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Deb Kilty, RI Chapter President
Hello AMTA RI Members,
I hope that you all are staying healthy and safe during these unpresidented times for us all. I'd like to thank all of those members that took part in our chapters first ever Online Elections. Thank you for your support once again. Please join me in welcoming our newest board member Larry Gallagher! Larry has volunteered as CSMT Chair for 2 years and is now a member of the board!
Due to the coronavirus crisis our chapter had the unique opportunity to particiate in Online Elections this year. Switching to the online election platform has been a discussion within our chapter for several years. The RI members were first surveyed in 2017 and then again in 2019 regarding online elections.
Both surveys resulted in a 50/50 split on whether to stay with nominations from the floor the day of the annual meeting or to change over to online elections.
In order to make this change a vote is necessary at the annual member meeting with 2/3 of those in attendance approving the change; once the change is made a chapter can not go back to voting via floor nominations; also there is no combination of the two ways of voting.
Now that our chapter has been able to experience both ways of voting our members can make an educated decision regarding which voting process they prefer. In the coming weeks the board will conduct another survey regaring online voting, the results of that survey will determine whether we move forward with the steps necessary to change our chapters way of voting or stay with our current system.
To say the least, these are difficult times for so many, be assured that your chapter board and committee chairs are always here working for you, our members. We do our best to communicate information that is helpful in a timely manner. If you have a Facebook or Twitter (find us @RhodeIslandAMTA) account please join our community on either of these social media platforms to engage with other RI therapists and AMTA members. Networking and support from collegues and friends is so important during times like these. If anyone has any questions or concerns please reach out so that we can be of assistance. All chapter board and chair contact information is on the chapter website.
Continue to stay safe and healthy!
Sincerely,
Deb Kilty, LMT
AMTA RI Chapter President
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All AMTA-RI Chapter Board Meetings are
open to the public.
During this time of the Covid-19 Pandemic all AMTA RI Board meetings are being held virtually. Due to the delay in the AMTA RI chapter annual members meeting future board meeting dates are still to be determined. If you are interested in sitting in on any of the upcoming virtual meetings
please contact our Secretary
Kimberly Medeiros
at (860) 617-1546 or via email
log in information.
Check in the next newsletter or on our website for future meeting dates.
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Join us in Welcoming our New members:
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Elena Prunty ChanmalekaValerio
Ashley Dellamano Lyn Picerno
Sutchana Siriphaboonmani
Claudia Ainslie Crystal Bautista Nicole Dagostino Jennifer McKay Frankcely Taveras Daniel Shay Vandura Khoun Brittany Flanagan Hayden Dubois
Total RI Members: 582!!
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AMTA Offers the Strongest Benefits in the Profession!
From education to award-winning publications to broad liability insurance, AMTA membership gives you the tools you need to grow and thrive in the massage therapy profession.
In fact, 100 percent of your membership dues are invested back into you in the form of benefits and advocacy for the profession.
Questions? Call 1-877-905-0577 during business hours or email us. |
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SEEKING VOLUNTEERS!
Notice:
The RI Chapter of the AMTA is seeking a volunteer for the Website Chair position. This volunteer should be detailed oriented, organized and have good computer skills.
The website chair will be responsible for keeping the chapter website updated with events, photos and general information.
If you have interest in volunteering some of your time for your chapter please contact:
"Volunteers are love in motion!" - Author Unknown
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Debbie KiltyRoy Kenji Omori
Board Member
401-864-1258
[email protected]
Larry Gallagher
Kimberly Medeiros (Gregorzek)
Kimberley CookFinancial Administrator 401-837-8079
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Cassie Rawcliffe
860-942-2364
Gov. Relations Chair
Delegate
Roy Kenji Omori
401-864-1258
Board Member, Social Media, Facebook Administrator
Larry Gallagher401-678-0215 Board Member CSMT-Outreach Div. Chair
Alda Cordeiro 401-829-0293 Education Chair
Claudia Botthoff401-749-0176 Membership Chair
Kim Gregorzek-Medeiros 860-617-1546 Membership Committee Senior Members Contact Deb Kilty 401-339-1041 President Newsletter Editor Kimberley Cook 401-837-8079 Financial Administrator Website Chair Dales DeCelles 401-486-8730 Delegate Education Committee |
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 Larry Gallagher, Board Member |
I'd like to introduce myself; my name is Larry Gallagher and I've volunteered with the AMTA RI chapter sports massage team for many years. Two years ago, I volunteered to become the chair of the newly developed Community Service Massage Team and this year was elected to serve on the chapter board.
Over the many years of my membership I've heard and read a number of things in regards to the AMTA RI Chapter and local government; during the Covid-19 shut down and subsequent re-opening of massage therapy there were many more questions and concerns circulating on social media.
I became interested in finding answers to several things, such as, how long has the AMTA been involved with government, what the relationship is and the sort of accomplishments that have been achieved.
Once I became a member of the RI chapter board, I decided to investigate the subject more. The following is a summary based on the information available to me.
- Massage therapists have been licensed and regulated in RI since 1978
- Government Relations is the only committee that each AMTA state chapter is required to have
RECENT ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE GR COMMITTEE:
- In 2012/2013 legislative session, changes to the massage therapy statute were made; including but not limited to, the formation of the massage therapy board, the board's responsibilities & duties, language amendments, specific clarifications regarding continuing education credits
- True North Communications (lobbyist) was hired in 2012 to represent, guide and advocate the AMTA RI Chapter in the development of such changes and introduce the amendments to the RI General Assembly
- In 2013, the statute amendments were passed into law
- In March of 2013, RI DOH, AMTA RI Chapter members, and True North lobbyist were present at a meeting to specifically discuss the responsibilities of the massage board and to clearly define and amend DOH's rules and regulations
- 2015/2016 Massage Therapy board is formed and holds quarterly meetings under RI DOH
- 2017 GR committee provided written and verbal testimony in both Providence and Cranston due to amendments made to municipality ordinances directly affecting the massage therapy profession
- 2017/2018 GR committee began gathering information regarding each municipality's requirements to open a massage therapy business within each city/town
- Spring 2018 GR committee applies for and receives the LLEAD Grant from National AMTA to assist with any legislative goals/intentions
- GR committee takes on the recommendation to amend the statute; clearly defining and expanding definitions and subsections of the statute, removal of unnecessary language/verbiage
- Formation of massage therapy statute coalition; comprised of AMTA, ABMP and other RI licensed massage therapists
- 2018 True North contracted again to represent, advocate and guide AMTA RI Chapter for the 2019 legislative session
- Statute amendments introduced as a bill and passed into law in July 2019. Click here if you'd like to view the complete RI Massage Therapy Licensing Act.
- Spring 2019 GR Committee applies and receives LLEAD Grant from National AMTA to assist with any legislative goals/intentions
- GR committee polled the membership about insurance reimbursement in August 2019
- GR committee discussed pursuing patient education pamphlet (options for non-opioid pharmacological and complimentary/rehabilitative therapies for pain management) with membership
- October 2019, Meeting with RI DOH, RI Chapter members and True North to discuss non-opioid pamphlet, amending existing law and gaining support
- November 2019- January 2020 True North communicates RI Chapter's intentions to various professional groups (Physicians, PT, OT, etc....)
- Non-opioid pamphlet introduced as a bill to the RI General Assembly for the 2020 legislative session
- All bills thrown out of 2020 legislative session due to COVID pandemic
COVID 2020:
- All close-contact businesses are required to shut down per Executive Order 20-09
- Multiple communications sent to the membership throughout mid-March through June 2020
- Governor called for input from various business, schools, churches, and private industries for plans for long term social distancing for the next year on Monday, 04/20/2020
- AMTA RI Chapter leaders were asked by membership where the massage therapy profession falls in the various phases of a slow, safe re-open of RI
- The AMTA RI Chapter was advised by True North to develop preliminary considerations and requested to have a voice at the RI DOH table when developing recommended safety protocols as the state moved toward a safe, slow re-open on 4/24/2020
- AMTA RI Chapter lobbyist asked RI DOH on 04/28/2020 when the massage therapy profession would be re-opening, as the profession was not specifically mentioned during daily briefings.
- The RI DOH responded on 04/29/2020 with an appreciation for our request and preliminary considerations, the profession was under review the MT profession was set to re-open along with the Allied Health Professionals in phase 1 and that they would be in touch
- Discrepancies between the RI Department of Commerce and RI DOH unfolded; Commerce felt that the MT profession fell under personal care services, set to open in phase 2, while RI DOH felt that the MT profession was in alignment with allied health care professionals under phase 1 (clarification of this discrepancy was explained by Dr. McDonald during Zoom meeting 06/02/20)
- MT profession re-opened in RI on 06/01/2020
- Spring 2020 GR Committee applies and receives LLEAD Grant from National AMTA to assist with any legislative goals/intentions
As you saw mentioned, the AMTA offers a grant to each state chapter, to assist with the expenses of a lobbyist, based on each chapter's financial position. The employment of a lobbyist is essential to the process of presenting proposals to the RI general assembly. The steps that are necessary are long and arduous. As you know, any process involving the government is never shy of red tape.
It's been a crazy year, so far, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to discover all the activities of the AMTA RI Government Relations committee of the most recent past. I had read and heard of many of their undertakings but to see them here in this timeline, I'd like to say thank you to the current GR committee chair Cassie Rawcliffe for helping me collect this data; and to the current GR Committee all past GR committees for the work they've done in forwarding our profession. I hope this helps others to understand the work of the GR committee as it helped me.
The GR committee is always looking for volunteers, if you might be interested please contact Cassie Rawcliffe, GR committee chair at [email protected]. Larry Gallagher, LMT AMTA RI Chapter Board Member
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 Awards Joanne Lozy, Awards Committee Chair |
2020 Significant Anniversaries
Joanne Lozy, Awards Chair
Congratulations to all who are celebrating significant anniversaries with the American Massage Therapy Association this year. We want you to know that you are appreciated. As a valued member we welcome you and hope you will attend and take advantage of the great programs we offer all massage therapist through the AMTA - Rhode Island Chapter. We are here to serve you and promote our profession. If we can help you in any way please feel free to contact any of the helpful volunteer members Our information is listed on the AMTA - RI Chapter website. http://ri.amtamassage.org . Come join us! Aside from having fun we are here to serve AMTA members while advancing the art, science and practice of the massage therapy profession.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
FORTY YEARS!
Ray Moryiasu
TWENTY FIVE YEARS!
Kathryn St. Pierre
TWENTY YEARS!
Deborah Frenze Maggie Hanson
Lori Mancini Aaron McConkey
Karen McGovern Lianne Themuda
Kim Thorpe
FIFTEEN YEARS!
Nicole Ainsleigh Kimbereley Cook
Alda Cordeiro Robin Eddy Tracey Hall John Lopez
Sara Whitney
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Obtain A New Massage Therapy RI License Through Examiniation or Endorsement
Obtaining a license for massage therapy in the state of RI doesn't have to be a difficult process. There are many components to the application, but the Department of Health has made the clear checklist for new applicants. Whether you have recently graduated from an accredited school and passed the National MBLEx exam, or completed a comparable exam in a prior year but are looking to move your practice to Rhode Island, here are the simple steps to navigate yourself through the process:
- Go to http://www.health.ri.gov/
- Click on LICENSING
- Under "What We License", click on Massage Therapists
- Click on APPLICATION
- Print and fill out a hard copy of the application and follow checklist on first page of the application
- If you have just completed and passed the MBLEx, check "Massage Therapist by EXAMINATION"
- If you have passed the MBLEx exam or comparable exam, and are looking to practicing massage in the state of RI and are coming from another state, check "Massage Therapist by ENDORSEMENT"
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The AMTA-RI and the editor reserve the right to edit and/or refuse any submitted article or advertisement, and assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, corrections or modifications in publication. Neither AMTA-RI nor the AMTA-RI Newsletter guarantees, warrants or endorses any product, service, "Letter to the Editor," or referral advertised herein, nor do they express any opinion in regard to the legality of the use of any product advertised herein in connection with the practice of massage therapy.
The editor welcomes any and all contributions pertinent to massage therapy and will respond to any suggestions to this publication.
SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Deadlines: March 30, July 30, November 30 Article Submissions: Send Word or Text documents to or call 401-339-1041
PHOTO CREDIT Front Cover (hands): ©iStockphoto.com/Matthew Scherf
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Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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