I've worked at three different hospitals over the past five years. Each one has had a different process of dealing with Medication Reconciliation, but I believe my current facility has created the best idea of all: A Medication Reconciliation Technician role.  Her primary responsibility is to interview patients to obtain the most ...

As the dust begins to settle from separating one department into two, this extended break from school allows me to get a grasp on what being a manager really entails in an outpatient rehabilitation facility. From balancing payroll to juggling hours in three disciplines to staying productive, to completing performance appraisals and performing ...

It's hard for me to believe it has been four years since I graduated PT school. I remember working as a student with physical therapists who had been practicing for four or five years and looking at them as a source of information and experience. Now that I'm on the other side of that spectrum, I still feel like I'm learning every day. As the ...

Years ago, I began working at a large nursing facility that also had an assistive living complex attached to it. The place was immaculate in every detail (except one), had a large library and two fancy dining rooms. There were multiple levels with stairs and elevators located at the end of the halls. To get to the therapy room with patients we had ...

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Alexandria, VA, announced in an April 30 press release that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has signed HB 1034, granting Hoosiers direct access to evaluation and treatment by a physical therapist without a physician referral. Ensuring a patient's choice of which healthcare professional ...

An interesting article came out in the British popular press last week that states some chronic low-back pain can be cured by antibiotics. The writing is fairly clear that only certain cases would benefit from this approach and it includes links to the two scientific abstracts the article is based on: ...

Last week I described being warned not to make trouble by reporting the nurses watching the baby camera while at work. I've been thinking about that. Why would I be the troublemaker for reporting someone else doing something wrong? Shouldn't it be the other way around? You would think the person bringing it to attention would be thanked. I ...

I completed the first full week of my six-month clinical affiliation, and things are off to a tremendous start. This past week, I was assigned two patients of my very own who I'll likely see throughout their course of care on the inpatient rehab unit. It might not sound very monumental; however this is the first time that a patient has been ...

Amazing what can happen in one week. In a major healthcare system of a large metropolitan area surrounded by water, we've successfully accomplished separating pediatric from adult rehabilitation in preparation for our growth as the Rehabilitation Institute of South Florida. Every day of this mission has started at 5 a.m. with communication with ...

My newest thought project for this week is to better understand how physical therapist staffing is predicted for a new clinic. How does a new healthcare company or private practice facility estimate what kind of staffing it will need in a new location? My general understanding of private practice is that due to limited funds, staffing will start ...