2026 APTA Arizona Annual Conference

Call for Educational Session Proposals and Poster Presentation Abstracts

APTA Arizona invites all members of the physical therapy community (clinicians, researchers, educators, and students) to share innovative ideas, evidence, and practical applications at the 2026 Annual Conference. We are seeking both educational session proposals and poster presentation abstracts that advance clinical practice, education, research, leadership, health equity, and professional development.

Key Dates

Educational Session Proposals

We invite proposals for 90-minute educational sessions that provide evidence-informed content, clinical reasoning, practical application, and audience engagement. Interactive elements such as case discussions, polling, demonstrations, and small-group activities are encouraged.

Proposal Requirements

1. Session title (maximum 15 words recommended)
2. Author(s) and affiliations, including all speaker names, email addresses, and organization names
3. Content level (Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced)
4. Target audience
5. Session purpose (maximum 200 words)
6. Session proposal including (maximum 1500 words):

1. 3-6 measurable learning objectives
2. Description of interactive teaching methods
3. Methods to assess participant learning
4. Session outline with topics and activities that will be covered, with beginning and ending times for the 90 minutes

7. Minimum of 5 references that are no more than 7 years old and a maximum of 10 references

Poster Presentation Abstracts

Poster presentations provide an opportunity to share research, case reports, quality improvement projects, educational innovations, and practice innovations. Abstract categories include research reports, case reports, quality improvement initiatives, educational research or innovation, clinical practice innovation, or health service or population health projects.

Abstract Requirements

1. Title (maximum 15 words recommended)
2. Author(s) and affiliations
3. Structured abstract (maximum 400 words recommended) including

1. Background or purpose
2. Methods
3. Results or outcomes
4. Conclusions or clinical relevance
5. Keywords (3-5)

1. Minimum of 5 references that are no more than 7 years old and a maximum of 10 references

Review Criteria

All submissions will be evaluated on:

• Relevance to physical therapy practice, education, or research
• Scientific or educational merit
• Clarity of objectives and content
• Innovation and originality
• Practical applicability for attendees
• Quality of writing and organization

Submission Instructions

Submit all proposals and abstracts in a Word document to Christa Lombardo Ploof at christa@aptaaz.org. Submissions will be de-identified during the evaluation process. Questions about the proposals may be directed to Kayla Black, PT, DPT, EdD, at kdblack@hpu.edu.

Presenter Policies

• All presenters are responsible for registering for the conference.
• Educational session presenters are eligible for complimentary registration and a $(dollar) honorarium. The honorarium may be waived and donated to the APTA Arizona Scholarship Fund.
• All presenters must comply with conference disclosure and copyright policies.
• By submitting, authors agree that accepted abstracts may be published in conference materials.