Missouri License: Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists
You could lose your license over that?
“I could lose my license over that!”
I heard this statement once again this week, and quite frankly, it forces me to lose respect for those that say this. Why? Because those that fall back on this statement, simply don’t understand what it takes to loose their license. And secondly, most don’t take the necessary steps to protect their license.
Let me set the stage a bit for you, so that you can completely understand. First, I’m not a therapist myself. I’m an Athletic Trainer by trade, with a Masters in Exercise Science and quite a bit of experience in Industrial Rehabilitation, Ergonomics, and injury prevention. So I’ve worked in many situations that would make the typical PT “uncomfortable”, and I’m sure many of these situations put my license at risk.
I can also make these comments because I’ve worked with loads of PTs and OTs in my career, and this statement of “losing my license” is a crutch for what seems to be most therapists.
The particular situation this week was simply a matter of trying to get a speech therapist to complete her documentation. She did not understand the documentation…but instead of asking for clarification proactively, she went to the usual “I could lose my license over that!” statement. Which quite frankly, boils my blood.
It takes quite a bit to lose your license as a therapist, but most don’t realize that. Think about it…we all know therapists that are shady, unethical, provide horrible care, think only of themselves, fraudulent, etc. Don’t get me wrong – these aren’t the majority. But what they are, are still practicing therapists – which means they are licensed.
So what does it take to lose your license in Missouri as a physical, occupational, or speech therapist?
Well, if you Google that question, you won’t find an answer. And you wonder why therapists don’t know how to lose their license. You will find a complaint form on the Missouri Division of Professional Regulation website. But that’s all I could find…so I called the Missouri Division of Professional Regulation to get the answer straight from the horses mouth.
What did I discover?
Not much really, and the state actually seemed aggravated by the inquiry. No wonder therapists use this statement as a crutch and don’t really understand the process and risks. I was told the obvious, that each situation is taken on a case by case basis. “So, what’s the process?” I asked. First off, someone must file a complaint via the form found on the website. Then, the state board will investigate if the complaint is valid or not. Other than this, the only groundbreaking information I received was that I should look at all the rules and statutes for each profession: PT, OT, and SLP. Helpful, huh?
If this is the helpfulness and friendliness (or lack thereof) that someone with a valid complaint receives should they call the state, then I really have to wonder how well our state licensing protects those Missouri residents receiving physical, occupational, or speech therapy?
On the contrary, I did find a good synopsis and reminder from the state of Massachusettes entitled “10 ways to lose your license”. It’s a bit comical, but a very good reminder too on what not to do.
Now, there’s also a sure fire way to lose your license. How? Get named in a lawsuit, and not have your license protected. That’ll put your license at risk! Often times, your license will come under fire in the lawsuit…and if you’re relying on your employer’s professional liability policy to protect your license, you may want to think again. Most employer provided liability insurance policies DO NOT protect the individual therapists license. The only way I know of guaranteeing the protection of your license is to have your own individual professional liability insurance policy.
And you know what, most therapists don’t have their own policy. But yet they’ll easily say “I’ll lose my license” if they get uncomfortable in a situation. In fact, I know a PT that works in an outpatient setting, who even goes onsite to do some injury prevention at local manufacturers, as well as an occasional home health eval on the side. And guess what – he doesn’t have his own professional liability insurance, and he’s muttered those blood boiling words of “I could lose my license over that”. Even worse, he’s the bread winner and insurance provider for his family. We’ll then Einstein, you might want to protect your license (and thus your income, family, and future) with your own individual professional liability insurance policy.
If you don’t know where to start for your own professional liability insurance policy, try these two most common insurance companies:
Both have online applications and instantaneous coverage options. And the benefits significantly outweigh the minor cost of these annual policies. Why not start today?
Visit our web-site to learn more.
How are you going to protect your Missouri Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapy license today? Has your license or someone you knows been challenged? Share your story – I’m sure this stance does not agree with everyone, so please chime in here for everyone’s benefit.
Need Contract Therapist Staffing in Mid-Missouri? ? (Columbia, Jefferson City, Moberly, Mexico, Booneville, and more)
“Oops! Did I forget to tell you?”
Client: Do you happen to have any contract therapists available in Columbia, Missouri?
Me: Absolutely! That’s where we started, and have quite the good market there.
Client: Really? I just talked with PEGs to see if they could get anyone out there. What are you doing to let people know that you guys are there?
Me: Primarily word of mouth and trade shows (until this blog post, of course).
Client: I’ll give the rehab director your number…she’ll call you.
This conversation, although it happened about a year ago, still resonates with me today. This was a client we have helped with temporary therapist staffing in other portions of Missouri…so why didn’t they think of us?
Quite frankly, the conversation got me pissed. At first, I was mad at the client – which lasted all of a few seconds – and then at myself, for not doing a better job of getting the word out regarding our contract therapist staffing abilities in Mid-Missouri.
Now that I look back, I’m thankful this conversation transpired, and even more grateful for the client’s honesty. Why? It made me realize how much more work I’ve got to do; more marketing, branding, and recruitment in what has always been, and still is, our best market.
Was I fearful of a competitor coming to the middle of Missouri and taking our business? Heck no. And for those matters, I’m going to list all of the contract therapist staffing companies that can service the Mid-Missouri area. I’m not talking about what seems to be the hundreds of different travel staffing companies, but temporary contract therapist staffing. Not every facility needs a PT, OT, or SLP for 40 hours a week for 13 weeks. J
Here goes…
- Agency ABC. ABC is a fictitious company. From everything I have heard from clients, therapists, and more, a temporary therapist staffing company did not exist in Mid Missouri until we arrived. Researching on Google proves the same. Crazy, isn’t it?
- Metropolitan Health Staffing Network. Yes, that’s us, and I don’t intend to brag. After all, the intent of this blog post is to list all of the temporary contract therapist staffing companies in the Mid-Missouri region. And we’ve been staffing temporary PTs, OTs, and SLPs in Mid-Missouri since we launched in 2010.
Obtain a customized quote for your rehab staffing needs!
So there you go. I hope this helps you personally and professionally – whether you’re a therapist, or a facility in need…or the competition looking for a new market. 
And BTW – I’ll update the post once I learn of any additional contract therapist staffing agencies in Mid Missouri.Do you know of any others?
Contract Therapist Responsibilities and Summer PRN work
Professionalism: Is it Lost in Rehab Work Today?
I was on the phone this week with a client (facility) of ours discussing their upcoming temporary staffing needs as we approach the summer vacation months. And boy, did they have a lot!
The conversation was going along quite well when suddenly my contact on the other end of the phone started to go on a bit of a rant. I didn’t stop her, for those of you who are members yourselves, Toastmasters teaches you to be a better listener. And this was not the first time I’ve had either a client or therapist vent some frustrations to me over the phone. It makes for a longer conversation, but can also strengthen the relationship if you practice good listening skills and respond with more than a simple “uh, huh”.
This is not an attempt to pick on the client for such. In fact, I’m thrilled that she felt comfortable enough to divulge that information with me. She actually had a very good point. She was having to essentially double back and re-cover staffing that she had previously arranged with her own PRN therapist staff.
Now, this may not be a huge deal in the larger metropolitan areas of St. Louis or Kansas City, but, these locations were in some pretty rural areas of Missouri. So rural, that we are the only staffing company attempting, and sometimes able , to assist companies with their needs. These locations can spread the full-time, part-time, and PRN staff very, very thin, causing lots of headache, stress, and consequently, burnout.
The point of her diatribe was pretty dead-on. The coverage she had previously arranged was no longer available. Why? The PRN staff she had these dates covered with had accepted jobs elsewhere, and basically said they couldn’t help anymore.
The problem with what these therapists did is that they have burned a bridge and their word can no longer be trusted by this facility. And the therapy community is really a small world – seems like nearly everyone knows everyone. So word will get around and these therapists that have reneged on their commitments, and they will inevitably someday suffer the consequences of their decision to not fulfill their commitments.
While that’s a pretty bold statement, it’s true. And I can speak on this, because I’ve experienced both ends of this conundrum. Look at my LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/mulhollandjason and you’ll see that I’ve had several employers. And when changing jobs, I’ve had to be honest about prior responsibilities that were important that I keep. This is all done in the negotiations with your future or new employer. You definitely don’t want to spring this on your new employer on your first day, expecting them to honor your request. I can pretty much guarantee it won’t happen.
Of course, there’s the other side of the coin…and believe me, I’ve also experienced this from the employer’s perspective, both good and bad.
First, I’ll share the good… we often have therapists that accept home health cases or visits. It’s attractive for several reasons, but chief among them is the flexibility it provides. In this particular case, I received a phone call after the physical therapist’s initial evaluation, and she was uncertain whether she could continue the case. The home was filled with smoke, was filthy, and worst of all, there was a baby in that environment. After discussing the situation with the therapist and the agency many times over the next 24 hours after the evaluation, she decided to see the case through, only because the family was nice, and in her heart, she wanted to help the patient…not to mention that it was the right thing to do.
Here is the polar opposite of how to handle a job change if you are a PRN therapist: We had a PTA helping at a facility, and that facility was counting on them for three days a week on a consistent basis. Consistent work is the Holy Grail for most contract therapists. Let me preface this with what I always tell our therapists: if a situation is not right for you, we’ll make a change. All we ask is for the therapist to communicate the issues and afford us the opportunity to improve the situation in one form or another. This PTA made the decision to notify me the evening before what would be her last day – yes, THE. EVENING. BEFORE – just about 12 hours prior to the start of her last shift. That made for a lovely conversation with the facility on my end. But to compound things, the PTA didn’t mention to anyone she was working with that it was her last day, leaving the facility manager in shock and disappointment. If you don’t agree that her reputation is in ruins (along with ours), and that bridge with the facility burned to the ground, then please don’t contact me about PRN work.
I could go on and on about positive and negative handlings of PRN responsibilities and job changes. I’ve experienced both in my short time with Metropolitan Health Staffing Network. Thankfully, more positive than negative, but the latter are the ones that tend to stick with you.
Bottom line, if you commit to something, you should go through with it – at least that’s how my mom raised me J. Like I’ve said before, feel free to call me old fashioned, but this is the correct way to handle your responsibilities. Employers will respect, and most often, will honor your request to keep your previously established responsibilities.
Visit our web-site to learn more.
What are your thoughts? A lot of factors can be involved, but there’s not really a gray area to live in here. This is a subject that you’ll likely agree or disagree with.
How do our timesheets benefit the rehabilitation facilities we service?
Every company is constantly trying to improve…and we’re no exception, as we’re always looking to better the services we provide in staffing temp PTs, OTs, SLPs, PTAs, and COTAs. That’s not news. But something occurred to me the other day that I’d consider a no-brainer. Perhaps I missed it earlier because I’m so intertwined in the daily tasks of our company, but to just about everybody else, it’s a no-brainer.
The source of my great revelation was centered on our timesheets. We don’t have anything that explains their use and benefits to the rehabilitation facilities we service. That’s it…pretty simple. I’ve previously outlined our timesheets from the therapist perspective, but not for facilities.
The purpose of this post is to explain how our therapist’s timesheets work and to demonstrate how this benefits the facilities we service. So let’s get right to it.
How do our timesheets work?
Quite simply, like many others, our hourly timesheets require the therapist to record their start and stop time, date, facility, mileage, and drive time – all the basics.
We also utilize a timesheet geared specifically for the home health setting. Most of these opportunities are paid per visit instead of hourly and are a bit more detailed, including everything previously mentioned, but also types of submitted documentation and visit.
Both formats are simple, one page timesheets that are completed weekly by therapists working with us, and they are due to our office each Monday by noon so that we can begin the internal process of invoicing the facilities and paying the therapists.
How does this benefit the facilities?
On the surface, it may look like an extra piece of paper for a facility to process. A headache, if you will. However, once explained, facilities often agree on the benefits of this simple sheet of paper. Here’s how…
Each therapist must sign and date their timesheet, which again, is nothing groundbreaking. Then, the therapists submit their timesheet, along with all the necessary patient documentation, to the facility. Not exactly rocket science, but why? Here comes the cool part.
We also require the facility to sign and date the timesheet as well. This does several things:
1) It allows the facility the opportunity to ensure they have all of the documentation for the hours/visits completed by the therapist.
2) It allows the facility to verify that the hours/visits completed by the therapist are accurate and are 100% complete.
3) It allows the facility to contact us with any questions and concerns before they’re invoiced or the therapist is paid.
This is a very good system of checks and balances and probably one that is far better, simpler, and more cost effective than that of our government. It’s probably less corrupt,too. But let’s not get into politics. If we don’t have a timesheet signed by both the therapist and the facility, we start tracking it down to see what documentation is missing. It’s often hung up somewhere…the therapist had not submitted, or the facility is still processing. Easy to resolve.
We won’t pay our therapists without a timesheet signed by both the therapist and the facility. Why? Because those hours/visits have not been verified by the facility. So simple, yet so beneficial for the facilities.
Once facilities understand the simple checks and balances process of our timesheets, they often agree what a benefit it really is.
Do you agree? What system do you use to ensure your employees and contract staff are reporting accurate hours/visits and completing all necessary documentation?
Email etiquette: Does it apply in the fields of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy Staffing?
I can’t believe I’m writing about this, but it’s something I’m reminded of daily…several times a day…so I’ve got to do it, even if it’s just to clear my own thoughts.
I’m not a philosopher, I’m not a coach, and I’m not a self-proclaimed expert on the use of email for business. But I have put a lot of time and effort into improving the use of business e-mail over the last two years. Utilizing e-mail successfully is an essential element of business, and it’s easy to tell the people that put effort into their electronic communication from those that just slap the keys and hit send.
I choose to write about this because my e-mail inbox is littered with shabby, thoughtless emails, and while this is in no way meant to criticize, I want to raise awareness on the topic. We all make mistakes and have accidentally hit the send button too early, but when done repeatedly, these aren’t mistakes. They are called habits. Bad habits.
As you read this, ask yourself these three questions:
1) Do I do that?
2) How can I compose better emails?
3) How will the e-mail be received on the other end of the send button?
Here are some examples:
1) An email with text only in the subject line. Really? Are you that busy, or do you really only care about yourself and not the person on the other end of the send button? Being busy is an excuse. Everyone has a lot to do in their daily grind of work.
2) Not including a thank you or salutation at the end of your message. Some people use their email signature to do this automatically. You’re supposed to have a relationship with the person on the other end – or striving to develop one, so automation of this is both impersonal and corporate, and clearly misses the mark.
3) Using all caps to make a point. In case you haven’t studied this subject matter, use of all caps indicates you are shouting. I don’t like to be screamed at. If you want to make a point, try these instead:
- Bold the text.
- Make this the only subject of your email (don’t discuss anything else).
- Repeat the text, repeat the text, repeat the text.
- Have a visual to go along with it (best practice).
4) A reply with only one word in the body. Luckily, it’s been a while since I’ve received one of these, which was an absolute favorite of a former boss of mine. Do you know the message you’re sending with these one-word replies??? I’m too busy for you…I don’t care about you…You’re bothering me. Even when your one-word reply is approval, it still carries a very negative impression. If you care about the recipient, don’t do this. Period.
5) No compliments necessary. Really? You don’t need to compliment someone? Even in email? Try starting your email by simply asking how the recipient is doing or about their family. Compliments breed positive two-way relationships. I, personally, love it when someone asks about my wife and our three boys – it always causes me to light up, and I really want to thank the person on the other end by helping them. Try it!
Believe me, when it comes to e-mail communication, I’m far from perfect. I’ve been guilty of all of these at some point, but I strive to eliminate these mistakes as much as possible. True, some times I am in a hurry to send something and I don’t include a salutation or my name at the bottom, but when I do, it just doesn’t feel right. And I’m working to eliminate those mistakes.
So there you go. This list of five is not all-inclusive. But I hope it makes you think the next time you hit that send button. What are your email pet peeves?
We don’t need PRN Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapists
I was a bit naïve, and thought I knew all the reasons a facility could use PRN Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapy help. Well, I was recently humbled and introduced to yet another reason.
Now, you may be blessed with a large staff of therapists – so much so that caseloads on sick days and vacations can be absorbed by the group as a whole. If so, congratulations! But what about those facilities that aren’t blessed with numerous therapists on staff? If you’re a one-PT rehab facility, you could certainly use the help.
This is especially the case with a scenario I was recently presented. The rehab facility in question had one part-time PT, and another PRN PT. This arrangement was more than sufficient, but it wasn’t without a curveball. The facility was switching over to an electronic form of time clocks called Kronos. I’m somewhat familiar with Kronos from an employee standpoint as my former employer implemented this during my tenure…and I’ll just say that it had its advantages and disadvantages. It seems logical for a healthcare facility to progress to an electronic time clock system; after all, everything else in healthcare is going electronic.
However, there was a potential disadvantage in this particular scenario. Each employee must have their own Kronos user ID to log in to the system in order to clock in and out, which of course, isn’t free. I browsed the Kronos website, and couldn’t find pricing, but this particular facility was going to have to spend $200 on each employee annually in order to have them in the Kronos system. Ouch!
This begs the question from the facility rehab manager: Do we use our PRN staff enough to justify paying $200 annually for them to be in our Kronos time clock system?
Good question…and one I cannot answer. Only the facility can. And at best, it may be an educated guess and not a black and white answer.
But…would it be more economical for the facility to utilize contract therapists instead of their own employed PRN therapists? Maybe so, maybe not. And that answer may differ from year to year.
There are potentially more hidden savings with using contract therapists instead of PRN employed therapists.
1. Reduced HR hours to maintain personnel compliance.
2. Contract therapists may not have to attend mandatory HR training, which is usually a paid training, at least to some degree.
3. HR doesn’t have to pay for TB tests, background checks, drug screens, and more for contract therapists. These are all the responsibility of the therapist.
One last thing to ponder for this particular facility is the idea of contract therapists. If therapists are now required to be their own independent contractor, many are not used to this fact. Or maybe more accurate, the vast majority are not used to this fact. As such, the therapists will not want to pay for and keep current their TB test, background checks, drug screen, professional liability insurance, and other requirements that fall upon an independent contractor’s shoulders.
But there’s good news! MHSN can take care of these staffing headaches. A facility is able to choose from a pool of contract therapists for help as needed, and therapists within our network don’t have to worry about the responsibilities mentioned above; we do that for them.
So there you have it. I don’t know every reason for a facility to use contract therapist staffing…and I’m sure more reasons will continue to surface. In the meantime, do you Kronos?
What are your thoughts? Do you utilize electronic time clocks, and has it affected your PRN staffing of therapists? If you are a therapist on PRN staff somewhere, would you become an independent contractor if that facility asked you to?
What makes therapist opportunities unique?
I had several meetings last month in the St. Louis, MO area. An equal amount of these were with therapists we work with and facilities we assist – in this particular case, home health agencies. There were some really good meetings with some great people, but it didn’t occur to me until further reflection that what we offer truly is different.
I’ve heard it a million times myself – as I’m sure you have as well…everyone thinks they’re different. I always thought it was pure bologna – no one is that different. Well, we are different…bear with me for a moment and I bet you’ll agree.
First off, let’s talk therapists. Therapists that work with us earn their money (a higher, but reasonable wage) on their watch. Simply put, they are their own boss. This no-pressure concept may be hard to grasp, but you really do only work when you want to. And if you can’t work at any given point, no big deal. We still care about you and will always treasure our relationship with you. Crazy isn’t it?
Therapists will never find us calling them telling them where they will be later that day; nor will we assign someone to a facility without allowing them to have input into the decision. Treating people like that is just ridiculous and leads to unhappy therapists, which we all can agree affects the quality of the service they provide. I can’t promise staffing cancellations won’t occasionally happen, but because of our staffing format, it is a rarity, and certainly doesn’t occur at the last minute. Therapists always are provided with a healthy dose of information about an assignment prior to accepting or declining the opportunity. And once it is accepted, it’s almost always followed by an orientation – either by the facility themselves, or us. Pretty cool, huh?
Now, let’s talk facilities. There are two things to consider here: documentation and scheduling. Let’s get the easy one out of the way first…scheduling. Facilities are often shocked when they realize there is no minimum required number of hours when they request one of our therapists. It can be a full day, a half day, a few hours, or a couple visits. It is completely according to the facility’s need and the therapist’s availability. With the flexibility of our gracious therapists, everyone remains happy. 
Now… about documentation – uggh! Just uttering the word is like running your fingernails down a chalkboard. So how is this a positive? First off, we don’t have our own documentation forms – we comply and utilize whatever forms the facility is currently using. This keeps consistency of care and documentation at an unprecedented high. Secondly, our therapists submit documentation directly to the facility as if they were employed directly by the facility. With this, there are no delays in submitting the documentation to us, having us review it, and then submit it to the facility. This format fosters a greater sense of control for facilities regarding quality, functional documentation. This all plays a huge role in reimbursement for services… a definite positive for the bottom line of the facility.
So there you have it. I told you we are different and I stand by it. And if that doesn’t convince you, just check out this therapist video testimonial.
What are your thoughts? We realize that everyone has different needs, so how is your employer different for you? For employers, how are you different for your therapists? In other words, what attracts therapists to you?
PTs, OTs, SLPs: Have you met your recruiter?
Call me old fashioned if you’d like…and it’s quite possibly true. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I’m the type that still values relationships – and this doesn’t’ just go for the PTs, OTs, and SLPs that I recruit and staff. Talking with someone over the phone, communicating via social media, texting, and email are prevalent tools for communication, but certainly different than meeting someone in person. The comparison is close, but definitely not the same, because there’s great value in meeting someone face-to-face.
I’m proud to say that I’ve met nearly all of our therapists; something I feel emphasizes the importance relationships hold with us at Metropolitan Health Staffing Network, not to mention the facilities which we help staff on a temporary or supplemental basis.
Meeting with people is a lost art in today’s all-too-busy society. I’m often floored by stories I hear – some recruiters not meeting with the therapists they recruit or never even setting foot in the facilities for which they’re recruiting. Such inattention boggles the mind.
So how valuable is the face-to-face meeting? Extremely important! It goes beyond putting a face with a name; it’s the personal connection, the awareness and involvement of others’ personal and professional lives.
It’s knowing how many kids they have, their ages, their names, and what they are doing in school…it’s knowing where the family vacation is this year.
It’s knowing when their kids are ill, and actually understanding and caring about that situation. It’s knowing when someone has lost someone close to them, and sending them a personal sympathy card…
It’s knowing when someone has to drop off and pick up their kid from school…it’s knowing someone else’s daily schedule so well that it’s like yours…
It’s valuing someone in your life so much, that you “friend them” on Facebook.
The list goes on and on, but you get the point. Relationships are valuable and much easier to form when you actually know someone.
So, therapists – have you met with your recruiter? This got me wondering, so I did the math. (I’m a numbers guy BTW) What were the results, you ask?
To date, I have personally met with better than three out of every four therapists that work with us. The same goes for facilities that we help staff. Pretty darn good I’d say, given the following two facts:
1) We staff across all of Missouri and portions of Illinois.
2) Most of our therapists and/or facilities are two-plus hours from my office.
I’m not telling you this in an effort to pat myself or MHSN on the back. I’m telling you this because I find immense value in the service we provide to our therapists and facilities. Quite simply, it helps us provide a better service…and we have fun doing so – not to mention I get to sample coffee shops all across the state.
So what about the other quarter with whom we haven’t met? You’re on our calendar, and I’m pretty sure you know it. It just hasn’t worked with everyone’s hectic schedules – we’ll meet someday soon…I promise!
So, what have you experienced? Recruiters – if you could, would you meet with therapists that work with your company? Do you Skype with them instead? Therapists – would you prefer to meet with your recruiter?
What W2 really means for Physical Therapists in this Economy
During my conversations with physical therapists interested in our opportunities, I’m always surprised if I don’t get a specific question in regards to the 1099 tax status. Most people wonder – “Does this mean I have to pay my own taxes?”
This is a topic that is typically foreign to most people, and the answer, simply put, is YES. But with it comes a myriad of benefits, which we’ve previously outlined, and will continue to discuss. And these are benefits that don’t commonly cross people’s minds.
1099 is for everyone, but W2 is not, and here are 3 reasons why:
1) W2 isn’t your tax status, but to employers it stands for “Where-To” and “When-To”. As a company’s W2 employee, they will tell you where to be and when to be there. On the contrary, 1099 is “code” for having the freedoms and luxuries of being your own boss – most importantly of which include you maintaining the rights to determine where you will be and when you will be there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a therapist tell me that they just don’t want to deal with that stress anymore and would rather work on their own terms. It’s impossible to put a price tag on freedoms like this.
2) 1099 means the government treats you as self-employed. This is fantastic for tax deductions and more, but even more so because it protects you. How so, you ask? Well, as a self-employed physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech therapist, you need to carry your own individual professional liability insurance. Most W2 status therapists rely on their employer for liability insurance, which unbeknownst to them comes with many loopholes in the protection; one of which is likely your professional license. How can you continue to practice and provide for your family if your license is challenged, or worse yet, suspended? In today’s society, litigation is becoming more common, and the rewards are becoming more sizeable.
3) Marketability. Most therapists don’t consider building their marketability until it’s time to find a job – and even then, most just turn to Monster to find their next gig. How nice would it be to never have to worry about your marketability again because you’ve worked across a variety of settings and in a multitude of locations? By providing great care in these venues, you’ll find that you have become a desirable team member that others seek. You’ll find yourself turning down job offers without even actively searching for them. You’ll be like a superstar free agent in baseball (aka Albert Pujols), but without all the negative media hype. Pretty cool, huh?
So there you have it – three reasons why you should be a 1099 physical, occupational, or speech therapist. The complacent naysayers may disagree with these, but what are your thoughts? Employers, what are your thoughts on a 1099 vs. a W2 staff of therapists?
