Physical Therapy From Disillusionment to Empowerment – Wayne

I began my career like most PTs, driven by a desire to save the world from pain. However, early in my career, I became disillusioned with physical therapy while working in a system dictated by tyrannical insurance companies. Overwhelming patient loads and endless documentation left no room for the meaningful care I had envisioned. At one point, a friend gave me advice I’ll never forget: “You can always get another “F”ing job!” That pivotal moment gave me the courage to leave that first clinic, where it felt like we were being trained to tolerate high patient loads rather than provide real care. It wasn’t a healthcare system… it was a “SICKcare” system. 



I moved into a government contract position treating injured service members. At first, the position felt like a perfect fit. Serving those who had sacrificed so much brought a renewed sense of purpose to my work and I learned so much from the therapists who weren’t held back by the sickcare system. But, as so often happens in the military, leadership changed. With those changes came tighter budgets and increasing bureaucracy, which ultimately prevented service members from getting the care they truly needed. Watching them struggle, while being unable to help in the ways I knew were possible, left me disenchanted with the field.

After leaving the government position, Hilary and I decided to contract ourselves out as physical therapists to local clinics. As outsiders coming in, we saw firsthand what it looked like for so many therapists who were stuck in the same overwhelming environment I had experienced earlier in my career. They were burned out, overworked, and struggling to provide meaningful care.

Patients often told us that Hilary and I were a breath of fresh air. They said we didn’t seem worn out or burned out and that we actually knew what we were doing. Most importantly, they noticed that they were getting better and the pains they were dealing with drastically improved. It was during this time that we discovered cash-based physical therapy, a model where both the patient and the therapist are empowered to work together to achieve their goals.

This realization brought us full circle. Now, Hilary and I are building a cash-based physical therapy practice with a clear mission: to empower patients to take control of their health while providing physical therapists the freedom, support, and opportunities they need to reach their fullest potential. We want to build a community where patients actually get better, and therapists feel inspired to excel in their careers.