2004 Pauline Cerasoli Lecture: The Influence of Leaders

Journal of Physical Therapy Education, Fall 2004 by Feitelberg, Samuel B

The word "physiotherapy" has since been replaced by "physical therapy," and "trained technicians" by "physical therapists."

In 1928-1929, Lucile R Grunewald conducted a study of physiotherapy as a vocation." This eight-part effort addressed the definition of physiotherapy, the demand for practitioners, the content of courses, the length of training, and the need for licensing, a major criteria for the profession.

Throughout this literature, expressions of a professional nature appear, such as a high calling, greater intelligence, more thoroughly educated, and must have character and personality. At that time, a position with the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission was advertised: "Candidates must possess executive ability and be temperamentally fitted to deal with patient(s) and their physicians."12

The Information Grunewald gathered demonstrated clearly that the period 1910-1930 gave seed and substance to physical therapy. At that time, we entered the health care and political arenas and began our journey to become a "doctoring profession."

It also revealed our leaders' hearts. They believed in what they were doing and had the passion and the drive to create the profession.

The complete stones of the accreditation of physical therapy academic programs will someday he told. The leadership involvement in these activities required fortitude, courage, and certainly endurance (1921-1979), integrity, and initiative. There were and still are many, many, many players.

I recall vividly the early 70s, when Don Lemkukl of the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) of the American Medical Association (AMA) and I were fine-tuning changes in the essentials and criteria in Washington, DC. This document was to go directly to the House of Delegates of AMA. It was the Saturday evening that President Richard Nixon fired Attorney General Eliot Richardson over Watergate. We did not know we were a few blocks from history in the making.

The document went to AMA and the changes were defeated. We had begun the march toward independent accreditation.

Members of CAHEA fought our withdrawal tenaciously, to a point where they put their integrity at substantial risk. The Council on Medical Education stepped in and investigated the circumstances and decided not to continue to pursue physical therapy accreditation. I was a member of CAHEA as a dean and had remained on the committee in the face of a great deal of encouragement from my colleagues to resign. I knew that if I left, no one would be there on our behalf to tell our story. You can imagine I felt a hit uncomfortable in both organizations, but my resolve was clear in my head and my heart. When I left CAHEA I was given a certificate of appreciation that said my name, with "MD" after it. I would not give it hack, but I left with the greatest respect for the Council on Medical Educations ability to address the issue.

In the very late 70s, our academic administration met in New Orleans and voted to no longer use CAHEA for accreditation, it was unanimous. This was an act of astounding conviction and courage as each of us would have to return to our academic setting to inform our dean. We truly put our positions on the line. The backlash was felt for well over a decade in the effort to move our programs to the postbaccalaureate entry level (master's level). How times have changed!