Spring Conference 2026 - Package 2

This course was originally presented at the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

Ethical challenges in physical therapy clinical education are inevitable as students transition from classroom to clinic, navigating complex relationships, competing responsibilities, and real-world pressures. This interactive session explores how educators, clinical instructors, and students can uphold ethical integrity within the clinical learning environment by grounding decisions in professional values and established frameworks.

The session begins with a review of foundational principles, including the APTA Code of Ethics, Core Values, and CAPTE Standards, highlighting how these documents embed ethical responsibility within professional and accreditation expectations. Participants will learn to distinguish professionalism, the observable behaviors expected of practitioners, from ethical reasoning, the deliberate process of decision-making when values conflict.

Building on these foundations, the session examines common ethical dilemmas in clinical education, such as balancing mentorship with evaluation, maintaining boundaries in student–CI relationships, ensuring fairness in placements, managing confidentiality and HIPAA compliance, and addressing patient safety concerns.

Real-world vignettes and polling activities will immerse attendees in practical scenarios, encouraging reflection and discussion.

Participants will then apply structured decision-making tools, including the RIPS Model (Realm, Individual Process, Situation), to analyze ethical tensions and determine appropriate courses of action. Through collaborative problem-solving, attendees will enhance their confidence in guiding students, supporting CIs, and aligning ethical behavior with patient-centered care.

The session concludes with practical take-home resources: a CI ethics checklist, student reflection prompts, and reference materials from the APTA, CAPTE, and OPTA Ethics Committee. By integrating ethical reasoning into supervision and instruction, educators can better prepare future clinicians to think critically, act compassionately, and uphold the profession’s highest standards.

This session combines lecture, discussion, and active participation to equip attendees with concrete tools for identifying, analyzing, and addressing ethical challenges in physical therapy clinical education.

Upon completion of this session, the attendee will be able to - 

• Identify key ethical principles and professional standards outlined in the APTA Code of Ethics, Core Values, and CAPTE expectations as they relate to clinical education.
• Differentiate between professionalism and ethical reasoning when navigating complex student–CI– patient interactions.
• Apply structured ethical decision-making frameworks (e.g., RIPS Model) to analyze and resolve common ethical dilemmas in clinical education.
• Develop strategies to foster open dialogue, reflective practice, and accountability among students, clinical instructors, and faculty in ethically challenging situations.

This course was originally presented at the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of medial ankle pain specific to runners and running-related injuries, presented through a practical case study format. Participants will learn how to perform a comprehensive subjective evaluation tailored to runners-covering training routines, footwear, and social or environmental factors that influence healing and injury risk.

Through discussion of patient history and key subjective findings, the audience will learn to identify red flags, recognize training errors, and assess biomechanical and social determinants that contribute to a multifactorial cause of injury. This approach emphasizes understanding the runner’s mindset, enabling clinicians to design treatment plans that align with training goals. Using this approach can enhance better therapeutic alliance and patient engagement.

Given that symptoms in distance runners can be difficult to reproduce in the clinic, this course will instruct participants which questions to ask, and which tests to perform to accurately identify the source of pain.

Differential diagnosis will be reviewed for bone, soft tissue, and neural sources, and discuss how to determine tissue irritability to guide safe treatment and training progression.

The presentation will also explore:

• How to modify training loads while managing injury.
• Evidence-based strategies for gait assessment and retraining in runners.
• The role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in identifying tissue dysfunction to enhance clinical decision- making.
• Treatment approach including appropriate exercise dosage, and effective use of manual therapy techniques.

By the end of the course, the audience will have the tools to confidently assess, diagnose, and treat medial ankle pain in runners, while keeping patients active and engaged in their sport.

Upon completion of this session, the attendee will be able to - 

• Determine the most appropriate specific runner-related history questions and be able to identify key findings from subjective information.
• Use evidence-based practice to differentially diagnose between multiple diagnoses and come up with the most likely diagnosis and understand why.
• Identify key findings from the use of MSKUS that can guide the most appropriate treatment.
• Apply a manual therapy-based treatment approach to treatment of medial ankle pain on a long-distance runner.

This course was originally presented at the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

Elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are common in baseball. Despite the identification of several modifiable risk factors, elbow UCL reconstruction surgeries have become increasingly more common.

Recent research has shown that up to 25% of all current Major League and 15% of Minor League pitchers have already undergone at least one UCL reconstruction procedure. Even more alarming, elbow UCL reconstruction surgeries have increased by 343% in adolescent baseball players between the ages of 15-19 years old, with this population now representing about 60% of all UCL reconstruction surgeries performed in the United States. UCL reconstruction surgeries also represent a significant amount of time lost from sport, with the average return to play between 15-18 months post-surgery.

While overall return to play statistics have demonstrated that UCL reconstruction surgeries have good to excellent results, studies have shown that only 67% of pitchers that undergo the procedure return to play at the same level of competition or above, with over 25% of these pitchers returning to the injured list at some point in their career secondary to recurrent elbow pain.

Although elbow UCL reconstruction and repair surgeries have become more common, variation in post- operative protocols and return to play interval throwing programs still exist. This presentation will focus on some of the current rehabilitation strategies that physical therapists utilize during post-operative elbow UCL reconstruction rehab, including total body kinetic chain exercises, neuromuscular re-education interventions, and sport specific plyometric exercises to improve return to play outcomes and decrease the risk of re-injury. In addition, workload considerations, and key performance indicators for interval throwing programs to help physical therapists progress pitchers from flat ground throwing to pitching off the mound will also be discussed.

In recent years, several programs designed to help mitigate the risk of elbow UCL injury in adolescent baseball pitchers, including the PitchSmart Guidelines and arm care programs have been introduced. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the role that physical therapists can play on community health education to help decrease the prevalence of elbow UCL injuries in the future.

Upon completion of this session, the attendee will be able to - 

• Identify three risk factors associated with elbow UCL injuries in baseball pitchers.
• Demonstrate three interventions that can be utilized in the rehabilitation of post-operative elbow UCL injuries prior to beginning a return to play throwing program.
• Identify the throwing distance a baseball pitcher should achieve during flat ground long toss before progressing to throwing off the mound.

This course is offered in collaboration with the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

In clinical education, the ability to engage in honest, constructive conversations is essential, but often challenging. This session, Courage to Communicate: Navigating Difficult Conversations in Clinical Education, is designed to empower clinical instructors, site coordinators, academic faculty and students with the tools and confidence to approach feedback and challenging dialogue with clarity, empathy, and professionalism.

Grounded in evidence-informed practice and literature, this session explores the psychological and relational dynamics that make feedback difficult, and introduces structured frameworks such as SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact), Pendleton's Rules, and the R2C2 model (Rapport-Reaction-Content-Coach) to guide effective communication. Participants will examine real-world clinical scenarios involving underperformance, misaligned expectations, and emotionally charged interactions, and will learn to apply feedback strategies that foster growth and maintain trust.

The session includes interactive components such as case-based discussion, and a feedback planning tool that attendees can use in their own settings. Participants will also receive three practical activities tailored to different roles: a peer feedback exercise for students, a feedback culture mapping activity for DCEs, and a roundtable discussion guide for clinical education faculty. These resources are designed to be immediately implementable and adaptable across diverse clinical environments.

By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped to lead and model courageous communication in clinical education, creating psychologically safe spaces where feedback is not only delivered, but welcomed. This session supports the development of leadership, emotional intelligence, and reflective practice, all of which are critical to advancing clinical education and professional growth.

Upon completing this session, participants will - 

• Understand the psychology of feedback and why difficult conversations are often avoided.
• Learn and apply evidence-based frameworks for giving and receiving feedback.
• Practice strategies for real-world clinical scenarios involving students, instructors, and coordinators.
• Build confidence in navigating emotionally charged or high-stakes conversations.

This course is offered in collaboration with the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

Lymphedema is a condition resulting from an abnormal amount of protein-rich fluid accumulating in the subcutaneous tissues due to a compromised lymphatic system. It can occur in the limbs, head and neck, trunk, and genitalia. Lymphedema is a life-long, chronic condition that may have a negative impact on quality of life. Primary Lymphedema is lymphatic insufficiency caused by congenital abnormalities. Secondary lymphedema is the result of damage to the lymphatic system. Cancer, medical treatment, and surgical treatment for cancer are risk factors for secondary lymphedema. Most notably, radiation therapy and lymph node dissection increase risk. The incidence of lymphedema across all cancer survivors is 15.5%. Additionally, patients who have undergone radiation therapy have an even higher incidence of Lymphedema at 31.0%.

In this presentation, we will cover an overview of the physiology of the lymphatic system. Review the pathophysiology, risk factors, and clinical presentation of secondary lymphedema in oncology to aid in early identification of cancer patients at risk. We will review the diagnosis and natural history of secondary lymphedema, staging, and its impact on quality of life. Educate the role of the physical therapist as part of an interdisciplinary team to manage the condition and improve patient outcomes. While lymphedema has no cure, it can be managed with early recognition and referral to therapists with advanced training. We will review the evidence for conservative treatment for lymphedema including Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT,) with special considerations in oncological lymphedema across the lifespan.

By understanding and identifying risk factors for secondary lymphedema and its clinical presentation, physical therapists who work in oncology, we'll have the opportunity to educate patients and families, promote risk reduction, monitor symptom progression, and recommend timely referral for patients' optimal treatment. Physical therapists have the ability to change the outcome by maximizing function, mitigating risk of disease progression, and improving the quality of life of patients with secondary lymphedema. Finally, this presentation will review case studies of patients with secondary lymphedema. Information on therapist certification, resources, and educational materials will be included for those interested in further study.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will - 

• Understand anatomy of the lymphatic system as well as the pathophysiology and natural history of oncological secondary lymphedema.
• Evaluate clinical presentation of secondary lymphedema.
• Analyze risk factors and patients who are at increased risk for secondary lymphedema.
• Understand patient and family education and treatment for secondary lymphedema including components of treatment, goals of treatment and evidence supporting treatment.
• Be familiar with Pediatric Lymphedema resources.

This course is offered in collaboration with the 2026 OPTA Spring Conference, celebrating OPTA's 75th Anniversary.

In this presentation, we will describe the Charitable Health Network and its role in Ohio, highlighting its support of our free clinic efforts in Youngstown. We will then focus on Penguin Physical Therapy, the pro bono clinic created by Youngstown State University's DPT program. This includes the clinic's development as part of a community-engaged physical therapy course, its current status, and operational details such as marketing, budget, scheduling, and staffing.

We will present program data related to patients seen and outcomes, including volume, presenting problems, interventions, and measurable results. Student reflections will illustrate learning outcomes such as clinical reasoning, professional identity formation, and commitment to service.

The relationship of Penguin Physical Therapy with the Midlothian Free Health Clinic in the Youngstown community will be presented. In addition, we will describe the University's partnership with the Midlothian Free Health Clinic to develop and implement an interprofessional approach to patient care in the free clinic setting. As part of this relationship, the interprofessional education course offered by the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services has implemented an experience to engage interdisciplinary teams of students with patients in the free clinic.

Disciplines that participate in the course include Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, Respiratory Care, Dietetics, Social Work, and Public Health. A description of the interdisciplinary course will be presented as well as the specifics of the free clinic-related assignment. As part of this course, students complete the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment Tool to measure their assessment of IPE core competencies before and after the course.

It is our hope that information about the Charitable Health Network, coupled with our model of a physical therapy pro bono clinic and an interprofessional course interfacing with a community free health clinic, will challenge participants to formulate ideas and opportunities to develop similar initiatives that meet their interests and needs.

Upon completion of this presentation, participants will be able to - 

• Describe the structure, funding, and impact of the Charitable Health Network in Ohio.
• Analyze elements for consideration to plan the development of a pro bono physical therapy clinic.
• Assess the integration of interdisciplinary students into a free medical clinic experience to impact and facilitate student learning.