The Balanced Body Spring 2023 Edition
A Letter from Your Board
Our environment is showing signs of waking up. The trees are starting to bud, and the daffodils are in full bloom. This always brings new optimism for new beginnings and getting back out there. For those of you that joined us at our annual meeting and conference. You know that our new board has been elected and we are looking forward to our planning for this year. We continue to focus on the improvement of the member experience and supporting all of you in this magnificent profession. Wishing you all a happy spring.
Sincerely,
Your AMTA-PA Chapter Board.
Thank You for Your Service.
Recently our chapter leadership has gone through some changes. Two integral members of our team have gone on to the next chapter in their lives.
Winona Bontrager has been volunteering with AMTA since 2001. She has served in many roles including PA Chapter President and most recently Financial Administrator. Winona has also volunteered extensively at the national level including AMTA National President. All of us on the board have learned so much from her experience. She has always taken the time to mentor others and share her wisdom. We will miss her at the chapter, but she will still be involved in the massage community. Winona is still active as Owner/President of the Lancaster School of Massage. She is also continuing her volunteer journey by serving as AMTA Representative to the IHPC (Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium) and as Chair of SSC (Slate Selection Commission) for NCBTMB.
Fred Nault has volunteered with the PA Chapter since 2010. He has served as the PA Chapter President for the last 5 years. He also served as a Unit Leader as his first volunteer post with AMTA-PA. Fred taught all of us on the board to always focus on the members. He has a positive attitude and a welcoming nature that made you want to be involved.
We wish both Fred and Winona all the best and truly thank them for all their service. They will be missed more than they know.
Annual Meeting and Conference, it was so sweet!
On March 31 – April 2nd we held our PA Chapter Annual Meeting and Conference at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey PA. The event began with a dessert social on Friday evening to kick off the weekend. Members enjoyed lots of sweet treats and an opportunity to get acquainted with each other before the classes began. This year we offered two choices for 16CE hours of education. The Trager Approach with Michael Lear and Myofascial Release for the Cervical and Thoracic Spine with Jennifer Bierbower. Both classes offered exciting techniques to add to the participant’s toolbox.
Both days included a buffet lunch that allowed members to network and build relationships. It was exciting to see members come up with creative ideas for staying in touch after the conference and it was fun to reconnect with other members that had attended previous events. It is unclear whether it was the vibe of the new venue or the extraordinary positive nature of our members that made this event seem extra special. We received positive feedback on the venue and feel that the Hershey Lodge might be a great site for a future meeting.
Chapter Election Results
The PA Chapter held our annual elections in March and announced the results at the business meeting held during lunch on the final day of our annual meeting. Terry Williams was elected as Financial Administrator. Pam Kennedy was re-elected as Board Member. We also welcome Heather Heart as our new delegate. They join existing members of the board which include Dave Briggs, Chapter Secretary; Lara Hess, Board Member; and Tanya Seiler, Delegate.
What’s Happening in PA Government?
Report from the AMTA PA Government Relations Chair
My name is Camille Baughman, and I am the New Government Relations chair for our Pennsylvania Chapter of AMTA. I am honored to hold this position and excited to bring to you updates on what is happening at the state level around legislative activity related to our profession.
I highly recommend attending the bi-monthly Massage Therapy State Board meetings either in person or virtually. As a result of COVID, the meeting format is conducted both via live stream and in person in Harrisburg. The next board meeting is 6/7/2023 and you can click on the link to be taken to the website.https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/MassageTherapy/Pages Scroll down to General Board Information for the link.
As an important action item, at the last meeting on 4/4/2023, there was a lengthy conversation about allowing all 24 continuing education credits to be done online. Currently, the regulations allow only eight online. There were varied opinions within the board and from the public attendees. The conversation was tabled until the next meeting. If people have an opinion about how the continuing education credits should be taught, letters to the board would be helpful. In addition, a BPOA official spoke about the budget and how they feel it is necessary for us to continue to raise our renewal fees each renewal period. The number of licensed therapists in the state dropped even though this was a renewal period. The conversation about fees will be continued at the next meeting.
There were several topics discussed at the meeting on 11/15/2022. First, the Board counsel reviewed the board proposal amending Section 4 (20.11) distance education regulation. The draft put forth contains the minimum number of hours a massage therapy program must provide. The changes are in subsection 1: … at least 75 hours must be earned through contact hours and 100 hours or more can be distance education. The second change is in subsection 3 which would take out the word contact hours so there is no distinction required as to how the 25 hours are taught, either contact or distance. There is no change to subsection 2 or subsection 4. There will be an exposure draft sent to stakeholders and interested parties for review and comments. If you want to read more about the proposed regulation, please contact the massage board and be asked to be put on the stake holders list. I recommend going to the board website and finding the current regulations so you can see the changes.
Second, it was brought to the attention of the board that several representatives from the Southeast region of the state introduced HB 2899 Regulations for Massage Businesses to prevent Human Trafficking as an Establishment license. The Bill is dead for this session and will have to be re-introduced next session. National AMTA is aware of this bill as is our lobbyist and we are in the process of contacting those legislators for a meeting to discuss the future of the bill.
Third, the (BPOA/Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) commissioners have received feedback about the websites and how cumbersome it can be to navigate. They are working on updating the DOS (Department of State) websites and will attempt to better communicate with the licensee population.
Fourth, we currently have approximately 9177 licensees and the projected revenue still shows a deficit for the future of our board. There was quite a bit of discussion about how we can get our board out of the red and I am sure this will be an ongoing discussion.
Topics from the board meeting held on 2/14/2023. First, Deputy Chief Counsel for the Prosecution division gave her Report. The cases brought to the prosecution division for the Bureau of Occupational Affairs (BPOA) which offers legal support to the 29 boards in the state, are complaint driven. The public can file a complaint against a licensee of any board by going to pals.pa.gov where there is an opportunity to file a complaint online. An investigator is assigned to the case and the process begins. The investigator is not law enforcement. Their job is to gather facts and make a report to the prosecution division where it is determined if there is a violation. Eventually a recommendation is made to the board and the board has the final decision as to the outcome of the case. At the present time there are 127 open cases as of 1/3/23.
There was also discussion around the fee structure for license renewal and application fees. This will be an ongoing discussion continued at future board meetings. We are currently 1.7 to 2 million dollars in the red. Although we are in the red our expenses are not currently exceeding our revenue. When the board was formed, we borrowed money, as do all boards. This money came from the Professional Licensure Administrative Account (PLAA) with the understanding that we would pay it back. Most of the debt is to the PLAA and we are in discussion as to how to pay it down.
I hope you find this information helpful and once again I encourage you to become involved in your profession. Attend a state massage therapy board meeting or volunteer with your state AMTA Chapter. We are always looking for your input and energy. I believe that knowledge is power and the more involved you are with what is happening in the profession and your state board, the more influence you have around decisions made that impact you and your profession in this state. I will do my best to keep you informed from my end, but you are your best advocate, and your voice DOES make a difference in the process.
Take care and may the Spring energy of new growth and possibilities bring you continued success and excitement about your chosen profession.
Sincerely
Camille Baughman
Calendar Of Events
Aug 24 – 26 AMTA National Convention in Phoenix AZ.
How To Reach Us
Email: pennsylvania@amtamassage.org
Phone: (570) 507-5720
Website: https://pa.wp.amtamassage.org
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