Bravo, Steve

To play a role in the legislative advocacy of the PT profession is not something that TAI mandates for its therapists.  But I bet we have more than one hundred American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) members, many of whom have taken major roles with the national organization and its state chapters.  One of them is Steve Anderson, PT and CEO of TAI, who just completed his second term as President of the Private Practice Section (PPS) of APTA.  He has spent the past 6 years in this capacity advocating on behalf of all private practices across the country and just passed the torch to a new president earlier this month.

Steve meeting with Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers from WA

Throughout his tenure as PPS President, Steve met with legislators and key officials to discuss issues impacting private practices, he has traveled the country as a speaker and consultant, and he has contributed to articles discussing the power of autonomous practice in physical therapy, the advantages and challenges of opening a practice, etc.  I found this quote from Steve in an article from PT Magazine that I think sums up his professional and personal character: “Even though it’s competitive, the more physical therapists who go into private practice, the more the public will get to know the benefits of physical therapy. Together we can reach a higher level than as individuals.”  He truly cares about physical therapy and wants to see it grow and positively affect people’s lives.

It’s an honor for our company to have someone in this role, leading the way not only for TAI but for our profession in general.  And it seems extra meaningful given that one of the founders of PPS (back in the 1960s) is Bob Dicus, who was also a primary founder of Therapeutic Associates.  In fact, one of PPS’s annual honors granted every year to a therapist at the section’s Annual Conference is the Robert G. Dicus Award.  To have connections in the leadership of PPS for more than 40 years is a very special thing. 

We all commend Steve on the work he has done in the past several years and will continue to do on a daily basis for all of us in the profession.  Bravo.

Treatment Times

I am often asked about our company philosophy on the amount of time a therapist works one-on-one with a patient.  My answer?  It depends…and for good reason.

TAI prides itself on putting most of the operational decisions for each clinic in the hands of the location’s Director and staff.  Thus, each practice shapes itself to maximize the needs of its community and patients and the strengths and interests of its team.  Treatment times are among those decisions made at the clinic level.  The majority of our clinics follow the 1-hour initial eval and 30-minute follow-up visit timeframe (direct therapist-to-patient care).  Not only does this seem to satisfy the needs of the therapists and patients, but it’s also found to be pretty common for most outpatient settings.   

That being said, I am compelled to mention that we also pride ourselves on treating each therapist and each patient as an individual.  If you’re a new grad you may need more time initially as you cultivate your personal practice.  If you have a patient with multiple or complex diagnoses, or for whom English is a second language, or who has never been to physical therapy before and holds apprehension, you may need more time.  Maybe the staffing at your clinic reflects a diverse set of specialty skills and you want to treat collaboratively.  We are real human beings dealing with other human beings and that requires flexibility and care.  While each therapist may follow a structure, the first priority for anyone is to meet the needs of the patient – and the other clinic team members.

Ortho Residency Program

It has been argued that the advancement of the physical therapy profession will rely, in part, on post-graduate education and therapist specialization.  One path for this professional development is designed after the medical school model - to involve clinicians in a Residency Program.  Residency programs train therapists in a defined specialty area, providing significant one-on-one mentorship in a hands-on environment and through a structured program that ensures optimal growth and development in the specialty area for each resident.  The goal?  Well, one big one is to make PTs stronger, more confident, and more skilled so as to further demonstrate that they are musculoskeletal experts (hello, direct access).  You can find many other arguments for residency program advantages, including those articulated in an August 2006 article for an APTA newsletter.

Therapeutic Associates’ Orthopaedic Residency Training Program is APTA-accredited and one of the only private practice-based ortho residencies in the entire west coast area.  It is an intensive, comprehensive, and individualized program designed to enhance a therapist’s clinical and leadership skills in orthopedic, manual therapy in a private practice setting.  Comprised of some didactic learning (including NAIOMT Levels I and II), clinical mentorship, and direct patient care (as each resident is a salaried, benefitted TAI employee), it will not only make you a better and stronger therapist, but will also prepare you for the OCS exam or the NAIOMT Fellowship Program.

Our Residency program is most suitable for new grads or therapists earlier in their career, but is open to any TAI therapist.  There are two entry dates per year and an application process, all of which is described on our Ortho Residency webpage.  On average, most residents complete the program in about 2 years time.  You can be a resident and practice out of any of our clinics in the company.  An important thing to keep in mind is that we work with each resident to design a timeline and budget individually. 

The APTA is a great resource for general information on Residency and Fellowship programs.  To chat more about Therapeutic Associates’ Ortho Residency Program, receive one of our Residency brochures, connect with our current residents, or ask questions of our program faculty, email me at ldillon@taiweb.com.

Let’s Talk About Compensation

So you’re going to graduate soon and you are just starting (or starting to think about) interviewing for your first PT position.  Your professors have encouraged you to ask about mentorship and treatment times and patient care philosophies (we can get into these in future posts ), but what about the compensation package?  For many of you, this is your first full-time career and you may not have ever been in a position to consider medical benefits, a 401k, or even the concept of negotating a package.

Therapeutic Associates is not unlike many employers in that it has a standard compensation package for all benefits-eligible employees.  For us, that package includes:

• Salary
• Medical/dental health insurance
• Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays and Personal Days plus Con Ed Days
• 401k program
• Workers Comp, Liability, Life, Long Term Disability Insurances
• Continuing Education Stipend (company standard minimum is $1,200 annually)

The following are negotiable additions to a standard package:

• Sign On Bonus
• Student Loan Reimbursement Program
• Productivity-Based Bonuses

Therapists have asked me if we support national or state association fees.  Yes, sometimes (it’s another one of those negotiated line items).  Some clinics have even been creative and offered an annual bus pass, gym membership or other benefit. 

Do your research.  Find out what the market is like in the area where you want to work.  Be careful of websites that give generic (and oftentimes inflated) pay ranges – compare apples to apples.  If you want to work in outpatient, compare offers for that setting only, because there tends to be a difference in pay ranges and packages for different settings.  

Ask questions.  My philosophy is that it’s better to discuss these issues upfront so that everyone knows the needs and expectations. 

Negotiate.  While on rare occasion you will be presented with an offer that is non-negotiable, most employers are willing to hear your desires and work with you on them.  Use your research and be reasonable.

Most importantly when looking at an offer…remember what’s really important to you!  It may be these line items on a spreadsheet and it might be something else.  Don’t let yourself get too caught up in numbers.  Don’t forget to consider future growth with a company and not just your first paycheck.  Rely on heart, gut and feeling.

Welcome!!

Happy November!

Welcome to Therapeutic Associates’s “Careers in Physical Therapy” blog.  My hope for this is not only to provide more information on employment opportunities with our company, but also – and maybe more importantly - to address some common questions (including those you usually hate to ask!), engage in meaningful discussions about finding the right employment fit, and talk about new ideas, new directions, and new advancements in our field. 

For general information on our company, please visit www.therapeuticassociates.com.  If you are specifically interested in reading more about employment with us, www.therapeuticassociates.com/keyperson is the place to start.  Here you’ll find general information on what makes us a unique PT employer, and be able to link to our current openings and read profiles from some of our Key People.  After all, wouldn’t you like to get to know this guy better? -

To suggest topics, ask questions, or chime in, email me at ldillon@taiweb.com.

Here’s to your career!

Lori Dillon
Recruitment Director, Therapeutic Associates