PT Pintcast - Physical Therapy

Most physical therapy clinics approach marketing backwards.Instead of teaching and building trust, they try to promote services — and patients can see through it instantly.In this episode, Jimmy McKay, Dave Kittle, and Tony Maritato discuss what actually works when it comes to content and clinic growth.They break down how attention drives patient acquisition, why authenticity beats corporate messaging, and how clinics can build authority by consistently publishing valuable content.If you're trying to grow your practice without feeling like you're constantly selling, this conversation provides a practical framework.What You'll Learn• Why educational content builds trust faster than promotional content• How authenticity helps clinics stand out online• Why over-filtered marketing fails• The value of transparency with patient feedback and reviews• How attention compounds for long-term clinic growthGuest LinksDave Kittlehttps://conciergepainrelief.comDave Kittle YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thedavekittleshowTony Maritatohttps://totaltherapysolutions.comTony Maritato YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@totaltherapysolutionsSponsorsSaRA Healthhttps://sarahealth.comEMPOWER EMRhttps://empoweremr.comU.S. Physical Therapyhttps://usph.com

Most physical therapists were taught that clinical excellence leads to career success.But according to Greg Todd, that model no longer works.In this episode, Greg explains why many PTs feel stuck despite doing everything “right” — earning a doctorate, taking continuing education courses, and working long clinical hours.The problem isn’t skill.It’s leverage.Greg breaks down how clinicians can start productizing their knowledge, building scalable income streams, and creating content that attracts attention in today’s digital economy.If you’re a PT, clinic owner, or rehab professional trying to navigate reimbursement pressure, burnout, or limited income growth, this conversation will challenge how you think about your career.Key Topics• Why Greg Todd says PTs have an “obedience problem”• The difference between clinical excellence and financial scalability• How productizing knowledge creates leverage• Why attention is the most valuable currency today• The identity shift from clinician to CEO• Why content creation is becoming a competitive advantage for healthcare professionals• The simple framework: one person, one problem, one solutionActionable TakeawayStart small.Greg recommends beginning with:One person → One problem → One solutionThen create content explaining how you solve that problem.That’s the first step toward turning your expertise into a scalable product.Resources MentionedGreg Todd Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gregtoddpt/

Most healthcare marketing does not fail because marketing is useless. It fails because clinics make it hard to trust them, hard to book, and hard to talk about them.In this episode, Jimmy McKay and Andrea Cheney unpack what PT clinic owners and healthcare marketers keep getting wrong. They break down why patients now behave more like consumers, what they actually look at before booking, and why reviews, websites, and front desk processes matter more than another generic ad campaign.The big takeaway for busy PTs and clinic owners: marketing works better when operations work better. If your clinic creates a five-star experience, makes reviews easy, reduces friction, and shows up online with purpose, your marketing starts pulling its weight.What You’ll LearnWhy healthcare still confuses marketing with advertisingWhat patients are actually checking before they choose a clinicWhy reviews are part marketing and part operationsHow to make review requests easier and more consistentWhat a PT clinic website must do to convert trust into actionWhy social media should help patients understand themselves, not just hear about your clinicHow public insurance disputes damage trust for everyone involvedWhat PT owners can steal from Wendy’s when they need attentionKey Takeaways for Clinic OwnersBetter marketing starts with better patient experienceYour front desk is part of your marketing systemA simple booking path matters more than fancy wordingGeneric “we’re evidence-based” messaging is not persuasiveAttention is earned when content is about the patient, not the clinicOperational friction creates bad stories that no ad can fixGuestAndrea Cheney — fractional marketing leader and consultant in healthcare marketingResources & Tools MentionedGoogle ReviewsGoogle Business ProfileQR code review promptsText and email follow-up for review collectionWebsite usability checksFacebook groupsTikTokLinkedInShort-form videoSponsors PT Pintcast’s official 2026 sponsors include SaRA Health, EMPOWER EMR, and U.S.

Most physical therapists assume healthcare policy is decided somewhere far away.But Utah PTs just proved something different.In this episode, Howard Quackenbush explains how competing physical therapy clinics united to pass legislation that recognizes PTs as primary care providers for co-pay purposes—reducing financial barriers and improving patient access.Instead of waiting for national policy changes, this group of clinicians and clinic owners worked state-level relationships, coordinated fundraising, and built grassroots support that ultimately passed the bill.For private practice owners and PT leaders, the lesson is clear: if you want change in reimbursement, access, or regulation, you may have to organize and lead it.Topics discussed: • Why high PT co-pays discourage patients from completing care • How competing clinics collaborated instead of competing • The legislative strategy that helped Utah PTs win • Why grassroots advocacy matters for clinic owners • The role of relationships in healthcare policy • A practical blueprint other states can followHoward also shares the leadership philosophy that guided the effort—and why relationships ultimately determine whether policy moves forward.SponsorsSaRA HealthEMPOWER EMRU.S. Physical TherapyLearn more: https://ptpintcast.com

PTs are expected to be the movement experts—yet most movement assessment is still subjective: “knee valgus noted,” “pelvic drop,” “looks better.” Dan Seidler (Business Development Lead, DorsaVi USA) and Maka Lange unpack what changes when clinics can quantify biomechanics with video AI and wearable sensors.They cover how objective data improves patient education and buy-in, strengthens documentation, and makes return-to-play/return-to-work decisions more defensible—especially as AI, wearables, and non-PT competitors raise the bar for “measured” care.What you’ll learnWhy “eyeballing” biomechanics breaks down across cliniciansHow objective data can improve patient buy-in and clarityThe difference between quick video AI assessments vs IMU sensor “gold standard” testingHow standardized movement reports can help documentation and communicationUse cases: mass athlete screenings, surgeon referrals, workplace safety, workers’ comp/FCEs, and early pelvic health biofeedback workGuest + LinksDorsaVi: http://www.dorsavi.com/

Most physical therapy clinics market the wrong thing.They promote visits, treatments, and techniques — but patients don’t actually want those things. What they want is the outcome: getting back to running, lifting, sports, or living pain-free.In this episode, Jimmy McKay and Dave Kittle explore how PT clinic owners can shift from transactional care to transformation-based care.Drawing insights from thinkers like Seth Godin, Gary Vee, Rory Sutherland, Chris Voss, and Chris Do, they explain how better positioning, marketing, and communication can turn a one-time patient into a long-term relationship.They also discuss why selling programs beats selling packages, why vanity metrics like social media views don’t build clinics, and how the first phone call with a patient may determine whether they ever become a client.If you’re a clinic owner trying to grow revenue, improve patient engagement, and create a stronger brand, this episode will change how you think about your business.What You’ll Learn• Why patients buy outcomes — not treatments• How to position your clinic as a transformation machine• Why social media views don’t equal patients• How to turn a $10K client into a $70K lifetime relationship• The difference between selling programs vs packages• Why the first phone call determines patient conversions• The importance of asking better intake questionsGuests & ResourcesDave KittleWebsite: https://conciergepainrelief.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedavekittleshow/featuredTony MaritatoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MedicareBillingSponsorsSaRA Health — https://sarahealth.comEMPOWER EMR — https://empoweremr.comU.S. Physical Therapy — https://usph.com

A comment calling hospital PTs “discharge monkeys” kicks off a real conversation about burnout, autonomy, and what the system incentivizes. Rebekah Griffith and Jimmy McKay unpack why acute care PTs feel boxed into discharge throughput, how that attitude spreads through teams (presenteeism), and what leaders can do to get great clinicians back to practicing with purpose.What You’ll LearnWhy “we’re all just PTs” can still ignore real specialization and skill differencesHow payer-centered constraints quietly strip autonomy in discharge planningWhy arguing online rarely fixes burnout (emotion first, logic second)Presenteeism: when someone shows up but becomes a net negativeA leader’s playbook: how to actually listen, reset, and decide what’s salvageableThe one controllable lever: what energy you bring into the patient room

A real-world clinic-owner problem: a therapist who wants the upside (patients “dropped in their lap”) but won’t do the minimum (timely notes, accountability). Dave and Jimmy walk through the practical HR/documentation approach, how one low-effort teammate drags culture and outcomes, and the retention strategies that keep high-value patients loyal to the practice even when staff changes.What you’ll learnHow to build a paper trail that makes HR decisions clean and defensibleWhy resignation is often simpler than termination (and how to handle it)How “moonlighting” becomes a performance and loyalty issueThe “Eeyore employee” effect: one person can kill momentumBrand-first retention ideas: meaningful check-ins + “surprise & delight” that actually fits careHow RTM/digital support can create loyalty between visitsPeople & brands mentionedDave Kittle, Jimmy McKay, Ben (caller)Tonal, Hyperice, MirrorRTM / digital care touchpoints

Episode theme: If your marketing “isn’t working,” your real bottleneck is usually operations + friction—and tech/ads will only amplify what’s already broken.What we coveredThe blizzard story: how a “post-visit survey” fired after a visit that never happened—and what that signals about your systemsWhy everything is marketing in direct-to-consumer healthcare: phones, response time, scheduling, cancellation flow, vibesThe leadership disconnect: expecting marketing to “perform” while giving unclear goals, unrealistic job scopes, and zero resourcesWhy patients compare your clinic experience to DoorDash/Amazon convenienceA tactical 5-point operations audit you can run this weekKey takeaways for clinic ownersDon’t spend more on ads until your booking + follow-up flow is tightIf a patient has to call to schedule, you’re losing demand you never even seeYour systems should adapt to humans—not force humans to adapt to your systems“Response time in days” is a silent growth killerThe 5-Point Ops Audit (do this this week)Mystery shop your own clinic (website + calls + booking flow)Call after hours and test the “snow day / chaos” playbookCancel an appointment and see what happens (speed, clarity, reschedule path)Measure response time in minutes (not days)Ask your front desk: “Why should someone choose us?” (then listen hard)Best quote to steal“Technology doesn’t fix broken processes. It scales them.”

Physical therapy can’t survive on “me, me, me” messaging. Dr. Lisa VanHoose breaks down why rehabilitation deserts are growing, why gatekeeping admissions is fueling the PT workforce shortage, and what it looks like to rebuild the profession around community, access, and relational capacity—not just credentials and productivity.We talk rural retention, community-based rehab, why “bootstraps” is a myth in healthcare design, and how the Ujima Institute is building real-world mobility support through food access, youth training, health literacy, and neighbor-to-neighbor infrastructure.Chapters00:00 Neighbors Shape Health07:55 Admissions Beyond GPA13:40 Rehab Desert Reality22:35 Systems Over Bootstraps30:20 Keep PTs In Practice43:20 Ujima In ActionGuest + ResourcesDr. Lisa VanHoose (she/her)Ujima Institute (community-rooted health + education)Mentions: Ikigai, Blue Zones research, PCORI (patient-centered research model), community-based rehab, telehealth/remote monitoring, “Nothing About Us Without Us”Ujima Institute: https://www.ujimainstitute.com/

If your clinic feels busy but profit isn’t increasing, this episode will hit home.Doug Adams joins Jimmy to break down one of the most uncomfortable truths in private practice physical therapy: growth does not come from treating more people. It comes from treating the right people.Key Takeaways:• Why every PT clinic needs a defined sales process • The difference between commoditized visits and transformational outcomes • How defining your ideal patient increases revenue per client • Why word-of-mouth only works when the experience is aligned • The danger of the “just get more patients” mindset • How AI and “good enough” rehab advice threaten generic clinics • The uncomfortable decision clinic owners must make to growIf you’re a clinic owner chasing volume, this episode challenges you to rethink your model. Revenue per visit, lifetime value, and brand alignment matter more than raw visit counts.

Jeremy VanDevender shares a practical clinic-growth and leadership framework built on a few core ideas: lead with optimism, listen like it’s your job (because it is), and create real pathways for clinicians to grow—clinically or into leadership—without burning out.In this episode, we cover:How Jeremy earned internal buy-in and built “followership” through autonomy + supportWhy negativity gets attention—but positivity builds real teamsWhat hasn’t changed in PT (patients want to feel better) vs. what’s changed a lot (documentation, reimbursement pressure, market expectations)Great Resignation lessons: surveying your team, getting humbled, and responding fastCareer ladders that celebrate clinical excellence (not just management tracks)Burnout prevention: orient careers around passion + allow evolution over time“Aikigai” and how to keep redefining success across seasons of your careerEquus Growth Advisors: revenue-first strategy, M&A support, and growth planning across healthcareParting shot: build your career around what you love—and believe in the future of physical therapyEquus Growth Advisors: https://equusgrowth.com/

AI is no longer theoretical for clinic owners.A PT in Ohio just received a 12-visit self-pay package from a patient who found her through AI search.That changes the conversation.In this episode, we explore:How AI platforms decide which clinics to recommendWhy your digital footprint matters more than everThe role of frequency in modern marketingWhether AI-sourced patients are more decisive and cash-friendlyWhy positioning matters (and whether PTs need a “shared enemy”)What CrossFit, cult brands, and political movements can teach clinic ownersWhy attention—not ads—is the new marketing currencyThis episode reinforces a core truth:Attention → Trust → ActionYou can’t shortcut trust.You can’t buy authority.You earn it through presence and frequency.???? Connect with the CrewFollow Tony Maritato on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MedicareBillingFollow Dave Kittle on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@thedavekittleshow/featuredFollow Jimmy McKay on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ptpodcasts

Stop Running a 1998 Clinic in 2026Reimbursement is shrinking. Expenses are rising. And too many PT clinics are still operating like it’s 1998.Albert Katz, CEO of Flagler Health, joins Jimmy to talk about:Why most healthcare tech failsThe real hidden costs of not modernizingHow missed calls and slow intake quietly drain revenueVendor fatigue and point-solution overloadWhy AI in billing still requires human oversightThe operational standards PTs must hit to be first response for MSKIf you care about protecting margin, improving efficiency, and building a clinic that survives the next decade — this episode matters.GuestAlbert Katz ???? https://flaglerhealth.io

Heidi Jannenga has been part of this show since the early days — and she returns with data every clinic owner and staff PT needs to see.The 2025 State of Rehab Therapy Report reveals a widening gap between clinicians and leadership. While leaders assume pay is the biggest issue, clinicians say they’re motivated by purpose, autonomy, and meaningful work.This episode explores:Why misalignment is accelerating turnoverWhy “just pay them more” won’t fix itWhat true leadership listening looks likeThe future of AI in rehab therapyWhether PT becomes more human-centered — or more commoditizedIf the profession is at an inflection point, this is the conversation shaping what happens next.

Are PTs Leaving Money on the Table?In this episode, Jimmy, Tony Maritato, and Dave Kittle dig into something most physical therapists aren’t even considering:Live selling. Affiliate income. Attention as the business model.It starts with Jimmy testing live selling premium recovery devices through Amazon Live.But it quickly turns into a bigger conversation:Are PTs avoiding affiliate revenue because it feels “salesy”?Are we spending $100K on conference booths while ignoring attention 11.99 months of the year?Could live shopping become a legitimate revenue stream for physical therapists?Does personality matter more than originality?Is attention the real asset in modern healthcare?This isn’t about selling out.It’s about understanding the shift happening in business:Attention → Trust → RevenueIf you don’t build attention, someone else will.What We Covered???? Live Selling & Amazon LiveWhy Amazon is begging creators to go liveWhy doing it “badly” costs nothingWhy reps matter more than polishHow PT authority changes the equation???? Affiliate Income for PTsAre you recommending products anyway?Why not monetize ethically?The Dr. Samantha Smith model: courses + affiliates + virtual visitsWhere affiliate income fits into clinic strategy???? Personality > Original IdeasYou don’t need to reinvent the wheel.You need to build your version of it.Tony breaks down:Why copying structure isn’t copying valueWhy pushing through “The Dip” mattersWhy most people quit too early???? The $100K Booth ProblemSpending six figures at conferences…For 48 hours of exposure.Meanwhile:Brands like Rehab 2 Perform and the Prehab Guys build attention year-round.They show up consistently.They don’t rely on one event.???? The Bigger QuestionWhat if the future of PT looks more like:MrBeastRyan SerhantOr a media-first brandInstead of:Waiting for referralsFighting reimbursementHoping the booth traffic convertsKey TakeawaysThe value isn’t in your hands. It’s in taking action.Nobody sees your early bad reps.Attention compounds.Personality is the differentiator.If you already recommend products, affiliate revenue isn’t unethical — it’s efficient.Selling before trust breaks the spell.But avoiding monetization entirely leaves opportunity on the table.

Physical therapy doesn’t have a value problem. It has a positioning problem.In this episode, Jimmy talks with Matthew Pratte about why private outpatient practices are getting squeezed — and what to do about it.Key Topics Covered:Why fee-for-service puts control in someone else’s handsHow inflation + stagnant reimbursement compress marginsWhy scale favors hospital systems and large chainsThe rise of direct-to-employer contractingWhat self-insured employers are — and why they matterWhy PT clinics can often command higher per-visit rates through employer contractsMisconceptions about size and sellingA simple first step clinic owners can take this quarterBig TakeawayWaiting for reimbursement to improve isn’t a strategy.Independent clinics must rethink who they sell to — and how they position PT as first-line musculoskeletal care.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Chanha Hwang, PT, founder of Moviq Health, a clinical biomechanics lab in Las Vegas designed to function like “Quest Diagnostics for human movement.”The discussion focuses on one core idea:Physical therapy cannot claim authority in movement without standardized diagnostic infrastructure.Inside This Episode:Why observational data weakens PT credibilityThe link between standardized testing and patient buy-inHow objective reporting increased plan-of-care completion ratesThe difference between inferred AI video analysis and direct measurementWhy variability across clinics creates payer distrustRaising the “floor” vs raising the “ceiling” in physical therapy

Most PTs Think There’s Only One Career Path. They’re Wrong.Live from APTA CSM in Anaheim, Jimmy sits down with Tim Reynolds — professor, clinician, author, and anatomy educator with over one million followers online.This episode dives into:Why PTs default to the “40-hour clinic model”The branding problem inside physical therapyHow social media can be used responsibly in healthcareWhy novelty prevents burnoutThe concept of “micro joys” vs. waiting for big life eventsHow saying yes to one small opportunity can change your careerTim shares how teaching one night lab turned into a full-time academic role — and how sharing educational content online expanded his reach beyond the classroom.If you’re feeling boxed in, burned out, or unsure what’s next — this conversation will challenge how you think about your degree.

Physical therapy reimbursement has declined for years — while tuition, expectations, and scope continue to expand.Steve Smith joins PT Pintcast live from CSM to discuss:Why he became a private practice owner after a VC acquisitionLessons learned about leadership during COVIDMedicare payment cuts and recent advocacy winsWhy every PT must understand advocacyHow state-level scope of practice changes create national ripple effectsThe importance of simple, clear messaging in professional advocacyHis big goal: getting one-third of PTs in Massachusetts actively signing advocacy lettersThe message is simple:If you don’t engage before decisions are made, you’ll be reacting after something is lost.His parting advice:Never assume. Always ask.Topics CoveredMedicare reimbursement trendsScope of practice reformPrescriptive authority & imaging accessAssociation engagementLeadership in PTHow to take your “soft first step” into advocacy