APTA Podcasts

Physical therapists often enter the profession to help patients — but many also aspire to have greater autonomy, flexibility, and ownership over their careers. In this episode of the APTA Podcast, entrepreneur, business coach, author, and physical therapist Danny Matta, PT, DPT, joins APTA's Alicia Hosmer, CME, AAiP, and Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, to share practical lessons from his journey from U.S...

In this episode of the APTA Podcast, John Gallucci Jr., PT, DPT, ATC, MS, president and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy and associate chief medical officer for Major League Soccer, explores the unique physical demands of soccer for athletes of all levels. With the 2026 men’s World Cup underway, Gallucci draws on his extensive experience with elite athletes, while also offering guidance for physical th...

Join Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, as he talks with Alyson Cavanaugh, PT, DPT, PhD, MPH, and Micah Wong, PT, DPT, about their recently published scoping review. The review mapped the current literature on the implementation of primary care physical therapy and found that integrating physical therapists in primary care may result in reduced healthcare utilization with similar patie...

Two students. One lobby day. A meaningful impact that reached the state legislature.  In this episode, discover how DPT students Ally Clark and Brian Pham turned preparation into opportunity — earning an invitation to testify after APTA Virginia’s Lobby Day. Joined by VCU faculty members Alicia Flach, PT, DPT, EdD, and Katie Shaab, PT, DPT, PhD, along with APTA Virginia President Emily Hawkins, PT...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, editorial board member Christopher Bise, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, talks with Katie O’Bright, PT, DPT, OCS, Evan Kelley, PT, DPT, and Micah Wong, PT, DPT, about the 2025 primary care physical therapy consensus definition from the APTA Federal Primary Care Special Interest Group. The authors discuss primary care physical therapy as an emerging area of practice and expla...

Kelly Roberts Lane, PT, DPT, APTA Minnesota’s lead representative for the Special Olympics USA Games, and Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, APTA vice president of strategic affairs, dive into APTA’s partnership with the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. From how the partnership came together and will bring national awareness to the profession, to the many ways you can volunteer and make an impa...

Ash James, director of practice and development at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in the United Kingdom, joins APTA Vice President of Strategic Affairs Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, for a conversation on how artificial intelligence is shaping physical therapist practice — and how it could continue to evolve in the future. James shares lessons learned from the creation of CSP’s AI principles, as...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Sandy Willett, PT, PhD, Elena Donoso Brown, OT/L, and Regina Harbourne, PT, PhD, FAPTA, define intervention fidelity, discuss its importance in bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, and highlight what clinicians and researchers can do in the future to make fidelity feel practical.   Willett, Donoso Brown, and Harbourne are co-authors of the ar...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Sandy Willett, PT, PhD, Elena Donoso Brown, OT/L, and Regina Harbourne, PT, PhD, FAPTA, define intervention fidelity, discuss its importance in bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, and highlight what clinicians and researchers can do in the future to make fidelity feel practical.   Willett, Donoso Brown, and Harbourne are co-authors of the ar...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Sandy Willett, PT, PhD, Elena Donoso Brown, OT/L, and Regina Harbourne, PT, PhD, FAPTA, define intervention fidelity, discuss its importance in bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, and highlight what clinicians and researchers can do in the future to make fidelity feel practical.   Willett, Donoso Brown, and Harbourne are co-authors of the ar...

In this APTA Podcast episode, Vice President of Strategic Affairs Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, and Senior Director of Brand Strategy Alicia Hosmer discuss the partnership between APTA and the National Strength and Conditioning Association with NSCA Board members Jaynie Bjornaraa, PT, PhD, and Antonio Squillante, PhD. The partnership was announced at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, Calif...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Madeline Ratoza, PT, DPT, PhD, Rupal Patel, PT, PhD, and Julia Chevan, PT, DPT, PhD, who used a cross-sectional geographic information systems approach across census tracts and licensure records to look at rehabilitation provider availability in Texas. Their study found that availability varies dramatical...

APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, is joined by three fellow members of the APTA Board of Directors to discuss APTA’s Strategic Framework for 2030 . They share details on the three interconnected priorities that APTA believes will shape the next generation of physical therapy: advancing our payment, empowering our members, and evolving our practice. 

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Katrina Monroe, PT, PhD, about her recently published study, which tracked physical therapist-patient conversations over a six-week care period and found that consistently responding to patients’ emotional cues was associated with lower pain intensity. George and Monroe discuss what empathy looks like dur...

In this episode, APTA Vice President of Advancement Carmen Elliott sits down with Milly Polovich, a former patient of the pioneering Black physical therapist Vilma Evans.   Together, they discuss Evans\' life, legacy, and barrier-breaking career, which helped open the door for future Black clinicians. Polovich also recalls her time spent with Evans in the 1950s, when Evans helped her regain mobili...

In this episode, ethics experts discuss the development of the  Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession , which went into effect Jan. 1, 2026.  Members of the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee and the Ethics Task Force break down what the code means for both everyday practice and the future of the profession. Plus, learn how the code was modernized to help PTs, PTAs, and students make...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Daniel White, PT, ScD, MSc, about his recently published survey study, which evaluated the effectiveness of a physical therapist-administered physical activity intervention in increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adults after total knee replacement. The study found similar increases in phy...

For the first time in APTA history, physical therapist assistants are eligible to serve on the APTA Board of Directors beginning with the 2026 cycle. In this episode, host Kelley Kubota, PT, DPT, MS, sits down with Evan Bier, PTA, and Timothy Russell, PTA, to discuss what this milestone means for the profession. Bier and Russell share their personal reactions to the news, reflect on how the PTA ro...

Editorial Board member Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, PT, PhD, talks with Jessica Feda, PT, DPT, DSc, and Evan Pucillo, PT, DPT, EdD, about their recently published article, which evaluated the reliability and validity of the Learning and Studies Strategies Inventory, aka LASSI. The authors define what self-regulated learning is, discuss how the instrument assesses self-regulated learning, and explain h...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Brittany Lapin, PhD, Joshua Johnson, PT, DPT, PhD, and Sandra Passek, PT, DPT, about their recently published article on the development and validation of the Physical Therapy Frequency Clinical Decision Support Tool, aka PT-PENCIL. The tool identifies which patients are most likely to benefit from daily...

In this episode, APTA staff experts Rachel Miller, MPH, and Sharon West, JD, discuss how the final 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will affect the physical therapy profession.  They explain why physical therapists can expect an average 1.75% increase in payment under this fee schedule and provide important updates on telehealth and remote therapeutic monitoring.  For more insights from APTA,...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Stanley Hung, PT, PhD, about his recently published survey study, which looked at implementation factors for intensive rehabilitation within real-world inpatient stroke rehabilitation settings. George and Hung discuss the differences between the DOSE and Walk ‘n Watch trials, the potential inaccuracies of...

What do Americans really think about physical therapy—and what’s keeping more people from seeing a PT? In this episode of the APTA Podcast, host Alicia Hosmer sits down with APTA’s Drew Contreras and Emilio Rouco, as well as APTA’s research partners Shelly Adcock and Tam Nguyen from Penta Group, to unpack findings from APTA’s Consumer Perceptions Report .    Hear how insights on awareness, access,...

In this episode, Megan Brown, PT, DPT, details her journey from beginning her career as a physical therapist to founding her business  Mind The Mat Pilates & Yoga.  Gain practical advice for your career and finding your passion while gettinga preview of what Brown plans to share during her panel discussion “Unfiltered & Unlocked: 3 PTs on Building a Career You Love” at  APTA CSM in Anaheim...

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Gregory Hartley, PT, DPT, FAPTA, and Neva Kirk-Sanchez, PT, PhD, about their recently published perspective, which defines the health systems science framework and advocates for the framework to be a foundational pillar in physical therapy education. Listen as the authors discuss how the framework can con...