Physical Therapy Advocacy Specialist

About the role

The Physical Therapy Advocacy Specialist helps promote the profession of physical therapy and our company to the community, insurance companies, legislative bodies, and clinicians.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required.
• Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, public relations, communications, health policy, or a related field preferred
• Experience in provider relations, payer relations, advocacy, legislative affairs, contract management, event planning, community outreach, or related field preferred

Required Skills & Competencies

• Exceptionally well-organized
• Outgoing personality
• Excellent public speaking skills
• Able to establish and maintain professional relationships in many different arenas
• Attentiveness to detail
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Responsible with confidential information
• Critical thinking skills
• Aptitude for solving problems
• Calm under stressful conditions
• Flexibility in attendance at special events
• Drive toward and satisfaction in the attainment of goals
• Individual initiative as well as participation in group efforts
• Flexibility and cooperation with new processes
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe

Responsibilities

Provider Recruitment, Retention, and Advocacy

• Develop, implement, and participate in recruitment and retention initiatives for Physical Therapists (PTs) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs).
• Promote the organization's mission, vision, values, culture, and professional reputation to prospective employees and the broader physical therapy community.
• Communicate the benefits and professional opportunities of working for the organization, including career development, workplace culture, employee engagement, and opportunities for advancement.
• Develop and share employee testimonials, success stories, and other recruitment materials that highlight the organization as an employer of choice.
• Represent the organization at physical therapy conferences, professional association meetings, healthcare networking events, and other industry-related activities.
• Establish and maintain relationships with physical therapy schools, colleges, universities, faculty, and academic program leaders to support student engagement and future workforce development.
• Coordinate recruitment presentations, career fairs, student networking events, and other outreach activities with academic institutions and physical therapy programs.
• Collaborate with organizational leadership and human resources to identify opportunities to improve provider recruitment, engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

Professional Advocacy and Government Relations

• Serve as the organization's liaison to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), APTA Private Practice, state physical therapy associations, and other relevant professional and healthcare organizations.
• Monitor state and federal legislative, regulatory, and policy developments affecting physical therapy practice, reimbursement, healthcare operations, provider participation, and patient access to care.
• Evaluate emerging legislative and regulatory issues and communicate relevant developments, potential impacts, and recommended actions to organizational leadership.
• Coordinate opportunities for organizational leadership to engage with professional associations, elected officials, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Organize and support the organization's participation in legislative days, advocacy campaigns, public hearings, stakeholder meetings, and other government-affairs activities.
• Develop and distribute educational materials, advocacy resources, and communication tools that enable employees and clinicians to participate appropriately in professional advocacy initiatives.
• Build and maintain relationships with professional organizations and industry stakeholders to advance the interests of the organization, its providers, and the physical therapy profession.
• Support advocacy initiatives that promote the value of physical therapy, appropriate reimbursement, patient choice, access to care, and sustainable healthcare delivery.
• Ensure advocacy activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, professional standards, and organizational policies.

Community Outreach, Patient Awareness, and Satisfaction

• Develop and implement community outreach initiatives to increase awareness of the organization's physical therapy services and the benefits of physical therapy.
• Further develop and educate the public on the company's PT First campaign.
• Visit local businesses, community centers, gyms, senior centers, schools, recreational facilities, and other community locations to establish relationships and promote available services.
• Educate community members about the role of physical therapy in improving mobility, strength, balance, functional independence, injury prevention, and recovery.
• Organize and coordinate educational presentations, wellness workshops, injury-prevention seminars, community health fairs, fitness events, and public awareness campaigns.
• Develop professional outreach strategies that strengthen appropriate patient referral relationships and improve awareness of the organization's services.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with local gyms, fitness studios, sports clubs, employers, businesses, senior organizations, schools, and other community groups.
• Identify relevant community events, sponsorship opportunities, and collaborative programs that connect the organization with potential patients and referral sources.
• Collaborate with clinical, marketing, and operational teams to ensure outreach activities accurately communicate the organization's services, clinical expertise, and patient-centered approach.
• Identify opportunities to improve the patient's experience, community engagement, and patient satisfaction through feedback, relationship development, and coordinated follow-up.
• Monitor the effectiveness of outreach initiatives and recommend strategies to improve engagement, appropriate referrals, and community visibility.

Insurance Payer Relations and Contract Advocacy

• Serve as the centralized organizational point of contact for significant, recurring, or systemic payer concerns.
• Identify, document, and evaluate payer-related issues that may affect reimbursement, contractual compliance, provider participation, administrative burden, or patient access to care.
• Draft formal payer advocacy letters, policy reconsideration requests, contract-related correspondence, and other communications to address significant payer concerns.
• Coordinate with executive leadership, finance, revenue cycle, clinical operations, and other relevant departments to develop strategies for resolving payer disputes and negotiating appropriate contract terms.
• Facilitate meetings between insurance payer representatives and organizational leadership to discuss reimbursement concerns, contractual issues, policy changes, and opportunities for resolution.
• Manage and coordinate payer contract review, tracking, and oversight in collaboration with authorized organizational leadership and relevant internal departments.
• Monitor payer compliance with contractual obligations, reimbursement policies, administrative requirements, and other applicable terms.
• Track payer performance, contract viability, reimbursement trends, and recurring issues to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare reports and recommendations regarding payer relationships, contract performance, systemic barriers, and potential escalation strategies.
• Coordinate the escalation of unresolved payer issues to appropriate leadership and external stakeholders when warranted.
• Support strategies that strengthen payer accountability, improve operational efficiency, and promote fair and sustainable reimbursement for physical therapy services.

Benefits

• Opportunity for growth & Ownership
• Mentorship & career development
• Meaningful and rewarding work environment
• Family and team-like environment
• Competitive benefits packages
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• Short-term, long-term, and life insurance
• Supplemental Benefits (critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance, accident insurance)
• Identity protection
• 401(k) with matching & retirement
• HSA and FSA plans available
• Paid time off

To be considered for this role, candidates must successfully pass an internal screening against the OIG Exclusions list.