Rebecca Edgeworth Ditwiler PT, DPT, Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy & Associate Professor was recently appointed to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Ethics and Judicial Committee. Her term will start on January 1, 2022 and end on December 31, 2026.

This committee shall:

• Interpret the ethical principles and standards of the association.
• Propose revisions of the ethical principles and standards of the association and the Disciplinary Action Procedural Document of the association.
• Make revisions, as necessary, to the documents that interpret the ethical principles and standards of the association and disseminate these documents for the management of judicial affairs.
• Promote activities for the dissemination of information on ethics.
• Process reported violations of ethical principles and standards in accordance with approved procedures.
• Make final decisions in disciplinary proceedings against a member, subject only to appeal to the Board of Directors by the member.
• Carry out other duties as may be requested by the Board of Directors.”

In addition to the directives as indicated in the APTA bylaws, the Board of Directors’ determined charge for the Ethics and Judicial Committee is to:

• actively promote activities for the dissemination of information on ethics, including building on the work already done to provide education on the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (“Code”) and Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (“Standards”). To do so, each committee member should undertake to complete during this term publishing written material and/or making oral presentations on the topic of ethics.
• continue education on revisions to the Disciplinary Action Procedural Document.
• submit a report to the Board of Directors on an annual basis.