IFOMPT Name Change Discussions with Ken Olson and Elaine Lonnemann

Ken Olson, PT, DHSc, OCS, FAAOMPT, former president of IFOMPT and Elaine Lonnemann, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC, FAAOMPT, a member of IFOMPT's identity and name change task force join this week's episode of PT Elevated to discuss the potential name change for IFOMPT. The upcoming August vote will determine whether the federation will change their name away from manual therapy to musculoskeletal.   Our hosts, Kory Zimney and Paul Mintken discuss with Ken Olson and Elaine Lonnemann the background on how IFOMPT started and why the federation is considering the change to the name IFOMPT and what that means for its members.   There are pros, including the potential to add more members and diversify the members and there are also a host of cons, including losing the narrowed focus on manual therapy that has led to specialized research.   Here are some of the highlights from the episode:   Pros

• Adding more members
• More diverse group of therapists
• Don't want to be aligned with a passive technique

  Cons

• Musculoskeletal is still a narrow term
• Lose the hands-on specialized research and focus that comes with the narrow focus of manual therapy
• Lose the identity and brand of this subset of specialized therapists among the profession
• Further fractures among manual physical therapists with the possibility of new organizations popping up to fill this spot from influential members like Stanley Paris

How can you get started advocating? Become a member, join the meetings, find a mentor and create relationships in your local community.    To get involved in the upcoming August vote, reach out to your membership organization, by either taking part in the vote or by connecting with your leaders that will be placing your organization's vote.   Links: Elaine Lonnemann's Open Letter to IFOMPT Members Stanley Paris' Open Letter on the IFOMPT Name Change Ken Olson's LinkedIn Elaine Lonnemann's LinkedIn @ZimneyKJ @PMintkenDPT @EIMTeam   If you want to continue your learning past what you hear today, EIM offers certifications that elevate your clinical decision making and help get you to the next level of patient care and expertise. I encourage you to check out their website and explore the different options. What’s really cool is that you can get 5% off by letting your program advisor know you’re a PT Elevated Podcast listener. Learn more about your program options here.   Note: the last episode of the season will feature questions and comments from you the listener. Send your questions, whether they be episode-specific, clinical or research-related to podcast@eimpt.com. Your question may be featured in the last episode, so include some info about you and your practice. We look forward to hearing your questions!