Practice Growth Podcast

The pivot to solutions: Moving beyond industry compensation challenges

What if paying your therapists more was actually the key to higher margins, lower turnover, and a more sustainable practice? In this episode, Larry and Jason unpack why physical therapy's over-reliance on salary and hourly pay is quietly undermining the profession. and what to do about it. This episode is a roadmap for practice owners ready to stop losing therapists and start building a workplace where top clinicians actually want to stay.

Inside the payer's mind: How to decode and win in values-based care

What do payers actually care about, and how can physical therapists use that knowledge to their advantage? Host Marla Ranieri sits down with Dana Pommel Strauss, PT, DPT, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at a Fortune 10 company, for a candid look at how reimbursement decisions are made and what the shift to value-based care means for the PT profession. Dana shares what metrics truly move the needle with payers, what clinics should be doing right now to prepare, and why this moment is one the profession cannot afford to miss.

Creating a career ladder that attracts and inspires talent

What keeps top therapists from leaving and how do you build a team that stays? In this episode, we sit down with JeMe Cioppa-Mosca, Senior Vice President of Rehabilitation at HSS, the #1 orthopedic hospital in the country. With over 33 years of experience, JeMe has built one of the most respected rehab departments in the nation. We break down the career ladder she created, how it drives clinician growth and retention, and what healthcare leaders can learn from her approach. Topics covered: * Building a career ladder that actually works * Retaining top rehab talent * Creating a culture of growth and accountability * Leadership lessons from HSS

Before burnout: How compensation shaped the rehab profession

In this Practice Growth Podcast mini-series kickoff,Jason Wambold and Larry Benz dive into one of the most pressing issues in physical therapy today: compensation. Drawing on decades of experience, they unpack how industry shifts, like workforce shortages, declining reimbursement, and evolving therapist expectations, have reshaped how clinicians are paid. The conversation explores the rise of hourly models, the impact of burnout, and why many therapists are leaving clinical care. This episode sets the stage for a deeper discussion on how the profession can rethink compensation to better support therapists, improve retention, and strengthen the future of rehab.

Implementing innovation: The sociology of change and the science of transformation

Today we’re diving into a topic that every leader, clinician, and educator is grappling with - how to successfully implement innovation and change in healthcare. We're joined Dr. Chris Hoekstra, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy and Hychara Health. He also holds a PhD in Biomedical Informatics. His doctoral research explored how clinical information systems and decision-support tools can improve outcomes, and, more importantly, what cultural and organizational factors make those implementations succeed - or fail.