Now Hiring OT and PT in Northern California

All Aboard Full-time Occupational and Registered Physical Therapists!

Free cruise for 2 to majestic Alaska or tropical Baja Mexico. Check out these therapy team opportunities at Broadway Villa and Valley of the Moon. Apply today!

For more information, contact Paul Medvene.

Join the Mesa Springs Therapy Team and Take a Cruise!

Now Hiring All Disciplines!

We are offering a cruise for 2 on your 1-year anniversary that includes some spending cash and paid time off during the trip! Check out these therapy team opportunities at Mesa Springs Healthcare Center and apply today!

Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Speech Therapist

Join our Purple Cow Movement at Channel Islands Post Acute Care!

THERAPY CAREERS THAT STAND OUT FROM THE ORDINARY!

Our organization in Santa Barbara, CA, is committed to dignifying long term care in the eyes of the world through innovative therapy programs and local leadership. Ask us how our cutting-edge in-house therapy team is meeting this challenge and shifting the healthcare paradigm!

Channel Islands Post Acute Care offers:

  • a stable in-house therapy team
  • a variety of clinical settings including long term care, short term rehab, and outpatient
  • world-class clinical and operations support from our service center professionals
  • opportunity to practice to the top of your license in learning, creating and implementing programs for your patients
  • facility level decision making and local leadership

View PT/PTA and OT/OTA opportunities at Channel Islands Post Acute Care.

Questions? Contact Paul Medvene at 949-230-8384.

LTC Programming at Kirkwood Manor

By Heidi Gulley, PTA/DOR, Kirkwood Manor, New Braunfels, TX
At Kirkwood Manor, we have diverse and robust LTC programming. We believe in individualizing treatment to fit patient-specific needs to improve quality of life. We also tap into the many talents and tools that come with a large rehab staff. We focus on LTC programming to improve the quality of life of our LTC residents, and during our rehab meetings, we discuss new ideas and areas that therapists are passionate about and ways to implement those ideas.

One of our programs is a lymphedema program that is headed up by one of our PTs, Francisco Yap. He has had great success in this area and has greatly improved the quality of life of our residents who benefit from this program. (photo)

Another LTC program that we are also having great success in is revamping our Abilities Care program, updating and ensuring all residents in the facility have an updated life storyboard. This helps greatly with our dementia patients and patients who are more behaviorally challenging. It allows us to reach the patients who never get out of bed and build rapport with them, and then we all celebrate our success stories when we make breakthroughs.

It is a really cool thing to know that we get to be a huge part of this — that the resident who yells and never gets out of bed is now going to activities and having meaningful interactions with others, and that the resident who was unable to use their arms or legs effectively due to edema is now able to function more effectively.

Workout to Win

By Mark Walker, PT, CEEE/DOR, Orem Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing, Orem, UT
Each week, our residents are asked if they want to participate in a home exercise program prescribed by the Therapy department. These are in-room exercises with handouts provided by one of our physical, occupational, or speech therapists. If a resident chooses to participate in the program, they are given a punch card that helps them and us track if they completed their daily exercises. When the full punch card is completed, it is then entered into a bimonthly drawing for one of our prizes (massage pillow, water bottle, cup holder, coloring pencils, coloring book, Orem Rehab swag, etc.)

Each raffle drawing is done in the gym every other week, and we are seeing the buzz getting around. Last week, we had 17 participants from our residents here at Orem. This isn’t a program run by the therapist, so there is no impact on productivity or efficiency. Our therapy aides run this, and it gives them a program to take ownership over. We are seeing some huge success as residents look forward to their daily workouts. The staff is helping the residents complete their workouts and are letting us know when they have done so. Each resident who enters a completed punch card into the raffle is given either a chip, a Gatorade, or a treat, so everyone is a winner bimonthly. The cost is minimal, and we are even starting to see staff/families donate prizes for the raffle. It’s a fun way to get our residents engaged in exercise and improve their quality of life.

Programs and Group Growth at our New Texas Acquisition

By Celeste Harvey COTA/L, Director of Rehab, Lakeside Nursing & Rehabilitation, San Antonio, TX

Lakeside’s first group experience since the recent acquisition was truly an amazing experience, not only for the staff but most importantly on how the residents interacted with one another. Initially, we as a team were not sure what the outcome would be for our residents. We learned very quickly about the energy and excitement a group can create, and the ability to engage our residents was nothing shy of amazing! We had residents who had not been able to sit up in a wheelchair actually move to the beat of the music. One particular resident was beating the drum as tears ran down his eyes. When we asked why he was crying, he stated, “Happy.” We are able to show our residents that there is a “fun” functional way to do their rehab. I feel confident that I speak for everyone when I say that we as a whole are so happy for the change that has been brought to us by this contagious CAPLICO culture, not only for us as employees but most important, for our dear residents — making them feel that we have their best interests at heart.

Making Someone’s Day

By Lindsay Fry, PT, DPT, CKTP, Cert. DN, CTO, Therapy Resource, Keystone – Missions Market, TX

I sat as the DOR at Mystic Park (a new acquisition) for October. Day one I tried to do an evaluation for a resident, Arturo. I introduced myself and said I was a PT, and was going to evaluate him for services. Arturo immediately responded, “I want to dance – play Madonna…Material Girl.” I was just thinking, oh my goodness, I hope this man doesn’t fall. He proceeded to bust a move in the middle of the hallway, singing along to every word. And no…he didn’t fall!

From that day on, Arturo would ask me for a song every time I saw him and, of course, I obliged. Once November came along, I was no longer at the building every day. Arturo would ask Jasmine, the DOR, every day when I was coming back or where I was. He would ask multiple times throughout the day. I decided I would get Arturo a small present since he was so fond of me and keeps asking for me.

Today I went to Mystic Park and gave Arturo this Bluetooth microphone. He immediately asked for Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. The microphone was already hooked up to my phone, so I put it on. He sang and danced throughout the building, showing everyone his new microphone. (Check out the video here). He hasn’t put it down all day. Every time he saw me in the hallway he had a huge smile on his face and gave me a BIG hug and thanked me over and over again. I think he’s going to want to sleep with his microphone LOL!

I can’t believe how much joy this gift brought him. Remember, it’s the little things that matter the most to our residents, and we can make a huge impact on their lives. This is my why.

Congratulations to Our Newest SPARC Winner!

Kelly Janak, PT Student, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Graduation Date: August 2023

Read her winning Essay below:

Although health is typically viewed in a more physical sense, I have come to recognize and appreciate the more cognitive-emotional aspects as well. Many times, patients who have suffered an injury or are coping with life-changing diagnoses might experience a loss of control. One of the things that drew me to physical therapy is that it is a profession with the goal of empowering patients. Unlike other professions that beg patient cooperation while treatments are passively applied to the patient during the healing process, physical therapy teaches patients to heal themselves through a more active role. However, I have learned that without patient investment, physical therapy treatment is not as effective. Time engaged in therapy during the treatment session alone is not enough to provide a substantial impact. The patient must spend time training outside of the treatment sessions, otherwise the positive effect of physical therapy may grow stagnant. Without patient buy in and commitment, even the most ideal treatment plans will lack effectiveness. The patient must be motivated to take an active role in their health and to continue to train outside of appointments. Truly a large part of therapy involves establishing a therapeutic alliance with the patient and inspiring their engagement in the healing process. Although it’s undeniable that my education and training have expanded my knowledge and understanding of how to identify and treat patients with different diagnoses, it has also expanded my ability to motivate my patients, my understanding of how to relate to my patients, and willingness to seek the most effective treatments for each individual.

As I have learned more about the multitude of benefits that physical therapy can provide, I have gained a variety of reasons to support engagement in physical therapy. If a patient can understand the vast benefits of physical therapy, such as the improvements in health, functionality, longevity, and emotional well-being that exercise can provide, then they are much more likely to not only be driven to be engaged and compliant in their therapy experience, but also enjoy it and continue to exercise after discharge from physical therapy. It is also important to keep therapy exercises salient to the patient. Not everyone enjoys doing squats, bicep curls and abdominal crunches. For individuals who don’t enjoy these exercises, exercise can seem tedious and unappealing. But using creativity to create “non-conventional” exercises that appeals more to the patient’s personal interests can be more exciting. If the patient is doing treatment that directly relates to their hobbies, interests, and personal goals, they are much more likely to enjoy their experiences in physical therapy, which will make them more likely to do the work involved in order to accomplish the goals of their physical therapy program. For example, if the patient really enjoys gardening, they can be prescribed exercises pertaining to gardening so that the patient can be engaged in exercises that are meaningful to them and directly observe the correlation of their dedication to their treatments and their increased ability to engage in their activities that are important to them at a higher capability. I hope to provide a positive benefit to my patients in the form of helping them to see that their hard work can pay off in ways that are meaningful to their individual lives so that they can view exercise as something that is empowering rather than menial. I hope to not only improve their therapy experience but drive them to continue to lead a healthy lifestyle even after discharge as they strive for continued improvement in functional ability through motivation derived from things they love to do.

Patients will not be motivated by health care professionals that they do not trust. As part of the nature of the career, physical therapists spend much more time with patients than their counterparts from other health professions. This provides a substantial opportunity to either build a great therapeutic alliance, or tear it down. In pursuit of the first, I have learned that often the best way to establish patient trust is through understanding and openness. According to evidence, patients trust healthcare providers who they believe truly have the patient’s best interests at heart. However, in the hustle and bustle and time restraints of daily work life as a physical therapist, it can sometimes be difficult to take the time to establish an actual relationship with patients. In a career that specializes in people, it can become an unfortunate consequence to lose recognition of the sense of humanity that patients possess. But I think that if I continue to value each individual and recognize their inherent worth, I can maintain a recognition of the dignity that each human being possesses without losing sight of that in burnout. I will strive to always show compassion and patience and respect to each of my patients. Beyond that, I hope to continue to try to understand my patients on a deep level by trying to make a meaningful connection and by listening. My work with diverse populations has further affirmed the fact that every individual is unique and I can only know and understand each person and their needs by actively learning to understand them. I will also strive to maintain a personal sense of openness, honesty, and humility to further foster a healthy relationship. I hope that establishing authentic relationships with my patients will not only help them become more engaged in physical therapy and make the experience more enjoyable for them, but also encourage them to make more meaningful relationships with other individuals.

Lastly, and more obviously, it is important to seek out applicable current evidence-based practice and be in constant pursuit of personal growth within my role. Even with the best intentions, if I am not effective at my job, I will not be a very good physical therapist. Also, being an adept physical therapist can help with encourage patient investment in physical therapy. Patients will have a greater acceptance of physical therapy if they can witness the benefits that are provided from the treatments firsthand. Seeing as physical therapy is a relatively new profession which is constantly evolving, it is imperative to keep up with evidence-based practice by researching new treatment strategies that will be effective to implement in my patient population every day and to encourage co-workers to do the same. In order to best serve my patients, I recognize that it is my duty to be well-informed on effective treatment strategies that will benefit my patients and adjust my practices to develop alongside current research in order to ascertain that my treatments are effective for my patients. Along with this, I aspire to always be improving my clinical skills and knowledge. I will pursue increased proficiency in the realm of physical therapy so that I can develop into a professional who can provide the greatest benefit to my patients. I understand that they are trusting me to guide them towards better health and capability and I want to honor that by continuously improving my ability to deliver great service to my patients. I hope to become shrewder in identifying potential diagnoses and practices that might not be healthy for my patients and become more proficient on educating them on methods to improve their health. I hope to be successful in empowering them to lead a healthier life, even after they have finished with physical therapy so that they can be more free from the constraints and complications of poor health. By improving my knowledge and skills, I hope to effectively help them not only to return to their baseline health, but inspire them to continue to rise to a higher state of health so that they can enjoy their lives to a higher degree.
Through my devotion to patient motivation, relationship, and evidence-based practice and personal development, I hope to spark my patients to be empowered to take control of their own health, rather than maintain a passive role. I wish for them to be driven to lead a more healthy and full life in whatever capacity is available to them, so that they can enjoy the benefits in functionality, energy, emotion, and well-being. I hope to encourage them to see healthy living and improved function not as an unattainable goal or as undesirable work, but as a natural and enjoyable part of their everyday life.

Pumpkin Culture

With just a few short weeks until Halloween, it’s safe to say spooky season is here! April Tremmell shares: “My heart has been filled! Prior to leaving for PTO I left a pumpkin on my desk with a few words of gratefulness. I left a note encouraging others to add to it.  When I returned a week later my team had filled it up with words of positivity, gratefulness and good vibes!!”

Another example of culture brought to life in our facilities!  Experience it for yourself by joining one of our in-house therapy teams!  Check out these amazing therapy career opportunities at our affiliated facilities: Director of Rehab – Catalina Post Acute Care, Occupational Therapist – La Canada Care Center, Occupational Therapist – Camarillo Healthcare, Physical Therapist – The Villas, Physical Therapist – Beacon Hill, and Physical Therapist – Golden Acres. Find out more about these amazing jobs and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.