT and Windsor District Executive member, coordinates the campaign, ensuring the physiotherapy community in the area is aware of the initiative. She also facilitates the pick-up and delivery of donated shoes.

On behalf of the Windsor District, Amy would like to thank all the staff, volunteers and donors who made the 2025 Donate you Kicks Campaign another successful year.

150 pairs of running shoes were collected!

These 150 shoes will be dispersed throughout Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare to patients in need of good footwear. Several physiotherapy clinics participated and we thank them for their support:

Erie Shores Rehabilitation

Loaring Physiotherapy

Kristy Ireland manager from the Running Factory

The Windsor District would also like to thank the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare volunteers who helped clean and organize all of the shoes:

Dominic, Simona and Olivia. Without you, this would not have been possible.

The Impact of OPA District Volunteers

District volunteers are essential to OPA’s advocacy, governance, and ability to build local community. We are grateful to amazing volunteers like Amy Doiron who continue to make an impact in their communities and demonstrate how much physiotherapists care about patients in their local areas.

Interested in volunteering? Check out all the ways you can get involved.

Volunteer today

OPA Campaign Wins Awards

July 17, 2025

OPA currently partners with SalesLoop, a marketing agency, on projects that elevate the profession and the Association and to increase our reach. Based on our strategic plan, OPA determines each year what strategies may require the investment of valuable membership dollars into our campaigns.

Silver from Telly Awards (2025)

In 2024, we launched a campaign “New Voices, New Ideas & New Opportunities” highlighting our change in leadership with our new CEO, Sarah Hutchison, and President, Courtney Bean and how we continue to evolve to meet the needs of the physiotherapy community. We also showcased our Board of Directors and the value we continue to bring to our members.

SalesLoop entered our campaign into the Telly Awards competition, and we won a Silver Award! By winning a Silver, our project was recognized as an exclusive group of work that meets higher than average standards. Watch the award winning video below.

Campaign Also Wins 3 Gold Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards (2024)

This same campaign, “New Voices, New Ideas & New Opportunities” also won three gold Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards for our campaign emails, microsite and video.

Why Does This Matter?

Winning awards not only feels great but demonstrates that we are investing your membership dollars into campaigns that are effective in meeting our goals and elevating the profession. We have partnered with SalesLoop since 2016 and they continue to go above and beyond. They ensure that our objectives are thoughtfully considered so that we can determine together the best and most cost-effective ways to meet our goals.

About the Telly Awards (2025)

The Tellys honour excellence in video and television across all screens. The Telly Awards recognize work in Branded Content, Commercials & Marketing, Immersive & Mixed Reality, Non-Broadcast, Online and Television Series, Shows & Segments, Social Video, and Film & Shorts.

The competition received over 13,000 entries globally from six continents and all 50 U.S. states.

Entries were judged by a council of over 250 industry experts from organizations such as Netflix, Adobe, PlutoTV, Gymnasium, RunwayML, and more

Gold Telly Award is the highest honour, awarded exclusively to the top 3% of winning entries, representing the highest marker of excellence.

Silver Telly Award is awarded to entries that meet a high standard of creative distinction but do not reach the Gold level.

Bronze Telly Award recognizes commendable work that meets the entry criteria but scores lower than Silver and Gold.

Learn more

About the Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards (2024)

The Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards recognizes the best healthcare websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media.

This national competition began its efforts to recognize the field of healthcare marketing and advertising in the pioneering area of digital marketing.

OPA was won 3 of the 190 awards issued in 2024

Gold (102), Silver (48), Bronze (24), and Merit (16)

A total of 62 institutions were awarded

Learn more

Advocacy at OPA’s Summer Hospital Advisory Committee

July 16, 2025

OPA’s four clinical advisory committees meet quarterly, and in their recent June meetings, engaged in thoughtful and informative discussions around several advocacy items.

The Hospital Advisory Committee met on June 17, 2025 and focused its advocacy discussions on addressing:

critical recruitment and retention challenges for physiotherapists and PTAs in hospitals

emphasizing the need for formal strategies, mentorship programs, and equitable incentives comparable to other health professions.

The committee also discussed the impact of the proposed removal of provisional practice on hospital hiring and highlighted rising patient acuity as a pressing issue requiring improved staffing models and coordinated discharge planning.

Courtney Bean, OPA’s President Message, July 2025

July 9, 2025

OPA President Courtney Bean shares a summer message and key updates from the June Board discussions. He highlights the continued push for expanded scope of practice, OPA’s advocacy for physiotherapy in primary care, and efforts to support governance model reviews in light of ONCA. Courtney also touches on recent submissions regarding provisional practice, a new position statement supporting Jordan’s Principle, and advocacy for PT roles in integrated health centers.

Take Action and send a letter to Premier Doug Ford & Health Minister Sylvia Jones on completing the regulations for scope of practice. It takes only 1 minute to add your name and email.

Rehabilitation Services related to ICHSC Hip & Knee Procedures

July 15, 2025

Background: What Are ICHSCs?

Integrated Community Health Service Centres (ICHSCs) are a new model of community-based, publicly funded surgical and diagnostic care, initiated by the Ontario government in early 2023. These centres aim to increase access to timely, high-quality surgical procedures such as cataract surgeries, MRI/CT imaging, and orthopedic surgeries—including hip and knee replacements—by shifting select procedures out of hospitals and into independent community-based facilities. The goal is to reduce surgical backlogs, improve wait times, and enhance patient outcomes through integrated and coordinated care.

Why It Matters to Physiotherapists and Communities

This shift has important implications for physiotherapists and communities across Ontario as community based surgical centres open their doors to patients. As ICHSCs become operational, there will be a need for community-based physiotherapists to provide post operative rehabilitative care following surgery. This post-operative service model is different from the hospital-based model.

For communities, particularly those facing long surgical wait times or lacking local hospital resources, ICHSCs offer an alternative opportunity for more rapid care, but it is critical to ensure that post-operative physiotherapy is appropriately integrated. Ensuring that physiotherapy is included and appropriately funded as a core component of care in these centres is vital for maintaining health system quality and equity across Ontario.

OPA’s Work and Current Information

For some time, the Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) has been seeking clarity from the Ministry of Health regarding how post-hip and knee replacement rehabilitation will be funded in the forthcoming Integrated Community Health Service Centres (ICHSCs). ICHSCs will be responsible for providing post-surgical rehabilitation care to patients who clinically require it, and this care must be funded from within the bundled facility fee paid by the Ministry ($6,530 per hip replacement and $5,797 per knee replacement).

As part of the application process, prospective licensees are required to demonstrate partnerships with rehabilitation providers. This may include out-of-hospital rehabilitation, in-house physiotherapy services, and home-based rehabilitation care. However, patients receiving care through an ICHSC are not eligible for one or more Episodes of Care under the Community Physiotherapy Clinic Program.

There is currently no provision or requirement for applicants to offer funded pre-operative physiotherapy. However, licensees are required to “organize appropriate pre-operative planning and assessment.”

Physiotherapists can expect to be approached in the coming days by applicants seeking to form agreements for the delivery of post-operative rehabilitation and potentially pre-operative planning and assessment for patients, contingent on the applicants’ success in securing a licence.

OPA will continue to monitor developments and advocate for the role of physiotherapy in this evolving healthcare landscape.

Happy National Physiotherapy Month 2025!

May 27, 2025

At Queens Park, MPP France Gélinas took time to wish the entire physiotherapy community a very happy National Physiotherapy Month, along with OPA CEO Sarah Hutchison.

CPO General Regulation Consultation – Removal of Provisional Practice Class

June 10, 2025

The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario recently closed a consultation on proposed changes to the general regulation, including removal of the provisional practice certificate class.

OPA reviewed the proposed changes, collected feedback from the physiotherapy community, and submitted a response to the College. In our response, we highlighted risks and challenges with removing the provisional practice class, including health human resource implications, challenges for internationally educated physiotherapists, equity and accessibility of a single examination, and the need for emergency preparedness and response protocols.

Read OPA’s response

Meeting with Premier Doug Ford & Minister of Health Sylvia Jones

May 8, 2025

On May 8, President Courtney Bean joined Isaac Taylor, Physiotherapist to meet with Premier Ford and Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, advocating and engaging on issues that really matter to the profession. This meeting provided the opportunity to talk about how physiotherapists can make an impact on ER wait times, the role of first contact physiotherapists in expanding access to primary care, integrated community care and transitions between hospital and home, and of course of critical importance – expanding scope of practice for physiotherapists across Ontario.

Minister Jones heard and understood the priority of the profession in advancing Scope of Practice in Ontario and we remain optimistic that this will progress to implementation over the course of the summer. We want to thank Minister Jones for acknowledging National Physiotherapy Month and thanking PTs for their contributions to the Ontario health system.

At OPA, this opportunity is core to our mission and our commitment to influence and shape decisions that affect the profession and the patients you treat across the province.