2002 APTA presidential address: What's all the fuss about direct access?

Abstract

I greet you today—and I didn't think this was possible—with even more pride and passion for this profession than I had 1 year ago, when I delivered my first Presidential Address. It has been clear to me for months that I wanted to use this special occasion to talk about something that is near and dear to our hearts. It is one of the keys to fulfilling our vision for the profession, and one of the most critical issues involving patients' rights during the last several decades. I'm talking about direct access. Direct access is not a new topic. We've been fighting for the rights of patients to see physical therapists without having to obtain a physician referral for 2 decades now. We've waged the battle for direct access state by state. Most recently, we celebrated along with Virginia and Pennsylvania as these 2 states were added to the ever-growing list of direct-access states. Each state's battle has been fought with a passion and dedication that is difficult to describe unless you've lived it. My state of North Carolina was the seventh in the country—and the first in the South—to pass direct-access legislation. Our bill was signed into law on July 4, 1985, and it was quite a celebration of independence that year! We had worked on the legislation for 3 years. During that time, I served as chapter president. I was so proud of the incredible grassroots lobbying effort by our members. Each state has its own special story of how victory was achieved. In North Carolina, for example, we were on the brink of victory but almost pulled our bill because chiropractors were working to add language restricting us from spinal manipulation. After negotiation, our bill moved forward without major restrictions…. A very close call. As a profession, …