Brad and Nick catch up to share updates and insights from Nick’s recent road trip across Nebraska. We talk about what Nick heard on the road, how personal testimony can drive policy change, and why strong member turnout matters for reimbursement and workforce advocacy. Plus, we dig into new clinical practice guidelines, a Blue Cross payment timing update, and upcoming events designed to strengthen community and professional voice.
In this episode:
• Statewide advocacy themes from recent town halls
• What we can learn from midwives’ testimony strategy
• September highlights and the October family event
• Omaha’s upcoming neurological PT conference
• Leadership retreat details and timing
• Expanding library of clinical practice guidelines
• Blue Cross payment cycle changes—and how to prep for cash flow impacts
• Strategic plan survey priorities and member feedback
• Burnout, purpose, and finding joy in care
Links:
Episode Transcript
Welcome to the APTA Nebraska podcast, where we dive
into the stories, challenges,and innovations shaping physical
therapy in our state.
We are here to advance, promote,and protect the practice of
physical therapy, optimizing thehealth and quality of life for
all Nebraskans.
Join us as we connect withexperts, share insights, and
(00:22):
build community throughout ourprofession.
SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Hey, welcome back to the APTA Nebraska podcast.
I'm Brad Dexter and joined againby Nick Weber.
Nick, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_02 (00:31):
Doing great.
Thanks for having me back.
SPEAKER_01 (00:33):
Yeah, glad to have you.
Um hey, I have to tell you, Ithink a couple of the podcasts
that you have done have ourhighest listening rates so far.
So it it may be the sound ofyour voice, maybe it's the
content.
I'm not sure, but but I thinkwe're on to something.
SPEAKER_02 (00:49):
Okay.
Well, I'm a little surprised bythat, but I'll I'll take that as
a victory.
SPEAKER_01 (00:53):
Fantastic.
Uh well, hey, what we'vetypically done uh when we bring
you on, Nick, uh we're trying tomake sure that we share uh some
of the things that are going onfrom an advocacy standpoint,
from a practice updatestandpoint in our state.
Um I know that we have someevents that we want to share
again today as well.
So why don't you start us offwith some of the things that
have been going on from anadvocacy or practice update
(01:15):
standpoint?
SPEAKER_02 (01:16):
Sure.
Um on the I'll start on theadvocacy side.
So in September, I was um I tookI did my annual roadshow, I
guess as I call it, and went outand visited businesses.
Uh we had a town hall uh inNorth Platte one night, and uh
just just the goal really withthese has been uh to get face to
(01:39):
face with members and to hearwhat's going on, um, get a
better understanding of of whatit's like to be a practicing
clinician really all across thestate, um, and be able to use
that information as ourexecutive team, you know, tries
to make decisions and lead us inthe best direction.
Um, and so I had another greattrip, um, got to meet you know
(02:01):
more clinicians that I had Ihadn't got to meet yet in my
time um in this role.
And so it was great to hear fromeverybody.
You know, and on the on the backend, I like to reflect and and
and think about, you know, whatwere the themes, and and
unfortunately, some of thosethemes are again, you know,
challenges with reimbursement,staffing, uh you know, not
(02:23):
necessarily things differentfrom years past.
And I think, you know, we're ina place now where uh practic you
know, providers and practiceowners are ready to do something
about it.
And so I guess I'm excited aboutthat, this push to you know,
what can we do?
People wanting to get moreinvolved in the association as
(02:44):
well as involved in advocacy.
So what we're doing right now isis trying to pull together a
list of things that we can youknow really bite off in 2026,
uh, you know, and looking forpartners um really across the
state and other healthcare uhsystems, as well as uh other
types of providers.
Because we we believe that someof these things, and I don't
(03:06):
think it's a a secret that youknow there's challenges in
reimbursements in otherprofessions too, and workforce.
Um so looking for opportunities,uh whether it's it's getting
into schools and trying topromote healthcare professions
at maybe a younger age and justthe the benefits that come with
it, the the value you feel as aprovider when you can help
(03:28):
others get that message out, aswell as you know, looking for
things that maybe we do need tolegislate and where we can find
partnerships there as well, um,and just deliver that message
from a variety of differentpoints of views.
And so I I think I think we'llbe able to achieve a lot of that
(03:48):
in 2026.
Um, but my message back was, youknow, these same individuals
that are sharing these storiesneed to come to the Capitol and
deliver those messages to thesenators.
Um they don't always want tojust hear from me, they want to
hear these actual, you know, asa third party delivering those
stories, they want to hear thosestories from those individuals
(04:09):
who are in that experience.
So I think uh we'll have abetter kind of attendance in
that arena in 2026, and I thinkthat'll be really powerful.
So hopefully we can start tomake some positive change from
there going forward.
SPEAKER_01 (04:22):
Hey, you were telling me a little bit, you
know, kind of like an anecdoteof um midwives uh in the state
of Nebraska and how they areadvocating for um uh for
themselves as providers.
Can you can you just share thatstory with us?
SPEAKER_02 (04:40):
Yeah, so I was attending a hearing that
particular day for a 407 scopeof practice uh bill, right?
And so it was on the docket foras the third of three uh bills
for a hearing that particularday in the Health and Human
Services Committee.
So I got there at the beginningnot knowing how long the other
two bills were gonna go.
(05:01):
And it was a full room, and Ididn't really look ahead to see
what the other two topics were,but uh it was clear that there
was uh a lot of interest in oneof them.
So it happened to be uh midwivesproviders were looking for
improved access um to really usewhat they're trained to do, like
is I get my understanding of it,anyways.
(05:22):
Um, it happened to be somethingthat like Nebraska's the last
state in the country to giverights in this certain way to
midwives.
It was pretty clear that theywere very passionate about this
topic and had been working itfor a long time.
Well, so much so that there were25 practitioners there that day
who all testified.
And it was powerful.
(05:43):
I mean, it was just the the factthat like one after another came
up and told a little bitdifferent story, but just how it
had impacted them, how it wasimpacting Nebraskans, um, and
how it was going to continue tobe a problem.
And that's exactly what we'relooking for from our memberships
and our providers to show up andshare their stories uh because
(06:05):
that's what that's what thesenators want to hear.
And we saw that that bill racedthrough the legislature this
year.
Uh, because it they you know, Ican I can pass along stories and
but they don't they want to hearit from person that was in the
experience.
And so, you know, whether it'sreimbursement or the variety of
things that that we're oftendown there talking about in
(06:25):
Lincoln, uh if provide if we canget providers to show up like
that, we're gonna have a lotmore success.
And so that was just one exampleof uh the benefit sometimes of
kind of dropping everythingthat's going on, as challenging
as that is, and you know, makeyou know, doing doing your
obligation to to show up andtestify for five minutes in the
(06:46):
middle of a Tuesday or whatever,it's a challenge for sure, but
um, it means a lot when whenthat happens.
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
Yeah, no, it's a really great story.
I I think it it kind of showsthe power behind having numbers
like in person, right?
It's one thing to have uh theinformation on a piece of paper
in in front of our legislators.
It's a different thing to havefaces and voices and real
stories that are that are comingforward um and just almost
pounding them over and over andover again, right?
(07:16):
Um, so no, it's a really great,really great story.
I appreciate that.
Um what else is going on?
SPEAKER_02 (07:22):
Well, you know, we had a really busy September,
right?
We we had the town hall, uh wehad a spot at Husker Harvest
Days this year.
Um, I heard there was somethingclose to 90,000 attendees.
Um, so it was a greatopportunity for us to just
promote our profession.
Uh we've got uh student conclavein September and uh pub night,
(07:44):
so a lot of just great thingswere happening in September, and
we're really looking forward toOctober now and some of the more
events we've got coming up.
Um I'm excited about baseballthe ween.
That's the one top of my mindbecause that's at least maybe
the one I'm in charge of.
Uh we're doing for the firsttime something, it's so it's a
essentially like a big trunk ortreat type of event, uh, family
(08:06):
friendly.
Bring the kids, and I've heardthey're gonna have about five,
they're expecting about 5,000kids to come through at Werner
Park on October 24th.
And we have one of the activitystations this year.
So we're doing um eye bowling.
So we're gonna our costume themeis gonna be pirates.
We'll be all wearing eye patchesuh to go along with our theme of
eye bowling.
(08:26):
And uh, we bought about 100pounds of candy to give away.
So we're hoping people willbring bring the family out and
come do the event.
And then there's a there's amovie on the jumbo screen,
Halloween-themed movie on thejumbo screen.
Uh, so it runs from five toeight o'clock.
So that's the one I'm thinkingabout.
I know there's a bunch more inthe soap note that people should
check out.
Uh, but yeah, we got a lot goingon right now.
SPEAKER_01 (08:49):
Yeah, a few others in the in the soap note that I'm
looking at right now, too.
Um there's uh virtualexploration of Omaha area
residency programs on October7th from 6 to 7.
The Academy of NeurologicalPhysical Therapy is in town for
their annual conference October16th through 18th.
Um so that's pretty cool.
That's coming to Omaha.
(09:10):
We're hosting that uh here.
And then there's also aleadership in physical therapy
care uh coming up in November onthe 8th and 9th.
Um it's a retreat at the YMCACamp Kitaki.
Uh and so you know, if you guysare interested in that, I'll
make sure that I link to the thesoap note in the show notes.
Uh so that if you're a member,you're able to access that uh
(09:32):
pretty pretty simply, prettyeasily.
Um Nick, anything anything inregards to practice updates?
SPEAKER_02 (09:40):
Yeah, I mean, the thing that comes to mind is uh
just more, I'm just constantlyseeing more and more clinical
practice guidelines come out.
I don't know if you've looked,Brad, lately, but I uh was just
peeking at it the other day.
And there's 25 pages ofdifferent clinical practice
guidelines now on the APTAwebsite, which is just awesome.
(10:01):
Um to just be able to combthrough there and and almost
find probably about anything youneed help on.
Uh so I think something we'retrying to do as an association
now is just get the the messageout more about those resources.
Um they are free access and theycome from a variety of places,
you know, the differentacademies and even different uh
(10:23):
provider groups.
I know there's a number ofdifferent surgeon groups who
contribute to that informationas well.
Uh so yeah, we've been trying towe're trying to do a better job
of pointing everybody uh tothose particular things.
And then uh the other one, maybethe big one from a practice
standpoint that I that I want tohighlight is uh there's been a
(10:44):
change in the way that uh BlueCross Blue Shield of Nebraska is
gonna process payments startingin November.
So historically, what they'vedone is uh they'll process
payments for anything thatthey've collected that's at
least a week old, and they'regonna push that timeline to
three weeks, which in a way is apositive step because um for
(11:08):
those of you that are in uh kindof the billing collection side
of things, you know that youknow you submit a reimbursement,
you get paid, then all of asudden there was an error, a
correction, and the payer isasking you for 13 cents back or
some small bill, and it justcreates an administrative
burden.
So creating this bigger windowwhere they're gonna they're
(11:31):
gonna hold claims for a littlebit longer and then process them
should help reduce that problemor that that's been going on.
I think the challenge is it'sjust this transition.
So now there's gonna be atwo-week window starting
November 1st, where if you'reused to getting your regular
payment from Blue Cross as acompany, you got to wait, you're
gonna have a two-week windowwhere you're not gonna get paid.
(11:53):
Um, so that's gonna create justsome expense challenges, I would
expect.
So uh I hope everyone's aware ofthat.
If you haven't seen it, it's inthe provider bulletin from Blue
Cross, uh, came out in August.
So that's going into effectNovember 1st.
So I want to make sureeveryone's aware of that so they
can prepare.
SPEAKER_01 (12:11):
Excellent.
Anything else top of mind?
SPEAKER_02 (12:14):
Uh the last one would just be if I can share
real quick.
Um, we're getting ready to doour strategic plan for APT
Nebraska for the 26th through 29cycle.
Um, we have sent out a survey toour membership just asking for
feedback on a number of things,and we'll be compiling that data
(12:35):
uh, I think starting October6th.
And so I believe that the surveycloses October 5th.
So would love for everyone tojust take maybe 10 minutes to
fill that out, uh, give us yourthoughts so that we can utilize
that as we sit down as a groupof um our executive board and
all of our committee chairs andjust kind of work through that
(12:57):
um planning for the next fewyears.
SPEAKER_01 (12:59):
Do you wanna do you wanna maybe just say some of the
things that would be on thatsurvey, Nick?
SPEAKER_02 (13:05):
Yeah, I mean, I think you know, APTA just uh is
working on theirs now and haskind of highlighted some of
their priorities.
Obviously, reimbursement isnumber one by far nationally.
Um, and we're gonna do what wecan locally as well.
There, I I would think.
Um, but there's there's otherthings, right?
Like um, you know, should we belooking at scope of practice?
(13:26):
Should we um be doing things toenhance membership value?
Are there certain resources thatthat people want better access
to?
Are there better membershipbenefits we should be offering?
Um cost, all those kind ofthings are included in the
survey.
And so we want we want feedbackon that.
(13:47):
And and then there's just opentext options, right?
So if we just completely misssomething that we create as we
created this survey and someonehas feedback for us, we want to
hear from that too.
SPEAKER_01 (13:58):
That's great.
Uh again, that's just anotherway to make sure that your voice
is heard.
Um, it's a way to get connectedinto the organization.
Um, hey, I'll just say, youknow, I was thinking as you were
talking earlier about you knowgoing um going and advocating uh
in front of some of our statesenators, right?
Like I've been guilty over thecourse of my career of just kind
(14:19):
of in the back of my mindthinking, uh, yeah, someone else
will do that for me.
So someone else will do that.
Um and I'm just realizing moreand more, um, call it naivety on
my own part, right?
Um, but I'm just realizing moreand more, no, I don't know that
someone else is gonna do that.
Like we we've got to make surethat we're um uh we're kind of
setting the direction of how wewant to be practicing, right?
(14:42):
Um and if you're not lettingyour voice be heard, uh it's
it's not gonna be heard, right?
It'll be lost.
SPEAKER_02 (14:50):
As you said, as you said, strengthen numbers, right?
Strength in numbers.
It's it's a powerful thing.
And when that senator sits therefor hours hearing testimony
after testimony on on what isgoing on in the state, that
stays with them, right?
Versus hearing one five-minutespiel from me trying to cover
the whole topic, right?
(15:11):
If if person after person istestifying in front of them, um,
that that's memorable to them.
And so when that topic comes upon the floor, maybe a month
later, they have that memory of,oh yeah, this is a this is an
important thing that's that'simpacting a lot of Nebraskans.
SPEAKER_01 (15:27):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I this is uh this is maybe justa plug for a future podcast
that's gonna be coming down thepipe.
But um, you know, I want to talkabout the prevalence of burnout,
um, not just in healthcare, butin in our profession.
And one of the things that we'vebeen trying to do on this
podcast is highlighting thestories of members within our
organization.
(15:48):
And uh, hey, listen, we we allare facing different challenges,
whether that's as a privatepractice, um, a business, small
business owner, or um justrecognizing that uh gosh, it's
it's hard to get the time thatyou need with your patients in
other settings, right?
There's all kinds of challengesthat we face.
But um in some of thoseinterviews with our members,
(16:09):
I've been trying to focus on,hey, why do you enjoy being a
physical therapist?
What still brings you joy aboutit?
Because what we do is valuable,right?
It's valuable to the people thatwe serve.
Our patients recognize thatvalue when they get to us.
Um, and and we we've got toremember that, what, right?
We've got to remember our whyand what we're doing uh over and
(16:30):
over.
So um I I didn't I didn't meanto like you know get really
motivational there, but likethat is the intent of this
podcast in many ways.
It's how do we connect peopletogether?
Um, how do we strengthen ourorganization a little bit more
so we can ultimately uh have astronger voice within our state?
Um and we we can find more joyin the way that we're practicing
(16:51):
physical therapy too.
SPEAKER_02 (16:53):
I I completely agree.
I mean, we all have our reasonsfor getting into this
profession, and I would bet noneof us would be like, oh, it was
about reimbursement and salary.
SPEAKER_01 (17:02):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (17:02):
Right.
And so I, you know, that's notwhat we want to be top of mind
all the time.
But in order to get back todoing what we love and just
being able to do it comfortablyand for the joys and the reasons
we got into this, uh, you know,this is where we're at.
And we need to we need to fightthese battles right now so we
can get back to that.
And hopefully that helps uh takecare of some of the burnout
(17:24):
issues that we're seeing.
SPEAKER_01 (17:25):
Yeah.
Fantastic.
Nick, thanks for your time.
Uh, appreciate you joining thepodcast.
Uh again, the views or thelistens are probably not views,
no one's watching any of this,right?
Uh the listens uh are probablygonna skyrocket on this one just
just because your voice is is uhentering into the conversation.
SPEAKER_02 (17:42):
Well, it's great.
Maybe, yeah, maybe if we cankeep getting the numbers up, we
can go to more of a viewingpodcast in the future.
SPEAKER_01 (17:48):
There you go.
Yeah, we'll we'll find a fullstudio and everything.
Well, listeners, thanks forthanks for listening into this.
Um I hope that some of thisinformation was valuable to you
and and uh we'll continuebringing it forward uh uh as we
as we keep walking together.
SPEAKER_00 (18:03):
Thanks for tuning in to the APTA Nebraska podcast.
Stay connected with us for moreconversations that elevate our
profession and improve the livesof Nebraskans.
Don't forget to subscribe,share, and join the discussion.
Because together, we're drivingthe future of physical therapy
forward.
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