Jennifer Berry Masamitsu, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

Jennifer is running for Treasurer & Delegate at Large in the 2020 Board Elections. 

Jenn is a Senior Conversational User Experience Engineer at a technology company called LifeLink. There, she designs conversational chatbots to help facilitate patient engagement in a variety of healthcare settings. After practicing in outpatient orthopedics for 10 years, she became frustrated with the inefficient use of technology in healthcare. She began to feel that the way technology was used in healthcare was becoming an increased burden on providers while providing very little benefit to the patient. She believes that it is important to educate patients on their diagnosis and treatment but also on how to effectively navigate our complex healthcare system. She believes that through education, patients become empowered advocates who can be extremely effective allies when facing regulatory challenges and challenges in navigating insurance. She now works full time to develop tools to make the delivery of healthcare services easier for providers and patients by improving communication and education of patients through the use of technology systems that have shown to improve the patient experience and patient satisfaction.

Why do you feel qualified to serve in the above positions?

Through my experience as a current chapter Treasurer, I have gained experience through serving as a member of the APTA Board and managing the finances for the chapter. I am looking forward to continuing to serve the chapter as we face the new challenges and opportunities of the future. My experience on the board in the last 2 years has involved continued work to advocate for the profession in the regulatory arena. I have also advocated for improved communication with members through an improved association website. I have also served in the chapter in helping members navigate the COVID pandemic. Through my experience over the years in the Colorado Chapter Government Affairs Committee, Federal Affairs Forum, and Sunset Task Force, I gained extensive experience and knowledge around legislative issues and challenges of a physical therapist’s practice. For the last 6 years, I served as the co-chair of the Colorado APTA Government Affairs Committee. The Government Affairs Committee is responsible for evaluating bills introduced to the state legislature and assessing their potential impact on a physical therapists practice in Colorado. I also represented the Colorado Chapter at the Federal Affairs Forum in Washington, DC where we advocated for the physical therapy profession on issues such as student loan repayment and the repeal of the Medicare therapy cap. During our last licensure sunset, I served as the Chair of the Sunset Task Force. This group represented APTA-Co’s throughout the Practice Act Sunset Process. During this process I worked with members, educators, chapter leaders, lobbyists, and state legislators to pass the physical therapists practice act sunset bill. In addition, I represented the Colorado Chapter by testifying in multiple committee hearings in support of the practice act sunset bill. Finally, I have represented the chapter at the State Policy and Payment Conference where representatives from all 50 states come together to discuss state level legislative challenges and collaborate on solutions. I believe this experience will be invaluable in representing the Colorado Chapter Treasurer.

Through my experience as a current Delegate At Large, and through the Colorado Chapter Government Affairs Committee, Federal Affairs Forum, and Sunset Task Force, I gained extensive experience and knowledge around legislative issues and challenges of a physical therapist’s practice. For the last 6 years, I served as the co-chair of the Colorado APTA Government Affairs Committee. The Government Affairs Committee is responsible for evaluating bills introduced to the state legislature and assessing their potential impact on a physical therapists practice in Colorado. I also represented the Colorado Chapter at the Federal Affairs Forum in Washington, DC where we advocated for the physical therapy profession on issues such as student loan repayment and the repeal of the Medicare therapy cap. During our last licensure sunset, I served as the Chair of the Sunset Task Force. This group represented APTA-Co’s throughout the Practice Act Sunset Process. During this process I worked with members, educators, chapter leaders, lobbyists, and state legislators to pass the physical therapists practice act sunset bill. In addition, I represented the Colorado Chapter by testifying in multiple committee hearings in support of the practice act sunset bill. Finally, I have represented the chapter at the State Policy and Payment Conference where representatives from all 50 states come together to discuss state level legislative challenges and collaborate on solutions. I believe this experience will be invaluable in representing the Colorado Chapter as Delegate at Large.

Why do you want to serve in the above positions?

Over the last 2 years, I have had the opportunity to serve on the board as Treasurer. Through this experience, I have gained a more in depth understanding of the association and the challenges facing members. I am eager to continue this work over the next 2 years in areas such as continuing to advocate for improved marketing of our profession to the public and in helping the association serve members by providing assistance in navigating challenges in healthcare such as insurance, regulations, and the COVID pandemic.

I have enjoyed serving as a Delegate at Large over the last 2 years. This experience has expanded my involvement and understanding of the issues facing our national association. In my work with the Colorado Chapter and especially the Government Affairs Committee, we often look to recommendations from the APTA House of Delegates. These recommendations serve as guidance for many of the discussions around state level issues including topics such as concussion management, dry needling and defining a physical therapists practice. If elected, I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to use my experience to represent the Colorado Chapter’s interests on the national level at the House of Delegates.