I Got a Bill Passed

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[00:01:07] I just speak to the patient and at the end hit Carpahen and is so note generated. I love it and you will too. Welcome back to this whole Physio Stories podcast and when your host, Dr. E with

[00:01:21] Modern Manual Therapy, Edge Mobility System and our four month online mentoring program modern rehab mastery, my co-host, Dr. Andrew Rochows not with me but today I have Dr. Matthewy, how's it going today Matt? Pretty good, I'm such a stuff.

[00:01:35] Great so I saw Matt post on LinkedIn, a link to a YouTube video about how you got a built fast, so I thought hey I'm not going to watch this video, I just want to hear this story.

[00:01:48] So why don't you give it a quick intro and then tell us how you got your built fast. That's a built fast. So, my name is Matt. I am a PTVN of PT almost 15 years now, my diplomat and MDT and we chatted about that and I'm

[00:02:02] a fellow at A, I want PT so I got all that. If you if I look familiar and that you've probably seen my goofy Instagram stuff so it's me being kind of silly with things that go on in our lives and as PT is therapists and health

[00:02:16] care so that's that's me. I'm a local picture your profile picture is very super hero. Yes, I did. I set that up and one thing funny about why I finished because you're waiting for you not on there.

[00:02:29] I like the dude who went there for some reason he didn't draw it on there so I said it wasn't an active choice but so I'm also involved with I'm here in Texas now so I am involved

[00:02:41] in the Texas physical therapy association but when this story happened I was in the Mississippi physical therapy association at the time so I've been active with that for probably over 10 years and some capacity doing something at the state level with helping the profession.

[00:02:59] All right so yeah I mean what happened like what was the bill and so it was I believe it was House Bill 307 or 309 and so when the license you're compact when that it was about that so

[00:03:14] if you're familiar with the license you're compact what it is is that you get the right to practice in a state and it had something that had been talked about nationally because like nurses had had this because with their travel it was their traveling and it was really

[00:03:33] focused for therapy on military so people in the military if they are military personnel or their spouse and they move that sometimes when they go to a new state it's a very long process

[00:03:46] to get their license and they're like we want to make this away there's so many moves to a state they can get the right to practice in that state really quickly and to start to start work

[00:03:58] and also benefits therapists who happen to live near a border so if they live on the border of the of a snow the state that they can practice in both states and you're not going to the

[00:04:10] long process of getting the actual license that it would you get the right to practice in it so this had been in the talks and as it was coming down in Mississippi we had as a board

[00:04:24] had come together and said we want to get this here in Mississippi because at the time there they said the first 10 states get to be on like the light light on like the board for the

[00:04:39] the light's is your compact and we were saying well we don't want just the big state so we don't want California New York it's California New York Illinois Florida attacks us like the biggest

[00:04:53] ones and we don't want just those big states on it where any decisions or anything that go forward about you know like you're the CEUs that you got to get or any requirements because that would be

[00:05:07] they said we don't want just these big states putting out stuff that's just going to probably benefit them we want to have these smaller states to have a seat and to have a voice and so

[00:05:18] that we could speak for that small state and something that we may be dealing with or whatnot so we were really said okay I think we can do this we can really push this through and get this through

[00:05:33] the Mississippi legislature so it's an interesting thing several years before and I cannot remember how long they had just passed another bill it was before I had come onto the board

[00:05:50] and I cannot for the life of me remember what it was but it was pretty significant for the state and so when seeing that we had found out they said that you really can't like get a

[00:06:02] bill passed and they come back the next year we're like hey we got another bill can you pass that and you know they come back did you knew they said they kind of get sick of you and they're

[00:06:10] like go away we're not going to listen to you so they said you you kind of have to play the game and you got to play nice so it had been enough time we had did several fundraiser to raise

[00:06:24] enough money to really kind of campaign to do this so what we did we we based it upon the nurses compact because the nurses licensure compact had been approved in the state of Mississippi

[00:06:40] so we said we're going to base it off of theirs and so we had somebody right it up and it was it was very very similar so like if you come in and you know this is the requirements that you

[00:06:51] got to get you get this long to get it approved and this and so I had said all of that that up we had our lobbyist who very interesting thing with the lobbyist and said this guy he's just going

[00:07:07] around he's just talking he's just listening to whatever's going on so it's funny he'll be like I wouldn't play golf a song so I went and got a couple coffee with somebody I got I got this so

[00:07:18] he's it's just building these relationships and so it's in that's something that people really understand like you get somebody and going having a cup of coffee with somebody you get them talk and you can find out what's the temperature of things going on so are they in the

[00:07:36] mood more they will healthcare is a big thing and that's what they're really or are they really focused on an education bill so that they're not going to want to do that so he was very

[00:07:47] instrumental in telling us like okay this is what they're focused on or notice is a good time and then we had to find a representative to sponsor the bill so we went through the house

[00:08:00] the representatives in the house because we found that it's going to be a little clearer path so it went to a committee in the committee you know sees what they write it up they see what we have

[00:08:13] and that's what a lot of negotiation started on it and so they're going back at fourth what does this mean what does that mean I don't like that in there let's take that out because I think we

[00:08:22] had some fun when we get into approval like in seven days and they didn't like that so we had to change it up but an interesting thing that really started coming up we had a discussion on

[00:08:34] is do we have to open up a practice act and that was a little scary because and I'll bring this up but anytime stuff comes up about getting stuff approved when it if you get a bill if you

[00:08:47] get bring up a bill it may affect your practice act and so they have to say all right we're going to pull this practice act will open it up but the thing is you may have to add something but

[00:08:57] if something gets added somebody could come in as they take that out I don't like that so it's a scary kind of thing and you really got to have a pulse and understanding on do you happen to have somebody

[00:09:10] that's got a lot of pull that's going to come in be like I don't like this direct access thing I don't like this dry needleing thing that they do I don't like this manipulation that they did and they could

[00:09:20] easily distract you out. Yeah so it didn't happen in other states yeah so it really has it and that's what sometimes blocks a lot of things is like yeah we just got a few people that

[00:09:33] would pull the direct acts or dry needleing or they would change up it so we're not going to do anything because this people or they're going to do something and we don't want to do it so that

[00:09:47] kind of held up so luckily we didn't have to we didn't have any resistance or anything to do it so it got through really really quickly and so we got it all written up with our

[00:10:02] concessions because you gotta put a couple of concessions in so you know if you want this you don't ask for that yes for this this thing's reasonable okay so we'll take less and less until

[00:10:12] on there so that's why you you got to be able to give a little bit so we got it all written up got it out of committee and then the the fun time comes in when it actually gets heard

[00:10:26] and that's kind of crazy so so we got the house of delegates coming up and everybody has the emotions that they've written up well then they start reordering so same things happen with

[00:10:35] bills as these bills come up and they're like well I moved to have this bill moved up and I moved to have this bill dry so they start shuffling and it can easily just be to stick that

[00:10:47] bill on the bottom and the ends of the session ends and they're like that's it gone and they toss them all in it goes away so you're trying to negotiate you're trying to get it up there

[00:10:57] you don't want it behind stuff it's gonna have like a lot of discussion that takes up a lot of time so we were luckily in a good position and they got there we got they got it passed and then

[00:11:08] it went over to the Senate side and they said usually the passes won they're gonna pass it right through the other one really no problem so they they really didn't have an issue but we kind of we had

[00:11:21] one of them thing so our lieutenant governor at the time was a big finance person he was very big on like is this going to cost the state money how can this make the state money you know he was very

[00:11:36] particular so we're bringing up like this can bring jobs in because you're you're going up because the city does have military bases so you're kind of saying oh you military personnel

[00:11:46] spouses come in they can work you're going to be able to bring more people in and I swear I think I did something with this is I called a friend who kind of was like new some people like that

[00:12:00] talk to other people on it I was like could you just mention that this bill's coming up it's very good it's to help people and I don't know if it worked or not but then the bill then it passed

[00:12:13] through the lieutenant governor and then it goes to the governor and you get to have a big ceremony where he he signs the bill and it so he he signs it at a different time but you get to go on the

[00:12:25] office and you know he's got the pan and he signs that you take pictures with it and then somebody took the pan I don't get the pan so my took it that's pretty cool I mean wow so

[00:12:36] so what advice would you give to any physical therapists you want to change something and oh it's um it's relationships it sounds like it and I forgot this part so the thing that kind of came

[00:12:49] up is that once you pass that bill you know that that representative or whatnot that did it they come to you and they're like you know I got a fundraiser coming up you know so you

[00:13:04] kind of got to make a donation to their fund on it so you you had to do a little bit of that but I would say if you want to do that you do have to build a relationship with your representatives

[00:13:19] because a thing like people have knocked on that about you know getting anything done and you know we don't but you gotta think the people that are in that are representing us in the government they're they're not only making decisions on healthcare but education, agricultural, business you know

[00:13:38] the you know the environmental so they're they're trying to make decisions across the board and healthcare is often not their specialty and so they may be you know so so they don't know anything about healthcare now they do have people in their office that are kind of like

[00:13:57] oh this is the healthcare person this is the education person so that they will listen to whoever comes in and they will sit and they will talk with you but it's but it's um just talking

[00:14:08] with them like I've been lucky enough here is I've contacted my rep and I got to got her to speak at one of our district meetings um I got to go to a round table for healthcare

[00:14:20] and found out that she is very big about small businesses and healthcare so let me so she wants to hear from you know again through a small private practice owner she wants to hear what struggles are

[00:14:33] you going through what issues are you having so she wants to use that to say like this is what we what we need to do but it's it's building those little things with them it's not coming to

[00:14:46] them and going you need to do this because they literally get a stack of papers from people all over their their state or wherever they are telling them you need to do this you need to do that and

[00:14:59] they're like I'm trying to make the best decision but if you are coming to them and you're just talking in your in your building relationship and they know who you are then it turns into like oh okay

[00:15:10] I want to reach back out to bring you I'm gonna bring my people in to talk about healthcare you're the people on the front my let's come in and talk to us about what you're struggling with

[00:15:20] or what you're dealing with um and that's the thing and then you also got to keep in mind too like election cycle so we got the election cycle coming up you just got voted out and you got to go

[00:15:32] through that process again because they're not gonna hand it all off to the next person the next person has their agenda is that they want to do and you gotta start the whole thing again so

[00:15:40] it takes quite a while it's it's a lot of relationship and it's really good if you work with them the local people so like your local representatives I'm not saying like your mayor but like

[00:15:53] you know you have your district person and they often come back like August is coming up they're gonna be back for August recess and you can invite them to your clinic this I

[00:16:02] had you know come into your clinic they want they want the picture they want you they want to come in and say look I'm I'm actually out with my constituents and I'm talking with them um and you can

[00:16:11] set up to meet them in their office too so it's it's just those little things and asking you know hey you know what can I do for you too to help you with your campaign is that making a donation

[00:16:22] which the APTA I believe will help you if you want to do a like a fundraiser you know when they're fundraiser dinners or something like that I believe the pack if you reach out to them they can

[00:16:35] assist you with doing that like going and you know your representative the you know I'll be Texas or the APTA when you go so it's those it's those little things it's just in that relationship

[00:16:48] and just so that there are key contact your key contact for somebody to talk about huh that sounds involved yeah all right hey and thanks thanks to you and the team of others

[00:17:02] Mississippi's now far to the PT compact while I'm waiting for that New York I heard what I heard it was like introduced I'm thinking like yeah maybe before I retire I'll New York will be

[00:17:11] part of the compact yeah it's like silly I think California was fighting it for a long time and it's just like a silly literally just a silly little thing of why like we had an issue here in Texas

[00:17:23] that the head of the state legislature was an MD would not pass anything for any other profession he just did not on it like there like they're the end all be all mean well they have like the highest

[00:17:37] danger rate for a atrocious yeah and that's the thing is like you're like every other prevent medical profession is more dangerous than them and they are the most dangerous yeah it's

[00:17:48] like okay like our default is is safety is descending back to you so it's yeah it's the it's you're dealing with people it's all of this for sure all right hey thanks for telling your story

[00:18:00] thank you working people find you I'd like a LinkedIn or youtuber what Instagram you so I'm mainly on Instagram so I got a goofy long Instagram thing on there it's Matt underscore PT underscore

[00:18:14] MDT underscore excuse me it is Matt underscore PT underscore dip underscore MDT I did that because I have a friend who got me through the into MBT and all that I kind of set it up for him he passed away

[00:18:29] several years ago but outside of that you can find Matt the PT on Instagram excuse me on YouTube TikTok LinkedIn just search for an amen here you'll find me on there

[00:18:42] all right thanks for coming on Matt thank you hey if you guys like Matt story you want to reach out to either one of us make sure to check us out on LinkedIn Facebook Instagram rate untold physio

[00:18:53] stories five stars were a bit of the podcast that's Apple and Spotify especially because that helps our discoverability as always you guys have a great day