2005 Vermont Code - § 2081a. — Definitions

§ 2081a. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Assistive personnel" means physical therapist assistants and physical therapy aides and other trained or educated health care providers who perform specific designated tasks related to physical therapy under the supervision of a physical therapist.

(2) "Disciplinary action" or "disciplinary cases" includes any action taken by the administrative law officer appointed under 3 V.S.A. § 129(j) against a licensee or applicant premised upon a finding of wrongdoing or unprofessional conduct by the licensee or applicant. It includes all sanctions of any kind, including obtaining injunctions, suspending or revoking licenses, issuing conditions on practice, warnings, and other similar sanctions.

(3) "Physical therapist" means a person who has met all the conditions of this chapter and is licensed to practice physical therapy in this state.

(4) "Physical therapist assistant" means a person who has met the conditions of this chapter and is licensed to perform physical therapy procedures and related tasks that have been selected and delegated by the supervising physical therapist.

(5) "Physical therapy aide" means a person, trained under the direction of a physical therapist, who performs designated and supervised routine physical therapy tasks.

(6) "Practice of physical therapy" means the evaluation and treatment of any person by the employment of effective properties of physical measures and the use of therapeutic exercises and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive devices, for the purposes of preventing, correcting or alleviating a physical or mental disability. Physical therapy includes, but is not limited to, the performance of specialized tests, administration of specialized therapeutic procedures, development of treatment plans with licensed health care professionals acting within the scope of their practice and establishment and modification of physical therapy programs for patients. (Added 1997, No. 40, § 25; amended 2005, No. 27, § 54.)