State of PT 2026: Hiring, Reimbursement & Cash-Pay Growth

PT Student Debt, AI, and the Future of Private Practice

In this episode of the Grow Your Practice podcast, Chad Madden sits down with Jimmy McKay of PT Pintcast to talk about the future of physical therapy, student loan pressure, value-based communication, and the role of AI in healthcare. Jimmy shares how his unique path from radio DJ to DPT shaped his ability to communicate, educate, and connect with the PT profession. This episode is packed with insights for clinic owners, students, and clinicians navigating a changing healthcare landscape. Subscribe for more conversations on growing your PT practice, improving patient care, and navigating the future of private practice. 00:00 - Introducing Jimmy McKay and PT Pintcast 01:00 - From Morning Announcements to Radio DJ 07:48 - Lessons in Communication and Creativity 10:00 - DPT Student Debt and Education Challenges 17:16 - Can PT Education Be Disrupted? 27:08 - Understanding Value in Healthcare 39:29 - AI, Productivity, and the Future of PT 48:39 - Where to Follow Jimmy McKay

How Rizing Tide Helps PTs Recruit the Next Generation

In this episode of the Grow Your Practice Podcast, Chad Madden talks with Heidi Jannenga and Shelley Menk about Rizing Tide, a nonprofit scholarship and mentorship initiative supporting underrepresented physical therapy students and residents. They discuss the PT staffing shortage, the importance of diversity in patient care, and what new graduates are really looking for from employers. Shelley also shares how Rizing Tide helped her pursue residency training and launch her own pelvic health practice. Learn more at rizing-tide.com. 00:00 - Introduction to Rizing Tide and Today’s Guests 01:15 - Why Heidi Jannenga Started Rizing Tide 03:40 - The Personal Story Behind the Mission 06:45 - Shelley Menk’s Experience as a Rizing Tide Scholar 08:42 - How Rizing Tide Mentorship Works 10:39 - Scholarships, Community, and Employer Connect 15:49 - How Scholars Are Selected 20:17 - What New PT Graduates Want from Employers 25:52 - Shelley’s New Pelvic Health Practice 27:21 - How Practice Owners Can Get Involved

How to Add Cash Pay Services to Your PT Practice the Right Way

In this episode, Chad Madden breaks down the real playbook for rolling out cash pay services inside a private practice. He shares how his team 6x’d cash pay revenue, the three-step promotion strategy that works, and why clinician confidence matters more than most owners realize. You’ll also hear real numbers from laser, HBOT, and reactivation campaigns so you can see what successful implementation looks like. If you’re trying to grow profitability, help more patients, and reduce dependence on insurance reimbursement, this episode gives you a practical roadmap. Time Stamps 00:00 - Welcome and Why Cash Pay Matters Now 00:24 - The Shift from “Should We?” to “How Do We Do It?” 01:34 - The 3 Ways to Promote Cash Pay Services 02:15 - How Existing Patients Drive Early Cash Pay Success 04:31 - Reactivating Past Patients with Offers and Promotions 07:54 - Using Paid Ads for Cash Pay Services the Right Way 11:36 - Case Studies, Evidence, and Clinician Buy-In 17:06 - Hiring for Cash Pay Confidence and Sales Competency 20:36 - Why Private Practices Can’t Ignore Cash Pay Anymore

2026 Breakthrough Virtual Summit: New Rules to Grow Your Private Practice

In this episode, Chad Madden gives a preview of the upcoming Breakthrough Virtual Summit: State of PT: The New Rules of Private Practice Growth in 2026. He shares what practice owners can expect, from reimbursement challenges and AI to cash-based services, compliance, team building, and practice valuation. If you own or lead a private practice, this free event is designed to help you navigate industry changes and grow with confidence. Check the show notes for the registration link and save your spot. Register now: https://getbreakthrough.com/2026-virtual-summit/ TIME STAMPS 00:00 - Welcome to Grow Your Practice 00:21 - Free virtual summit announcement for PT owners 01:15 - State of PT: reimbursement, hiring, AI, and automation 01:33 - Paul Welk on practice exits and valuation playbooks 03:02 - Systems, scaling, and operations with Tim Dwire 03:23 - Cash service sales and packaging with Doug Adams 04:20 - Compliance and uncovered billing with Mary DaLong 04:59 - Team building, mindset, front desk, and growth strategies 08:38 - Justin Moore keynote on the future of PT in 2026

How Breakthrough Started: From Cold Email to PT Marketing System

In this episode, Chad Madden shares the behind-the-scenes origin story of Breakthrough—starting with a cold email in 2012 and a call with Carl Mattiola (then at Tesla). You’ll hear how private practice marketing evolved as physician referrals declined, and why direct-to-consumer strategy became essential. Chad breaks down the shift from courses and newsletters to a unified, three-channel marketing system built for private practice growth. Subscribe for weekly best practices to help you grow your clinic with more time and financial freedom. If marketing feels complicated and your schedule isn’t as full as it should be, Breakthrough gives you a simple, proven system to attract and follow up with new patients automatically—book a demo here: https://getbreakthrough.com/demo 00:00 - Welcome to Grow Your Practice 00:21 - Why this episode: the Breakthrough origin story 01:02 - 2008–2013: physician referrals decline & the push to DTC marketing 03:44 - The cold email that started it all (November 2012) 05:41 - Carl’s Tesla background + interviewing 300+ owners 09:01 - From Clinic Metrics to marketing referrals (and early stumbles) 16:12 - Webinars, “green ink letter,” and the early courses 19:27 - Evolution into ads + a purpose-built CRM and 3-channel system 26:43 - Market–Message–Media Match + how AI changed copywriting