PODCAST · business
Future-Proof PT
by Dana Strauss, PT, DPT and Alex Bendersky, PT, DPT
Want to stay ahead of the curve in physical therapy? Future Proof PT brings you straight-talking, no-nonsense conversations about what really matters in healthcare today. From dissecting policy risks and opportunities to exploring innovative practice and payment models to practical ways to accelerate your career growth, we're your go-to source for understanding the forces reshaping our profession and the healthcare industry at large. Through candid dialogue and real-world perspectives, we're building a community of forward-thinking professionals working both in and out of direct patient care. They aren't just adapting to change – they're shaping it. Whether you're looking to understand market dynamics or seeking professional growth, each episode delivers actionable insights that will transform how you view the future of healthcare. Come join the conversation!
Episodes
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Episode 36: | Grown Up and In Demand, with APTA President Kyle Covington
The momentum behind physical therapists, the payers still holding on to an old picture of PT, and what new grads need to stay in the profession. (subscribe to our YouTube channel here.) Kyle teaches at Duke, spent years in hospital-based care as a board-certified neurologic specialist, and…
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Episode 35: AI Was the Boogeyman. A Year Later, Everyone Was Using It.
Chris Hoekstra watched PT's AI panic flip in twelve months at the same annual meeting, and he explains what that reversal says about how this profession actually changes. Chris has been a PT for about 25 years. He also holds a PhD in clinical informatics, teaches organizational behavior at Oregon...
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Episode 34: PT Has a Capacity Problem. Hybrid Care is the Answer
Net Health's Ben Barron on the 12,000-therapist shortage, what CMS' proposed RTM changes would mean for rural practices, and how to create access to physical therapists' expertise starting today. The physical therapy profession is 12,000 therapists short, with no catch-up projected until 2037 at...
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Episode 33: How Physical Therapists Prove Their Value in Value-Based Care
VA Leader Brian Westlake, PT, DPT, Cert MDT on how to impact total cost of care, what it means to control healthcare spending in a fixed budget and how primary care is crucial, outcomes-accountable care, and MSK triage in primary care. After 25 years leading inside the Veterans Administration,...
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Episode 32: The Physical Therapist, The Big Cycle, and The Age of AI
Plus, Ray Dalio's framework for how systems break, applied to the profession's financial reckoning and its AI future (note: this episode was published before the CMS 2027 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule was published) Is physical therapy heading toward its own financial reckoning? In Episode...
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Episode 31: Physical Therapy is the Swiss Army Knife Profession
Duke's Dr. Chad Cook on the 5 things MSK therapists obsess over, and what we should be doing instead A VA physician once told a colleague of Dr. Chad Cook's that physical therapy isn't really the movement profession, it's the Swiss Army knife profession, because PTs do a little bit of everything....
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Episode 30: One Bad Experience with PT Loses Patients Forever with Dr. Trevor Lentz, PT, PhD, MPH
And the active ingredients in PT often aren't even physical "We have the capacity to provide a level of care that nobody else in the healthcare system does. But we're being hamstrung by the payment models." — Dr. Trevor Lentz Dr. Trevor Lentz of Duke University on why patients write off physical...
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Episode 29: Build a PT and OT Clinic Where Therapists Want to Work
Why content follows culture, and practical actions clinic owners can implement within the next 3 months. Find the full episode transcript here. Posting more isn’t a growth strategy. Kylie Williams joins us to break down why “marketing to patients” on social media is getting harder, and why the...
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Episode 28: Skin in the Game: How PT Wins in the ACCESS Model
How RVUs (Not the Conversion Factor) Quietly Squeeze PT and OT and the Practical Blueprint to Shift From "Minutes" to ACO-Ready Value (read the full transcript here) In this episode, Alex and Dana discuss the CMMI ACCESS Model and what it could unlock for MSK care inside ACOs. They debate digital...
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Episode 27: The $900 Billion Problem | Can AI Actually Fix Musculoskeletal Care?
A reality-check on what works today, what is hype, and what must improve before digital-first MSK care earns trust We sit down today with Sergei Polevikov (FixHealth.ai, Well.AI / Chart2Chart) for a reality-check conversation on what AI in healthcare actually is, where it genuinely helps today…
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Episode 26: The PT Identity Project | The Problems Causing PTs Patients, Pay, and Progress
We are tackling physical therapy's brand crisis head-on. From pop culture portrayals (yes, we're talking about that "Land Man" stripper scene) to CMS policy that treats PT as "substitute spend" for MSK digital health solutions, the evidence is clear: we have a public perception problem. We…
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Episode 25 | Pain Science, Manual Therapy, and the Economics of PT with Paul Ingraham
Explore the intersection of evidence-based practice, healthcare economics, and pseudoscience in rehab, plus practical strategies for clinicians who want to do better without going broke Is your physical therapy practice built on evidence, or just what pays? In this episode, we sit down with Paul...
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Episode 24: The Economics of PT-First | Real Data on Cost Savings and Outcomes
How crazy is it that proven interventions in healthcare take so long to spread, even when they show clear economic and clinical benefits? Innovation in healthcare is painfully difficult to get into widespread adoption, even after proven successful. This episode discusses the results of a nine...
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Episode 23: The Alchemist and Healthcare | Why Your Journey is the Treasure
Check out the You Tube version of the podcast here. In this episode, Dana and Alex review the research articles Alex shared with Future Proof PT newsletter subscribers on January 4th, 2025, exploring what these studies reveal about healthcare transformation and what PTs can learn from them. They...
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Episode 22: Redefining Our Worth | How Physical Therapy Professionals Fit Into the Future of Value-Based Care
Fee-for-service PT reimbursement isn't viable. It's just math. In this episode, we bring our second physician guest to the Future Proof PT studio to explain. For Episode 22, we are joined by sports medicine surgeon and Protera Health co-founder Dr. Eric Makhni, MD, MBA, who also explains what...
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Episode 21: What's In It For Me Right Now?
How to Benefit from Value-Based Care Strategies While Treating in Fee-For-Service "Why should I care about value-based care TODAY?" If you're not in a risk contract and your clinic runs on fee-for-service, this question probably hits home. The answer? You don't need a value-based contract to win...
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Episode 20: Expertise, Delegating, and Team-Based Care in Physical Therapy
Alex and Dana met on LinkedIn, started a podcast, and only met in person in October of 2025. They use their milestone 20th episode to issue an urgent call: 270,000 physical therapists must each become agents of change, starting today. They cover these topics and more: -The economic reality is...
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PT as Quarterback, with Dr. Marc Gruner, DO, MBA, RMSK
Why your best play is calling the shots, not running them all Alex and I recently talked about the physical therapist income floor and ceiling. And in this episode, we talk with Dr. Marc Gruner, who offers a framework for a solution to that seemingly impenetrable ceiling. Here's the punchline.…
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Episode 18: The PT Education ROI Crisis with Jon Lee, PT, DPT, MBA
Drowning in student debt? Feeling undervalued as a PT? Here's why: You're trapped between an artificial floor and a glass ceiling. The floor? PT school costs more than an MBA at MIT—that's your barrier to entry. The ceiling? The AMA's physician-dominated board literally decides what you're worth....
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Episode 17: PT Without Walls | A Conversation with Dr. Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, SCS
What happens when the only physical therapist to serve two U.S. Presidents shares his unfiltered blueprint for transforming PT into a primary care powerhouse? Dr. Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, SCS—Lieutenant Colonel (retired), former White House Medical Unit PT to Presidents Obama and Biden, and…
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Episode 16: The PT Explorer's Mindset | Bridging Research, Disruption, and Innovation
Explorers, Innovators, and the Future of Therapy Practice What distinguishes an explorer from a maintainer in the therapy profession? Why are outside disruptors capturing market share while traditional practices struggle? How can clinicians leverage cutting-edge research on mitochondrial DNA and...
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Episode 15: Beyond the Treatment Session | Physical Therapists who Dare to Look Up
Episode Summary: In the latest episode of Future Proof PT, hosts Dana Strauss and Alex Bendersky, along with special guest Jerry Durham, tackle the critical crossroads facing physical therapy as a profession. They challenge listeners to question whether they're functioning as true healthcare...
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Episode 14: How Precise is your Prognosis?
Dana and Alex explore the Therapy Value Quotient, an objective framework for measuring clinical impact that goes beyond subjective reasoning. Learn a practical algorithm that factors in functional improvement, patient complexity, care intensity, and cost—plus why establishing clear therapy...
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Episode 13: Is "Make American Healthy Again" the Next Big Opportunity for Physical Therapists?
Physical Therapists, listen up! "Make America Healthy Again," or MAHA, is a chance to improve the professional identify of PTs regardless of politics! It's a chance to embrace and highlight the profession and its doctoral status and to position its reputation as long-term partners in…
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Episode 12: Digital Meet Physical: The Next Era of Physical Therapy
Ready to revolutionize your PT career? Think of it like Wayne Gretzky's famous quote - skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been. In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, having a game plan for your career as part of the PT profession (clinical, non-clinical, or both) isn't...
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Episode 11: PT Professionals, Stop Limiting Yourself | AI, Autonomy, Advocacy, and Action
In Episode 11 of Future-Proof PT, we're joined again by Cody Lee, a dynamic early-career PT who's revolutionizing physical therapy practice in Alabama. Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the intersection of traditional PT and cutting-edge technology. Cody shares his firsthand…
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Episode 10: Early Career Excellence | A Fresh Perspective on Value-Based Physical Therapy
Join Dana and Alex as they sit down with rising PT star Cody Lee, PT, DPT, to explore how the next generation of physical therapists is reshaping healthcare delivery. In this engaging conversation, Cody shares his journey as an early-career clinician who's already making waves in the industry…
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The Practitioner Paradigm | The Most Critical Health Policy Issue
For Episode Nine, we welcome back guest Ben Galin, PT, DPT, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of physical and occupational therapy, using the role of PTAs and COTAs as a springboard for broader industry discussion. The conversation begins with examining how PTAs and COTAs are utilized…
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Transforming Physical Therapy Practice | The Time is Now
In Episode 8 of Future Proof PT, hosts Dana Strauss and Alex Bendersky engage in a deep discussion with veteran physical therapist Ben Galin about the critical evolution of physical therapy practice. With 25 years of diverse clinical experience, Galin shares valuable insights on the transition…
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Episode 7: Intro to the TEAM Model and PTs as PCPs in the Military
In this episode of Future Proof PT, we dive deep into two game-changing models of care provision that could reshape physical therapy practice: First, we explore the TEAM model (Transforming Episode Accountability Model), a Medicare acute episodes of care affecting about 740 hospitals nationwide....
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Beyond the Clinic: The Real Price of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Summary: In this episode of the Future Proof PT podcast, Dana and Alex delve into the economic implications of healthcare with a focus on musculoskeletal disorders. They discuss the concepts of QALY and DALY, emphasizing the importance of understanding these metrics in evaluating the…
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Episode Five: The Rules and Roles of Value-Based Musculoskeletal Care
Below by Notion AI from the transcript: A detailed discussion exploring the complex dynamics of value-based care in the musculoskeletal health sector. The conversation covers patient-reported outcome measures, healthcare system challenges, and the future of healthcare delivery in the United…
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Episode Four: The Government as Policymaker and Payer
AI Show Notes by Riverside FM: Summary In this episode, Dana and Alex discuss the complexities of budget resolutions, government spending, and their implications for healthcare, particularly telehealth and physical therapy. They explore the challenges posed by the physician fee schedule, the...
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Episode Three: The PT Supply Chain that Works: Building a Referral Network Centered Around our Clinical Value
Sign up for our newsletter and get exclusive, subscriber-only access to our Resources Database! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and if you like an episode, giving it a thumbs up helps us reach more people--PTs, OTs and others in healthcare like our physician colleagues with whom we hope…
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Episode Two: Post Combined Sections Meeting 2025
Subscribe to our newsletter and your welcome email will include a subscribers-only link to a growing Resources Database for you to bookmark! Courtesy of Riverside AI: Summary In this episode of the Future Proof PT podcast, Dana and Alex discuss insights from the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM)…
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Inaugural Episode of the Future Proof PT podcast
Note to listeners: We are building this podcast in public. We uploaded the raw episode and copied and pasted Riverside's AI show notes. Thank you for giving our podcast a try! In this inaugural podcast episode, hosts Alex Bendersky and Dana Strauss discuss the importance of value-based care in...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Want to stay ahead of the curve in physical therapy? Future Proof PT brings you straight-talking, no-nonsense conversations about what really matters in healthcare today. From dissecting policy risks and opportunities to exploring innovative practice and payment models to practical ways to accelerate your career growth, we're your go-to source for understanding the forces reshaping our profession and the healthcare industry at large.
Through candid dialogue and real-world perspectives, we're building a community of forward-thinking professionals working both in and out of direct patient care. They aren't just adapting to change – they're shaping it.
Whether you're looking to understand market dynamics or seeking professional growth, each episode delivers actionable insights that will transform how you view the future of healthcare. Come join the conversation!
HOSTED BY
Dana Strauss, PT, DPT and Alex Bendersky, PT, DPT
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Future-Proof PT have?
Future-Proof PT currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Future-Proof PT about?
Want to stay ahead of the curve in physical therapy? Future Proof PT brings you straight-talking, no-nonsense conversations about what really matters in healthcare today. From dissecting policy risks and opportunities to exploring innovative practice and payment models to practical ways to...
How often does Future-Proof PT release new episodes?
Future-Proof PT has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Future-Proof PT?
You can listen to Future-Proof PT on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Future-Proof PT?
Future-Proof PT is created and hosted by Dana Strauss, PT, DPT and Alex Bendersky, PT, DPT.
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