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What is the main vision of the
WCPT in general?
WCPT's vision is to move physiotherapy
forward so the profession is recognised
globally for its significant role in improving
health and wellbeing.
Moving the profession forward means
enabling, supporting, assisting and em-
powering development of the profession.
We have to work hard to ensure that we
provide that value to all our member organi-
sations, large and small – from those that
are just beginning to those that have been
around for decades. At the same time,
we need to be responsive to world develop-
ments in health services and help the
profession share innovative practice to
ensure our sustainability.
We want WCPT to be recognised for its
valuable role in promoting healthy, active,
independent lives, and we have to be clear
about our unique value and impact in an
increasingly busy health services sector.
We seek to build our recognition among a
wide range of stakeholders: patients, clients,
communities, other health professions,
policy makers, agencies that reimburse
services, the World Health Organization.
Each requires a different strategy and so
needs a different approach and this requires
reflection as we move forward in our
planning.
I found a »home«
in the international
physiotherapy community
Questions & Answers with Emma Stokes,
President of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT)
Congratulations to the WCPT Presidency!
What made you run for this office?
Thank you. As a member of the Irish Society
of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) I
attended my very first WCPT meeting in
Portugal in 1998. From that moment, I found
a »home« in the international physiotherapy
community. I believe we all benefit from
reaching out and being part of bigger conver-
sations and collaborations: physiotherapists
learn about other practice, organisations
develop with the help of others and ultima-
tely that contributes to better physiotherapy
for patients/clients and communities.
I have developed my expertise in organisa-
tion development, strategic planning, project
work and governance through my voluntee-
ring with the ISCP and other organisations,
and through my eight years on the WCPT
Executive Committee. I put myself forward
as a candidate for WCPT President because
I believed I had the right skill and expertise.
What would you like to achieve
under your Presidency?
I would like to continue to build on the ex-
cellent work of WCPT; to ensure that a great
organisation is even better when my term
finishes; to ensure that we meet the needs
of, and bring value to, all our member organi-
sations; to bring the voice and the value of
physiotherapy to a wider audience; to help
to develop and inspire the next generation
of leaders in our profession. As I said when
seeking election, I would like to serve WCPT
by looking in, looking out and looking to the
future.
Themenschwerpunkt
Physiotherapie International
26
physio
austria
inform
September 2015