Drowning in student debt? Feeling undervalued as a PT? Here's why: You're trapped between an artificial floor and a glass ceiling. The floor? PT school costs more than an MBA at MIT—that's your barrier to entry. The ceiling? The AMA's physician-dominated board literally decides what you're worth. And between those two forces, you're stuck. Today we break down the economic trap keeping PTs fragmented, underpaid, and powerless—and what you can actually do about it. You're not alone, and the problem runs way deeper than you may think.

What You'll Learn:

• Why PTs earn less than other providers for the same skills - Discover how the American Medical Association controls your reimbursement rates
• The hidden economic barriers keeping PTs fragmented - Learn why our 400,000-strong profession has less influence than professionals with a smaller number of providers
• Why your PT school education failed you - The critical finance and regulatory knowledge gaps that leave new grads unprepared (and how to fix them yourself)
• The private practice opportunity - Understanding debt structures, consulting fees, and why smaller clinics actually have MORE freedom to innovate
• Your path out of fee-for-service dependence - Practical strategies for recouping your investment beyond insurance reimbursement
• Why certifications actually DO matter (despite what cynical colleagues say) - How specialization opens doors beyond your clinic job

Our guest today is Jon Lee, PT, DPT, MBA, the co-founder of Pickle, former pro sports PT, and someone who's navigated from clinical practice to Oxford MBA to vaccine development to healthcare tech

It's a conversation about the structural economic problems facing PTs—and actionable knowledge you won't get in school. You will enjoy how the three of us challenge each other throughout this hour-long conversation. We keep it real and it's ultimately optimistic.

This episode is great for new grads struggling with debt, mid-career PTs feeling stuck, clinic owners questioning their business model, and anyone wondering if they made a mistake choosing their healthcare profession.

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Dr. Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, SCS—Lieutenant Colonel (retired), former White House Medical Unit PT to Presidents Obama and Biden, and current APTA Vice President of Strategic Affairs—delivers a masterclass in professional evolution that will fundamentally shift how you view your career trajectory.

This is surgical precision strategy from someone who's operated at the highest levels of American healthcare.

Dr. Contreras dismantles the "comfort crisis" plaguing PT, where professionals complain about constraints while avoiding the uncomfortable work of actual transformation. His brings up a great point, too: venture capitalists are flooding PT because they see massive opportunity that many therapists are too comfortable to seize.

The Analogy-Based Insights You'll Gain:

• The Tree-Cutting Analogy: How value-based care mirrors service industries you already understand—and why PTs must stop being "branch pickers" and become strategic planners
• The Netflix Model of Healthcare: Why flexible, on-demand PT delivery (including treating astronauts in space) represents the future of patient engagement
• From Skilled Laborer to Expert Consultant: The mindset shift from counting clamshells to providing high-level clinical consultation that commands premium pricing
• The Spider-Man Principle: Why ordering imaging and labs comes with great responsibility—and how embracing this elevates PT to true doctoring status

Strategic Intelligence from the Inside:

Contreras reveals how political and healthcare leadership actually views PT's potential, sharing insights from Pentagon health clinics to White House medical operations. His perspective on "old guard versus new guard" leadership offers a roadmap for navigating professional transition without burning bridges.

The Uncomfortable Truth: Healthcare's shift is here and we already risk being late to the game. PTs equipped with "coloring-book anatomy knowledge" (it will make sense when you listen to the episode) successfully operated in primary care roles decades ago. Today's DPT graduates possess exponentially superior tools and knowledge, yet many lack the courage to step into their full scope of practice. And the "old guard" has to step up and embrace this too, even if it means adding to your knowledge base.

This episode will arm you with the strategic framework to thrive in healthcare's inevitable transformation.

For therapists ready to evolve beyond traditional treatment rooms into primary care leadership roles, this conversation provides the roadmap. For those comfortable with the status quo, it serves as a wake-up call to the professional reckoning already underway.

Read Dr. Contreras' bio here

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What distinguishes an explorer from a maintainer in the therapy profession? Why are outside disruptors capturing market share while traditional practices struggle? How can clinicians leverage cutting-edge research on mitochondrial DNA and movement disorders to revolutionize treatment approaches? We tackle these questions and more in a dialogue that bridges clinical excellence with business innovation.

Alex offers a provocative parable about buying lottery tickets that perfectly captures our profession's hesitation to proactively engage with healthcare transformation. "We're losing workforce," he warns, "but we're still failing to see that we need to go out and look into these risk-based contracts, at least explore, at least understand what they are and how to operationalize them."

We examine the stark contrast between traditional care models and patient-centered approaches that leverage technology. Is it better to "hold a patient's hand" through dozens of visits, or transition to guided self-management after fewer sessions? This question gets to the heart of therapy's value proposition in an evolving healthcare ecosystem.

The irony doesn't escape us: therapists expertly help patients recognize and build upon their strengths, yet we collectively struggle to do the same for our profession. The gap between the actual value therapists provide and our ability to communicate that value creates the perfect opportunity for disruption – either from outside forces or, ideally, from innovative thinkers within.

External disruptors aren't succeeding because they provide better clinical care. They're succeeding because they've packaged therapy expertise in ways that solve specific problems for stakeholders, speaking the language of value, efficiency, and outcomes that resonates with payers and health systems.

This conversation isn't meant to be comfortable – it's meant to be catalyzing. The explorer's mindset we advocate requires questioning established practices, reimagining care delivery, and having the courage to venture into unfamiliar territory.

As Alex puts it: "I'm optimistic because I think the better days are ahead, because that's my nature, but I'm also realistic that it may take a catastrophe for those models to be absorbed. We just want to be on a good hill when the catastrophe hits."

Are you ready to climb that hill? To join us as explorers charting new territories in healthcare transformation? To balance rigorous clinical standards with business innovation?

Listen now to discover how adopting an explorer's mindset could transform your practice and ensure our profession remains central to healthcare's future. Because the future of therapy will be written by those willing to explore it – and we believe you have an important chapter to contribute.

• The explorer's mindset encourages seeking new horizons in therapy.
• Therapists must adapt to changing healthcare delivery models.
• Curiosity and innovation are essential for professional growth.
• Understanding value-based care is crucial for therapists.
• Therapists need to articulate their value to stakeholders.
• Research consumption strategies can enhance clinical reasoning.
• Collaboration with other healthcare providers is vital.
• Growth can be achieved through efficiency and subtraction.
• Therapists should prepare for risk-based contracts.
• The future of therapy depends on adaptability and exploration.

#TherapyLeadership #HealthcareInnovation #PhysicalTherapy #ValueBasedCare #PracticeManagement

Link to the transcript here.

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Check out our friend and colleague's *course on AI for PTs (and so many others!) by Cody Lee, PT, DPT

*affiliate link

Episode Summary:

In the latest episode of Future Proof PT, hosts Dana Strauss and Alex Bendersky, along with special guest Jerry Durham, tackle the critical crossroads facing physical therapy as a profession. They challenge listeners to question whether they're functioning as true healthcare professionals or merely "operators" in a broken system.

The trio discusses how healthcare is rapidly transforming around us, including recent proposed policy changes in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule that could significantly impact physical therapists. While time-based providers like primary care physicians are seeing increases of 5-9%, independent PTs face a -1% adjustment. The trio make the case that this should be a wake-up call for the profession.

Key topics covered include:

• The value of hands-on patient relationships in an AI-driven healthcare landscape
• Why team-based care is essential for survival in evolving payment models
• The importance of understanding the broader healthcare ecosystem beyond PT
• Strategies for demonstrating value to referring physicians and payers
• Embracing the shift to outpatient and in-home care

This conversation serves as both a warning and a call to action for physical therapists to "look up" from their treatment tables, redefine their professional identity, and secure their place in the healthcare of tomorrow.

Whether you're a clinic owner, practicing PT, or student, or in a non-clinical role, this episode delivers uncomfortable truths alongside actionable insights that could transform your approach to practice. You won’t want to miss it.

Link to the episode transcript here.

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Check out our friend and colleague's *course on AI for PTs (and so many others!) by Cody Lee, PT, DPT

*affiliate link

Dana and Alex explore the Therapy Value Quotient, an objective framework for measuring clinical impact that goes beyond subjective reasoning. Learn a practical algorithm that factors in functional improvement, patient complexity, care intensity, and cost—plus why establishing clear therapy prognoses is essential for professional survival.

Key topics covered in this episode: objective clinical measures, therapy prognosis, value-based care, capitation, long-term patient relationships, and preparing for AI-driven healthcare analytics.

Essential listening for therapists ready to prove their value in measurable ways while maintaining meaningful patient connections.

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Sign up for our newsletter and receive exclusive resources that grow with every episode!

Check out our friend and colleague's course on AI for PTs (and so many others!) by Cody Lee, PT, DPT

Sponsored by Saatva Mattresses: use this link for 15% off Saatva mattresses or tell anyone at a Saatva show room that Dana Strauss, PT, DPT sent you. This offer is stackable with any other active offer Saatva offers at the time!

Future Proof PT helps physical therapists navigate the changing healthcare landscape and build sustainable, value-driven practices.

Physical Therapists, listen up! "Make America Healthy Again," or MAHA, is a chance to improve the professional identify of PTs regardless of politics! It's a chance to embrace and highlight the profession and its doctoral status and to position its reputation as long-term partners in patients'/the population's MSK health as opposed to merely providers of episodic care.

PTs can and should be the "quarterbacks" of MSK care. That will mean eliminating some of our vocabulary and leaning into other expressions.

MAHA isn't just a chance for the profession's perception. It's an opportunity to attract well-deserved reimbursement improvements.

Here's what you'll learn when you tune in:

• How government healthcare initiatives create opportunities for physical therapists to advance the profession, and why you should embrace the positive of new positioning, regardless of political affiliations or biases
• Why PTs should position themselves as "quarterbacks" of musculoskeletal care
• The importance of using doctoral titles, professional language, and of obtaining your tDPT if you graduated PT school prior to the DPT (like Dana!)
• Why you should remove "discharge" from your clinical vocabulary
• Potential challenges for the profession: reimbursement, resource limitations, and outcomes tracking

We make the case for PTs to step up as lifetime partners in MSK health and ditch the notion of being solely providers of episodic care. And we encourage you to embrace the top of scope positioning of PTs and argue it's a "must-do" to secure a future we are all proud of.

Enjoy the conversation and the practical insights on how to position yourself, your practice, and your profession for future success in a changing healthcare landscape.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Sign up for our newsletter and receive exclusive resources that grow with every episode!

Check out our friend and colleague's course on AI for PTs (and so many others!) by Cody Lee, PT, DPT

Sponsored by Saatva Mattresses: use this link for 15% off Saatva mattresses or tell anyone at a Saatva show room that Dana Strauss, PT, DPT sent you. This offer is stackable with any other active offer Saatva offers at the time!

Ready to revolutionize your PT career? Think of it like Wayne Gretzky's famous quote - skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been. In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, having a game plan for your career as part of the PT profession (clinical, non-clinical, or both) isn't just nice-to-have, it's essential for survival.

The signs of change are everywhere if you know where to look. Want the inside scoop? Follow the money and the power players. Watch what policymakers and their advisors are saying and doing, and keep your eyes on where big investors are placing their bets - that's key to reading the proverbial tea leaves.

Let's talk about our profession's journey. Physical therapy has come a long way in fighting for autonomy - you know, breaking free from needing that doctor's prescription to treat patients. But while we were focused on that battle, we might have missed some existential challenges.

Take the fee-for-service system, for instance. It's like a bad relationship - it's not just hurting us, it's impacting how other providers coordinate and collaborate with us. making sure patients get to us. Even worse? It's pushed us to focus on visit counts rather than what really matters: individualized treatment plans, proper dosing, and patient outcomes.

This affects how everyone sees PT - from insurance companies to doctors to patients themselves. Many view therapy as this huge time commitment, rather than seeing its true value. Not great, right?

In this episode, Alex and I are talking about this. We're tackling Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) and its connection to the recently update Innovation Center Strategy - stuff that could completely reshape your practice. This isn't just about boring billing codes - it's about positioning yourself at the cutting edge of healthcare.

We are sharing helpful insights about healthcare tech, new payment models, and what it means for your future. Plus, you won't want to miss Alex's brilliant "train model" that perfectly shows how digital and in-person care can work together seamlessly.

We're also sharing what the CMS Innovation Center leadership said in their blog and in recent public appearances about their vision for healthcare's future. Every week, we update our Resources Database, which is available to all newsletter subscribers. Not a subscriber yet? Sign up here! It's free and we send valuable resources right to your inbox every week.

Chapters

00:00 The Future of Care Delivery Models

06:00 The Importance of Quality Data in EMR Systems

08:35 Navigating Regulatory Changes in Healthcare

10:46 The Impact of Technology on Patient Care

13:41 Conclusion and Future Directions

18:37 Innovative Models in Medicare Services

20:42 The Role of Data in Patient Care

22:33 Future of Therapy: Embracing Change

25:43 Case Studies: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring

28:14 Valuing Preventive Care in Therapy

32:08 Understanding Episode Groupers

36:10 Collaboration Across Disciplines

40:13 Advocacy and Access to Care

In Episode 11 of Future-Proof PT, we're joined again by Cody Lee, a dynamic early-career PT who's revolutionizing physical therapy practice in Alabama.

Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the intersection of traditional PT and cutting-edge technology. Cody shares his firsthand experience fighting for direct access at the state level while pioneering AI integration in clinical settings - two movements that are reshaping our profession's future.

We tackle burning questions about autonomous practice and , dive deep into why functional measurements matter in assessing patient risk, and explore how PTs can leverage artificial intelligence without losing the human touch that makes our profession special. Whether you're a clinical practitioner or working away from the bedside, this episode offers fresh perspectives on where physical therapy is headed.

Don't miss Cody's game-changing insights and a sneak peek at his upcoming AI for PT course that promises to transform how we approach patient care. This is more than just another healthcare tech discussion - it's a roadmap for staying relevant in an evolving healthcare landscape!

Get his free download of 10 High Impact AI Prompts for PTs here!

Check out his course AI for PTs here!

Some Key Takeaways from the Episode:

1. Direct access and primary care PT may not be one and the same. Professional vs. Personal scope of practice are important to distinguish.

2. AI integration in physical therapy practice can enhance evidence-based decision-making while maintaining personal touch

3. The APTA's role should extend beyond clinical practice support to include non-clinical professionals shaping healthcare itself

4. Risk stratification models should incorporate functional metrics for comprehensive patient care

5. Professional growth opportunities exist beyond traditional clinical roles in physical therapy

6. Technology adoption in practice can streamline documentation and improve treatment planning

7. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is essential for advancing the profession

8. Continuing education in emerging technologies is crucial for career advancement

9. The DPT role in autonomous practice continues to evolve with changing healthcare landscapes

10. Prevention-focused care models are gaining importance in physical therapy practice

11. Understanding healthcare policy impacts clinical and non-clinical practice decisions

12. Professional advocacy requires engagement at multiple levels

13. Evidence-based practice can be enhanced through technological tools and resources

14. The future of PT includes diverse career paths beyond traditional clinical settings, and we should support that

15. Healthcare reimbursement models are evolving to include preventative care

16. PTs can influence professional development through technology adoption

17. Continuous learning and adaptation are essential for long-term career success in PT

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode

04:05 Advocacy and Direct Access in Physical Therapy

06:11 Challenges and Perspectives on Direct Access

09:02 The Role of Education and Certification in Direct Access

11:14 AI in Clinical Practice: Enhancing Decision-Making

17:41 The Future of AI and Data Utilization in Physical Therapy

25:56 Optimizing Workforce Encounters

26:30 Standardizing Data for Improvement

28:31 Building Feedback Loops in Clinics

29:54 Utilizing EMR Data for Risk Assessment

30:36 The Importance of Functional Status in Risk Stratification

32:56 Advocating for Inclusion in APTA

34:52 The Role of Non-Clinical Professionals

36:00 Looking Ahead: Future of Physical Therapy

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