About Us

In addition to research and invited presentations throughout the United States, Dr. DeRosa has presented his work at numerous national and international conferences. In recognition of his contributions to the profession of physical therapy, Dr. DeRosa was awarded the Lucy Blair Service Award and in addition, was selected by the American Physical Therapy Board of Directors as a Maley Lecturer. In 2007 he was selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association.

James is a graduate of the medical center at Loma Linda University, and he completed his doctorate in Physical Therapy through the University of St. Augustine and the North American Sports Medicine Institute. James has recently served on the American Physical Therapy’s Private Practice Section Board of Directors as well as a number of APTA committees focused on payment and practice issues of interest to the private practitioner.

Dr. Gamboa has been practicing for 15 years, and is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist with advanced manual therapy training. Her practice was the recipient of her community’s Best Business Award in 2006, and APTA’s Private Practice Section’s Best Practice Award in 2008. She participated in APTA’s Strategic Thinking Initiative and served as Chairperson for APTA’s Taskforce on Vision 2020. She is a member of the Private Practice Section’s Government Affairs Committee. She is committed to advancing physical therapy practice in a way that recognizes and supports the inherent value of physical therapy at the center of musculoskeletal health care, and growth and long-term sustainability of independent physical therapy practice.

A physical therapist with over 40 years of experience in clinical practice, management consulting, administration, and program development, Weinper is also the founder and a principal in Progressive Physical Therapy, a private practice founded in 1977, with four locations in Southern California. He is a co-founder of www.EDUCATA.com, which is an online international learning platform for physical therapists and other health professionals started in 2008.

Weinper received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Psychology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science (physical therapy) from California State University, Northridge (Class 1). He received a certificate in physical therapy from that institution in conjunction with UCLA Hospitals and Clinics. Weinper received his Master of Public Health degree from UCLA in Health Services Administration and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the EIM Institute for Health Professions.

Weinper has been active in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). He served as a member of its national Committee on Physical Therapy Practice, as the Association’s chairperson on its Task Force on Reimbursement, on the Board of Directors for APTA’s California Chapter and Private Practice Section (national), and as trustee of the APTA Congressional Action Committee. Weinper received the prestigious Robert G. Dicus Award from the Private Practice Section of the APTA in 2000, and he served on the APTA’s Task Force on Referral for Profit. In 2011, Weinper was awarded the R. Charles Harker, Esq. Policy Maker Award, intended to recognize APTA members whose activities have impacted health policy.

On behalf of the state of California, Weinper has served as a member of the Physical Therapy Subcommittee of the Division of Industrial Accidents, now known as the Division of Workers’ Compensation. He also has served as an expert to the Medical Board of California where among his activities he has appeared on behalf of the People in insurance fraud trials. He has provided expert witness testimony on behalf of more than 20 insurance companies.

A former associate professor of Health Science at California State University, Northridge, and Weinper is a frequent presenter for various professional associations including the National Managed Healthcare conference, The American Medical Care and Review Association, and the APTA. He has authored many articles for both physical therapy and insurance industry publications.

He is married to Joyce and is proud of their two daughters, Amy and Traci and delights in his grandchildren, Ariana, Emily and Stephen. His free time passions are golf, exercise, fishing, sculpting and grandparenting!

He is the recipient of numerous business and physical therapy awards including the Kentucky Physical Therapy’s Outstanding Physical Therapists award and Ernst & Young’s Entrepeneur of the year for his region. His company was voted in the top 10 of Best Employers in the state of Kentucky in the large employer category. He is the co-developer of physicaltherapist.com, PThelpforhaiti.org and blog.evidenceinmotion.com, the first and largest weblog devoted to the principles of EBP in physical therapy. He has been published in leading PT publications and texts.

Dr. Childs currently serves as an Associate Editor for both the Physical Therapy and Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy journals. He has received numerous awards including the American Physical Therapy Associations’ Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, Jack Walker Research Award, Chattanooga Research Award, Rose Excellence in Research Award, and the Air Force’s Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Research Award and Physical Therapist of the Year (twice).

Dr. Childs was the founder of Evidence in Motion (www.evidenceinmotion.com), an education and business practice consultation company committed to the advancement of physical therapy practice, research, and education. He co-founded the Evidence in Motion blog (blog.evidenceinmotion.com). Dr. Childs is also a partner in Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (www.texpts.com), a multi-site private physical therapy practice in the greater San Antonio and Austin regions.

Dr. Hathaway has presented on the business of physical therapy at the state and national level as well as the value of the physical therapist in the healthcare system. He has recently founded a new payment network model for private practices that leverages evidence based practice and the entrepreneurial spirit of the private practice owner. He is on faculty for the Evidence in Motion (EIM) Executive Private Practice Management (EPPM) program. He received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from EIM’s EPPM program. Dr. Hathaway is an active member of the APTA, PPS, NCPTA and NYPTA. Dr. Hathaway is the co-chair of the New York State Private Practice Special Interest Group (AIPT), and a member of the advisory panels on reimbursement in both NY and NC.

Since his immigration to the United States from New Zealand in 1966, Dr. Paris has been actively involved in research, clinical practice and teaching in the area generally known as orthopaedic and manual physical therapy. His doctoral work was in functional anatomy of the spine with emphasis on neuroanatomy of the lumbar spine.

In 1987 he received an award from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties for his efforts in the development of clinical specialization. For his work in founding and developing the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association and being its first president, the Section has named after him the annual Paris Founders Award for Distinguished Service. He was also the founding chairman of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy and later became its second President and subsequently received an Honorary Life Membership from that organization. He has also received An Honorary Life Membership from the New Zealand Manual Therapy Association and became a Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Physiotherapy.. In 2002 he was made a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association and in 2006 he delivered the Mary McMillan Founders Lecture at the American Physical Therapy Association.

He has also served on the Board of Directors of the American Physical Therapy Association and a number of other professional and civic organizations.

He has published more than forty articles in physical therapy, medical and osteopathic journals and a book, The Spinal Lesion (1965) as well as many chapters in books. He has presented his concepts in clinical treatment as well as his findings in anatomical research, which in 1984 gained him his Ph.D. He has also published a series of manuals in manual therapy. Dr. Paris founded the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy.

Dr. Paris hosted a 6-part series on National Public Television entitled, “Back Pain: Cause, Prevention and Treatment“. He has also produced a movie film, entitled “Its Your Back,” and a one day program for RTN TV titled “Paris Orthopaedics: Spine Pain and Dysfunction.”

Although his primary specialty is in conservative management of the spine, he has also been active in sports physical therapy and was twice appointed to the New Zealand Olympic Team. In 1985 he personally completed the World Championship Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii, and in 1986 he twice swam the English Channel, and has three successful relay swims across the channel the last being in 2009; and has three times sailed across the North Atlantic and twice the Pacific and once around the world.

Now attempting retirement for the second time he has planned two solo swims on the Channel in 2011 (July and August) and a solo circumnavigation in 2014. Success in these events would make him the oldest in both categories.

And consumer sites dedicated to helping people with disabilities: www.SelfCareCentral.com www.SelfCareExchange.com www.HandicapRides.com Mr. Shutes graduated from the University of Michigan in 1969 and entered private practice shortly thereafter.

Rick has been actively involved in the APTA for 42 years and has served on the board of directors in both Michigan and Florida. Also serving on the Michigan Board of Licensing. He has been active in the area of healthcare policy and regulation at both the state and national level, specializing in worker’s compensation and reimbursement policy. For many years he served as the Chairman of the FPTA Workers’ Compensation Committee.

He has served on numerous boards and committees including the American Physical Therapy Association CARF Task Force, and the APTA/RBRVS Work Group,

the APTA Reimbursement Advisory panel and the Private Practice Sections POPTS task force. As a member of the APTA Industrial Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (IRAC) Rick was involved in crafting the professions’ first practice guidelines including Occupational Health, Work Hardening, Work Conditioning and FCEs.

He currently serves on the Florida Advisory Committee to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

In addition to his CEO responsibilities, Mr. Shutes has lectured and presented at numerous conferences and meetings around the country on a variety of topics including: “Managed Care and Contemporary Practice,” and “Working with Managed Care and Workers’ Compensation,” and “The History of Florida’s Reimbursement System“. He has also been a featured speaker representing the Florida Department of Labor and The Florida Workers Compensation Institute.

Rick is also an avid downhill skier, recently celebrated for 50 years of service to the National Ski Patrol. A life-long sailor, you’ll often find him single-handing on Lake Superior or the warm waters of the Bahamas – reading, writing, singing, playing guitar, and generally savoring life.