APTA Nebraska Podcast

We talk with Brant Loose and Erin Finke from inReach Rehab about what mentorship and leadership really look like inside a clinic, especially when great clinicians get promoted without being taught how to lead. We share practical ways to build trust, strengthen culture, and recruit and retain therapists in rural Nebraska without leaving people on an island. 

• Erin's career reset after a director role is eliminated and what the waiting season teaches 
• Why PT school builds clinicians but not leaders and how clarity changes hard conversations 
• Identifying future leaders by observing communication, critical thinking, and team awareness 
• Recruiting for rural practice through student clinical rotations and strong mentorship 
• Keeping clinicians connected across locations through in services, breakout groups, and specialty networking 
• Quarterly one on ones that cover professional growth and personal goals 
• “Forced family fun” as a culture tool that improves teamwork and coverage 
• Trust Edge pillars of trust and why trust drives retention, quality, and performance 
• Two repeatable trust builders: specific thank you notes and the ODC method for clear asks 
• How APTA Nebraska support helps with real world billing and advocacy needs 
Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join the discussion. 

Thinking about a residency after your DPT? Megan Frazee (UNMC Orthopedic), Heather Knight (Creighton), and Sara Garcia (Munroe-Meyer Institute Pediatric) explain what residency training involves, how structured mentoring differs from on-the-job mentoring, what it costs and pays, and how to choose a program.

Show Links:

•  UNMC Orthopedic PT Residency | go.unmc.edu/residency · [email protected]  
•   MMI Pediatric PT Residency | unmc.edu/mmi PT residency · [email protected]
•  Creighton PT Residencies (peds, ortho, women's health, neuro, geriatrics, sports) | creighton.edu residency programs · [email protected]
•  ABPTRFE program directory | abptrfe.apta.org
•  APTA specialist certification | specialization.apta.org
•  Neurologic Residency Consortium | neuroconsortium.org
•   Megan on LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/megan-frazee-dpt
•  Heather on LinkedIn / Instagram | linkedin.com/in/heather-knight-59770730 · @HeaAKnight
•  Academy of Education Residency and Fellowship SIG Powerpoint | https://assets-002.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/apta-aoe/RFSIG/Recruitment/Why_Choose_PT_Residency_Training_Calley_2024.pdf

Mentorship gets advertised everywhere in physical therapy, but most of us have felt the gap between the word and the reality. Brad Dexter sits down with Ty Schmidt, PT, to have a conversation about what real mentorship looks like in a clinic, why it takes intention, and how it directly improves patient care. Ty shares his path from rural western Nebraska to orthopedic practice and fellowship training, then connects those lessons to building clinicians who can thrive for the long haul.

We dig into the hardest part of the job that nobody can fully “teach” in school: practicing in the gray. Ty explains how better clinical reasoning comes from shifting probabilities, reflecting on outcomes, and using a test-intervene-retest approach instead of chasing perfect certainty. From there, we map a practical growth model across career stages, from early-career reps and skill application, to mid-career research fluency and evidence-based practice, to leadership development that fits the person rather than forcing everyone into the same management track.

Ty also breaks down how Lincoln Orthopedic Physical Therapy builds a mentoring culture with systems, not slogans, using a three pillar framework that balances patient experience, clinician experience, and healthy business operations. You’ll hear what mentorship is not, what questions to ask when you’re job hunting, and where to look if your current workplace doesn’t have a structure yet, including APTA Nebraska and other professional mentorship pathways.

If you’re a new grad, a mid-career PT feeling stuck, or a clinic leader trying to develop your team, you’ll leave with a clearer framework and a better standard for what mentorship should be. Subscribe, share this with a colleague.

We sit down with Cole Meadows from EPSIG to talk about how students and early career PTs in Nebraska can get mentorship, leadership growth, and real community as they move from school into practice. Cole also shares October event details that make it easy to serve, network, and stay connected to the profession. 

• EPSIG’s purpose for last semester students and first five years clinicians 
• Why mentorship matters most in the first years of practice 
• Upcoming podcasts on mentorship after graduation and leadership development 
• PT Day of Service flash cleanup on October 10th at Field Club Trail in Omaha 
• Where to meet, what to bring, and how Blue Bucket Project supports the cleanup 
• Student Conclave follow-on pub night at Scriptown Brewery on October 23rd 
• Work life balance and burnout as key transition topics 

We sit down with Gail Jensen, Nancy Kirsh, and Teresa Cochran for a conversation about the newly revised Physical Therapy Code of Ethics.  We connect patient trust, professional identity, and moral courage to the daily pressures PTs and PTAs face, from leadership climate to AI and productivity demands.

• Why a unified Code of Ethics for PTs and PTAs matter for public trust
• How principles, commitments, and standards of conduct work together
• Why ethical reasoning belongs inside clinical reasoning and uncertainty
• What leaders can do to build an ethical climate and reduce moral distress
• How professional formation, oaths, and role modeling shape practice
• Why “no action becomes an action” and how self-regulation requires speaking up
• How social media and AI raise new risks around accuracy, competence, and power
• How productivity standards and AI documentation can pressure patient-centered care
• Practical ways to keep ethical guideposts visible and discuss dilemmas with trusted colleagues

Episode Links:
Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession | APTA

We share a quick president’s update with key dates and ways to plug into APTA Nebraska as the school year ramps up. We highlight student learning, conference opportunities, workforce advocacy, and community service, then close with a rapid-fire PT lightning round. 

• Student Conclave on October 23 at UNMC with student-requested talks and an Early Professional PT Pub Night 
• Speaker topics including pelvic floor physical therapy and pro bono care connected to Native American health in Omaha 
• Conference abstract, poster, and presentation deadline on September 13 with a push for broad clinician and educator participation 
• PT Flash Action Strategy on September 23 to 24 focused on rural and underserved workforce needs 
• Physical Therapy Workforce and Patient Access Act aiming to add PTs to the National Health Service Corps for loan forgiveness support 
• Physical Therapy Month and Global PT Day of Service on October 10 with encouragement to volunteer statewide 
• Good Life lightning round picks from iced tea to “eyeballing” ROM to best part of teaching 

Don't forget to subscribe, share, and join the discussion

Episode Links:
Student Loan Benefit Available to APTA Members: Sallie Mae | APTA

We talk with Nebraska Foundation for Physical Therapy president Rashelle Hoffman about the awards and funding that help PTs, PTAs, students, and faculty grow their careers and share their work. We break down what each program supports, how to apply, and how donations and board service keep opportunities alive across Nebraska. 

• The foundation's mission to advance physical therapy in Nebraska
• Scientific Dissemination Award details, rolling applications, up to $1,500 for conference travel and expenses, two-time lifetime limit
• Rising Star Award for early career PTs and PTAs within five years of graduation, essay and employer support letter, up to $1,500 for professional growth
• The first Rising Star Award recipient was awarded and honored at the APTA Payment Advocacy Summit
• Student Conclave outreach at UNMC on October 23 for award questions and in-person conversations
• Blanton Research Grant overview, up to $10,000 over two years, open to clinicians and students, October 1 deadline
• Donation options including giving to specific awards, donor recognition levels, and appreciation for major supporters
• Upcoming fundraising opportunities and ways to serve on the foundation board with open spots and spring election timing

Episode Links:

Nebraska Physical Therapy Association - Nebraska Foundation for Physical Therapy

We pull back the curtain on how APTA Nebraska’s Education Committee builds a state conference that feels practical, current, and worth your time. We also share what members asked for next, how to submit an abstract or poster, and how we can help if the write-up feels intimidating. 

• Jen and Amber’s current roles across skilled nursing, mobile practice, and PTA education 
• Need for volunteers plus sponsor and exhibitor support to help keep conference costs down 
• How we review speakers and posters for current evidence and clinical relevance 
• Why the multi-track, CSM-style format gives attendees better choice 
• The bigger goal of advancing evidence-based practice across Nebraska 
• Networking as a real career tool for mentorship, research collaboration, and reconnecting 
• What worked well last spring, including turnout, vendors, venue, and food flow 
• High-interest topic areas from surveys, including leadership, geriatrics, peds, pelvic health, neuro, lifestyle medicine, AI, virtual PT, and sports performance 
• Abstract and poster deadline of September 13 plus typical October notifications 
• Offer to connect clinicians with educators to help write or refine abstracts 
Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and join the discussion. 

Episode Links:
Nebraska Physical Therapy Association - Education Committee

Nebraska Physical Therapy Association - Call for Abstracts

We bring back our annual House of Delegates check-in and break down what Nebraska’s delegation sees as the most urgent moves for physical therapy right now. We connect the votes in Portland to real clinic pressures like reimbursement, burnout, student debt, and how PT and PTA roles keep evolving at the state and national level. 

• What the APTA House of Delegates is and how it governs association policy 
• Why payment reform is a top priority and how APTA plans to advocate with Congress 
• The push to define PTs as independent practitioners and what that means for state practice acts 
• Workforce sustainability concerns including burnout, documentation burden, vacancy rates, and ROI on DPT education 
• Why “professional degree” classification affects student loans and access to federal lending 
• PTA delegation growth and the debate over joint mobilization language awaiting a national report get involved, show up, um, be a part of what's going on. 

Don't forget to subscribe, share, and join the discussion because together we're driving the future of physical therapy forward. 

A lot can change in a few weeks when policy, courts, and payment systems collide, and that is exactly what we unpack with a clear set of wins for physical therapy in Nebraska. Brad Dexter and APTA Nebraska President Nick Weber start with a quick summer check-in, then move straight into the updates our members have been watching closely: student loans, Medicaid reimbursement, and the advocacy work that makes both possible.

We break down what happened with the RISE Act and why the “professional program” designation matters for Doctor of Physical Therapy students. When the definition of “professional” gets shaky, the ripple effect is immediate, from federal loan caps to who can realistically afford a DPT program. The latest court action keeps the existing structure in place and restores confidence for students heading into the fall, while also prompting smarter conversations about borrowing only what you truly need.

Then we dig into a major Nebraska Medicaid development: the state successfully secured federal funds and the new Medicaid fee schedule shows a 20% increase across therapy codes. We talk about how this impacts physical therapy reimbursement rates, private practice viability, and patient access, especially in areas facing provider shortages. We also cover an important clarification for adult Medicaid recipients so visits do not count against annual limits unless Medicaid actually pays, protecting care for medically complex patients.

We close with what we are watching next at APTA’s House of Delegates and a state payment advocacy forum, plus a memorable reminder to celebrate the Fourth of July safely. If you care about the future of physical therapy in Nebraska, subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more PTs can find the show.