The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is an individual membership professional organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and students of physical therapy.
APTA seeks to improve the health and quality of life of individuals in society by advancing physical therapist practice, education, and research, and by increasing the awareness and understanding of physical therapy’s role in the nation’s health care system.
APTA’s national leadership consists of a Board of Directors, a House of Delegates and multiple Committees and other Board-appointed Groups. APTA members are further represented by the association’s state chapters and special-interest sections, each with its own leadership, as well as a physical therapist assistant caucus and student assembly, collectively called “components.” APTA’s House of Delegates, which meets each spring, is a representative body of members comprised of voting chapter delegates and nonvoting section delegates, among others.
With a proud history that dates back to 1921, APTA is guided by the Vision Statement for the Physical Therapy Profession and by the association’s dynamic Strategic Plan, which informs decision making and helps APTA achieve the vision.
APTA headquarters is located in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. APTA staff and members working on behalf of the association represent APTA’s organizational values.
As a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization, APTA’s financial information is available to the public.