The 8-minute Rule Interview

Tell me more about your background. What’s your spark for getting into PT?

I became interested in physical therapy since I was in middle school, where I needed to figure out what I wanted to do in life. I was interested in how people got hurt and how people heal, and it led me down this rabbit hole where I was volunteering at physical therapy clinics and hospitals, observing physical therapists in every type of setting. My passion evolved during undergrad, then doing a gap year overseas working with Olympic athletes, and afterward, going to physical therapy school.

What would you say is the most fulfilling part of being a physical therapist? And what is the most frustrating?

I get fulfillment every day from seeing patients hit their goals, whether they can’t work because of sciatica or it’s a baby that can’t walk, and you help them catch up to their peers. Mentoring new physical therapists to be expert clinicians and critical thinkers is also very rewarding.

Every part of my job is amazing in its own way. The frustrations come from the economics, which have made me very passionate in the last several months. There are so many barriers healthcare professionals face—a glass ceiling for earning potential, regulations, and obstacles that only seem to get worse. Each year, with inflation and system changes, it becomes more difficult.

This is what I’m trying to fight. Things need to get better because fewer physical therapists are entering and staying in the field. Many are leaving clinical care entirely, and if we don’t solve this problem, it’s going to get worse.

What is one specific issue in PT that is under the radar and you wish more people were aware of?

Where you go for physical therapy matters. For example, you could see me in my own clinic or at a hospital clinic. Even though you’re seeing the same clinician, the price point is very different because of how billing is done. In my clinic, you might see me for about $100 or less, depending on my contracted rate with my business. At a hospital, you might have to pay eight to twelve times more for the exact same thing.

This disparity stems from lobbying, regulations, and the infrastructure of hospital entities. But the end user isn’t necessarily getting more value. It’s the same therapist; they’re just working in two different places. Smaller private practices aren’t able to negotiate better rates like hospitals can, which consolidates healthcare further. This system incentivizes consolidation, but it doesn’t actually improve services—in many cases, it makes them worse.

What advice would you give to new physical therapy graduates about their long-term careers?

You’re seeing this newer generation of physical therapists who want work-life balance leaving clinical care much quicker in their careers, whether they’re working in larger private practice chains or hospitals. Turnover is a lot higher now. Historically, clinicians stayed involved in clinical work for most of their careers, but that’s changing.

This can be a good thing because it reflects how technology and other industries are valuing the skills PTs have—like communication, sales, and technology. But if people leave the field too soon, it creates supply-and-demand issues. Getting an appointment can take longer, which disrupts cohesive care. If there are only ten physical therapists for 250,000 people, and 50% of those individuals need physical therapy, many won’t get the care they need when they need it. That leads to worse outcomes because the most value comes in the acute stage of care, but barriers prevent timely intervention.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about PT or healthcare, what would it be?

It would be to eliminate prior authorization in physical therapy. Prior authorization doesn’t make sense. I understand it for elective surgeries or certain imaging that’s been historically overutilized, but not for physical therapy.

Especially for the first 20 visits—typical plans of care are about 14 to 18 visits depending on when you see the patient. The sooner you see someone, the better the outcomes. We want to reduce chronic pain by intervening early and guiding patients to do the right things as soon as possible. Time snowballs issues. Early intervention reduces healthcare costs by decreasing surgeries, medications, imaging, stress, and anxiety. Prior authorization has no business being in physical therapy, especially for the first 20 visits.

What is the nicest thing someone has done for you?

I had a mentor during my residency program who always challenged me. He made me realize how, as a profession, we’ve always been afraid to challenge the status quo. We’ve always said yes, even when it wasn’t in our best interest. But questioning tradition allows us to make a bigger impact.

For example, physical therapy used to rely heavily on modalities and passive treatments. But the current literature shows that pushing patients to do moderate to vigorous activity leads to better outcomes and faster recovery. It’s up to us to ensure patients are safely doing enough to drive their healing response. This is especially true for low back pain—getting patients moving with purpose and intensity early on decreases chronic pain recurrence and builds resilience over time.

If you had to nominate someone for an interview, who would it be?

I’d recommend Dr. Larry Benz, founder of Confluent Health.