Pamela A. Duffy Joins the Legacy Society

Physical therapist and Associate Professor at Des Moines University Pamela A. Duffy, PT, PhD, FAPTA, recently decided to join a growing number of PT's by making a legacy gift to the Foundation for Physical Therapy. Legacy Society members have expressed their commitment to the future of the physical therapy profession through a special planned gift. Planned gifts are essential as they sustain the Foundation with future revenue streams.

"Having been a physical therapist for almost 40 years, I truly believe in the value we offer to society," said Duffy. It is this reason that inspired Duffy to leave the Foundation an unrestricted gift through her estate. "This was not a hard decision to make," she said. "Unrestricted gifts allow the foundation to be nimble, plan for the future and to take on initiatives that they think are important for improving the infrastructure."

Growing up, Duffy was not at first aware of the existence of the physical therapy profession, and only with the help of her high school guidance counselor did she start considering it as a permanent professional choice. Since then, she has gone on to receive her Bachelors of Science from Iowa State University, Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from Iowa State University. Throughout her career, Duffy has been an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, served on many professional organizations and received several prestigious awards such as the Lucy Blair Service Award and Catherine Worthingham Fellow of APTA.

It was through her time serving as President of the Iowa Physical Therapy Association that she first came to hear of the Foundation. She has since been a dedicated donor over the years with many generous personal donations.

Duffy explains that part of being a member of the physical therapy community is supporting the profession through the Foundation in any way possible, which she says are "congruent with her values of giving back" to a profession that has been good to her.

She urges others to make the decision of giving back through a planned gift and avoid "making arrangements for some time in the future." Duffy explains doing so is not a difficult or a time-consuming process. "The Foundation has proven itself to be a significant contributor to the evidence we need for our profession to continue to advance. Establishing a gift now through your estate is a way for you to make a meaningful impact that will live on in the work of others."

To learn more about the Foundation's Legacy Society, visit: http://legacyfpt.org/