February's Focus: Human Resource Management

Beyond the Treatment Table: Workforce Development 

February 26 | 1-2 pm Eastern | 10-11 am Pacific

Register Here

Host: Stephanie Telibasa, PT, DPT, 

Guests: Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, Tara Jo Manal, MPT, DPT

You may have seen the workforce data reports, or heard someone talk about the shortage of PTs online. Where we want to focus is on what is in our control to influence the predictions that come from these reports. Is the shortage really predestined to continue? Tara Jo Manal is leading the discussion around modifiable factors and calling us all forward to innovate our care models. Sharon Dunn is planning to address the debt to income ratio and the Big Beautiful Bill categorization. If you're fed up with seeing our profession dragged online, and you'd like to take a proactive approach, join us on the next Beyond the Treatment Table. We'll be dissecting this data and planning together how to best use it to grow your practice, and positively impact the future of the profession.

This event is open to everyone so sign up today - and invite a friend! 

Have a question? We are eager to address your concerns and make this live event valuable. Use the form to submit any questions you'd like covered, and we will do our best to address as many as we can.  

Earn CEU Credits! Winning the Talent Race: Recruiting Tools and Tactics for Physical Therapy

February 25 | 7 pm Eastern, 4 pm Pacific

Register Here

Speaker: Rachel Grubb, PT, DPT 

.1 CEUs/ 1.0 Contact Hours

This webinar expands on therapist recruitment strategies within physical therapy private practice and applies key business principles to workforce planning. Participants will engage in practical, real-world skills to begin creating, enhancing, and sustaining a strategic hiring pipeline that supports patient access, productivity, and clinic growth. Content will address strengthening online employer presence, optimizing job postings, and effectively using major recruiting platforms.  Participants will also learn how to evaluate and utilize recruitment tools such as sponsored listings, resume databases, and applicant tracking systems, including when these tools add value.

Join APTA Private Practice at 2026 CSM

Your team is the foundation of your practice, and CSM 2026 offers focused opportunities to support how you recruit, lead, and retain them. From February 12 to 14 in Anaheim, CA,  APTA Private Practice members can access education and conversations designed to strengthen real-world human resource management.

HR-focused educational sessions tackle today’s toughest workforce challenges. Sessions like OK Boomer, Meet Gen Z; Build Better Faster; Students Are Your Pipeline; and Beyond Burnout offer practical strategies you can apply immediately in your practice.

Beyond the classroom, APTA Private Practice’s One-on-One Mentoring Opportunities bring HR to life. If you are already attending, please consider volunteering to coach another PT private practitioner! 

Stop by the APTA Private Practice Booth (#1659) to connect, sign up for bonus room sessions, and explore member resources that support smarter HR decisions year-round.

Join Peer2Peer Class of 2026

Applications close on February 16! This is your opportunity to join a small, carefully matched mastermind group of 5–8 private practice owners who are committed to growing stronger, smarter businesses together. Peer2Peer participants collaborate with peers in similar specialties to solve real-time challenges, share proven best practices, benchmark performance, and evaluate operations in a trusted, high-impact environment.

Members will network virtually, and then connect in person with their Peer2Peer group at the Peer2Peer Summit in Alexandria, April 29–May 1. Groups are thoughtfully screened to ensure no direct competitors are placed together, creating a safe space for open, transparent collaboration. If Peer2Peer is on your list for 2026, this is the moment—applications are closing now.

Learn more about Peer2Peer in this Impact Magazine feature.

Apply here!

Register for the KPI Benchmarking Study! 

Measuring and responding to key performance indicators (KPIs) is critical to building a strong, sustainable practice—and now is the time to take action!

The APTA Private Practice KPI Benchmarking Program gives members the opportunity to submit their data and see how their practice compares to peers nationwide.

Participants who sign up and submit their data will receive a comprehensive individual report in April, along with an aggregate report that benchmarks KPI metrics by practice size, region, and care model. These insights clearly show how your performance stacks up against similar practices locally and across the country. Submit your data to unlock your reports and gain the insights needed to make informed, strategic decisions for your practice.

Peer2Peer NetWorks participants are automatically enrolled in the KPI Benchmarking Program as part of their Peer2Peer participation—no additional registration required.

Human Resources 101

Free to APTA Private Practice Members, this 5-module course is a primer in Human Resources.  Complete this video series and learn how to properly handle common Human Resources issues, avoid common employment law mistakes (which reduces the risk of legal claims), and create a better workplace.

Front Desk 101 

In today’s environment, many clinics have experienced significant turnover in staff positions. To help ensure efficiency and consistency, APTA Private Practice offers this course to bring all members of your front office up to speed and set in the foundational knowledge required to operate a front office at peak efficiency. Whether you are bringing a new hire up to speed or refreshing processes for established members of your team, this course is sure to help reduce your stress and time burden. 

We are in the midst of a great forest, discussing human resources. Check out Editor-in-Chief Liz Plowman’s message, and brave the wilderness with Impact. Read the following articles today: 

• From Acorns to Mighty Oaks: How strategic, rhythm-based staffing reduces PT burnout
• What’s in Your Recruiting Backpack? Be prepared before hitting the hiring trail 
• Guiding New Hires Through the Wilderness: The 5 challenges of training someone in a niche PT speciality 
• Controlled Burn: Helping ineffective leaders choose to step down

Go to the “Downloadable Templates and Resources section” to find a guide to the Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring, as well as sample templates for job descriptions and performance evaluations to help you get started. The templates are intended to serve as general resources to assist with job descriptions, performance evaluations, and improvement plans. APTA Private Practice does not guarantee that these templates meet all legal or regulatory requirements specific to your practice or jurisdiction. We recommend reviewing and customizing these templates with the assistance of legal or HR professionals to ensure compliance with applicable laws and best practices.

APTA Member Resources

APTA offers several programs to help PT business owners provide competitive benefits to their employees. 

Physical Therapy Workforce Data

APTA’s 2025 Physical Therapy Profile reports on Incomes and Demographics of the Profession provide a comprehensive snapshot of today’s physical therapy workforce and what’s shaping its future. Together, the reports show that while compensation for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants has increased over time, earnings have not kept pace with inflation, with notable variations by practice setting, credentials, age, and gender. The data also highlight persistent workforce challenges, including regional shortages and ongoing diversity gaps, even as DPT program enrollment continues to grow and the profession’s pipeline shows signs of recovery. 

APTA also published "APTA Supply and Demand Forecast 2022-2037" as a companion report to the forecasts published in PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal, APTA's scientific journal.

APTA Health Benefits Marketplace

Looking for an affordable, quality health care option? APTA and APTA Private Practice have collaborated with Decisely to provide affordable health solutions for practices with group coverage needs, as well as unique solutions to help our individual practitioners and independent contractors reduce their health care costs. Learn More.

APTA 401(k) Retirement Plan

The American Physical Therapy Association 401(k) Retirement Plan is designed to help practices of all sizes gain a competitive edge to attract and retain talent, ease administrative burdens, and lower fiduciary risk by offering a cost-effective, quality retirement plan available to you as an APTA and APTA Private Practice member.

Employee Incentive: Student Loan Assistance

APTA has partnered with Highway Benefits to help private practice and physical therapy business owners easily offer tax-free educational assistance benefits, including employer student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement. As an APTA member, you'll receive a special discount of $500 off your one-time implementation fee when you sign up to offer this impactful employee benefit through Highway. Learn more.