You have a voice at Infinity Rehab. Every physical therapist (PT), every occupational therapist (OT), and every speech-language pathologist (SLP) has their own unique ideas, opinions, and concerns.
Practice Council supports Infinity Rehab team members by providing an opportunity for them to share these ideas and concerns. The council also identifies practice trends and challenges and contributes to best practice development in the field. Council members promote high standards for therapy practice, increase awareness in the field around specific trends, and inspire peers to reach their highest potential.
The Practice Council is the bridge between leadership and therapists.
From idea to reality
The Practice Council receives topics and agenda items from leadership, council members, as well from the field. Topics may include current or upcoming initiatives, work that needs done to support these areas of focus, or even questions and ideas specific to each discipline.
Council members can be contacted via email or ideas and comments can be provided via the suggestion box on Springboard. While not every idea submitted is fully implemented, the Practice Council takes ideas very seriously and are careful to give each idea the time and attention deserved.
“We influence and collaborate with leadership on the best way to roll an idea out, and we are the first to address areas of concern that may need to be modified before it’s rolled out company-wide,” said Antonia Gallo, OT Practice Council lead.
Practice Council sessions
Practice Council members meet every other month to discuss discipline-specific needs and wants, discuss emerging tools and practices, plan new strategies, and more.
Lindsay Lillie, SLP Practice Council member, has been on the council for two years. She recently identified an opportunity to expand interpretation of standardized assessments within documentation beyond the test scores.
Lindsay discussed the importance of capturing a patient’s functional ability to more accurately depict the patient’s performance.
“There is a lot of information that can be gleaned from the assessment that is not directly addressed in the test score,” Lindsay said. “I’d love to see our SLPs delve deeper into the patient’s performance to paint a clear picture of the patient’s abilities and deficits beyond the overall cognitive impairment level.”
The SLP council continues to discuss best practices and how this can be reflected within skilled documentation.
A large initiative the OT council has worked on is the self-efficacy roll-out. This allows a patient with a score of 10 or less on the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination, a screening for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, to skip the self-efficacy daily activities form. In addition, Antonia modified the self-efficacy assessment questions to better suit long-term care patients.
Other cases the Practice Council has worked on include difficulties with acquiring Medicaid coverage for specialty wheelchairs and advice for completing evaluations with all clinical outcome measures completed.
It’s cases like these that the council discusses and works together to find solutions. The Practice Council provides a way for people in each discipline – member or not – to share ideas.
“We can be a sounding board for all clinicians,” Antonia said.
What makes the hard work worthwhile
It takes time and attention to be on the Practice Council, sometimes outside regular working hours. Members work on projects, conduct research, and pilot new initiatives. These are just a few of the many responsibilities council members have. Despite the long hours, Practice Council members love what they do.
Here’s what they enjoy most about the council:
“Working for a company that encourages a group of practice leaders to meet, discuss, and provide input, consider all angles and even potential barriers related to practice issues speaks volumes about our Infinity Rehab culture.” – Angie Quesnell, SLP lead
“I like being an influence on something bigger than my clinical bubble. I enjoy thinking creatively and collaborating with brilliant people who are also forward thinking. I like being a part of something bigger than Central Nebraska.” – Erin Finke, PT lead
“I enjoy being in the loop regarding up-and-coming projects within Infinity Rehab and bringing it to my teams at home and within my region. I feel I can be a liaison between the corporate office and our clinics.” – Kimberly Drayer, PT member
“Each member of the team seems to be on the same level of engagement with company initiatives, which is refreshing. I feel like I get to be part of something bigger than myself, which is a body of clinicians who are all seeking to make the provision of OT services better and more meaningful! My voice is always heard, and my opinion matters.” – Erin Willems, OT member
Heartfelt thanks
We appreciate the hard work each of our members and leads put into the Practice Council every day.
Our current team leads are:
- Angie Quesnell, SLP, Spokane, WA
- Antonia Gallo, OT, North Bend, NE
- Erin Finke, PT, Kearney, NE
We also want to recognize the council members in each of the three disciplines, as well as Derek Fenwick, Michelle Jabczynski, and Patty Scheets, who are also members on each Practice Council.
And of course, thank you to all our wonderful team members who share their great ideas to the Practice Council. You are a key part to the council’s efforts.
Share your ideas
The Practice Council encourages involvement and ideas from all Infinity Rehab team members. Contact your director, area rehab director, or a member of the Practice Council to share your ideas, questions, or concerns. You can also submit via the suggestion box on Springboard. Your suggestions will then be directed to the appropriate council.
