Physical Therapist (PT, DPT), Rehab Hospitals & Outpatient Therapy
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Hiring a physical therapist for a rehabilitation hospital or outpatient clinic means matching licensed practice to different treatment schedules, patient needs, and documentation demands.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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What happens next
- We review your role, responsibilities and location.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
What does an open seat cost you every week?
An open role costs you more than the recruiting fee. Someone covers the work, waits for care, or stops a service. We ask what is falling behind and who is carrying it. Use your own figures to compare the cost of waiting with the cost of hiring.
The seat is costing you every week.
Overtime, diverted patients, a stretched team and a schedule held together by favors.
The posting brought the wrong people.
Applicants arrive, but the person who has done this exact work is employed and not looking.
You are the one chasing.
Screening calls, no-shows and follow-ups land on the desk of someone with a facility to run.
What does this hire really come down to?
We recruit physical therapists for permanent positions in rehabilitation hospitals and outpatient therapy. Before searching, we ask what your PT will actually handle: inpatient mobility assessments, discharge preparation, orthopedic evaluations, follow-up visits, or a defined combination. That distinction shapes the search more than the degree abbreviation alone.
Ask how the candidate responds when a planned session changes because of patient tolerance or medical concerns. Look for a clear account of communication, documentation, and the next decision within the therapist's scope.
An outpatient PT works through evaluations, scheduled follow-ups, progress reviews, and discharge decisions across a recurring caseload. Ask how the candidate handles an evaluation that takes longer than expected without letting documentation accumulate. If your position spans both settings, define where the therapist works each day and how handoffs occur.
We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Verify the state PT license or a valid PT Compact privilege where available. Ask where the candidate currently practices and what authorization supports practice at your location. A DPT degree does not replace that check. Separate acute hospital, rehabilitation hospital, outpatient orthopedic, home health, and SNF experience.
- Ask which patients the candidate evaluated independently and which duties were shared. Similar diagnoses do not establish familiarity with your setting's daily work.
- Ask: “How do you document a change in mobility that affects discharge planning?” A useful answer connects observed function, assistance needed, relevant safety concerns, and communication with the team. Listen for specific findings rather than a copied note format.
- Ask: “How do you decide what to reassess during an outpatient progress visit?” Look for a connection between the patient's goals, measured change, remaining limitations, and the documented plan. The candidate should explain reasoning without offering a universal treatment formula.
- Discuss ABPTS specialist certification, including OCS or NCS, when it fits your caseload. These credentials can add relevant evidence, but they are not universal legal mandates. Ask how the candidate's specialist experience relates to the patients you serve.
- Ask about documentation systems, evaluation blocks, follow-up scheduling, and communication with assistants or referring clinicians. Request an example of a scheduling conflict and the tradeoff made. We screen credentials, work history, and fit; your team completes its own credentialing and clinical assessment.
Where do we find them, and why would they move?
We source from outpatient clinics, hospitals, home health services, and SNFs. Each pool brings different experience. A home health therapist may bring strong independent assessment habits, while a hospital therapist may know team-based discharge planning. We test those strengths against your actual duties rather than assuming they transfer unchanged.
CAPTE-accredited DPT programs are also a source when you can support a newly licensed therapist. Experienced candidates may consider a move for a different caseload, clearer scheduling, or more suitable clinical support. We ask what they want to change and whether your opening genuinely offers it.
Which mistakes stall the search?
A common mistake is treating rehabilitation hospital and outpatient experience as interchangeable. Specify the evaluation mix, mobility work, discharge responsibilities, and visit schedule before reviewing candidates. Another is using OCS or NCS certification as a substitute for setting evidence. Ask for examples tied to your caseload, and distinguish a preferred credential from required licensure.
Advertising a mixed-setting position without explaining travel, daily assignments, or documentation expectations. Candidates cannot judge the role accurately when those details remain undecided.
How would we run the search for this opening?
Tell us the setting split, patient population, schedule, evaluation duties, and support available. We compare licensure, setting history, and answers about your daily work. Compare each shortlisted therapist's experience with your inpatient mobility assessments or outpatient evaluation schedule. Ask candidates to explain a discharge handoff or progress review from their own practice without sharing patient identifiers.
Define the assignment
Identify whether the therapist works at one location or moves between sites.
Review screened candidates
Your interviews can then focus on clinical judgment, team communication, and the gaps needing further assessment.
Assess the shortlist
Decide which gaps your team can address through orientation and which need further clinical assessment. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
The role and the setting
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We tell you where qualified Physical Therapist (PT, DPT) are working in your area and what it takes to move them. No fee. No obligation.
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Should we require a DPT for every PT opening?
Start with the state license and duties of the position. Do not treat the DPT abbreviation as proof of recent rehabilitation hospital or outpatient experience. A rehabilitation hospital PT may assess transfers, walking, equipment needs, and barriers to discharge while coordinating with nursing and other therapists.
Can an outpatient orthopedic PT move into rehabilitation hospital work?
Possibly, but assess inpatient mobility, team communication, and discharge planning separately. Ask what orientation and supervised introduction your team can provide.
When does OCS or NCS certification help our search?
It helps when specialist experience matches your orthopedic or neurologic caseload. Keep certification separate from license verification and direct assessment of the candidate's work.
What should we clarify before hiring across both settings?
Set the location schedule, patient mix, documentation expectations, and handoff process. Ask candidates how they would manage transitions without leaving notes or communication unfinished.
Can we request temporary PT coverage?
We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.
What should you send us about this role?
Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.
Tell us where your PT will work and which daily decisions matter most. Identify whether inpatient discharge coordination, outpatient progress reviews, or cross-site handoffs need the closest scrutiny during candidate screening.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens next
- We review your role, responsibilities and location.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
What do you get at each step of the search?
Our process for every search: calibrate the seat with you, map the market, research the real people, reach out to each one personally, qualify them in live conversation, then hand you a short list with a written brief on each person and support through the offer.
Search Calibration
You get an agreed brief: the work, reporting line, credentials, schedule, and offer you can make.
Market Mapping
You get a search aimed at relevant backgrounds, including people working now who have not applied.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We check appropriate ways to reach the people identified for your search. You do not have to chase them yourself.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We explain your actual job and follow up with people who may consider a conversation.
Live Candidate Qualification
You see people we have spoken with about the work, interest, and practical fit, not an unread resume pile.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get a written brief and support through interviews and offer discussions. You make the hiring decision.
How long will it take to see a short list?
That depends on the job, schedule, available people, and what your employer can offer. We discuss those constraints before outreach and update you as candidates respond. We do not promise a fixed shortlist date. We check the job brief before arranging interviews. Tell us which parts of the role you can change.
What if a candidate receives a counteroffer?
We ask why the person wants to move and discuss competing decisions before an offer. A counteroffer can still change their choice. Keep the duties and offer clear rather than assuming more money settles every concern. Tell us early if parts of your offer cannot change, so the candidate hears it from us first.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Ask us to walk through those terms before you sign, so you know how a replacement would work for your opening and who would start it.
What do we not do in a standard permanent search?
We do not bill standard contingency search by the hour or simply repost your job. Temporary coverage is a separate arrangement. Any retainer or different engagement must be agreed, not assumed. Tell us early if you need coverage while the permanent search runs.