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Managing the demands of a rehab therapy practice while delivering excellent patient care is challenging, something Sturdy McKee, a physical therapist and business coach, knows all too well. Sturdy has nearly three decades of experience in physical therapy and is now a full-time business coach, helping clinic owners and physical therapy leaders level up their patient experience to create unstoppable word-of-mouth marketing. He loves helping practice owners run and grow successful practices while improving patient outcomes and fostering a thriving work environment.
But knowing where to start or how to translate data and metrics into meaningful change or process improvement in a clinical setting can be challenging, making it difficult for owners and leaders to even get started.
We asked Sturdy to offer some insights and starting points for owners and leaders around some of the most common challenges and pain points we hear from rehab therapy organizations. Here are four best practices Sturdy says every clinic owner/leader should leverage for growth and success in their business.
1. Focus on Behavior, Not Data
Sturdy says data-driven decisions are important to the success of PT practice but not in the way most might expect. “You don’t manage the metrics; you manage the behaviors that drive the metrics,” he explained.
In his early years as a business coach, Sturdy admits he focused too heavily on numbers. But over time, he recognized that metrics like patient visits and cancellations are outcomes. What truly matters is what the clinic does to influence those numbers—how well it executes its processes, engages its patients, and supports its team.
“Metrics like revenue, visits per case, or patient cancellations are results. To improve them, you need to manage the processes and behaviors that lead to those results,” Sturdy emphasized. “It’s like coaching a sports team. The score will take care of itself if the plays and the players are performing well.”
The Importance of Lead Generation and Patient Buy-In
One area Sturdy encourages clinic owners to focus on is lead generation, a crucial metric that he believes is often overlooked in physical therapy. Tracking how many new patient inquiries a clinic receives helps owners gauge the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and patient acquisition processes. However, even more important is ensuring that patients are buying into their plans of care.
Sturdy says getting patient buy-in is about more than just scheduling appointments. "If your patients aren't completing their plans of care, you're not helping them as much as you could be. We need to ask ourselves: are we getting people across the finish line? If not, why?"
*PredictionHealth Tip: If you’re a Practice Intel user, use the “# of Visits per Episode of Care” and view the breakdown by location and provider, but most importantly—the ICD-10 code. This is a quick way to see if the # of visits per episode of care seems appropriate for the care plan that would be associated with various diagnoses. This data will also give you visibility into patients that “drop off” after only a visit or two.
Sturdy also advises practice owners to examine their processes for educating patients about the importance of sticking with their treatment plans. Ensuring that therapists are fully engaged with patients and effectively communicating the long-term benefits of care, and patient progress along the way, is key to improving patient outcomes and, as a byproduct, increasing revenue.
2. To Build a Successful Team Align Values and Culture
One of the major challenges for physical therapy clinics is managing employees. Sturdy’s recruiting agency for physical therapists, PTMatch.io, focuses on helping clinic owners find the right people— those who not only have the necessary clinical skills but also align with the clinic's culture and values.
"Finding the right people starts with being clear about the values and purpose of your organization," Sturdy explained. "If someone doesn't align with your clinic's culture, it doesn't matter how skilled they are. They won't be a good fit."
To help practice owners identify potential hires who align with their values, Sturdy encourages them to go beyond traditional interview questions. He suggests giving candidates materials that reflect the clinic's core values and asking them to share their thoughts. This approach helps identify candidates who are truly aligned with the clinic's mission.
3. Embrace Technology to Make (Clinic) Life Easier
As more physical therapy clinics turn to technology to help streamline operations, Sturdy believes that tools like AI Scribes and platforms like PredictionHealth can be game-changers for clinic owners—provided they have their foundations in place.
“Technology should make your life easier, not harder,” Sturdy pointed out. “Before implementing new tech, clinic owners need to ensure they have the right people and processes in place. If you have a strong foundation, tools like PredictionHealth’s Practice Intel and Sidekick can help you manage your clinic more effectively and make better decisions faster.”
Sturdy encourages clinic owners to approach new technology with an open mind but to also prioritize getting the basics right. Building a solid team and having clear, effective processes should come first.
4. Adopt a Growth Mindset
At the heart of Sturdy coaching philosophy is a belief in the power of continuous learning and growth. Whether it’s mastering the art of managing a practice or leveraging new technologies, Sturdy encourages clinic owners to embrace challenges and remain open to change.
“Every business faces problems,” Sturdy said. “But the difference between success and failure is how you approach those problems. A growth mindset allows you to turn challenges into opportunities for improvement.”
For physical therapy clinic owners looking to scale their business and improve patient outcomes, Sturdy advice is clear: focus on building a strong team, creating effective processes, and using data to drive behavior—and the results will follow.