In this episode of What’s Best for the Patient Is Best for Business, Jerry Durham delivers a solo deep dive into one of the most critical yet misunderstood areas of physical therapy business success: “Arrivals.”

Speaking from the stage of the APTA Private Practice Section (PPS) conference, Jerry shares the philosophy, process, and practical tools behind improving patient arrivals—and why mastering this concept can solve nearly every downstream business problem in a PT clinic.

Jerry explains how his years of studying the entire patient journey led him to realize that success doesn’t start in the treatment room—it starts at the front desk. He honors the admin and intake teams who carry enormous influence over patient outcomes but are rarely empowered or trained to own that impact.

In this talk, Jerry breaks down why PT clinics must stop trying to “fix problems in the weeds” and instead step back to design systems that guide the patient from their first call to successful completion of care. He introduces his five-step front desk sales process—a structured, relationship-centered approach to patient communication that builds trust, manages expectations, and prevents objections before they ever arise.

Whether it’s cancellations, no-shows, or poor reviews from patients who “got better but had a bad experience,” Jerry shows how the solution always leads back to understanding and optimizing the patient’s arrival experience.

Key Takeaways:
- Arrivals Solve All Business Problems: Every business metric improves when patients show up. Focusing here simplifies management and reduces chaos across billing, scheduling, and clinical outcomes.

- The Front Desk = Patient Success: The front desk isn’t administrative—it’s strategic. Their conversations determine not only who arrives, but how the entire journey unfolds.

- Solve from the Big Picture: You can’t fix recurring no-shows or cancellations by tweaking scripts. You must zoom out to understand the full patient journey and define success at every touchpoint.

- The 5-Step Front Desk Sales Process: Acknowledge → Find a problem to solve → Get expectations → Sell the expert → Tell them what they’ll get for their time, money, and energy → Ask how they want to pay.

- Objections Are Preventable: “It costs too much” isn’t an objection—it’s a sign you didn’t build value early enough. Great processes eliminate objections before they happen.

- Love the Work of the Front Desk: These are the true doers in healthcare—the team most capable of improving patient success when empowered with the right systems and mindset.

Tune in for a masterclass on patient experience design, front desk empowerment, and how truly understanding “arrivals” can transform your practice from chaotic to consistent, from transactional to transformational.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!

This week, we’re revisiting Jerry’s exclusive sneak peek into the can't-miss sessions from the upcoming APTA Private Practice 2025 Annual Conference.

Get ready for a power-packed lineup featuring three consecutive interviews with the thought leaders and innovators headlining Wednesday's schedule.

Jerry sits down with:

- Lindsey and Rich Kenny of Kenny & Associates Physical Therapy, who will demystify the world of AI in a hands-on workshop designed for clinic owners.

- Paul Singh, CEO of Strata PT, who will break down the "Moneyball" tactics tech startups use to grow profit and prepare for a successful exit.

- Stephen Rapposelli and Matt Phifer, CEO and COO of Stretchplex, who reveal the exact strategies they used to add a staggering $900,000 in cash-based services to their physical therapy practice.

Tune in to get fired up for the conference and walk away with immediate, actionable insights you can apply to your own practice.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is accessible now: Learn why you don't need to be a tech expert to leverage Generative AI for immediate administrative efficiency and how to become a literate consumer of this powerful technology.

• Think like a tech startup: Discover how the foundational principles of scaling a successful tech company directly apply to growing a profitable and exit-ready PT practice.

• Unlock massive revenue streams: See how to seamlessly integrate cash-based services like fitness and assisted stretching into your existing practice, dramatically increasing patient lifetime value and top-line revenue.

• Learn from real-world mistakes: Gain from the hard-earned lessons and scars of those who have successfully built these services, so you can avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your own success.

This episode is your ultimate guide to maximizing your experience at the PPS 2025 Conference.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For The Business, Jerry sits down with Julia Zhou, a seasoned Healthcare Technologist with nearly 30 years of experience on both the payer and provider sides of the industry. They dive deep into the practical and transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, moving beyond the hype to explore its real-world applications.

Julia brings a unique, high-level perspective, arguing that AI is not a magic bullet but a powerful tool that must be strategically integrated. She outlines a clear framework for healthcare organizations to adopt AI successfully, emphasizing that the goal isn't to chase technology, but to solve pressing business and patient-care challenges.

From smart scheduling and revenue cycle management to ambient clinical documentation and personalized patient engagement, Julia breaks down how AI can streamline workflows, empower providers, and fundamentally improve the patient journey—ensuring the right person gets the right care at the right time.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with the Problem, Not the Tool: The most successful AI implementations begin by identifying the organization's biggest pain points, not by searching for the latest tech developments. Julia advises asking, "If you had a magic wand, what would you solve?"

• AI is an End-to-End Patient Engagement Engine: Discover how AI can revolutionize the entire patient experience—from pre-visit summaries that prepare a provider in one minute, to ambient listening during consultations, and post-visit follow-ups that improve compliance and reduce claim denials.

• The Criticality of an "AI Readiness" Assessment: Before implementation, organizations must ask hard questions about their data governance, guardrails, KPIs, and manual processes. Automating an inefficient system only amplifies its problems.

• Think Upstream to Prevent Chaos: Jerry and Julia challenge listeners to use AI proactively to solve problems like patient no-shows and claim denials at their source, rather than just creating bots to fill empty slots or chase down payments.

• The Future is "Right Person, Right Place, Right Time": The ultimate value of AI in healthcare is its ability to act as a sophisticated triage and coordination system, ensuring patients and providers connect in the most effective and efficient manner possible, whether in-person or via telehealth.

Tune in for a conversation that demystifies AI and provides an actionable roadmap for leveraging technology to enhance patient outcomes and build a stronger, more resilient healthcare business.

🔗 Follow Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliazhouciocto

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business, Jerry reconnects with a force from his past, April Oury. Once a multi-clinic physical therapy practice owner, April has successfully pivoted into the world of venture capital and angel investing. She shares her incredible journey from treating patients to funding and advising the next generation of health tech startups.

Jerry and April dive deep into the critical mindset shifts necessary for success in today's healthcare landscape. They challenge the status quo, debunking common myths that hold clinicians back, such as the belief that "healthcare is different" and that standard business principles don't apply. April brings a fresh perspective from the investor's table, explaining how her operational experience as a PT practice owner makes her a uniquely valuable asset in the venture capital space.

She also reveals how learning to play poker transformed her approach to business and investing, teaching her how often she should actually be "folding" in order to maximize her success rate.

Key Takeaways:

• Stop Fighting for Scraps: The biggest opportunity isn't in the 10% of the population currently seeking PT, but in the 90% who aren't being served. The future lies in creating new models to reach them.

• Your Value is Multi-Dimensional: Your skills as a clinician and business operator are highly valuable outside the clinic. Don't box yourself in; your expertise can be a major asset to tech companies and startups.

• Adopt an Investor Mindset: Learn to "fold" bad opportunities (like a founder with a great idea but no execution) so you can "bet" your energy and resources on the ventures and strategies with the highest potential.

• Tech is an Ally, Not an Enemy: Technology and one-to-many models are not here to replace therapists but to solve the massive therapist shortage and serve patients you would never have reached with a traditional model.

• Own the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Success comes from consistently following a proven strategy, not from fixating on every single result. Sometimes the right process leads to a short-term loss, but it wins in the long run.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business, Jerry sits down with the leadership team from LASO Wellness: Founder & CEO Ron Cappello, Chief Strategy Officer Greg Perry, and Chief Growth Officer Tanny Crawford.

LASO Wellness provides high-quality nutraceuticals designed specifically for physical therapy practices to offer their patients. The conversation dives deep into the critical shifts happening in healthcare and why physical therapists are uniquely positioned to adopt a more holistic, "whole-person" approach to patient care.

Jerry and his guests explore how integrating trusted nutritional supplements is a natural extension of the clinical guidance PTs already provide, strengthening patient relationships while simultaneously creating a new, frictionless revenue stream for the practice.

Key Takeaways:

• Relationships Over Transactions: Discover why the deep trust and extended time PTs have with their patients is the "golden ticket" to forward-integrating into their long-term health and wellness.

• The "Easy" Model: Learn about LASO’s "three no's" model—no capital, no inventory, and no administrative burden—designed to enable practices to say "yes" without adding operational headaches.

• Become a Resource, Not Just a Clinic: Shift your mindset from running a practice to building a platform for patient wellness, using your credibility to recommend evidence-based solutions for joint health, sleep/recovery, and overall nutrition.

• Overcoming the "I'm Not an Expert" Hurdle: LASO addresses common PT concerns head-on by providing access to a paid-for nutrition certification program and a curated resource center of clinical research to build confidence in making recommendations.

Tune in to learn how embracing this model combats declining reimbursements, enhances the patient experience, and ultimately does what’s best for both the patient and the business.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business, Jerry sits down with Lissa Taitano, Director of Clinical Operations for Livara Health. Livara is a purpose-built musculoskeletal (MSK) management solution that combines care planning, delivery, and navigation to create a more connected healthcare system.

Lissa, a physical therapist by training with over 15 years of experience in value-based care, pulls back the curtain on how a truly patient-centric model delivers superior outcomes for both people and businesses. She details Livara's journey from a local clinic to a national leader, explaining how integrating a holistic, biopsychosocial approach—including physical therapy, pain reprocessing therapy, nutrition, and health coaching—led to patients getting "100% better, faster" while simultaneously reducing costs and surgical utilization.

This conversation is a masterclass in the future of MSK care. Jerry and Lissa tackle the tough questions every practice owner needs to ask, challenging the unsustainable fee-for-service status quo and outlining the essential mindset shift required to thrive.

Key Takeaways:

• Why the traditional, fragmented model is failing MSK patients and how a "quarterback" approach creates central accountability and a seamless patient journey.

• The power of a holistic, biopsychosocial model: Discover how addressing contextual drivers like stress, nutrition, and mental health is the key to unlocking better outcomes and preventing chronic pain cycles.

• How to build a powerful patient engagement strategy that extends beyond episodic clinic visits, using technology and personalized communication to meet patients where they are.

• The business case for value-based care: Learn how proactive, high-engagement models lead to dramatically lower costs (35-45%), reduced surgical utilization (40-53%), and higher patient satisfaction.

• The two things clinic owners must do today to prepare for the future: Collect and leverage your clinical outcome data, and be open-minded about changing your business model to prioritize value over volume.

Tune in for an inspiring and practical look at how getting upstream, owning the patient's entire MSK journey, and focusing on what's truly best for the patient is, unequivocally, the best path forward for business.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this special conference preview episode of "What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business," Jerry brings you an exclusive sneak peek into the can't-miss sessions from the upcoming APTA Private Practice 2025 Annual Conference.

Get ready for a power-packed lineup featuring three consecutive interviews with the thought leaders and innovators headlining Wednesday's schedule.

Jerry sits down with:

Lindsey and Rich Kenny of Kenny & Associates Physical Therapy, who will demystify the world of AI in a hands-on workshop designed for clinic owners.

Paul Singh, CEO of Strata PT, who will break down the "Moneyball" tactics tech startups use to grow profit and prepare for a successful exit.

Stephen Rapposelli and Matt Phifer, CEO and COO of Stretchplex, who reveal the exact strategies they used to add a staggering $900,000 in cash-based services to their physical therapy practice.

Tune in to get fired up for the conference and walk away with immediate, actionable insights you can apply to your own practice.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is accessible now: Learn why you don't need to be a tech expert to leverage Generative AI for immediate administrative efficiency and how to become a literate consumer of this powerful technology.

• Think like a tech startup: Discover how the foundational principles of scaling a successful tech company directly apply to growing a profitable and exit-ready PT practice.

• Unlock massive revenue streams: See how to seamlessly integrate cash-based services like fitness and assisted stretching into your existing practice, dramatically increasing patient lifetime value and top-line revenue.

• Learn from real-world mistakes: Gain from the hard-earned lessons and scars of those who have successfully built these services, so you can avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your own success.

This episode is your ultimate guide to maximizing your experience at the PPS 2025 Conference.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business, Jerry sits down with Jason Wambold, MSPT and VP of Operations at OnusOne, to tackle one of the most persistent and challenging issues in physical therapy: clinician compensation.

Jason shares his personal story of nearly leaving the PT profession due to crippling student debt and a compensation model that didn't reflect his value. This experience led him to co-found OnusOne, a company revolutionizing how rehab professionals get paid by creating transparency and aligning incentives between practice owners and their clinical staff.

Jerry and Jason dive deep into the flaws of traditional salary and hourly pay models, explaining how they often suppress earnings and create misaligned expectations. They discuss how the OnusOne software platform empowers practice owners to build customizable, data-driven compensation models that allow therapists to see the direct connection between their work and their paycheck.

Key Takeaways:

• The Transparency Problem: Most therapists don't understand the link between the revenue they generate and their compensation, a fundamental disconnect unique to physical therapy compared to other healthcare professions.

• Unlock Earning Potential: Moving to a variable compensation model allows clinicians to directly control their income, giving them a clear path to achieve their financial goals without having to ask for a raise.

• A Powerful Hiring & Retention Tool: Implementing a system like OnusOne is a significant differentiator in the interview process, allowing owners to show candidates exactly how they can achieve their desired salary.

• The Calibration Point: The success of any model hinges on the owner first understanding their business's financial "zero point"—the minimum revenue needed to cover all expenses—before building plans for their team.

• Change Management is Key: Successfully transitioning a team requires a long-game approach, offering choice (including a safe, 100% salary option), and comprehensively testing models to build and maintain trust.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

In this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For Business, Jerry sits down with Seth Turnoff, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Custom Medical Marketing (CMM).

They dive deep into the critical, often overlooked connection between marketing, sales, and patient experience in a private practice. Seth shares his unique perspective from his "Jerk Store" series on LinkedIn, where he breaks down bad sales outreach, and explains how his firm uses "searchless marketing" to target ideal patients through demographics and psychographics.

The conversation is a masterclass in why treating your front desk as a revenue-generating sales center, not just a logistics hub, is the key to sustainable growth. Jerry and Seth discuss the downstream chaos of poor lead handling, the danger of counting leads as revenue, and why the best marketing in the world fails without a system to convert interest into arrived, paying patients.

Key Takeaways:

• Marketing and Sales are a Partnership, Not the Same Thing: Effective marketing generates awareness, but a dedicated sales process is required to convert that interest into scheduled appointments. They must work in tandem, with data flowing back from sales to inform and improve marketing efforts.

• Your Front Desk is Your Sales Engine: Stop viewing your front desk team as merely schedulers. Empower them with the time, training, and systems to have meaningful conversations, set proper expectations, and gather crucial data on every lead—whether they schedule or not.

• Track Everything to Stop Guessing: You cannot improve what you do not measure. Implementing a simple lead tracker is essential to understand where your best patients come from, identify leaks in your funnel, and make data-driven decisions instead of emotional ones.

• Better Leads Lead to Better Conversions: The ultimate way to improve conversion rates is to attract higher-quality, better-fitting leads through targeted marketing. This reduces pressure on the sales team and creates a more efficient and profitable practice.

• Intentionality Creates Patient Success: Every patient touchpoint—from the first phone call and the check-in process to the clinical experience and billing—must be intentionally designed. Reverse-engineering the ideal patient journey ensures a seamless, professional experience that builds trust and loyalty.

Tune in for an honest, no-fluff conversation filled with actionable strategies to align your marketing, sales, and operations to serve more patients and build a healthier business.

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

On this episode of What's Best For The Patient Is Best For The Business, Jerry dives deep into the critical, often complex world of billing compliance with industry expert Rick Gawenda, PT.

Rick, the founder and president of Gawenda Seminars & Consulting, breaks down the high-impact proposals from CMS for the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. They move beyond the headlines to provide a practical, actionable guide for clinic owners and therapists, with a special focus on the new Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) codes and how to leverage them for both improved patient outcomes and practice growth.

This is a must-listen for any practice looking to stay ahead of the curve, ensure compliance, and understand how to successfully implement innovative care models like RTM.

💡 Key Takeaways You'll Hear 💡

• The Real Impact of the 2026 CMS Proposal: Why a proposed 3.35% conversion factor increase doesn't mean a 3.35% pay raise for most therapy codes, and which common codes are actually facing a reimbursement decrease.

• Unlocking the Power of RTM: A clear explanation of the new RTM codes coming in 2026, designed for patients who are less compliant, and how they expand your ability to bill for remote care.

• How Long Can You Use RTM? The rules for continuing remote therapeutic monitoring after a patient is discharged from in-person care and the critical Medicare plan-of-care requirements you must follow.

• Billing RTM Correctly: The difference between patient-dependent codes (like 98977) and time-based management codes (98980/981), including how to count your time and the "medically unlikely edit" (MUE) limits.

• The #1 Key to Successful RTM Implementation: Why Rick advises that RTM should never operate in a silo and how the most successful practices are using it to boost completion rates, improve outcomes, and even negotiate better payer contracts.

• How to Have Your Voice Heard: The critical September 12th deadline to submit comments to CMS on the proposed rule—and how to make your comment personal and impactful.

Tune in for this masterclass in Medicare policy and learn how to turn regulatory changes into opportunities for your practice and your patients.

🔗 Subscribe to Rick’s newsletter to stay up to date with the latest industry changes: gawendaseminars.com

If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!