German Association for Physiotherapy
The German Association for Physiotherapy (ZVK) e. V. is the largest professional physiotherapist representation in Germany and is the umbrella organization of its 12 regional associations.
It was founded on November 5, 1949 as the Central Association of Regional Physiotherapy Associations in West Germany and renamed the Central Association for Physiotherapy in 1954 . It has had its current name since 1979. The organization has a federal structure in order to put all important decisions on a broad basis. The regional associations are independent organizations (independent associations) that do their work on the grassroots and look after their members on site. The association is based in Cologne.
organization structure
The structure corresponds to the structure of the German health care system in its administration and in the organization of other interest groups in the medical professions .
As the umbrella organization, the German Association for Physiotherapy has a federal delegates' conference in which the board, the chairmen of the regional associations, the spokesman for the medical board of trustees, the advisory board, the federal junior council and the federal student council have a seat and vote.
The General Secretary is available to the board of the German Association for Physiotherapy and its regional associations for professional advice on all professional questions. He carries out the other tasks assigned to him by the board, which include in particular the coordination and monitoring of the professional and content-related work of the association with the focus on the work in the commissions. The general secretary must be a physiotherapist and is elected by the association day on the proposal of the board.
Working groups and the medical board of trustees are also available to the board of the German Association for Physiotherapy for professional advice . There is also a science council.
The work of the commissions set up by the Association Day is of major importance for the association's political decision-making within the committees.
aims
The professional association pursues the following goals in particular (ZVK, Der ZVK, 2005):
- Help shape health policy.
- Securing and developing the future of our entire profession.
- Securing jobs and opening up new fields of activity for physiotherapists.
- Offer of interesting and quality-oriented advanced and advanced training.
- Ensuring high quality education for physiotherapy students and, in this context, academising education.
- Facilitation of the professional recognition of the German physiotherapy qualification in other European countries.
- Raising awareness of the importance of physiotherapy in the population.
Memberships
As a member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and the European regional association of WCPT, the German Association for Physiotherapy focuses on facilitating the establishment of physiotherapists in other countries.
literature
- German Association for Physiotherapy - Central Association of Physiotherapists / Physiotherapists (ZVK) e. V. (ed.): Why physiotherapists need the ZVK as a strong representation of interests . In Der ZVK , October 2005, p. 4