Inaugural Global PT Day-of-Service Announced for October 17
Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 02, 2015 -- In, perhaps, one of the most ambitious and altruistic efforts ever spearheaded by the Physical Therapist community, the Inaugural Global PT Day-Of-Service has been announced for Saturday, October 17, 2015.
Conceptualized by Efosa L. Guobadia, DPT and executed with the help of friend and fellow PT Josh D'Angelo, DPT, this innovative initiative is mobilizing clinicians, students and associated staff of the Physical Therapy profession to volunteer in different communities around the world on the same day.
The unique element about the Global PT Day-Of-Service is that participants aren’t limited to donating their time, experience and passion to just PT volunteerism. They are encouraged to donate their service to anything in their community that needs help. Whether it’s working in a soup kitchen, cleaning up a park or assisting a local non-profit, the overall mission of the Global PT Day-Of-Service is that the PT profession as a whole unites on all fronts for the highest purpose … helping others.
What was once an idea has evolved into a real, palpable movement driven by ten volunteers, a growing list of international ambassadors, and many supporters across the world.
In fact, to date, PTs in every U.S. state have committed to the cause by serving as an ambassador. What’s even more impressive is that each state has more than one PT participating, with some boasting as many as a dozen ambassadors.
Internationally, the list of ambassadors continues to grow with participants in 23 countries and nearly 40 sponsors.
“Our hope for this day is that it sparks new connections, strengthens established ones, and further stimulates conversations on how we can keep this river flowing strongly for our profession and the communities we touch,” said Guobadia.
For those looking to get involved with the Global PT Day-Of-Service, the process is simple. Just visit http://www.ptdayofservice.com. There, visitors will have the ability to pledge to participate, sponsor, or donate to the initiative and learn how to spread the word about the project’s mission.
For a list of individuals leading service initiatives near your community, please visit
http://ptdayofservice.com/ambassadors/.
About Efosa L. Guobadia, DPT
Efosa Guobadia, DPT has a deep-seeded need to constantly do more for his profession and his community. He is currently the Founder of the informational website Physical Therapy Haven, which shares clinical education and promotes awareness regarding Physical Therapy, and he serves as Director of ATI MissionWorks for ATI Physical Therapy which coordinates overseas volunteer trips for employees to serve in less developed and low access areas.
He received his B.S. in Kinesiology from Umass-Amherst and his Physical Therapy Doctorate from the University of Scranton. He is an active member of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association and has held numerous leadership roles between the two organizations since 2009 and has presented at conferences and at universities with a focus on professional advocacy and innovation.
2011 was a turning point in Guobadia’s career as he was able to turn his passion for service into professional action. That year he went to Cali, Colombia with a multidisciplinary health care team that performed surgeries and provided education and worked with local clinicians. In the years since, he has volunteered in other parts of South America as well as in Central America, Africa, and Asia. The focus was, and continues to be, on the collaborations with local health clinicians to improve rehab awareness and access, notably in places where the benefits of Physical Therapy is less understood and developed. Guobadia continues to spend time volunteering in these countries. In fact, on a recent trip, he travelled to 22 countries in eight months to capture a mosaic of physical therapy, health, and service around the world to get a sense of similarities and differences in various cultures and health delivery systems.
This experience is what ultimately led Guobadia to come up with the idea for “The Global PT Day-of-Service” – the world’s largest day of giving back within the physical therapist industry, which will be held on October 17, 2015.
Josh D'Angelo, DPT
Joshua D’Angelo, PT, DPT is passionate about the role physical therapy can play in delivering effective and efficient healthcare. Through his experience, he has seen the impact the profession can have on the individual, community, and societal levels.
D’Angelo earned his doctor of physical therapy from The George Washington University in 2013, where he was the sole University student in his graduating class awarded with the prestigious “George Washington Award”. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at his alma mater, an outpatient orthopedic doctor of physical therapy with Inova Health System in Fairfax, VA and has opened PTfitDC, LLC – his own home health physical therapy and fitness business.
In addition to his career endeavors, D’Angelo has held many esteemed positions on professional boards including: Chair of the New Professionals Project Committee of American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) (2013-2014); President of the APTA Student Assembly (2012-2013); Vice President of Health Sciences (2011-2012) of the George Washington University Medical Center Student Council.
D’Angelo’s unwavering dedication to lending his talents to those in need is what ultimately drove him and fellow PT Efosa Guobadia to become the masterminds behind “The Global PT Day-of-Service” on October 17, 2015 – the world’s largest day of giving back within the physical therapist industry.
Denise Kovalevich, [email protected], +1 (609) 828-0048, [email protected]
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