iStock_000034754424_Full

ACAPT 2022 Annual Report

The American Council of Academic Physical Therapy's (ACAPT) core purpose is to lead physical therapy in the pursuit of academic excellence.

Greetings ACAPT Members,

In December 2021, the ACAPT Board of Directors approved a new three-year strategic plan, including an updated:

PURPOSE: To lead physical therapy in the pursuit of academic excellence.

VISION: As a respected leader in academic physical therapy, ACAPT will create a shared  culture of excellence to improve societal health.

MISSION: ACAPT member institutions are champions of innovation, inclusion and inquiry in academic physical therapy.  

The three strategic goals below link to ACAPT’s 2022 initial progress towards meeting its strategic plan initiatives:

  1. ACADEMIC INNOVATION: Institutions and partners will recognize ACAPT as the premier resource to utilize for ongoing reflection and continuous improvement in academic physical therapy.

  2. DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSIONACAPT will equip institutions with resources to facilitate growth in diversity, equity and inclusion in the academic physical therapy workforce and student population.

  3. INFLUENCE: ACAPT will be the leading influential voice for excellence in academic physical therapy.

More details on the strategic plan can be reviewed using the drop down menu items above.  In particular, I encourage you to review:

I'm especially proud of the following actions we took this year:

  • The formation of the Center for Excellence in Academic Physical Therapy designed to create a culture of excellence and assessment through trustworthy and transparent data management and analysis. 

    We have begun building the business intelligence platform which will launch in 2023.  The results of our first Institutional Profile Survey were provided to members this spring.  The guiding philosophy behind the Center is the Excellence Framework for academic PT featuring 12 critical categories for tracking PT program success.
  • A partnership with Exxat to collect critical baseline data in clinical education that will promote better outcomes within the academic-clinical partnership.

  • The National Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission conducted a successful NEDIC Summit in June to build partnerships, create spaces, and develop opportunities to increase racial and ethnic diversity in physical therapy.
  • Continued commitment to DEI by co-sponsoring an ELC reception to raise funds in support of scholarships for PT/PTA faculty and students from racially and ethnically diverse communities.

  • The simulation scenario template created by the Simulation in Physical Therapy Education Consortium (SIPTEC) and beginning of development of a Simulation Instructor Training Program for Rehabilitation Professionals and a Simulation Library database, both of which will debut in 2023.

  • Growth of the National Consortium of Clinical Educators (NCCE) to 185 registered institutional membership pairs.

  • Co-sponsoring an Entrustrable Professional Activities (EPAs) Development Kickoff Workshop with APTA & the Academy of Education.

  • Development of 160+ continuing education, professional development, and networking events provided through webinars, in-person roundtables, virtual forums with the Board, sessions & more.

  • Increased engagement with CAPTE by establishing quarterly meetings between ACAPT and CAPTE leaders.

As you can see, ACAPT has made great strides over the past 9 months to impact academic physical therapy.  There’s so much more than I’ve listed above and we’re far from done!  Our Treasurer’s report provided by Julia Chevan and our Finance Committee will provide an overview of our strategic investments and accomplishments by the numbers.

ACAPT is on a path to differentiate ourselves by providing unique products and services in order to ensure relevance by filling unmet needs and addressing unresolved issues which will influence attitudes and behaviors gained by inclusion and engagement.  There is still so much work to do, and we can only achieve our vision if we work together using our purpose and mission as the compass.

I want to express my deep gratitude for the ACAPT Board of Directors, our nearly 150 volunteer leaders, and our 260+ member institutions and their clinical affiliates for your service, tireless commitment to our profession and support.  


Mark Reinking, PT, PhD, ATC, FAPTA
Board-certified Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy
ACAPT President 2020 - 2023
president@acapt.org

Barb Sanders

Data below is based on August 2022 numbers