Education in the time of coronavirus �You have to handicap what the future might look like,� says NCART�s Don Clayback
By Liz Beaulieu, Editor
Updated Fri April 3, 2020
EAST AMHERST, N.Y. - NCART and NRRTS are in a holding pattern on rescheduling their Access2CRT Summit, originally scheduled for March 30-31.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the two organizations are focusing instead on how to best help their members and registrants continue to take care of their patients.
“It's disappointing because we put together a fabulous program—we do every year— but, you know, when you're talking to people, they're worried about a lot more than the new date for the CRT conference,” said Weesie Walker, executive director of NRRTS. “They're worried about how they're going to maintain their businesses.”
The Access2CRT Summit is the complex rehab industry's flagship event for lobbying members of Congress to support initiatives like creating a separate benefit for complex rehab.
NCART and NRRTS are discussing rescheduling the event with the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va., and have potential dates for later this year. They're evaluating those dates with members of a planning committee and sponsors.
“If we all decide those dates work, we'll start making plans,” said Don Clayback, executive director of NCART. “But part of it is, you just don't know. It's one thing to pick a date, but you don't know, will things subside by then and will people get back into things? You have to handicap what the future might look like.”
With many in the industry working from home and barred from traveling, NRRTS has seen increased interest in its webinar series, which offer CEUs. Coming up in May: “Dynamics of multi-joint hip muscles on sitting and lying” with Tamara Kittelson-Aldred and T. Sammie Wakefield on May 12 at 7 p.m. EST.
“People are making productive use of their time and I like to see that,” Walker said. “It's just sad that it's under these circumstances.”
At press time, NCART and NRRTS were offering attendees two options: keep their registration and wait for an update on a new date; or cancel and request a refund through Amy Odom at aodom@nrrts.org.
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