Job Description
Seeking high-quality Physical Therapists to join the Lansing clinic.
The role is 100% hands-on patient care with a strong focus on orthopedic treatment and manual therapy.
Client is looking for experienced therapists who can provide quality patient care while continuing to learn and grow.
Strong learning environment with an emphasis on clinical development and hands-on treatment.
Primary Responsibilities
Provide hands-on physical therapy treatment to patients throughout the workday.
Perform orthopedic manual therapy with each patient; hands-on manual therapy is a required part of the role.
Conduct patient evaluations and develop/perform appropriate treatment plans.
Typically handle approximately 1 evaluation per day, with the remainder of the schedule focused on treatments.
Treat approximately 12–16 patients per day without double-booking.
Maintain a minimum of 5 evaluations per week per therapist, with additional evaluations expected as the center grows.
Work closely with PT techs, who assist with passive exercises and additional treatments after the PT completes the required hands-on care.
Complete documentation within the scheduled workday rather than taking documentation home.
Manage overlapping patients during the final hour when needed to allow therapists to finish on time.
Experience
Minimum 5 years of Physical Therapy experience required/preferred.
10 years of experience is preferred/ideal.
Client strongly prefers experienced therapists for direct-hire positions.
New graduates can be considered in certain situations, but they typically take longer to ramp up and become fully productive.
A new graduate may potentially be considered for a travel position at a lower rate.
Education / License
DPT preferred.
Preference for Michigan-based DPTs/PTs.
Out-of-state candidates may be considered, particularly if they are willing to relocate to Michigan and complete the required licensure process.
Clinical Requirements
Strong orthopedic clinical background is important.
Hands-on orthopedic manual therapy with every patient is required.
Must be comfortable providing 100% hands-on patient care.
Experience treating orthopedic conditions is highly important.
Therapists are expected to be comfortable treating:
Orthopedic conditions
TMJ
External pelvic conditions
Vestibular experience is a plus, but not required.
Strong post-operative experience is preferred.
High volume of post-op cases, including total hip and total knee patients.
Ability to work with a broad range of patient needs and clinical presentations.
Patient Population
Treats a broad range of conditions and age groups.
Youngest patients are generally around 10–12 years old.
Lansing does not have a particularly strong pediatric population.
Adolescent patients may be treated depending on the therapist's experience and comfort level.
Strong orthopedic patient population.
Significant post-operative patient volume.
Patients include total hip and total knee cases.
Treats high-end athletes and VIP clients.
Patient population can range from fall-risk patients to athletes returning to Olympic-level sports.
Therapist should be comfortable adapting treatment approach to different patient populations and levels of physical ability.
Work Schedule / Productivity
Full-time position.
40 hours per week at the same clinic.
Minimum productivity expectation of approximately 60 patient visits per workweek.
Minimum of 5 evaluations per week per therapist.
Evaluation volume can increase as the center grows.
Approximately 12–16 patients per day.
No double-booking during the regular schedule.
Scheduling / Workflow
Patient appointments are generally scheduled in 30-minute blocks.
Therapists typically perform approximately 1 evaluation per day, with the remaining appointments consisting primarily of treatment visits.
PT techs support the therapist with passive exercises and additional treatments after the therapist completes the hands-on portion of care.
A dedicated 30-minute documentation block before lunch is built into the schedule to allow therapists to catch up on notes.
The clinic also structures the final hour to help therapists complete documentation and patient care within their scheduled workday.
Example discussed: if the therapist finishes at 5 PM, the final two patients may both be scheduled around 4 PM, allowing the therapist to alternate between manual therapy and exercises/treatment while still finishing on time.
Goal is to prevent therapists from having to take documentation home after work.
Training / Culture
Strong learning and development environment.
Hands-on treatment is a major part of the clinic's approach.
Client values therapists with a willingness to grow and learn.
Strong learning mindset and continued clinical development are important.
Periodic courses/training opportunities are available, particularly for newer therapists.
New graduates receive additional support and training but generally require more time to reach full productivity.
Candidate Profile
High-quality Physical Therapist with strong clinical skills.
Minimum 5 years of experience; 10 years preferred.
DPT preferred.
Strong orthopedic background.
Strong hands-on/manual therapy skills.
Comfortable providing manual therapy with every patient.
Strong character and professional attitude.
Willingness to learn, grow and continue developing clinically.
Comfortable treating a broad range of patients.
Able to work independently while collaborating effectively with PT techs and the clinic team.
Experience with post-op, orthopedic, TMJ and/or pelvic patients is valuable.
Vestibular experience is a plus.
Preference for Michigan-based therapists, but strong relocation candidates can be considered.
New Graduate Consideration
New graduates are not completely excluded.
Client has experience working with new graduates and recognizes that they can take longer to ramp up.
Training/courses are available to help newer therapists develop.
For direct-hire needs, the client prefers experienced therapists.
A new graduate may be considered for a travel opportunity at a lower compensation rate.
Compensation
Preferred compensation range: $80K–$90K.
Compensation range is based on the clinic's reimbursement rates.
Client is currently working on developing a formal standardized compensation package.
The final package may include additional assistance depending on the candidate and situation.
Relocation
Relocation assistance will be provided.
Client is open to considering candidates outside the immediate Lansing market because the local candidate pool is limited.
Michigan-based candidates remain the preferred profile.
Relocation candidates should be comfortable moving to the Lansing area and meeting the clinical requirements of the position.
Location Preference
Priority locations are:
Lansing, MI
Okemos, MI
DeWitt, MI
Mason, MI
Lansing is the primary hiring location.
Nearby communities can be considered depending on candidate availability and willingness to commute/relocate.
Hiring / Sourcing Challenges
Limited local DPT candidate pool in the Lansing area.
There are very few DPT schools in the Lansing market, limiting the local graduate pipeline.
Client has already reached out to local schools.
Client has already conducted significant outreach to candidates in the local market.
Approximately half of the local market has already been heavily sourced.
There have not been many new candidates coming through recently.
Client is currently not interviewing candidates, indicating a need to expand the search beyond the immediate local market.
Sourcing Direction
Expand sourcing beyond the immediate Lansing/local candidate pool.
Target experienced PTs with 5+ years of experience, ideally 10+.
Prioritize candidates with strong orthopedic and hands-on manual therapy backgrounds.
Michigan-based DPTs/PTs should remain the first priority.
Expand to out-of-state candidates who are open to relocating to Michigan.
Relocation assistance can be used as part of the candidate pitch.
Look beyond recent/local DPT graduates because the local school pipeline is limited.
Focus on experienced clinicians who can ramp up quickly and meet the clinic's productivity expectations.
Strong post-op, orthopedic, TMJ, pelvic and vestibular experience can be used to differentiate candidates.
Overall Hiring Priorities
Strong hands-on orthopedic/manual therapy skills.
Minimum 5 years of experience; 10 years ideal.
High-quality patient care and strong clinical judgment.
DPT preferred and someone who has passed NPTX.
Great character and strong willingness to learn/grow.
Comfortable with 100% hands-on patient care.
Ability to manage approximately 12–16 patients/day and 60+ visits/week.
Experience with orthopedic and post-operative patients.
Michigan-based candidates preferred, with relocation candidates also considered.