UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND PHYSICAL THERAPY, NURSING FACULTY TELL REP. LANGEVIN OF GRAVE ISSUES IN THEIR PROFESSIONS

US Fed News Service, Including US State News September 2, 2011 KINGSTON, R.

I., Sept. 1 — The University of Rhode Island issued the following news release:

Declining Medicare and insurance reimbursements, salaries for faculty members, and the blizzard of paperwork burying practitioners were among the issues presented by physical therapy and nursing faculty and professionals to Congressman Jim Langevin last week.

Langevin met with many of Rhode Island’s nursing and physical therapy leaders at the University as part of a full day of talks around the state on the issue of health care. During the physical therapy roundtable, he met with URI’s physical therapy faculty and students, and faculty from the Community College of Rhode Island, the New England Technical Institute of Technology and private practitioners.

Wendy Baltzer-Fox, a physical therapist at Women and Infants Hospital and president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, said she was glad students attended the roundtable.

“It’s important that you learn about the challenges in the market,” Fox said. Beth Marcoux, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at URI, explained to the congressman that URI, like 98 percent of the universities and colleges, prepares its students at the doctoral level. As of 2015, all programs across the country will have converted to the doctor of physical therapy degree as the entry-level credential for the profession. The professional component of the program is typically three years with an average of 103 credits. see here physical therapy salary

She said providing clinical experience for URI’s physical therapy students is difficult because Medicare does not reimburse clinics for student treatment even when students are supervised directly.

“Therefore, clinics are not willing to take students for hands on experiences,” she said.

She said the profession also lacks adequate numbers of doctorally prepared faculty with clinical and research expertise.

Still, URI’s program remains in high demand. This year it had 280 qualified applicants for its 3-year professional doctoral degree and only 33 were accepted. The incoming class had an average entering grade point average of 3.6.

“But we barely have enough faculty to accommodate such a number,” Marcoux said. “We were initially designed for 25 students, but we continued to increase our acceptance number because there are so many great applicants. Plus, demand is very high. But we need more space and we are finding it more and more difficult to find clinical placements for our students.” She said cost is becoming an increasingly difficult barrier to enter the profession. Nationally, the average yearly cost of a public in-state program was $43,133 in 2009-2010, while the average cost for out-of-state students at public schools was $81,067. Doctoral programs at private colleges totaled $86,563 for that same year.

With costs so high for just a single year of education, the average national starting salary for physical therapists of about $61,000 makes it difficult for these young professionals to pay off student loan debt.

Nationally, it’s also a profession lacking diversity by race and gender. Marcoux said 81 percent of students are white, with only 6 percent Asian, 3.8 percent African-American and 4.4 percent Hispanic. About 66 percent are women while about 34 percent are men.

Charlestown physical therapist John Ward, owner and operator of his own physical therapy practice, said vacancy rates are very high in the profession.

“Every practice in South County is looking for physical therapists,” he said.

Ward explained that he runs a practice with two physical therapists and two clerical staff. He said the time all four of them spend on paperwork, particularly for the multitude of insurance companies, is crushing. He also addressed frustration with reimbursements, saying that in the Medicare world, one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is worth an entire year of physical therapy treatment. That’s just crazy,” he said, suggesting that that’s just too little for physical therapy services.

Langevin said two of the main goals of the health care reform bill, which goes into effect in 2014, are to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. site physical therapy salary

“But if patients can’t get (physical therapy) services, there are going to be long term consequences,” the congressman said.

He explained that for physical therapy to have the optimum effect, it usually must start shortly after the injury or accident. A delay of only a few days can mean hospital readmissions, extended recovery times and greater costs for patients, hospitals, other health care agencies, which ultimately are borne by consumers and taxpayers.

Beyond reimbursement and paperwork issues, the profession is being damaged by physician-owned physical therapy clinics and infringement on the professional practice by athletic trainers, muscular therapists, personal trainers and chiropractors, Marcoux and Fox said. A paper by the American Physical Therapy Association says “the profit motive for physicians presents a conflict of interest that can result in a loss of patient choice, diminished quality of care and added inconvenience.” Marcoux said that use of “physical therapy” billing codes by those who are not physical therapists clouds utilization and effectiveness analysis. There was agreement that such blurring could result in quality of care issues for patients.

Fox noted that the government wants to improve home health care, but such agencies are facing major shortages of physical therapists.

Marcoux said URI is treating patients with Parkinson’s disease at no cost to the patient because Medicare is reluctant to reimburse physical therapists for treatment of patients with neurological illness.

“We are hoping to reduce the number of falls among these patients, and thus improve medical outcomes,” Marcoux said. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com Dave Lavallee, 401/874-5862, dlavallee@advance.uri.edu.

Stores push summertime ‘Christmas’ sales

AP Online July 19, 2010 | ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Santa in the summer?

Retailers are pumping still more energy this year into trying to get shoppers to loosen their purse strings early for Christmas with sparkly ornaments, holiday music and special prices. In July.

Target Corp. is entering the game for the first time, with a one-day online sale starting Friday on 500 items from clothing to Blu-ray disc players that’s modeled after sales typically held Thanksgiving weekend. And Sears and Toys R Us are dramatically promoting “Christmas in July” online and in the stores based on the success they saw in last year’s efforts.

“We really wanted to create that sense of excitement, that sense of urgency,” said Target spokeswoman Molly Hanus.

Retailers pushed Christmas promotions as early as September during the recession as they competed for shoppers’ dwindling dollars and tried to get them back into stores. Some recession-weary shoppers have been glad to spread out the cost of the holidays, especially if discounts average 40 percent like Target’s. But others may be turned off by the snowflakes and Santas and glitz. And stores are divided as well. website shoe buy coupon code

“It’s smarter to buy this early,” said Ebony Rios, a 17-year-old high school student shopping over the weekend at Toys R Us in Times Square, where a Santa in sunglasses lounged in a swimming pool in one ad. The Clayton, N.C., resident _ who said she spent $200 on her nieces and nephews at the store’s online summer sale last year _ plans to take advantage again this year.

But Tammy Perez, 28, from Bloomington, Ind., wasn’t ready.

“It’s too hot to think about Christmas,” said the administrative assistant, also at Toys R Us Sunday. “The earliest I will shop will be in October.” Some merchants, including J.C. Penney and shoe.buy.com, agree.

“Customers don’t like it when you push Christmas too early,” said Mike Boylston, J.C. Penney’s chief marketing officer.

That’s especially true when shoppers are already putting off buying anything until the moment they actually need it, he said.

Janet Hoffman, global managing partner at Accenture’s retail practice, called July holiday sales “a risky bet.” Shoppers could be inspired to buy more, but summer promotions also can hurt back-to-school buying and depress December business, she said.

Merchants are taking a variety of tactics:

_ Target customers can find a link at Target.com for what the chain is calling “Back in Black,” which includes Philips Blu-ray disc players for $99.99 and Liberty of London dresses for $14.99. The 24-hour sale, which starts at 3 a.m. Friday Eastern time, will not be advertised in Target stores.

_ Sears Holdings Corp.’s Sears.com and Kmart.com shoppers are invited to “Christmas Lane” to shop for lights, ornaments and outdoor decor, and the websites are temporarily offering free shipping on all orders worth $39 or more.

In more than 500 Sears stores, holiday tunes will be playing at least through July 25 in the seasonal aisles, where customers can touch holiday merchandise liked stuffed animals, ornaments and light-up porcelain houses. Last year’s “Christmas in July” included 200 stores. shoebuycouponcodenow.com shoe buy coupon code

_ Toys R Us is promoting its summertime discounts more heavily than last year with deals of the day and free shipping through Saturday.

Natalie Norris-Howser, spokeswoman at Sears Holdings, said the company’s summertime holiday promotions did “very well” last year and it may extend the sale as they did last year to appeal to cautious consumers.

“They’re people in general that don’t have the expendable cash,” she said. The event allows shoppers to see what’s going to be available so they can budget or put items on layaway, she said.

But many other Americans are in the same situation as Isabel Velazquez, 39, a Toys R Us shopper who said she can’t think about spending right now.

“I just got laid off,” the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., resident said.

ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

Marie Osmond brings holiday magic to Paramount Theatre here marie osmond wedding

The Beacon News – Aurora (IL) November 30, 2006 | By Randall G. Mielke As a member of The Osmonds, a close-knit, show business family, Marie Osmond knows how important it is to keep in touch with relatives and friends during the holidays. “The holiday season is all about friends and family and a time to rekindle relationships,” said Marie Osmond, who brings her show, The Magic of Christmas, to the Paramount Theatre on Dec. 8. “It is a time to be thankful for what we have; to celebrate the heart and joy of the season. And there is no better way to show that than to have music.” Rekindling relationships, or at least bringing back fond memories of numerous TV appearances, is part of Osmond’s holiday show.

“For this show we did not spend the money on the lasers and a light show,” Osmond said. “We put the money into film editing. A picture is worth a million words.” Osmond said The Magic of Christmas will feature film clips from the Donny and Marie show (a TV variety show starring Marie and her brother, Donny, which aired in the late 1970s), the Osmond Family Christmas shows, the Bob Hope Christmas specials and the Perry Como Christmas shows.

But the holiday show will also be about music. Osmond, with an orchestra and several cast members, will perform such holiday favorites as Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Jingle Bell Rock, The Christmas Waltz, Let There be Peace on Earth, White Christmas and O, Holy Night.

“It will be a real mix of holiday songs,” Osmond said. “Everything from the big band sound to jazz. I may pull out my guitar or I may sit at the piano and have people call out a song and then I’ll sing it.

“We may even do some Broadway tunes,” said Osmond, who has appeared in such Broadway musicals as The King and I (as Anna) and The Sound of Music (as Maria) in the mid-1990s. “That is a different voice for me. The show will definitely be a walk down memory lane.” And it promises to be quite a walk. Now 47 years of age, Marie Osmond has been in show business for more than 40 years. Marie is the only daughter of George and Olive Osmond and the eighth of their nine children. When she was just 13 years old, her song Paper Roses reached Number 1 on the country music charts. She also has had hit songs with Donny, such as I’m Leaving It All Up To You and Deep Purple. Other solo hits include This Is The Way That I Feel, There’s No Stopping Your Heart, Read My Lips and I Only Wanted You.

Along with actor John Schneider, Marie Osmond is the co-founder of the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals. She is a regular on the TV shopping network QVC where her Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Collector Dolls are a top-selling line, and she also was a judge on the television show Celebrity Duets on FOX. Her appeal is due to the fact that she has garnered a wide range of fans over the decades. marieosmondwedding.com marie osmond wedding

“My audience is diverse,” Osmond said. “Some remember Paper Roses and others remember me being on TV on The Andy Williams Show when I was 3; or they remember the Donny and Marie show. And now with Celebrity Duets, teenagers know me. I also have the Children’s Miracle Network and the people who know me as the Doll Lady on QVC.” And audience members may get to know her family. Marie Osmond has eight children: one son with her first husband (Steve Craig), two children with her second husband (Brian Blosil) and five adopted children. The younger children may, or may not, be part of The Magic of Christmas performances.

“Years ago the four older ones were in the shows that I did, but the four younger ones are not quite as disciplined,” Osmond said. “We will have to see.” But Marie Osmond is certain about one thing.

“I guarantee that audience members will feel more holiday spirit,” said Osmond of The Magic of Christmas. “People will leave the show in the Christmas spirit.” Marie Osmond’s The Magic of Christmas will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets are $55.50 and $65.50 and can be purchased at the Paramount Theatre box office, by phone at (630) 896-6666 or at any TicketMaster ticket outlet.

By Randall G. Mielke

POLICE ACADEMY ADVANTAGE; 10 WHO PAY FOR OWN TRAINING LAND LAW ENFORCEMENT JOBS.(Local)

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) June 10, 2005 Byline: Jim Read Staff writer Brian Engelbrecht, of East Syracuse, says he’s sure paying his way through the police academy helped him get his new job with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s a big jump-start,” he said. “It’s a big advantage when you go into an interview.” Engelbrecht, 22, was sworn in May23 while going through the first phase of training at the Central New York Police Academy at Onondaga Community College.

He is one of 19 candidates to complete an academy program that is the first in the state to offer training to people who have not been hired by a police agency. The program started a year ago at the academy, which serves law enforcement agencies throughout Central New York.

Of those completing the program, 10 have found jobs, said Sgt. Michael Thompson, assistant coordinator for training at the academy and a member of the sheriff’s office. Law enforcement departments have started background checks and other procedures that could lead to the hiring of four more candidates, he said. site law enforcement jobs

The success of the graduates exceeds expectations, said Richard Flanagan, academy director.

“The program is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing,” he said. “It was all new to us.” Candidates in this program are called “pre-employment” candidates because they pay their own way for the first 16 weeks. At OCC, that amounts to $3,900 tuition plus college fees, textbooks and materials.

If the pre-employment candidate is hired by a law enforcement agency, he or she can attend an additional six weeks of training, which includes firearms and emergency vehicle driving.

Traditionally, the law enforcement agency that has hired the candidate pays his or her salary and benefits while the candidate attends the academy.

Cazenovia College started the same program in September and offers part-time training in the evening and some weekends. Tuition is $3,750, plus expenses.

All 19 candidates in the Cazenovia program graduate Saturday, said Wayne Westervelt, speaking for the college. Of those, 11 have been offered jobs or are in line to be offered jobs, he said.

Hiring pre-employment candidates saves taxpayers money, said Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh, who so far has hired three of them.

Not only has the county saved by not paying a salary for the first 16 weeks of training, but also the county gets deputies the department knows will be able to finish training. site law enforcement jobs

Since the program started, 41 pre-employment candidates enrolled, and 22 of them dropped out.

Under the old system, a candidate who dropped out while in the academy would end up wasting money for the police agency that paid his salary and benefits.

William June III, 22, of Kirkville, is one of the 10 candidates to complete the OCC academy for part-time students that started in September and ended in May. He worked full time at Fun Junction in ShoppingTown Mall in DeWitt until early May, when he resigned to concentrate on the academy.

The training confirmed his decision to become a police officer and also gave him confidence in job interviews, June said.

“It changes your whole life,” he said.

Flanagan said not all the candidates want to be law enforcement officers. Three candidates who finished the training already were working in related jobs, such as security. The training has helped them win promotions, Flanagan said.

Engelbrecht had been studying business in college but didn’t like it. He said he is enjoying his studies now and will put his college credits toward an associate’s degree in emergency management at OCC and then work on a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“I know I love it,” he said. “It’s a lot easier than going to school for business.” You’re hired Ten of 19 candidates completing the pre-employment police academy at Onondaga Community College have been hired by law enforcement departments. Four more candidates are undergoing background checks and interviews for possible employment. Here are those hired and the departments they are joining:

Christopher Cushman, William June III and Brian Engelbrecht, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Brian Dumas and Thomas Leo, Fulton police Matthew Gacek, Sherrill police Timothy Hahn, Skaneateles police Heather Leabo, Camillus police Christopher Schmitt, Oswego police Michael Schreyer, Clay police CAPTION(S):

PHOTO Michelle Gabel/Staff photographer BRIAN ENGELBRECHT gets first-aid training in May at the pre-employment police academy at Onondaga Community College. Engelbrecht, who paid his way through the academy, was hired by the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.