Kentucky Academy of the American Physical Therapy Association

What is the difference between a Category 1 and Category 2 course?
Category 1 activities are formal, structured, continuing education which are three contact hours in length (or longer) and have been approved by the KSBPT, APTA Kentucky, FSBPT or another state physical therapy licensing agency.

To be classified as category 1, a course must include the following:

  • Three (3) hours in length or longer
  • Course objectives
  • Course description
  • Timed agenda or outline
  • Biographical data for each speaker
  • Program evaluation
  • Certificate of completion

Courses produced & developed by the APTA or its state chapters and sections, which are less than three hours in length are approved as Category 1 education. Any course not meeting the above criteria is considered Category 2 and does not require an application for approval.

 

Are there any fees associated with the approval process?
An application fee is required for each course review, based on contact hours requested: $100 (1-3 contact hours), $150 (3.25-7 contact hours), $175 (7.25-12 contact hours), $200 (12.25-20 contact hours, $225 (20.25+ contact hours). For entities offering multiple courses in a 24-month period, a corporate sponsor option is available whereby a one-time fee is paid bi-annually as opposed to per-course fees. Please contact info@aptaky.org to discuss this option.

 

How long does it take APTA Kentucky to process an application?
It takes an application 4-6 weeks to complete the review process.

 

What happens to my application once submitted?
Once an application is determined to be complete, it is forwarded to the Professional Competency Committee that has been designated by the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy to review and approve courses based on the standards set in the physical therapy practice act.

 

How long is an approval number valid?
Course approvals are valid for two (2) years from the date of approval.

 

Our CE course was approved by APTA Kentucky but our approval number is expired. We’d like to offer the course again this year. Do we need to re-apply?
Yes. You must submit a new application packet for an additional 2-year approval period. Approval is always based on current approval criteria and appropriate updating of a course.

 

We want to offer a CE course (that already has a current APTA Kentucky approval number) on additional dates that fall within the 2-year approval period. Do we need to contact APTA Kentucky?
No. A course may be offered as many times as the sponsor wishes during the 2-year approval period.

 

Our course was approved by APTA Kentucky several months ago, but now we have different speakers (instructors) for the course. Can we add or change speakers?
If you need to add or change speakers after your course/ program has been approved, you must submit the speaker information to APTA Kentucky documenting each new speaker’s qualifications to teach the course content. You also need to verify that the course content, objectives and time schedule will not change.

 

We want to offer a course in a series of presentations over a period of time (e.g., the program consists of 12 one-hour monthly presentations). If the course is approved, will a single approval number be assigned for the entire series, or will a separate approval number be assigned for each presentation in the series?
APTA Kentucky will assign one approval number for a series. However, the course provider must specify the attendance policy for the series in the application packet: whether the participants must attend ALL sessions to receive CEUs or if the participants are permitted to attend some but not all of the presentations in the series. Keep in mind, a series must be at least three (3) hours in length or longer to be eligible for Category 1 continuing education status.

 

Can a course provider submit an application for approval of CEUs after a course has been presented?
Yes. Of course, it is in the best interest of the provider and the participants for the course to be reviewed in advance in order to avoid any concern about how many CEUs will be approved for the course. Prior approval enables you to print the approval number and the number of CEUs awarded directly on each participant’s course completion certificate. If submission of an application for CEUs is postponed until after your course has been offered, each participant must be contacted with this information. Please be aware that a CE course or program must be approved by APTA Kentucky (or other designee of the Kentucky State Board of Physical Therapy) BEFORE any licensee can use the CE offering to meet his or her CE requirement for biennial license renewal. Consequently, many potential participants seek out only courses/ programs that have received Kentucky approval.

 

If my application for CEUs is denied approval, what can I do to appeal this decision?
An applicant may submit a letter of appeal in writing to APTA Kentucky that includes additional information that supports approval.

 

How are CEUs calculated?
One clock-hour (60 minutes) of instruction which is directly related to the practice of physical therapy equals one CEU. A portion of an instructional hour is subdivided into no less than quarter-hour increments and .25 CEUs. CE credit is not awarded for non-instructional time periods, such as registration, meals, breaks and time set aside for evaluation of the course by attendees.

 

If a course I am providing has been approved for physical therapy in another state, is it automatically approved in Kentucky?
If the course is three (3) hours in length or longer, then it is automatically approved for continued competency in Kentucky. If a course provider wants their activity posted on the APTA Kentucky continuing education database and assigned an official APTA Kentucky approval number, the course provider must complete the formal review requirements using the Course Provider Form located on this website.