Physical Therapist I - Acute Therapy

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Physical Therapist I evaluates and treats patients in accordance with physician prescriptions and applicable scope-of-practice standards, codes of ethics, and care, compliance, performance-improvement, and patient-education plans. The role supports continuous quality improvement, student education and training, and divisional growth and cohesion to help ensure high-quality therapy care. The therapist maintains a safe environment and communicates sensitively with patients across diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, developmental needs, and physical disabilities. The position manages patient care from evaluation and care planning through treatment, education, and discharge coordination. It applies evidence-based interventions tailored to patient populations, completes accurate and timely documentation, addresses safety risks, and provides individualized, patient-centered care. The therapist also contributes to professional development, mentoring, research and scholarly work, and team effectiveness.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and graduation from an accredited Physical Therapy program — minimum.
Completion of formal physical therapy education and training from an accredited institution required for licensure.
No experience required.
Competence through training and/or experience to perform evaluations, design and implement treatment plans, and provide education appropriate to patient age.
Experience and/or knowledge of assessment and intervention techniques in a medical and physical disabilities setting — minimum.
Physical Therapist License (PT), California state license — required upon hire.
Basic Life Support (BLS) — required upon hire.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree and graduation from an accredited Physical Therapy program — preferred.
Doctorate degree — preferred.

Responsibilities

Meet and exceed primary Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets while maintaining healthy work habits.
Perform evaluations according to established procedures, ensure a prescription or order is in place, and use relevant tests and standardized measures consistent with best practice.
Develop comprehensive plans of care supported by evaluation findings and prognosticate patient outcomes and progress using relevant factors.
Manage physical therapy care and coordinate with others to ensure patients receive the care they need.
Complete required documentation accurately and thoroughly within expected timeframes.
Use treatment interventions and strategies within the scope of practice and established plan of care, integrating evidence-based practice to maximize patient outcomes.
Provide patient education appropriate to the patient population and identify and facilitate discharge needs, including documentation, care-team communication, and follow-up recommendations.
Identify patient-safety concerns and take appropriate measures to protect patients, oneself, and others.
Review therapy risks and benefits and obtain consent from the patient and/or caregiver.
Provide individualized, patient-centered care that respects personal, cultural, and spiritual beliefs and preferences; age-related cognitive and psychosocial needs; social support needs; gender; sexual orientation; and economic background.
Contribute ideas and suggestions to improve processes, procedures, methods, and productivity, and use quality principles for continuous performance improvement.
Participate in activities that promote professional identity in the clinical environment, Cedars-Sinai, and the community.
Pursue professional development through clinical education, formal mentoring, competency development, research, and scholarly work.
Serve effectively as a clinical instructor or mentor in the applicable discipline and regulatory and professional context.
Participate in continuous learning and professional development and document evidence of participation.
Contribute to team dynamics, cohesion, and morale, and promote individual accountability.
Assist with educating and training students and supporting divisional growth and cohesiveness.