Physical Therapy, Board of

Physical Therapy, Board of

Chapter 6: Continuing Competence

Effective Date: 04/07/2022 to Current

Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations

Reference Number: 062.0001.6.04072022

CHAPTER 6

CONTINUING COMPETENCE

Section 1. Hours and requirements.

(a) All physical therapists and physical therapist assistants shall obtain thirty (30) continuing competence units (CCUs) every two years to be eligible for renewal. There may be no carryover of CCUs to the next reporting period. The Board shall determine reporting groups, methods, and deadlines.

(b) A licensure/certification reporting cycle begins on October 2 and ends on October 1 of the second year.

(c) At least fifteen (15) of the required thirty (30) CCUs shall be from Category A.

(d) The primary objective of any CCU shall be to increase the participant's competence within their practice as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.

Section 2. Categories.

(a) Category A Activities include:

(i) Registered attendance at courses or conferences offered live, in person, or virtually through a live audio and video connection, by approved providers. Approved providers include:

(A) The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), including any sections, credentialed residencies and fellowships and its accrediting subsidiary;

(B) State Chapters of the APTA;

(C) Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy and any accrediting subsidiary;

(D) Any providers approved or accredited by the agencies or organizations listed in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph;

(ii) The Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Department of Education activities directly related to physical therapy.

(b) Category B Activities include:

(i) Self-study, which may be directed by a correspondence course, video, internet, or satellite program;

(ii) Attendance at in-service education programs pertaining to safety or governmental regulation;

(iii) Teaching or lecturing principally for health care professionals;

(iv) Author or reviewer of a peer-reviewed publication;

(v) Clinical instruction not to exceed five (5) hours;

(vi) Physical therapy association or licensing Board and committee work;

(vii) Structured interactive study (group study);

(c) Activities excluded from Continuing Competence Credit:

(i) Staff meetings, presentations, or publications directed at lay groups;

(ii) Routine teaching as part of a job requirement;

(iii) Regularly scheduled institutional activities such as rounds;

(iv) Breaks in instruction time; and

(v) Credit for repetitions of the same activity.

Section 3. Affirmation of compliance with continuing competency requirements.

License and certificate holders shall provide a signed statement on the form provided by the Board listing the CCUs taken and indicating compliance with the required thirty (30) CCUs upon renewal. The Board, in its discretion, may require additional evidence from a license or certificate holder to verify compliance.

Section 4. Continuing competence audits.

(a) The Board shall periodically select a sample of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and may request supporting evidence of their continuing competence. Supporting evidence may come directly from the license or certificate holder or from state or national organizations that maintain those records.

(b) The Board shall notify an audited license or certificate holder whether the license or certificate holder is in compliance with continuing competence requirements within thirty (30) working days following the Board's determination. License and certificate holders shall retain evidence of continuing competence activities for one (1) year after the reporting period.

Section 5. Waiver of continuing competence requirements.

(a) The Board may waive continuing competence requirements on an individual basis for reasons of extreme hardship such as illness, disability, active service in the military, or other extraordinary circumstance as determined by the Board.

(b) A license or certificate holder who seeks a waiver of the continuing competence requirements shall provide to the Board in writing, at least thirty (30) days prior to expiration of the license or certificate, the specific reasons for requesting the waiver and additional information that the Board may request in support of the waiver application.

(c) The Board shall appoint an Application Review Committee to investigate the waiver request and make a recommendation to the Board in accordance with Chapter 11 of these rules.