2018 PPS Awards Announced

Robert G. Dicus Award

Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT

The PPS Board of Directors is pleased to present the 2018 Robert G. Dicus Award to Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT. Lynn has the heart of a physical therapist and the skills of a health care business consultant. She has served our profession for over 35 years as a clinician, teacher, speaker, writer, and passionate advocate. Anyone who knows Lynn knows that she loves our profession and sees opportunities where others see challenges.

Lynn has served the Private Practice Section nationally through the PPS Board of Directors, Private Practice Institute Board of Directors, PPS Nominating Committee, PPS Marketing and PR Committee, and as an advocate through the PPS Key Contact Program. She is known to be a consummate educator, imparting her wisdom and knowledge in many domains, from clinician to practice consultant to payment and contracting specialist. She has engaged in every level of growth and education of PPS members, including as co-developer and faculty of the PPS Marketing 101 video series, for PPS’s “Essentials to Starting a Private Practice,” “Taking Your Practice to the Next Level,” and “Kick-Starting Your Practice” courses at APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting, and for PPS’s Practice Administrators Certificate Program course “Marketing Your Private Practice.” Lynn has been a PPS speaker at APTA’s National Student Conclave, as well as a presenter of multiple PPS webinars. In addition, Lynn is guest faculty in five DPT programs and lead faculty for the Evidence in Motion Executive Management Program.

Lynn has also built content that contributes to the success of practices nationwide through regular contributions to PPS’s Impact magazine, as co author of PPS’s How to Start a Private Practice, Refresh- Reenergize Your Life: Fitness & Wellness Program for Senior Living Facilities, and developer of “Onboarding Your Marketing Rockstar,” a virtual training series for private practice marketing consultants.

Despite Lynn’s propensity for the business and marketing of physical therapy, she has continued to develop clinical passions including an enthusiasm for the role of physical therapists in lifestyle medicine. In the past year, she has been fervently researching and building a lifestyle medicine curriculum and certification program for therapists through her affiliation with MedBridge. Her specific passion in lifestyle medicine is brain health, which has been near and dear to her heart since both of her parents journeyed through Alzheimer’s. In 2014, she launched BrainyEX: Build a Better Body—Build a Better Brain, a turnkey program for better brain fitness.

Her more recent career path has etched its influences on a multitude of practices across the country. Lynn has been part of a team that has been actively leveraging technology through the development of Alinea Engage, a patient intake, engagement, and lifetime relationship building technology launched in 2017. She has traveled to over 40 states to function as a consulting resource for private practices, always experiencing gratitude for the opportunity to learn from each practice’s journey and to try to contribute to its growth.

Those who know her say her energy, drive, and commitment come from a place of genuine love and caring for our profession. She is known as the quintessential business expert who cares deeply about physical therapy and deeply for those she counsels. It is our honor to present the 2018 Robert G. Dicus Award to Lynn in recognition of her many years of service to both the Section and the profession.

Friend of Private Practice Award

Scott Wick

The PPS Board of Directors is pleased to honor Scott Wick as the recipient of the Section’s 2018 Friend of Private Practice Award. This award recognizes the distinguished contributions of time, energy, or expertise toward promoting the goals of the Section and physical therapist owned business.

Scott is currently the director of business development and an executive partner with Therapeutic Associates, Inc., based in Seattle, Washington. Past roles include director of marketing and operations. Over his 20-year career, Scott has worked tirelessly as an active advocate for the profession of physical therapy both at the state and national level as exemplified by his work within the Private Practice Section.

Scott is an educator to his peers, a consultant to his partners, and a change agent within the PT profession. His unique experience in health care, marketing, and customer relations has been an invaluable contribution in our efforts to promote the Private Practice Section and add value for our members. Scott was invited as a founding member of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee where his vision, leadership, mentorship, and contributions are exemplified by current initiatives including the Marketing 101 Video Series, 99 Marketing Ideas, and the Monthly Marketing Toolkits. He is known among PPS members and colleagues as someone who is passionate about educating consumers about the value of physical therapy, and has committed countless volunteer hours working toward that pursuit.

He has a long history sharing his knowledge and expertise through teaching engagements. Scott has been a guest instructor for the PT curriculum at various universities and serves as a guest instructor on marketing with Evidence in Motion’s transitional DPT program. His current venture to expand the scope of our profession includes partnering with employers to help bend the health care cost curve with a focus on physical health using evidence and data associated with clinical outcomes and patient engagement.

Scott’s passion for physical therapy is so acute that many people express surprise that he is not himself a physical therapist. His dedication to our profession and the Section are evident in the time, energy, and expertise he gives. Scott is highly deserving of this distinguished recognition, as his contributions will continue to have a profound impact on changing the way our profession is perceived and valued within the health care landscape.

Board Service Award

Paul J. Welk, PT, JD

The PPS Board Service Award was established by the Board of Directors to honor an individual who has made extraordinary contributions above and beyond the duties of their role. The Board is pleased to present the 2018 Service Award to Paul Welk, PT, JD, whose service to the Section exemplifies the intent of this award.

As both a licensed physical therapist and a practicing attorney, Paul has made numerous contributions to the educational offerings that PPS provides to its members. He may be most recognizable to members as the founding author of he Legal Impact column in PPS’s Impact magazine, which became a featured column in 2008. Paul has been the primary author of this column since its inception and has been a frequent contributor to Impact over the term of his Section membership. Paul is also a contributing author to the Private Practice Section How-to Manual, Second Edition. In addition to his contributions to Impact and other PPS publications, Paul has been a regular presenter on behalf of PPS at various conferences and is part of the team that currently presents the Administrators Certification Program and Kick-Starting Your Private Practice: Keys to Success and Interactive Consulting (formally known as “How to Start a Private Practice”/“Taking Your Practice to the Next Level”).

What many may not know about Paul is that he had the opportunity to serve as the first R. Charles Harker intern, which allowed him to work on site at APTA headquarters in the Government Affairs Department (under the watchful eye of the 2017 Board of Directors Service Award Winner, Jerry Connolly, then APTA senior vice president for health policy and practice). This experience served as a springboard for Paul to serve the physical therapy profession in a variety of capacities including serving as legal counsel and lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the APTA, serving as a past member and chair of the APTA Committee on Risk Management and Member Benefits, and working with APTA and PPS and their staff and leadership on numerous initiatives for the benefit of the profession.

Paul is known for his generosity in sharing his time and knowledge with PPS members, setting aside time at conferences or on the phone to talk through issues from insurance contracting to employee management, usually without any benefit for himself. Assuming the perspective of the practice owner is natural for him, and it contributes to his ability to provide the shortest and straightest route from problem to solution. The PPS Board thanks Paul for his tremendous contributions to the Section, its members, and to the private practice physical therapy profession.