VNS Health Joins Statewide Push to Modernize Physical Therapy Assistant Supervision Policy

On April 29th, Roger Herr, VP, Regional Care Services for Home Care and Joe Gallagher, Director, Operation Support Services, represented VNS Health in Albany as part of a statewide advocacy effort organized by APTA NY. Along with physical therapists and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) from across New York, they met with state legislators and staff to push for a key Medicare policy update. The update would shift PTA supervision from direct supervision (where the PT and the PTA must be in the same location) to general supervision (where the supervising PT isn’t required to be on-site with the PTA, but is available to answer questions remotely). This change, which other states have already implemented, would allow PTAs to provide care more efficiently and flexibly—especially in home- and community-based settings.