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.

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.

This conversation digs into the biggest challenges facing PT today—payment, administrative burden, and burnout—along with where the profession is headed next. We talk innovation, advocacy, evolving practice models, and what it will take to support the next generation of physical therapists

In this episode we're joined by MacKenzie Winkler, Vice President, Process and Product Development at ATI Physical Therapy. Mackenzie is truly a trailblazer, leading the charge on one of the most important evolutions in healthcare today: hybrid care and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring. We’ll dive into the why behind investing in hybrid care and RTM, how it was rolled out across such a massive organization, the results she’s seeing, and, most importantly, what it really means for both patients and providers. Throughout this episode, MacKenzie refers to PT Wired, which is now Prompt Engage.

In this episode, we’re sitting down with Brian Gallagher, founder and CEO of MEG, a Provana company. Brian has spent his career coaching physical therapists and business owners, and today he’s diving into what it really takes to go from clinician to entrepreneur. From mindset shifts to creating scalable systems, Brian shares the lessons, pitfalls, and practical steps that every start-up clinic needs to launch and grow a thriving private practice.