Podcast · Learning

The CPTA's College Conversations

by College of Physiotherapists Alberta · English · Learning

Ever wish you had a friend at the College that you could call when you have questions about the standards of practice or challenging situations you encounter in practice? In this friendly and informative podcast, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta's staff and guests will highlight issues

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 16 min
Latest: 1 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026 · 17 min

Episode 91 - Reviewing Physiotherapists' Virtual Care Responsibilities

Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald Virtual care continues to evolve, but one thing remains the same: physiotherapists are expected to provide safe, effective, high-quality care regardless of how services are delivered. In this episode, Leanne and Sean revisit the regulatory expectations for virtual care and discuss how physiotherapists can apply professional judgment when deciding whether virtual care is the right option for a client. They discuss key topics including assessing whether virtual care is clinically appropriate, obtaining informed consent, conducting appropriate…

Play episodeWhatsApp Download

Earlier episodes 29 most recent

24 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
Episode 90 - Bonus Episode: Ask us anything about the HIA
Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald The designation of physiotherapists as custodians under the Health Information Act is a significant development for registrants of the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta. This bonus episode repurposes the information shared at a recent "ask us anything" webinar, including information about: · Roles under the HIA and the concept of the circle of care. · Discussion of safeguards, and the duty to identify risks to the privacy and security of health information, before moving on to a discussion of electronic medical records and considerations for…
1 Sep 2026 · 10 min
Episode 89 - Know Your Role Under the Health Information Act
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger The transition to being designated custodians under Alberta's Health Information Act is a significant change for physiotherapists. In this episode, Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald discuss why it is essential for physiotherapists to understand their role in every practice setting where they collect, use, disclose, store, or dispose of health information. Listeners will learn about the roles of custodian, affiliate, and privacy officer, and how those roles shape responsibilities under the Act. The episode also explores common scenarios that can…
1 Aug 2026 · 19 min
Episode 88 - Reviewing Regulatory Rules for Use of Title
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In this episode, Leanne and Sean revisit the rules for use of title and why those rules are important for physiotherapists, patients, and the public. The conversation explains who may use protected titles such as Physiotherapist, Physical Therapist, Physiotherapist Intern, and PT, and highlights why a physiotherapist's registration status matters—whether a registrant is entering practice, on leave, or retiring. They also discuss how physiotherapists should list academic credentials and additional training in a way that is accurate, transparent,…
1 Jul 2026 · 23 min
Episode 87 - Navigating HIA Requirements – Consent for Disclosure, Privacy Management Programs, and Successor Custodians
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In this episode, Leanne and Sean discuss key changes connected to physiotherapists being designated as custodians under Alberta's Health Information Act , which took effect on June 22, 2026. The conversation focuses on three important concepts physiotherapists need to understand as they transition to HIA compliance: verbal consent for disclosure of health information, the requirement to develop privacy management programs, and the need to designate successor custodians of health information. The episode explains when client consent is required…
1 Jun 2026 · 16 min
Episode 86 - Four Actions You Can Take NOW to Improve Client Privacy in Your Practice Setting
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Privacy can feel complicated, but this episode makes it practical. Leanne and Jody break privacy basics into clear, manageable actions that can help physiotherapists strengthen client privacy in any practice setting. If you have ever wondered where to start, this conversation will help you focus on key privacy domains and four priority action areas: · Review or build privacy policies and procedures so you and your colleagues know how personal information is to be collected, handled, protected, and ultimately destroyed within your practice setting, in…
1 May 2026 · 21 min
Episode 85 - Practice Pearls for Restricted Activities
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger In this episode we revisit the topic of restricted activities in physiotherapy, bringing together key messages and practical clarifications to address some of the most common questions from registrants. The episode begins with an overview of the legislative framework that governs restricted activities, including how the Health Professions Act , the Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation , and the Performance of Restricted Activities Standard of Practice together establish regulatory requirements for the performance of these high-risk…
1 Apr 2026 · 13 min
Episode 84 - Themes from 2025: Answers to your most common questions! (Part 2)
Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode of College Conversations, Leanne and Sean continue their discussion of the most common questions received by the College's Practice Advisor in 2025, focusing on three key themes: Funding, Fees, and Billing; Continuing Competence; and Duty of Care. The conversation begins with Funding, Fees, and Billing, including questions about contracts, billing practices, fee schedules, and recent changes to the Standards that enable bundled and pre‑paid services, when specific conditions are met. Next, the episode explores practice advice…
1 Mar 2026 · 15 min
Episode 83 - Themes from 2025: Answers to your most common questions! (Part 1)
Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode of College Conversations , Leanne and Sean kick off a two-part series exploring the most common questions received by the College's Practice Advisor. Drawing on an aggregate review of 2025 inquiries, they explain how tracking and coding questions to the Standards of Practice helps identify trends, inform the development of College resources, and guide future updates to the Standards of Practice. Part 1 focuses on two of the top five recurring themes addressed by the Practice Advisor: privacy and supervision. The discussion on…
21 Feb 2026 · 15 min
Episode 82 - Bonus Episode – Duty of Care and Declining to Provide Physiotherapy Services
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger From time to time, conflicts and challenging situations may arise between physiotherapists and their clients, which may lead the physiotherapist to consider declining to continue to provide services to the client. These situations exist on a continuum from the slightly challenging to the potentially dangerous. The 2025 Duty of Care Standard codifies professional expectations that have been in place for a long time. In this bonus episode we revisit an episode we first shared back in 2021, highlighting the physiotherapist's duties if they are opting to…
1 Feb 2026 · 12 min
Episode 81 - Council Recruitment and Exploring Council's Governance Role
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger In this episode, Leanne and Jody explore the governance role of Council and how it supports the College's legislated mandate to protect the public interest. Jody explains the College's responsibilities under the Health Professions Act , including setting entrance standards, ensuring continuing competence, establishing standards of practice, and addressing unprofessional conduct. Council oversees this work by setting the College's strategic direction, providing financial and risk oversight, and monitoring regulatory processes to ensure alignment with…
1 Jan 2026 · 15 min
Episode 80 - 2025 Year in Review, 2026 Preview
In this, the 80th episode of the CPTA's College conversations, Leanne and Jody reflect on the College's major activities in 2025 and share a preview of what we are anticipating in 2026. 2025 Highlights: Implementation of updated Standards of Practice in January 2025 and the related jurisprudence module which registrants completed at registration or renewal. Updated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct (SASM) module required for all registrants. Ongoing focus on professional conduct, with higher-than-hoped complaint numbers and related budget impact. 2026 Preview: Launch of the new Canadian…
1 Dec 2025 · 18 min
Episode 79 - AI in Physiotherapy – Regulatory Realities
Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode, Sean and Leanne dive into how artificial intelligence is popping up in physiotherapy—from chatbots for booking and billing tasks and scribe tools for clinical documentation to robotics - and the regulatory considerations to keep in mind. With the explosion of AI tools, physiotherapists may look at options that help them in their work. Before implementing an AI tool there are a few things to know about doing so in a way that's consistent with the Standards of Practice and regulatory requirements. We unpack the privacy laws you…
1 Nov 2025 · 15 min
Episode 78 - What's Wrong With "Just" Being A Physiotherapist?
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger "Vestibular physiotherapist', 'sports physiotherapist', 'advanced practice physiotherapist', 'performance physiotherapist…' On this episode, we ask what's wrong with being 'just' a physiotherapist? In this conversation, we review the requirements of the Titles, Credentials and Specialty Designations Standard of Practice , highlighting the importance of clarity and transparency when communicating with clients, potential clients and members of the public. We also discuss the technological disruptions that are currently effecting physiotherapy practice…
1 Oct 2025 · 15 min
Episode 77 - Conflict of Interest: It's About How Others See It
Hosts: Leanne Loranger & Sean FitzGerald Date: October 1, 2025 Description: In this episode, Leanne and Sean dive deep into the realities of conflict of interest (COI) in physiotherapy practice. They explore how COI isn't just about what you do—it's about how your actions are perceived by others. Drawing on real-world scenarios from private practice, public sector, and clinical education, they unpack the concept of fiduciary duty, different types of conflicts (actual, potential, perceived), and why recognizing even perceived conflicts is crucial for ethical practice. Key Topics: What is a…
1 Sep 2025 · 15 min
Episode 76 - Connecting the Dots: Standards or Practice, Code of Ethical Conduct, and Core Professional Values
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode of the College Conversations podcast, Jody and Leanne discuss the Code of Ethical Conduct and the Core Professional Values and how these foundational documents can help guide physiotherapist actions when the Standards do not specifically address a situation. Jody and Leanne discuss two common situations where being a regulated physiotherapist means fulfilling responsibilities to peers and the profession as a whole. The Code of Ethical Conduct includes responsibilities to the patient, the public, and to self and the profession. Being a…
1 Aug 2025 · 35 min
Episode 75 - Trend Spotting with the CPTA
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Every other year World Physiotherapy hosts a conference to bring together clinicians, researchers, and policy makers from around the world to discuss matters of importance to the physiotherapy profession. At the conference in May 2025, a wide range of content was presented. Several themes of regulatory importance emerged, including · Mental health and physiotherapy · Artificial intelligence and big data · Advance practice/first contact physiotherapy · Spinal manipulation in infants, children, and youth In this episode Jody and Leanne discuss these…
1 Jul 2025 · 22 min
Episode 74 - Physiotherapists and Interventional Radiology Procedures – What are the Boundaries of Practice?
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger Can a physiotherapist order a bone scan? What about a protein-rich-plasma injection? Is there a difference between ordering interventional radiology and referring a client to a physician to see if an interventional radiology procedure is appropriate? Do you wonder what fits within the category of interventional radiology and how that compares to the types of diagnostic images that physiotherapists can become authorized to order? On this episode of College Conversations, Sean and Leanne discuss some of the questions we have received and issues the…
1 Jun 2025 · 11 min
Episode 73 - Show Don't Tell - Demonstrating A Practice Focus Before You Advertise It
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In the private sector, physiotherapists are always trying to find ways to market the services they provide and explain what they can offer to their clients. One approach that the College has observed is the practice of referring to a physiotherapist's practice focus or area of interest. On this episode, Sean and Leanne discuss performance expectations that apply to the use of these marketing approaches, and the College's perspective on the use of these strategies. Do you have a practice focus? What about an area of interest? Can you demonstrate…
1 May 2025 · 14 min
Episode 72 - Getting Workplace Relationships 'Just Right'
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In 2025 the College added performance expectations to the Standards of Practice related to how physiotherapists interact with colleagues, students, and others. These expectations are especially relevant to the people a physiotherapist supervises or has authority over. Does it go without saying that physiotherapists treat others with respect and are thoughtful about power and power imbalances? Some may argue that this type of expectation is, or should be, unnecessary, however research and surveys of Alberta physiotherapists suggest otherwise. In…
1 Apr 2025 · 16 min
Episode 71 - A Deep Dive into Virtual Care - Avoiding Regulatory Concerns
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In 2025 a new standard of practice related to virtual care by Alberta physiotherapists came into effect. On this episode, Sean and Leanne discuss the history and evolution of the regulation of virtual care by the CPTA and the expectations physiotherapists need to meet when providing virtual physiotherapy services. They highlight the resources available to help physiotherapists understand what is required when providing virtual care, including the Virtual Care Guide published in 2025. Much has changed in the virtual health care sector since the…
1 Mar 2025 · 16 min
Episode 70 - Maintaining Your Registration Information
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Up to date member profile information matters for physiotherapists because it can: · Help to prevent the physiotherapist's registration number from being used to fraudulently bill for services the physiotherapist did not provide. · Help to ensure a former most responsible physiotherapist is not held responsible for issues related to physiotherapy services delivered after they have left a practice setting. · Help to connect former patients to physiotherapists who have moved to a new practice setting. There are a few things that all registrants should…
1 Feb 2025 · 13 min
Episode 69 - Highlighting Updates to the Evidence-Informed Practice Standard
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Evidence-informed practice is foundational to physiotherapy practice. As a profession, physiotherapists take pride in the fact that physiotherapy is an evidence-informed profession. When the new Evidence-Informed Practice Standard of Practice were implemented on January 1, 2025, new performance expectations came into effect which physiotherapists must be aware of. Do you know what's expected of you when it comes to monitoring the aggregate outcomes you achieve with the use of different treatment approaches, and how to use that clinician evidence in…
1 Jan 2025 · 17 min
Episode 68 - 2024 Year in Review, 2025 Year in Preview
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode of College Conversations, Jody and Leanne take stock of the year that was and discuss what's coming our way in 2025. Looking back at 2024, two major themes immediately come to mind. One is the ongoing work to address sexual abuse and sexual misconduct in physiotherapy practice. The other is the work to implement the 2025 Standards of Practice. Listen in to hear a recap of the College's work to address sexual abuse and sexual misconduct trends. You will also hear about a new resource that will be available in January 2025 to support…
15 Dec 2024 · 15 min
Episode 67 - What constitutes an appropriate physiotherapy assessment?
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger On January 1, 2025, updated standards of practice for Alberta physiotherapists take effect. The updated Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Standard of Practice includes the requirement to engage in appropriate assessment, which includes taking a history and completing a physical examination relevant to the client's presenting symptoms. A physiotherapy assessment is an iterative process. What constitutes an appropriate assessment is determined by the client's presentation; their concerns, problems, and goals; and the findings of the assessment…
15 Nov 2024 · 14 min
Episode 66 - Implementing the new Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination and Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility Standards of Practice
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode, Jody and Leanne discuss the new Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination and Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility standards of practice and the recently published Indigenous Cultural Safety, Health Equity, and Anti-Discrimination guide. Over the last four years, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta has been on a learning journey. We began our work in response to two key events, the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, and the events of the summer of 2020, including the murder of George Floyd…
15 Oct 2024 · 16 min
Episode 65 - Updated Standards of Practice – Not Knowing Could Hurt You
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger At their September meeting, Council voted to approve the updated Standards of Practice for Alberta Physiotherapists. These updated standards will be in effect as of January 1, 2025. On this episode of College Conversations, Jody and Leanne provide listeners with an update about the Standards of Practice including: · The process the College used to develop standards that were right-touch and risk-based (and what those terms mean to regulators), and · Highlights of the major changes, including standards that are being retired and new standards added.…
15 Sep 2024 · 17 min
Episode 64 - Are you engaged in a risky business?
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode of College Conversations, Jody and Leanne ask Alberta physiotherapists 'are you engaged in a risky business?' Listen to the episode to learn more about risky business arrangements that the College has become aware of in recent years. What does it mean to put the client's interests first? How can physiotherapists identify and avoid conflicts of interest in which their own financial or personal interests are prioritized ahead of the client's interests? How does this discussion relate to the rules in place related to provision of…
15 Aug 2024 · 17 min
Episode 63 - Rise of the Machines – AI in Physiotherapy Practice
Over the last couple of years, there has been a steady increase in the public discourse about artificial intelligence or AI. Since the release of the generative AI tool ChatGPT4 in spring of 2023 we have seen the emergence of AI tools designed to support charting of health care services and platforms to support clinical decision making in health care, including those designed for or applicable to physiotherapy practice. What does this all mean for Alberta physiotherapists? Can physiotherapists use AI in clinical practice? What are the risks they should be aware of? Check out this episode to…
15 Jul 2024 · 39 min
Episode 62 - Sharing Circles – A Step in the Journey Towards Culturally Safe Care for Indigenous Clients
Speakers : Amanda Gould and Leanne Loranger Amanda Gould, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, and Cultural Advisor to the College joins Leanne on this special, extended episode, of College Conversations. We discuss the sharing circles the College engaged in earlier this year, bringing Indigenous people and physiotherapists together, and the key learnings that arose from the sharing circles. Listen to this episode to learn more about what sharing circles are, what the College learned from the sharing circles held in early 2024, and the College's next steps towards addressing Indigenous cultural…

About The CPTA's College Conversations

The CPTA's College Conversations is a English learning podcast from College of Physiotherapists Alberta. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: College of Physiotherapists Alberta
Language: English
Category: Learning
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 16 min
Latest episode: 1 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1471149240
Rights: Copyright Physiotherapy Alberta – College + Association

RSS feed Apple Podcasts

More English learning

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.