Lead Therapist - Ortho & Spine (Ft)

Riverside Healthcare•Bourbonnais, IL

1d•$45 - $60•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Therapist is an experienced clinician who provides advanced clinical care while serving as an supporting day-to-day clinic operations and professional practice initiatives within a hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation setting. This role maintains all essential duties and responsibilities of a Staff Therapist while assuming additional leadership responsibilities related to clinic operations support, program development, staff engagement, and clinical education. The Lead Therapist partners closely with the Outpatient Therapy Manager, Practice Manager, and Clinical Educators to support high-quality care delivery, efficient clinic operations, and a positive clinic culture. This role does not include formal managerial authority but serves as a clinical leader and resource within the assigned clinic.

Requirements

Minimum of 3–5 years of outpatient clinical experience
Demonstrated clinical excellence and leadership potential
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Current licensure as a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, or Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Illinois

Nice To Haves

Experience in a hospital-based outpatient setting
Prior experience mentoring, precepting, or serving in a senior therapist role
Interest in leadership, program development, and staff engagement

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive evaluations of patients to assess their physical, cognitive, and functional abilities.
Develop customized treatment plans that address the patient's unique needs, focusing on improving mobility, strength, coordination, and daily living skills.
Provide direct therapeutic interventions, including exercises, activities, and use of adaptive equipment to help patients achieve their rehabilitation goals.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, and other therapists, to ensure coordinated and effective patient care.
Educate patients and their families about therapy goals, techniques, and ways to continue progress outside of therapy sessions.
Monitor and document patient progress, adjusting treatment plans as needed to optimize outcomes.
Ensure compliance with all healthcare regulations, safety protocols, and documentation standards.
Supervise and provide guidance to Physical Therapist Assistants and other support staff as needed.
Meets the following productivity percentage on outpatient and inpatient rehab and Acute: less than or equal to 79.99 (NI), 80-83.99 (meets), greater that 84 (exceeds).
Participates in Quality Improvement efforts, e.g., Journal Clubs, in-services, Magnet, chart auditing, etc.
As a salaried professional, you may be expected to work above your FTE.
Demonstrates flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.
Participate in therapy care team meetings, case conferences, and continuing education to stay current with best practices in therapy.
Patient evaluation, treatment, documentation, and discharge planning
Adherence to evidence-based practice and departmental standards
Compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and documentation requirements
Participation in productivity expectations and quality initiatives
Serve as a clinical resource and mentor for therapists and assistants at the assigned clinic
Support consistency in clinical practice, documentation standards, and patient care delivery
Assist with onboarding and mentorship of new staff in collaboration with Clinical Educators
Model professional behavior and clinical excellence
Assist with daily clinic operations including patient flow, clinic efficiency, and coordination with front desk staff
Identify and escalate operational issues to the Practice Manager or Therapy Manager as appropriate
Support implementation of standardized workflows and operational initiatives at the site level
Assist with monitoring daily volumes, access, and utilization for the assigned clinic
Ensures compliance of clinic cleanliness and inventory/supply chain procurement (Note: Scheduling, payroll, and timekeeping remain the responsibility of the Practice Manager.)
Participate in development, implementation, and evaluation of site-specific clinical programs
Identify opportunities for service growth and innovation at the clinic level
Support pilot programs and specialty services as directed by leadership
Collaborate with leadership on referral development efforts specific to the assigned clinic
Partner with Clinical Educators to support ongoing clinical education, inservices, and competencies
Support staff engagement initiatives and foster a positive clinic culture
Serve as a liaison between frontline staff and leadership
Encourage participation in departmental initiatives such as Journal Club, Magnet, and quality improvement activities
Participate in leadership huddles and meetings as requested
Provide feedback to leadership regarding clinic operations, staff needs, and opportunities for improvement
Support communication and alignment between clinical staff, front desk teams, and leadership
Perform administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering phones, and filing paperwork as needed.
Assist with inventory management by restocking supplies and reporting equipment needs.
Actively participates in designated marketing programs (inpatient or outpatient)
Contributes to community health initiatives and educational programs.
Provide mentorship or support to physical therapy interns or new staff as needed.
Engage in ongoing professional development through attending workshops, conferences, and other educational opportunities.

Benefits

Riverside Healthcare offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and nationally rated employee well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so your journey at and away from work is remarkable.
Our Total Rewards package includes:
Compensation: Base compensation within the position’s pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
Premium pay such as shift differential, on-call
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Benefits - .5 to 1.0 FTE:
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program
Benefits - .001 to .49 FTE:
Paid Leave Hours accrued as you work