You’re Either Rowing Or You’re The Anchor

Physical therapy can’t survive on “me, me, me” messaging. Dr. Lisa VanHoose breaks down why rehabilitation deserts are growing, why gatekeeping admissions is fueling the PT workforce shortage, and what it looks like to rebuild the profession around community, access, and relational capacity—not just credentials and productivity.We talk rural retention, community-based rehab, why “bootstraps” is a myth in healthcare design, and how the Ujima Institute is building real-world mobility support through food access, youth training, health literacy, and neighbor-to-neighbor infrastructure.Chapters00:00 Neighbors Shape Health07:55 Admissions Beyond GPA13:40 Rehab Desert Reality22:35 Systems Over Bootstraps30:20 Keep PTs In Practice43:20 Ujima In ActionGuest + ResourcesDr. Lisa VanHoose (she/her)Ujima Institute (community-rooted health + education)Mentions: Ikigai, Blue Zones research, PCORI (patient-centered research model), community-based rehab, telehealth/remote monitoring, “Nothing About Us Without Us”Ujima Institute: https://www.ujimainstitute.com/