Physical Therapist - Home Health

Job Profile Summary

​This role focuses on assessing the needs of patients who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and delivering therapy services to improve their developmental, physical or cognitive impairment. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Physical Therapy duties: Provides services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. Examines patient's medical history, evaluates their physical abilities, determines their potential to respond to therapy, and develops treatment plans. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. A senior level role that requires advanced knowledge of job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience. Typically responsible for: managing projects / processes, working independently with limited supervision, coaching and reviewing the work of lower level professionals, resolving difficult and sometimes complex problems.

Job Overview

This position evaluates, develops and implements specific treatment programs for individual patients according to the principles and practices of physical therapy. The therapist will be educated in evaluating and treating all age groups to help patients achieve a maximum level of function using various therapeutic exercises, activities, modalities and skills. This position supervises staff therapists and senior therapists, and is responsible for program planning for provision of efficient and quality therapy services. This position involves training of staff therapists and senior therapists entering rotation, coordination and staffing of clinics, monitoring and distribution of referrals and handling a patient caseload. The therapist is responsible for documenting all age-appropriate patient care treatments in the medical record to comply with the policy and procedures of the department, organization and JCAHO requirements. The staff member will act as a liaison with other disciplines for problem-solving issues that arise related to clinical therapy services. May provide physical therapy coverage on a rotating bases for weekends and holidays dependent on operational need.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s Degree.

2. Graduation from an approved school of Physical Therapy.

3. Physical Therapy (PT) License. Licensure in NH may be required depending on assigned territory and operational need.

4. Three (3) years of clinical experience with one year in an acute care setting.

5. American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Membership or specialty equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Advanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate).

2. Five (5) years of clinical experience.

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listedbelow are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1.Performs the more difficult duties of a staff therapist.Assesses, re-assesses & treats a variety of diagnoses with a high degree of professional competency & efficiency to ensure quality patient care; Able to evaluate & treat pediatric, adolescent, geriatric & the general population.

2.Assesses & re-assesses patient pain and develops appropriate treatment plan to assist patient in attainingmaximum functional outcomes.

3.Interacts professionally with patient/family and involves patient/family in the formation of plan of care; formulates a teaching plan based upon identified learning, cultural and psychosocial needs.

4.Sets realistic short and long term goals and plan of care related to patient’s physical therapy needs within the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and integumentary systems.

5.Communicates clearly and appropriately to patients, families, physicians, staff and all other customer groups.

6.Supervises and educates students and evaluates the student’s performance.

7.Maintains and completes proper and timely documentation in the medical record for all patients treated to promote communication to physicians and to ensure proper reimbursement.

8.Contributes to the department to ensure that the operations are efficient and cost effective; adheres to billing guidelines, charges, insurance limitation & all other departmental operations.

9.Prepares department for JCAHO surveys and participates in CQI activities. Performs other related duties as assigned and/or necessary to assure appropriate patient care.

10.Attends intra-departmental rounds, team meetings, and case conferences and staff meetings. Attends professional meetings, courses and conferences to continue education.

11.Meets organization’s attendance & punctuality requirements to ensure proper coverage and quality service to patients, visitors and co-workers.

12.Follows established organizational precautions and procedures in the performance of all job duties to ensure a safe work environment for self and others.

13.Works directly and collaboratively with the interdisciplinary health care team, the patient, and the patient’s family to promote maximum level of patient safety and independence in discharge planning.

14. Educates and in-services staff on clinical skills, acts as a clinical liaison to other staff. Assumes accountability for professional growth and development in order to maintain a high level of clinical competency, accepts role of clinical instructor.

15. Supports a team approach to problem solving.

16. Acts as a clinical and non-clinical resource, particularly in an area of subspecialty expertise.

17. Oversees the activities of the section/assigned supervisory units with regard to services provided; evaluates these services in order to maintain regulatory standards of quality and performance.

18. Keeps abreast of new techniques and interventions. Establishes, revises and implements new procedures, policies and research activities in cooperation with staff to contribute to practice improvement.

19. Clinically supervisors and mentors other therapists. Assists in managing and overseeing competence of staff therapists and senior therapists. Monitors staff clinical skills and assessneed for additional training.

20. Actively demonstrates clinical bridge between therapists within inpatient/outpatient, adult/pediatrics, PT and OT, etc.

21. Accepts additional tasks and responsibilities which may include, but not be limited to: orientation of new staff, participation on committees, involvement in QI activities, supervision of students and aides and involvement in developing/revising practice standards.

Physical Requirements:

1. Prolonged, extensive, or considerable standing, walking, and transferring patients.

2. Regularly lift and/or move 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.

3. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard, dexterity to provide quantitative testing and manual treatment techniques to a wide variety of patients.

4. Visual acuity that allows for frequently uses computer screen and reports

5. The employee in this position frequently communicates internally and externally; must be able to exchange accurate information via phone, email and/or in person.

Skills & Abilities:

1.Demonstrates interpersonal skills including communication, teamwork, and willing to work one-on-one or a group basis.

2.Ability to work independently, to be self-motivated and well organized. Ability to function well in very busy situations.

3.Responsible and reliable.

4.Demonstrates flexibility and able to adjust to changes at a moment’s notice.

5. Maturity to operate effectively within a multi-disciplinary setting.

6.Able to work effectively with a wide variety of patients with acute and long term disability.

7.Ability to read/write and communicate in English.

8.Must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to assess the needs of patients of all different age populations in order to provide care appropriately.

9.Able to visually and audibly assess injury and functional status of patients and patient’s subjective complaints.

10.Advanced knowledge of physical modalities, therapeutic exercise and other treatment skills.

11.Ability to observe and evaluate treatment effect and adjust plan of care as appropriate.

12.Demonstrates proper time management skills to attain department productivity while assuring quality patient care.