Dr. Raymond Vigil, PT, DPT

Dr. Vigil is running for Director at Large - Practice Director in the 2023 APTA Colorado Elections. 

Raymond Vigil has been a PT in Colorado since 1985. He is a graduate of CU Health Sciences Center. He has worked in hospitals, work hardening centers, home health, and private practices. Since 1993 Ray entered private practice specializing in orthopaedic and bilingual PT for his clinic Body Mechanix PT, PC located in north Denver, Brighton and now Centennial. He received his DPT in 2013 from Regis University because he saw APTA's Vision 2020 as a legitimate professional challenge that would keep pace with advancement of the profession. Raymond has received The Colorado APTA Bob Doctor Award, the Professionals in Workers' Compensation Outstanding Therapist Award, and the APTA Orthopaedic Certified Specialist designation from 1993-2013. He has served for the Colorado Division of Labor Faculty Level II Accreditation instructing physicians in the measurement of permanent range of motion spinal impairment and he has volunteered for 9Health Fair. He has taught for the Arapahoe Community College PTA program. Currently he serves on the Colorado APTA Government Affairs Committee assisting in practice and legislative issues. He is the inventor of The Shoulder Pole(c) which is the closed-kinetic chain neuruomuscular strengthening device for the rotator cuff in the dependent positions. It is the only known unit that provides Proprioceptive Neuromusular Faciliation (PNF) in a closed kinetic chain method of exercise in standing. Ray has been a vendor for 2023 APTA Combined Sections Meeting in San Diego and the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting held in Denver this year. The Shoulder Pole(c) will be on display at the Annual Fall Meeting in Golden, CO.

Identify and describe current or previous leadership positions and/or work experiences that make you qualified for this position:
Raymond has served in several positions that have provided the experience necessary to catapult the profession forward. Leadership positions within Colorado APTA have been membership chair; Private Practice Special Interest Chair (when we had an active private practice representation on the board), and Nationally, serving as a Board Member to the Occupational Health Special Interest Group serving as author of Industrial Physical Therapy and the Lumbar Spine for the Orthopaedic Academy. Ray has been in private practice for many years and understands the issues challenging physical therapists and practice owners/managers. Unfortunately, the challenging issues of getting paid for the physical therapy we do is timeless.
 

What strengths do you bring to the Colorado Chapter and what strengths would you bring to the position you are running for?
Raymond brings years of experiences of negotiating practice issues, legal issues regarding third party payment for PT, and understanding management challenges. He has the strength, time, internal drive and desire to move the profession forward as PTs assist patients over come their rehabilitation obstacles. Ray has been a clinician, an owner and a patient overcoming rotator cuff disease to both shoulders with great success.

What are weaknesses of the Colorado Chapter and what improvements would you like to make?
There are no weaknesses in the Colorado Chapter. Collectively, the APTA Chapter has navigated many challenges in the many years I have been a member. The most pressing issue at this time is preparing for Sunset of our PT Practice Act. I would like to lend my strengths in assisting the Chapter defend our practice act from those who attempt to minimize the profession. Physical Therapy is a meaningful and necessary profession that demands professional excellence and autonomy from non-PT entities. I believe I have the skills to lead as necessary in the practice issues.