What made you decide to get into the physical therapy profession?

I wanted to be in a profession that helped others. Physical therapy seemed to offer a good living, while still being able to have a life outside of work and spend time with your family.

On average, how many hours do you work (patient care and your own time, in and out of the clinic)?

45-50 hours

How do you feel physical therapy compares to other professional careers in terms of education requirements, hours worked vs. compensation, job stress, and growth potential?

I believe we are poorly compensated for the amount of hours we work compared to other professions. I think the emotional and physical intensity and level of responsibility of our work is higher than in other careers with similar compensation levels. Probably the worst aspect is that there is not a clear correlation between how good of a clinician you are with the amount you are paid. In most other professional careers the better a person is at what they do, the greater the rewards. In physical therapy you can have two clinicians working side by side with the same amount of experience. One therapist could have incredible skills, the other average to below average - and they both will be making the same amount of money. A therapist may spend hours of her own time and money reading research, attending courses, and learning from other therapists to become the best, and she will get whatever the wage range is for her years of experience. In other professions when a person out works and performs her peers she usually gets compensated for it.

Which do you feel employers in this profession (not necessarily your own) currently value more: a competent, but highly productive therapist, or an average producer with great clinical skills?

The highly productive, adequate therapist

What do you feel is the 3 most important issues facing the PT profession at this time?

-The growth of physician owned practices (POPs)

-Holding our ground on insurance reimbursement

-Federal direct access

Have physician owned practices impacted your geographical area?

Absolutely. It has had a very negative effect in our area. It definetly makes it more difficult on the individual practitioner. It belittles the physical therapist and makes us no more than a modality to the physician.

Do you feel someone is addressing these issues?

Yes, I feel the APTA and the states at the local level have been doing a good job in last few years.

What do you feel the leadership in this profession should be focusing on to help physical therapy be a thriving profession for you?

Autonomy - state mandated

Insurance companies have continued to assult the PT profession. What kind of impact have you seen in your region?

We have seen capitated rates and decreasing fee schedules forcing clinics to see more patients in the same amount of time to stay profitable. In the end, this impacts the patient as well with decreased quality of care.

Does your state have direct access?

Yes

Do you feel this has impacted your practice in any way?

Yes - Mainly in marketing. It gives you more freedom when dealing with the public, as well as, more conficence when discussing cases with physicians

Not necessarily your employer, but in general what is the employer support for continuing education in your region?

Adequate, but no more than that

Generally speaking, would you say the profession is heading in the right direction, down the wrong track, or somewhere in between?

The right direction - I feel the current APTA president, Ben F Massey, Jr, PT, MA , is seeking autonomy in physical therapy, which I feel is key. I think the 2020 vision is good, we just have to execute now.

Do you feel the profession is better off now than 5 years ago?

No - I feel we are in the middle of a transition and turmoil. We are being challenged by POPs, MD resistance to direct access, and insurance reimbursement. It was easier 5 years ago to open a private practice and survive. If we can get past this current test, we can get back and continue to be a thriving profession.

RehabEdge will be interviewing clinicians from different geographic locations, and different areas of practice. We seek to get a variety of opinions and perspectives on current issues or concerns within the rehab profession. We hope that readers will find the interviews as a valuable way to stay in touch will the pulse of rehabilitation industry.