Description

The Staff Physical Therapist reviews patient charts, performs initial assessments, develops treatment plans, administers physical therapy treatments and modalities, monitors progress and documents treatments performed with patients (including discharge planning and patient education) in order to increase overall functioning, reduce discomfort, increase or maintain flexibility and range of motion/strength, and achieve other medical and therapeutic goals.

Responsibilities:

• Communicates patient's status to the referring physician and other health care team members.
• May serves as a clinical instructor for physical therapy students as well as residents and fellows in a specialty area of physical therapy.
• Maintains professional license/registration through steady pursuit and participation in appropriate continuing education and professional development opportunities to satisfy requirements for licensure/registation renewal.
• Performs physical therapy assessment, reassessment and treatment and supervises physical therapist assistants in the treatment of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients referred by a physician to the clinic. Develops plan of care including goals and treatment plan in accordance with physician referral, nature of injury/illness and results of physical therapy assessment. Modifies or adjusts plan of care based on patient's response to treatment and/or changes in patient's status. Works PTAs to adjust patient programs as patient status changes.
• Rotates through selected treatment areas when necessary to facilitate organizational needs.
• Attends and actively participates in staff meetings and in-service education programs.
• Maintains written documentation for all physical therapy services rendered including documentation of initial assessment, follow-up visits, and discharge summary consistent with department standards. Co-signs physical therapist assistant documentation biweekly.
• Completes necessary charge and statistical information to accurately reflect the service rendered to the patient.
• Provides verbal and/or written home instructions to patient and/or family members when applicable.
• Schedules patients to achieve and maintain a level of productivity which meets or exceeds the standard established for the facility by the organization while ensuring delivery of quality patient care.

Qualifications

EDUCATIONAL/KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Graduate of an accredited program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES & INTERPERSONAL/LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Must possess knowledge and skills required to provide quality customer service. Must possess knowledge of normal human growth and development over the lifespan. Must be able to read, understand, analyze, and interpret medical record documents.
• Must be skilled in planning/organization, follow up/control, delegation, problem solving, self-development orientation, organizational behaviors/competencies, and stress tolerance. Must possess the ability to apply principles of logic and strategic thinking to a wide range of problems, and to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
• Must possess effective written and verbal communication skills. Must possess the ability to identify referral growth opportunities. Demonstrated ability to interact with healthcare team, coworkers, supervisors, and all members of the Corporate Management Team.
• Active participation with health care industry professional organizations is preferred. May in the course of their job duties be in rooms where medications are stored. No contact with medications is allowed.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:
Active license in practicing state required. CPR required based on AHA standards that include both a didactic and skills demonstration component within 30 days of hire.

Clearances must be dated within 90 days.

• Basic Life Support (BLS) OR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Physical Therapist (PT)
• Act 34 with renewal

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran

Individuals hired into this role must comply with UPMC's COVID vaccination requirements upon beginning employment with UPMC. Refer to the COVID-19 Vaccination Information section at the top of this page to learn more.