This National Volunteer Week, the Ontario Physiotherapy Association wants to take a moment to say thank you.
To every OPA volunteer who has given their time, expertise, and energy to the Association, your contributions matter deeply. You are the reason OPA is able to advocate, evolve, and remain relevant to the members and profession it serves.
What Volunteers Make Possible
OPA volunteers show up in so many ways. Whether you’re guiding the Association’s strategic direction as a member of the Board of Directors, bringing local voices to the provincial stage at the District level, engaging with government and stakeholders on behalf of the profession, or advising staff and leadership on sector-specific issues through a committee, the work you do is invaluable.
You bring more than your professional knowledge to these roles. You bring your perspective, your passion, and your commitment to a profession that improves the lives of patients across Ontario every day. It’s the shared dedication between volunteers, staff, and leadership, that makes OPA’s success possible.
Member volunteers are essential to the work and vision of OPA. They provide their experience, expertise and passion to support and strengthen the Association and the profession.
Members Advancing Physiotherapy Through Community Engagement
OPA volunteers are the living expression of what it means to be part of a member-led association. By dedicating your time to this work, you are not just supporting OPA, you are shaping the future of physiotherapy in Ontario. Your involvement ensures that the profession’s voice is heard, that decisions reflect the realities of practice across every sector and corner of the province, and that the next generation of physiotherapists inherits a stronger profession than the one before.
The impact of your service extends well beyond board tables and committee calls. It is felt in advocacy wins, in the resources available to members, in the professional development opportunities offered, and in the trust that patients and policymakers place in physiotherapy across Ontario.
OPA Volunteers Gain Immeasurably
Volunteering with OPA impacts the lives of the volunteers. They often tell us they have:
Built meaningful connections with colleagues and partners from across the province
Grown as leaders, communicators, and strategic thinkers
Gained insight into the broader health system and the profession’s place within it
Found a deeper sense of purpose and connection to the work of physiotherapy
Inspired to Get Involved?
If you’re an OPA member who has been thinking about getting involved, there is a place for you. Apply to join the Board of Directors, join one of our eight committees or participate locally with our Districts. Learn more about volunteering or reach out to us at physiomail@opa.on.ca with any questions.
OPA is excited to celebrate the Ontario winners of the CPA Awards!
Helen Johnson – Life Membership Award
This award is presented to current or former CPA members who have contributed to the growth of the profession through at least 25 years of service at local and/or national levels.
Helen Johnson has been an active volunteer with the Ontario Physiotherapy Association for many years. She was the District President for the Windsor District, was a volunteer, and has presented multiple times at our conference, InterACTION. She also volunteered on our committees and Board of Directors, and contributed her voice to OPA’s advocacy.
Helen is also the 2006 recipient of the Professional Contribution – External, OPA Award.
Parag Shah – Clinical Education Award
Congratulations to Parag Shah, an Ontario member, for winning the Clinical Education Award. This award is presented to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the clinical education of physiotherapy students.
Alyssa Benitez – H. S. Rahikka Student Leadership Award
Alyssa Benitez is the Co-President of the Central Toronto District of OPA. We are excited to see her recognized nationally for her leadership skills! Congratulations Alyssa!
Iris Wang – H. S. Rahikka Student Leadership Award
The Helen Saarinen Rahikka Student Leadership Award is presented to a student member who has demonstrated leadership and made outstanding contributions to the promotion of the profession. Iris has participated in Ontario activities including joining us at InterACTION 2024 and acting as a voting delegate for OPA’s Annual General Meeting in 2025. Congratulations Iris!
The Government of Ontario invites workers, organizations, businesses and communities to share what matters most to inform the 2026 Ontario budget.
OPA submitted a response to the annual budget consultation. Our response illustrates how physiotherapists can contribute to building a ‘more competitive, resilient and self-reliant province”, part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario.
Our 2026-2027 pre-budget submission focusses on attainable, impactful investments that will support the government in achieving the goal to increase capacity in Ontario’s health care system. The priorities are:
Provide required resourcing of physiotherapy positions in primary care, home and community care, and long-term care to bring compensation in line with the hospital sector.
Strengthen the Community Physiotherapy Clinic program as a strategy to support primary care access and to support seniors living in the community.
Address the health human resource crisis and improve access to care by enabling physiotherapists in Ontario to practice to full scope of practice.
Part of Our Continued Advocacy
The priorities outlined are informed by conversations, meetings, and surveys across various sectors throughout the year. OPA consults with members and health care leaders, including our advisory committees, Board of Directors and Districts. These conversations and information have been critical to identify the priorities of OPA’s 2026 Pre-Budget Submission.
More About What OPA Wants on Behalf of PTs and Patients
PHYSIOTHERAPY COMPENSATION EQUALIZATION ACROSS PUBLIC SECTOR
Physiotherapists have an essential role in delivering care in the community whether as part of a primary care team, at a patient’s place of residence, or in a long-term care facility. Access to care in each of these settings is critical to keeping Ontarians healthy, mobile and contributing to their communities and the economy. The challenge is that recruitment and retention in these positions is near impossible when the compensation is well below that of hospitals. To offset more costly institutional care, sufficient funding in the primary care, home care, and long-term care is essential to support health human resource needs long term.
STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY PHYSIOTHERAPY (CPC) PROGRAM
The Community Physiotherapy Program (CPC) is a well-established program which has been providing access to essential physiotherapy care for over 10 years. This program partners with over 200 community clinics and outpatient hospital facilities to deliver physiotherapy services. Unfortunately, continuation of the CPC program is becoming increasingly precarious, as the funding model has not kept pace with increasing operating costs. Episode of Care (EOC) funding has increased by only 7% since inception of the program; from $312 in 2013 to $334.38 in 2025. Without access to this care, individuals are put at risk for chronic pain, limited function, and delayed return to work. This is not a risk we can afford. The bottom line is that insufficient government funding of the CPC program is creating a significant exposure of risk to Ontarians.
ENABLING PHYSIOTHERAPISTS’ SCOPE OF PRACTICE IMPLEMENTATION
For physiotherapists, expanding scope to include diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing was included in changes to the Physiotherapy Act in 2009, as approved by the legislature. However, still today, the Ministry has not yet implemented the regulatory changes required to enact these changes.
The result? Where once a leader, there are now four provinces who have surpassed Ontario with implementing scope changes, including Alberta, Quebec, PEI and Nova Scotia. Ontarians continue to deal with “circular referrals” where they must return to their family physician (or worse yet, the Emergency Department or Walk in Clinics) for referrals for diagnostic imaging, when it is already within scope of physiotherapists.
As the government looks to attach two million people to primary care by 2029, expanding the scope of physiotherapists to include diagnostic imaging, will not only relieve the burden on family doctors – it will promote earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention, reduced system costs and promote better health outcomes. Expansion of scope will optimize any current and future investments in the community. The province cannot afford to wait any longer to enact this opportunity.
OPA’s advocacy work is ongoing, and our Pre-Budget Submission is one example of what we continue to do to advocate for our members.
All Sectors are Affected
Our recommendations affect the physiotherapy community in all practice areas. Whether it’s increasing compensation in primary care, home care, and long-term care, increasing funding for the Community Physiotherapy Clinic program, or enabling the implementation of physiotherapists’ full scope of practice, all members are impacted and would benefit from our suggested solutions.
What’s Next
We look forward to working with the government to implement these solutions. We will be looking for these commitments in this year’s budget, which is usually released in March.
As Ontario marks one year of its Primary Care Action Plan, the Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) is calling for a critical shift in how we talk about healthcare professionals. Stop using the term “allied health” and start naming the specific expertise that matters.
OPA leadership argues that lumping physiotherapists and other regulated health professionals under the umbrella term “allied” obscures their critical role in Ontario’s healthcare system and the patient outcomes they deliver. With over 275,000 Ontarians newly attached to primary care in just one year, the province is on track to meet ambitious targets. But truly integrated care requires recognizing physiotherapists not just as supporting players, but also as frontline providers who diagnose, manage, and treat musculoskeletal and neurological conditions every single day.
A recent physician-authored op-ed questioned physiotherapists’ authority to order diagnostic imaging which is a scope expansion already approved in Ontario’s legislation. It has also been successfully implemented in other jurisdictions including the UK, Australia, and several Canadian provinces. Evidence shows that when physiotherapists have this authority, they order less imaging and reduce unnecessary pain medication. Despite this, Ontario has yet to enable this change.
With Ontario’s health system under mounting pressure from population growth, aging demographics, and complexity, the province needs physiotherapists working at their full scope of practice. That means removing artificial barriers, enabling evidence-based scope of practice expansion, and most importantly, calling these professionals by name.
Read the full op-ed below.
Going Beyond ‘Allied’: The Critical Role of Physiotherapists in Ontario’s Primary Care System
Just say their name – Physiotherapists
I was struck this past week as the one-year milestone of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan was announced. The Ontario government noted progress in attaching patients to a primary care provider and how much work there is left to do in expanding the definition of ‘primary care’ and the role of ‘allied health professionals’ in inter-professional care teams and beyond. While I applaud the progress made to date, the use of the word ‘allied’ is a source of increasing frustration for me. It obscures the potential contribution of each of the health professionals who are referred to in this group.
Let me explain.
Physiotherapists are regulated health professionals. Patients don’t need a referral to access a physiotherapist, and where one is requested, it is usually the requirement of an insurance company. Physiotherapists work across the health system, in communities, in hospitals, in primary care, in homecare and in long term care, providing evidence informed care to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal (MSK), cardiorespiratory and neurological conditions. They are patient centric professionals dedicated to restoring movement and function, alleviating pain, and improving quality of life for those recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition, requiring pre- and post-surgical care, or seeking to improve physical health and well-being.
For many seniors access to physiotherapy by regulated physiotherapists impacts mobility, overall function and the ability to live independently. For MSK conditions, physiotherapists are often the first point of contact and they assess, diagnose, and manage these conditions each and every day. They work both independently and as a member of an interprofessional care team, in a myriad of settings.
Enable Full Scope of Practice in Ontario
In fact, if the scope of practice changes already approved in Ontario legislation in 2009 are enabled in 2026, physiotherapists would be able to order diagnostic tests. This would increase timely access to care and provide a more seamless patient experience.
Enabling physiotherapists to practice at their full scope will:
reduce the number of contact points needed within the health system
reduce inappropriate utilization of walk-in clinics or emergency departments for imaging referrals
Patients would get appropriate and comprehensive care where and when they need it. Truly integrated care means that a qualified professional can act in the patients’ interest to provide care without artificial barriers or any additional gatekeeping. With a patient centered lens, this could mean potential earlier return to function for patients, including care of self, family and earlier return to work. There would be potential savings for employers with improved time to return to work, reduced expenses related to travel and to eliminated healthcare visits. After all, this is about patients.
Important Role of PTs in Ordering Diagnostic Imaging
Recently a newspaper article published by two physician authors questioned the role of physiotherapists in ordering diagnostic imaging suggesting that this would cause new problems and delay access to MRIs. Their statements were not based in evidence and drew a robust factual response from OPA member physiotherapists citing the evidence. Published studies demonstrate that first contact physiotherapists order less imaging and reduce the need for prescription pain relief. It is unfortunate that Ontario has not followed the lead and the evidence from other jurisdictions (UK, Australia, QC, AB and PEI) where this authority exists. Although, we remain hopeful that before the second anniversary of the Primary Care Action Team this will finally have advanced.
Our health system continues to buckle under the demands; whether that’s population growth, population distribution in the province, our aging population or the complexity in navigating our health system of systems. We need more physiotherapists working to full scope of practice to meet these grown demands. We would prefer to have ‘allies’ enacting system change who understand the value and impact that access to physiotherapy across the continuum of care has for patients in our province. Finally, let us name and respect the contribution of all of those “allied” health professionals that make a tremendous impact of the health and well-being of Ontarians.
Sarah Hutchison, MHSc., LL.M, ICD.D
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Physiotherapy Association
Jody Lemieux is a registered physiotherapist at the Huron Shores Family Health Team in rural Northern Ontario. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, Jody has worked across hospital, private practice, home care, and community settings. For the past two and a half years, she has been practicing in a primary care team, supporting a large and geographically dispersed population across Blind River, Thessalon, Bruce Mines, and Richards Landing.
Jody’s move into a primary care team was motivated by a desire to work in preventive care. After years in acute and inpatient hospital care, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, she observed many hospital admissions that she felt could have been prevented with earlier intervention.
“So many people were coming in with failure to cope,” she explains. “If there had been some intervention earlier on, it definitely could have prevented that or at least delayed it quite a bit.”
The State of Primary Care in Rural Northern Ontario
Providing physiotherapy in primary care in Northern Ontario looks very different than in urban or southern regions of the province. Jody’s Family Health Team’s catchment area encompasses more than 14,000 people and spans a vast geographical region, which includes communities without consistent physician coverage. Approximately 7,000 individuals have access to a primary care provider through her health team’s four sites. Although many others across this area have access to a primary care provider through other means, a significant number remain without a primary care provider. Also, there are no walk-in clinics in the region, and two of the three emergency departments are regularly closed due to lack of physician coverage. Thus, the Huron Shores Family Health Team endeavours to provide certain programs that are accessible to all individuals, irrespective of their clinic roster status.
“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. “The slate was wide open,” she notes. “I was able to look at what our population actually needed and build something that made sense here.”
A Focus on Healthy Aging and Prevention
In addition to providing individualized physiotherapy services, a major component of Jody’s role has been the development of a comprehensive Healthy Aging Program. The program focuses on early identification of frailty, falls risk, bone health concerns, and other barriers to aging well. The Healthy Aging program is available to everyone, including screening and education sessions, regardless of roster or attachment status, or ability to pay. However, the screening component is currently only for those 65 and older.
“It’s about identifying issues early and addressing them before they become crises,” Jody explains. “A lot of these things are not even discussed with primary care providers,” Jody explains. She adds that physician and nurse practitioner workload constraints are significant barriers to screening and addressing needs related to healthy aging, including falls risk and preventive care.
The screening process is intentionally thorough, combining early frailty identification with a pre-falls pathway to ensure important risks are not missed. Jody notes that this blended approach has helped identify individuals who may have otherwise been overlooked: “We’re catching a lot of other problems by taking the time to ask the extra questions.”
Measuring Impact and Delaying Long-Term Care
The Healthy Aging Program has been supported through funding from Healthcare Excellence Canada as part of the Enabling Aging in Place Collaborative. While some outcomes are still being formally measured, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“All of the clients surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that the program is helping them age in place longer,” Jody shares. Participants also reported highly positive experiences with the screening process itself.
The screening aspect of the program has generated dozens of referrals to physiotherapy, primary care providers, diagnostic testing, bone health assessment, and community supports. In some cases, osteoporosis and other chronic conditions were identified for the first time, allowing for earlier education and management.
Team-Based Care and Expanded Capacity
Jody emphasizes that this work would not be possible without interdisciplinary collaboration. Nurses now lead the screening process at each site and assist with providing fall prevention programming. This allows Jody to focus on program oversight and more complex clinical needs. Recently, base funding was secured through the Algoma Ontario Health Team to support a permanent physiotherapist assistant (PTA) three days per week, which further supports community needs.
“Having a physiotherapist assistant has made a huge difference,” Jody says. “A lot of what I do is education and exercise-based care, and that support helps us reach more people.” Jody adds that the PTA who works with her provides tremendous benefit to the community. They not only offer various group exercise classes and lead the fall prevention programming, but they also support Jody in working with her one-on-one physiotherapy caseload.
Jody also highlights the importance of team-based solutions when unattached patients are going through the Healthy Aging Screening. In these cases, a nurse practitioner supports follow-up and diagnostics when needed, helping maintain continuity of care within the team.
The Value of Physiotherapists in Primary Care
Jody believes physiotherapists are uniquely positioned to strengthen primary care, particularly in underserved and rural regions. “We’re regulated health professionals with a lot of education and training,” she says. “When it comes to musculoskeletal issues, bone health, chronic disease management, and healthy aging, we’re well suited to identify problems and refer appropriately.”
She also notes the value of time and patient connection. “We get to spend more time with people. Patients often tell us they’ve never been asked these questions before or that they were worried about something but didn’t want to bring it up because there were so many other things to talk to the doctor about.”
For Jody, primary care physiotherapy is empowering, preventive, and flexible. “We’re all aging. There are a lot of modifiable factors, and people are eager to learn what they can do to help themselves.”
Looking Ahead
As Ontario continues to invest in team-based primary care, Jody hopes more teams will consider how physiotherapist roles can be adapted to meet local needs. “It doesn’t have to look the same everywhere,” she says. “It’s about identifying what your community needs and being open to doing things differently.”
Her work demonstrates how physiotherapists can support healthier aging, reduce strain on hospitals, and improve access to care, particularly in rural Northern Ontario. As Jody puts it, “The sky is the limit when you’re willing to think outside the box”.
Are You our Next Member Spotlight?
Do you want to 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!
Why You Should Consider Applying for OPA’s Board of Directors
Board Directors’ contributions to OPA are invaluable. They devote time, passion, and energy to guide the Association and the members OPA serves. At least five times a year, they gather to consider what OPA has accomplished, what is happening in the environment, and where to go next. They are actively engaged with OPA’s districts and committees to understand the priorities and issues of the profession.
Benefits to Being on the Board
What may not be highlighted as often are the benefits to Board Directors personally and professionally in taking on this role. We see and hear every year how much Board members learn, grow, and get more connected by participating on the Board. Directors often run for additional terms, which means they can volunteer for a total of six years. And they choose to do so!
Board Directors’ Impact
Collectively, the Board takes a global approach to planning, ensuring that all sectors and areas of the province across physiotherapists’ career span are included. They also evaluate environmental factors and consider both long-term and short-term planning. For example, advocacy for full scope of practice implementation has been relentless and ongoing for years. However, the pandemic led to a shift in priorities so that members had the support and advocacy they needed at that time.
Every Director Brings an Important Perspective
Every Board member’s contributions as individual PTs benefits all members. From highlighting nuances in rural and remote areas, to considering the different experiences of internationally educated PTs, the diversity of our Board members is critical for leading and shaping a well-rounded plan each year. Every year, new perspectives are incorporated from new Directors, and the Association grows in their collective knowledge! Maybe there’s an issue that only you have thought about that might impact physiotherapists in the future?
Reach out to Current Directors and OPA Staff
Past and current Directors may have initially doubted their qualifications or readiness. Or they may have wondered about the benefits of taking on this role. Some spoke to existing Board members or reached out to OPA staff to find out more before applying. These options exist for you as well!
We want you to consider how you would make a difference and what you would gain from the experience. We know that each and every one of you has something to contribute.
About Board Nominations for 2026
In keeping with our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, the Ontario Physiotherapy Association strives for a Board of Directors representative of its membership across the province and inclusive of diverse voices, practice experiences, and perspectives.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. OPA is seeking individuals who bring their experience in rural and remote communities and/or work in public sector roles (hospital, primary care, home & community).
More about the Role of the OPA Board of Directors
The Board serves as the decision-making body providing strategic direction and oversight for the Association. Board meetings are held both in-person and virtually.
Four Director Positions Open for Election in 2026
The OPA Governance Committee is seeking candidates for four Directors. The election will be held at the 2026 Ontario Physiotherapy Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 30, 2026 virtually.
As per OPA Bylaws, no nominations from the floor at the AGM can be accepted. Therefore, those interested in being on the Board must submit their completed applications by Friday, February 27, 2026.
Only OPA physiotherapist members are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors.
Help Shape Fair Compensation for Ontario Physiotherapists
The Ontario Physiotherapy Association is launching our 2026 compensation and fee surveys to ensure physiotherapist earnings across all sectors reflect the true value and scope of the profession. Our last comprehensive surveys were conducted in 2022, and a lot has changed in healthcare and the broader business landscape since then.
Your input directly impacts fee negotiations with the Ministry of Health, private insurers, WSIB, and auto sector stakeholders. The more responses we receive, the stronger and more representative our market research becomes. It takes just a few minutes of your time.
Why Your Input is Critical
These surveys gather an accurate picture of what physiotherapists earn and charge across hospital, private practice, home care, primary care, and long-term care sectors. This data informs our Fee Guidelines and strengthens our advocacy with government and industry partners. It is the foundation for demonstrating the real value physiotherapists bring to Ontario’s healthcare system.
Bonus: Your Feedback on the Ontario Physiotherapy Association
We have also included questions about OPA membership in these surveys, open to OPA members and non-members. With this feedback, we ensure that the Association delivers real value to all physiotherapy professionals in Ontario.
This survey is now closed. Thank you to all who participated.
Brian Pearce is a Registered Physiotherapist at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre in downtown Toronto. With 11 years of experience as a physiotherapist, Brian has worked in private outpatient orthopedics and hospital settings, with the most recent seven years spent working in primary care.
Team-Based Care and Scope Optimization
Brian’s move into primary care was motivated by a desire to practice within a more integrated model of care. In private practice settings, he notes, physiotherapists often work with limited clinical information about the patient. Working within a primary care team enables shared access to medical records, including medical histories, medication lists, diagnostic imaging and laboratory reports, and hospital and specialist consult notes. All of these medical reports help to inform assessment, diagnosis and management.
“You’re not privy to a lot of information when you see a patient in private practice,” Brian explains. “It’s really interesting to have the opportunity to work within a primary care team where you have all this information at your disposal.”
This access promotes real collaboration within the team and enables a broader role for physiotherapists who contribute to comprehensive care planning and management of patients.
Brian says that working in the same location as other primary care providers has allowed him to develop a strong sense of trust with his team members. “A lot of times it’s just having those informal water cooler conversations about a patient that we’re co-managing. Often it’s through those informal discussions that other providers really understand your thought processes and competencies as a clinician.
Those conversations have led to the creation of a medical directive for Brian to order x-rays and ultrasounds which has been in place for three years. Brian’s physician colleagues would like to see an even broader scope of practice for physiotherapy, including joint injections. Brian notes that having medical directives in place promotes all around efficiency – for both the patient and providers.
Musculoskeletal Care and First Contact
Brian indicates that most of the care he provides is orthopedics, however, he identifies the common overlap with chronic disease management. He identifies, for example, the connection between metabolic diseases including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis and tendinopathy. In his role he works to support the client holistically.
When a client accesses physiotherapy directly (ie. a first contact role), Brian observes that patients don’t see their family physician or nurse practitioner as often for that condition. He notes about his physician colleagues: “A lot of times in one visit they’re dealing with five or more different problems that their patients are coming in for. They have a chronic COPD exacerbation and then they’re talking about their diabetes and then somewhere during their visit they bring up their back pain and knee pain or maybe they’ve got polyarthritis in their hands. So, if I’m able to take on a more central role in managing our client’s MSK concerns, I’m pleased to help take that burden off the shoulders of our GP and NP colleagues.”
Brian has expanded his role in primary care even further by completing his training with the Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Arthritis Care (ACPAC) program. The ACPAC program provides post-licensure training for health care professionals to independently assess, diagnose, triage, and manage rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Brian tells the story of a patient who he suspected had rheumatoid arthritis. “Through the training I received with the ACPAC program we were able to order the appropriate blood work and diagnostic imaging studies which indicated that inflammatory arthritis was high on the list of differential diagnoses. As a result, this client was seen by the Rheumatology team at St. Michael’s Hospital within 3 weeks where he was formally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Care Across the Lifespan
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.
This long-term focus helps redefine expectations around physiotherapy outcomes. “Any real physical change someone would demonstrate through exercise or other interventions…you’re going to appreciate that more over a longer time frame,” Brian notes. He explains that for chronic disease management, a consultative model, with check ins every 2 to 3 months, can be helpful for longer term support.
Physiotherapy Service Model
Brian reports that he typically sees 7 to 10 patients in a day, depending on the number of assessments and follow ups in a day. Although there is no set number of sessions per patient, Brian must balance the demand for service. He accomplishes this by focusing on active rehabilitation strategies, with a strong focus on patient education and self-management. This model allows for the right amount of care to be provided according to the presenting problem. Some patients require more, some less, but on average patients are seen for 4 to 5 physiotherapy sessions in Toronto area Community Health Centres. For Brian, impact is measured by whether physiotherapy supports his patients in managing their health more effectively over time.
The Time is Now
The Ontario government is currently making significant investments in expanding team-based primary care through the Primary Care Action Team. Brian’s work illustrates how physiotherapists are essential to promote access to effective and efficient primary care for the management of musculoskeletal conditions. Full implementation of physiotherapy scope will only contribute to improved patient access, faster diagnosis and improved health outcomes.
For more information about physiotherapy in primary care, please see:
Do you want to 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!
As we move into 2026, we share an extraordinary degree of optimism for the physiotherapy profession. We believe it will be recognized and valued even more for the impact we have on function, health, and well-being.
Physiotherapy helps people across their lifespan, wherever they access health care in the system.
Our mission at OPA is clear. We are here to Support our members through advocacy, professional development, and career support. We Influence and shape decisions that affect the profession. We Empower our members to provide the utmost in safe and high-quality care to all people and communities we serve.
As your provincial professional association, we recognize both the honour and the importance of representing your voice. Working with the Ontario government and key decision-makers, we represent you on the issues that matter most to you. Our focus is on the policies, funding decisions, and structures that affect your work every day and your patients.
As we head into the New Year, we are set on achieving progress in the following areas:
A Thriving Workforce and Practice Settings Our priorities include:
Continuing our efforts to advance scope implementation
Supporting the development and appropriate funding of physiotherapists in first contact primary care roles
Advancing the Community Physiotherapy Clinic program in 2026 with a focus on program awareness, expansion and appropriate compensation
Refining our 2026 OPA Fee Guideline with sector-specific information
Working with FRSA (Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario) and the Ministry of Finance to make long-overdue compensation changes
Health System Transformation
We are supporting physiotherapists and their teams by:
Promoting interprofessional team-based care
Advancing physiotherapists’ participation in health system transformation with a focus on Home and Community Care and Long-Term Care
Making it easier to deliver informed patient care by gaining access to provincial digital assets (Diagnostic Imaging Repository, OLIS – Ontario Laboratories Information Systems)
Our Membership
We are most successful with your involvement and partnership. This is why OPA listens to and engages students, new graduates, PTAs, and physiotherapists throughout their careers. Our volunteers on committees, district executives and our Board of Directors make sure our work is relevant and positively impactful. We couldn’t do this without you.
Transparent and Inclusive
The processes and supports we develop matter. We continue to make them more accessible, inclusive, and transparent. We celebrate our wins, share progress with our members regularly and invite you to participate at any time.
As we move into 2026 and our bold initiatives, reflecting on the successes of 2025 provides us with confidence and a roadmap for moving forward. Thank you for your support and confidence in us – together, we can accomplish so much more!
OPA’s President, Courtney Bean, reflects on key wins for 2025.
He celebrates the strength of Ontario’s physiotherapy community, thanks volunteers, and all the physiotherapists, physiotherapist assistants and student members for their contributions. Courtney also acknowledges the many connections OPA maintains with health care leadership, other associations and organizations that help drive our advocacy initiatives forward.
Watch his video now!
Happy Holidays to all and we look forward to an exciting 2026!
