In this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we take a look at a recent conversation on LinkedIn about the steep decline in occupational therapy (and physical therapy) school applications.

A post by Sarah Lyon raised an important question: Why are fewer students choosing OT, and what does that mean for the future of the profession?

In response, Rafi shared several factors that may be contributing to the decline — and in this episode, he unpacks those ideas in more detail.

What we cover in this episode:
- Why confusion about OT entry-level requirements (Master’s vs. OTD) is discouraging prospective applicants.
- How rising tuition and questionable ROI impact PT/OT’s attractiveness compared to other health professions.
- The role of corporate healthcare and private equity in fueling burnout — and how that shapes the profession’s reputation.
- Why other clinical degrees often carry higher compensation ceilings and broader leadership opportunities.
- What these trends mean for the future — and why this might actually be a unique opportunity for new students entering PT/OT now.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Finding the Thread – Humanizing Healthcare Across a Career

Have you ever looked back on your career and tried to connect the dots?
For a long time, I thought my resume looked like a series of “rabbit holes” in healthcare—clinical care, academia, management consulting, strategy work, practice ownership. At the time, each move felt like simply saying “yes” to an opportunity.

But a recent conversation with a prospective client made me pause. They said, “I can see a common thread running through everything you’ve done.”

That led me to reflect on the last 13 years of my career… and I realized they were right.

The thread? Humanizing the healthcare experience.
In this episode, I share the story of discovering that throughline, what it means for me today, and why humanizing healthcare isn’t just a personal mission—it’s a necessity for our industry.

What We Cover in This Episode:
- The winding path of my career: from clinician to consultant to practice owner.
- How a client conversation sparked the realization of a unifying theme.
- Why “healthcare is a human experience” became more than a phrase—it became my mission.
- The risks of reducing patients to checklists, protocols, and data points.
- How technology and operations should be used: to create space for real human connection.
- A framework you can use to find your own “common thread.”

Why It Matters
Healthcare often gets lost in efficiency metrics, compliance checkboxes, and bottom lines. But patients—and clinicians—need meaning, connection, and human presence. By stepping back and asking what ties our careers and choices together, we can refocus on what really drives us and the work we do.

Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160

Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.show
Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6x
Book a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discovery
Connect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

Healthcare Disrupted: Why the Next Big Innovation Won’t Come From Healthcare

In this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we dive into a bold prediction about the future of healthcare: The next wave of real innovation — the kind that transforms how we deliver care, engage patients, and improve outcomes — won’t come from within the healthcare industry.

Instead, it will come from outside.

Tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and others are entering the healthcare space not to play by the traditional rules, but to rewrite them. They’re not dependent on fee-for-service reimbursement or burdened by legacy EMR infrastructure. They’re consumer-first, data-driven, and laser-focused on convenience and outcomes — not billing codes.

So, what does this mean for providers, practice owners, and healthcare leaders?

It means the time to adapt is now.

What we cover in this episode:
-Why the healthcare industry is structurally incapable of disrupting itself
-How tech giants are positioned to lead the next wave of care innovation
-The business models these companies are using — and how they differ from traditional healthcare
-What small-to-mid-sized providers can do to stay relevant and competitive
-How to rethink your value proposition outside of third-party payer systems
-Where the opportunities lie for independent clinics to innovate at the edges

Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160

Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.show
Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6x
Book a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discovery
Connect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!