Reconstruction Aides help soldiers returning from WWI to rehabilitate

The APTA celebrated 100-year anniversary in 2021

in 1951, the law initiating state licenses for PTs began, along with the North Carolina PT Association--both celebrated a 70th Anniversary in 2021

With Ben Massey helming this important legislation, NC was the 7th state in the union to pass Direct Access which allows patients to see a PT with or without a physician referral

In 2015, the NC Acupuncture Licensing Board sued the NC Board of PT Examiners in state court alleging that PTs were performing acupuncture without a license. Later, the state Association filed a federal anti-trust lawsuit in Henry v NCALB; in December 2018, the NC State Supreme Court ruled that dry needling is within the legal scope of practice of PT. The following year, the NCALB settled the Federal suit.

While patients in NC were able to see a PT with or without a referral since 1985, there had been one restriction--no spinal manipulation without a physician referral-- for that one treatment technique only, even though Spinal Manipulation had long been within the PT professional scope of practice. With the support of PTs, PTAs, students, physicians, and legislators across the state, this restriction was removed after a 6-year sustained legislative effort and thirty years of waiting.

Our state moved quickly to update the Practice Act to allow the NC Board of PT Examiners to become the 11th state in the union to join the new licensing compact. This benefits spouses of military members, traveling PTs, as well as those who live near state borders and traveling PTs. The Compact makes it easier and less expensive to practice in more than one state.

With a year's transition, it was worth the effort to join the APTA, 50 state Chapters, and 18 Academies and Sections to unify branding to make all our joint good works more easily understood

Like everyone else, our Chapter went remote, gathering and disseminating best practice for safety and business survival. We held both the Student Conclave and the Annual Conference virtually, as well as moved to 100% virtual administration by divesting office real estate.