'Rehab Therapists Give Back' Unites Therapy Community Around Disaster Relief Efforts

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Oct 31, 2017) - In an effort to support the families, communities and clinics impacted by the recent string of natural disasters in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, WebPT has launched the national Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign. The goal of the campaign, which launched in September at the Ascend Summit, is to bring the rehab therapy community together to support a worthy cause and collectively raise $1 million by the end of February 2018.

Funds raised through Rehab Therapists Give Back will go toward disaster relief efforts for those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as those affected by the wildfires in the Northwest. Dr. Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC/L, president and co-founder of WebPT, announced the campaign at Ascend, calling on those in the rehab community to join in helping families, providers and communities in need.

"As rehab therapists, we chose this profession out of a deep desire to help people, and now we have an opportunity to help our fellow therapists, colleagues, friends and families rebuild in this time of need," Jannenga said. "Through this campaign, we're aiming to build a culture of 'us' in the rehab community, and we've already been blown away by the support. It truly speaks to the healer's heart, an innate quality of physical, occupational and speech therapists."

WebPT and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) both committed to matching $10,000 in donations to kick-start the campaign, and two of Ascend's most highly acclaimed speakers, Chris and Heidi Powell, also contributed. In total, more than $40,000 was raised at the Ascend event alone. Countless other supporters -- from therapy clinics and corporations, as well as industry product vendors -- are starting to join and rally behind this important mission with contributions of all sizes.

"APTA's bold vision demands that the physical therapy community looks beyond the walls of our day-to-day work settings in order to transform society," said Sharon L. Dunn, PT, PhD and APTA board president. "The Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign is a terrific example of the positive impact we can make when we work together in that spirit. I'm grateful to WebPT for organizing the campaign and to all those who generously donated to those in need."

The Powells -- who are both trainers, hosts of ABC's Extreme Weight Loss and cofounders of the TRANSFORM app -- jumped at the chance to support not only the rehab therapy industry, but also communities in need.

"We are proud to support the Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign and join in the effort to provide critical disaster relief aid to those in need," they said in a joint statement. "The rehab therapy community has been so welcoming of us and the TRANSFORM App we created to help patients achieve even better treatment outcomes, so it is our honor to continue paying it forward."

To learn more about Rehab Therapists Give Back and make a donation, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/rehab-therapists-give-back/.

About WebPT, Inc.
With a 30-percent market share, WebPT is the leading rehab therapy platform for enhancing patient care and fueling business growth. From scheduling, documentation and billing to outcomes tracking, business reporting and software integration, WebPT is the ideal solution for outpatient therapy organizations of all sizes. With a 99-percent retention rate and a 99.99-percent uptime rate, WebPT is the most-trusted and most-reliable solution in the industry. Launched in 2008, the company is based in downtown Phoenix's historic Warehouse District. Learn more at webpt.com.