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This episode of PT Breakfast Club starts with a simple question: What should an EMR actually do? Tony Maritato and Jimmy McKay discuss the divide between the clinical and administrative sides of EMRs, why AI should be more than ambient documentation, and how the future of physical therapy technology should make clinicians better instead of turning them into data-entry horses with name badges. Jimmy introduces the idea of the centaur vs reverse centaur: good technology combines human reasoning...

Today on PT Breakfast Club, we’re talking physical therapy business, cash PT positioning, fall recovery, and the uncomfortable question: are trainers reaching patients better than physical therapists? Jimmy McKay, Tony Meritato, and Dave Kittle dig into whether PTs are defending the wrong thing: the license, the title, the visit, the referral, the insurance model, or the certification. The conversation starts with concierge/activity-based PT, including the idea of a physical therapist joining ...

Being medically cleared does not always mean someone feels capable of returning to the life they actually want. In this episode of PT Pintcast, Jimmy McKay sits down with Dr. Sean Pastuch, founder of Active Life and author of Live More, Hurt Less, to explore the “messy middle” between physical therapy and fitness. A patient may be able to work, drive, sleep, and complete every activity of daily living. But can they run competitively? Lift heavy weights? Play with their children? Trust their bo...

Dave Kittle and Tony Maritato open with a prediction: Sophie Cunningham becomes the WNBA's first billionaire — not from basketball, but from the same social-media gravity that's already reshaping how physical therapists build wealth outside patient care. Jimmy joins mid-scooter-commute to Hoboken and the conversation turns practical fast: why PR only works as a growth lever when you're the underdog, why "dumbing down" clinical education is the wrong frame (scaling it down is the right one), and ...

On this episode of PT Breakfast Club, Jimmy McKay, Tony Maritato, and Dave Kittle unpack one of the profession’s loudest conversations: burnout. But instead of stopping at “PTs are burned out,” they push into the more useful question: what are clinicians actually asking for when they say they want fewer patients? More time? A buffer between visits? Better systems? Less emotional carryover? A job that matches the version of the profession they thought they were entering? The crew also asks the...

Physical therapists spend years learning how to help people—but almost no time learning how to reach them. Jimmy McKay is joined by Tony Maritato and Dave Kittle to unpack what actually works on social media for physical therapists, clinic owners and students. Tony shares how simple Facebook posts generated more than a million views and approximately $2,000 in ad revenue over 28 days. Dave explains how clinicians can turn their online presence into local patients, professional leverage and a st...

This week on PT Breakfast Club, Jimmy McKay and Dave Kittle start with a simple patient text exchange and end up inside one of the biggest problems in physical therapy: Expectation rarely matches reality. Dave shares how he responds when a prospective patient asks whether his clinic is in-network or out-of-network. Instead of dodging the question or pushing the sale, he explains the difference between choosing the lowest-cost option and choosing a higher-touch model. That opens the door to a ...

This week on PT Breakfast Club, Tony Maritato, Dave Kittle, and Jimmy McKay look at a real physical therapy Instagram ad and ask a simple question: Would this actually make someone take action? The answer leads to a bigger conversation about physical therapy marketing, cluttered ads, weak offers, fake scarcity, AI-generated creative, trendjacking, TikTok Shop, LinkedIn recruiting, and how clinics can earn attention without looking like everyone else. The crew talks about why “free physical th...

Physical therapists keep saying they provide value — but then many clinics hand patients a confusing menu of visits, rates, packages, discounts, weekday pricing, weekend pricing, and “per visit” math. That confusion may be costing you patients. In this episode of PT Breakfast Club, Tony Meritato, Dave Kittle, and Jimmy McKay break down a real cash pay physical therapy pricing problem and ask a bigger question: Are physical therapists selling the wrong thing? Patients are not really buying “v...

In this episode of PT Breakfast Club, Jimmy McKay, Tony Maritato, and Dave Kittle look outside healthcare to ask a practical clinic question: what are other industries doing to create demand, loyalty, and repeat behavior that physical therapy keeps ignoring? The conversation starts with Amazon Prime Day and the idea that the event matters more than the discount. From there, the group talks about how PT clinics could use reactivation campaigns, memberships, bundled services, and community-based ...

This episode of PT Breakfast Club is a practical conversation about value, access, content, and revenue in physical therapy. Jimmy McKay, Tony Maritato, and Dave Kittle start with a wild sports pricing example, then bring the conversation back to the clinic: why do PTs struggle to charge for expertise when other industries clearly understand premium access? The group digs into insurance reimbursement, cash-pay models, YouTube memberships, creator burnout, and why patient education content may b...

This episode is a practical clinic-owner conversation about marketing that actually has a job to do. Jimmy McKay, Dave Kittle, and Tony Maritato talk through content creation, direct mail, therapist branding, anonymous posts, AI comments, and why PT clinic owners need to understand the game they are playing before spending money or time. Key insights from the discussion: • Content should attract something specific: patients, referral partners, or staff. • Local positioning matters more than ...

Chronic pain patients are some of the toughest cases in physical therapy—not because they’re complicated, but because they’re often misunderstood. In this episode, we break down why treating chronic pain like an acute injury leads to poor outcomes—and what to do instead. The shift is simple but powerful: stop focusing only on tissue and start understanding the person. If you run a clinic or treat patients daily, this matters because better conversations lead to better outcomes, stronger patien...

Most episodes, Jimmy McKay is the one asking the questions. Not this time. In this episode, Amit Gagliani flips the script and turns the mic on the host himself — using AI-generated questions to dig into the story Jimmy rarely tells. You'll hear how a morning announcement in sixth grade led to running a rock radio station, interning at K-Rock (yes, Howard Stern's station), and eventually walking away from the dream job he'd had since he was 11 years old. Then: why he almost went to law school,...

Most physical therapists don’t have a clinical problem — they have a business model problem. In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Courtney Morse to unpack what happens when you step away from traditional outpatient care and rethink how a PT clinic should operate. From burnout and stacked schedules to launching a cash-based practice out of a hair salon, this conversation shows what’s possible when PTs stop undervaluing their services. Courtney shares how mindset, pricing, and business structur...

Burnout in physical therapy isn’t just about workload—it’s about how clinicians process stress over time. In this episode, Jimmy talks with Charles Inniss about why optimism is not a personality trait, but a trainable skill. They break down how burnout develops in PT careers, why cynicism follows exhaustion, and what clinicians and clinic owners can actually do about it. If you run a clinic, this matters because burnout directly impacts retention, patient outcomes, and culture. If you’re a cli...

Decision fatigue isn’t just a mindset issue—it’s a business problem. In this episode, Jimmy, Tony, and Dave break down how hesitation around hiring, outsourcing, and systems decisions slows clinic growth. From front desk staffing to outsourcing intake, they show how trying to make the “perfect” decision often leads to doing nothing—and that’s where clinics lose momentum. One of the biggest insights: the right person in the right role matters more than the job title. A clinically minded operato...

This episode challenges one of the biggest assumptions in physical therapy: that offering more services leads to better outcomes and business growth. Instead, the conversation explores how narrowing your focus can improve efficiency, hiring, patient experience, and long-term profitability. Key Insights: • Clinics trying to serve everyone end up differentiating to no one • Simplifying services improves operational efficiency and staff clarity • Hiring becomes easier when your model is clearly ...

This episode dives into one of the biggest shifts happening in physical therapy right now: the gap between what patients need and what insurance allows. Jimmy, Tony, and Dave break down: • Why most AI solutions in healthcare never make it past pilot phase • How insurance limitations are shaping care delivery • The rise of hybrid and post-rehab fitness models • Why clinical skill is no longer the main differentiator • How communication, sales, and patient buy-in drive outcomes Key Insights...

Most physical therapy clinics don’t have a marketing problem—they have a measurement problem. In this episode, Jimmy and Andrea break down why marketing often gets labeled as a cost instead of a growth driver, and what needs to change for clinics to actually see ROI. If you’re a clinic owner or leader trying to justify marketing spend, this episode gives you a clear framework to connect activity to revenue. Key Insights: If marketing doesn’t show up on the P&L, it won’t be taken seriously In...

This episode dives into one of the biggest frustrations in physical therapy: feeling unheard at work. Rebecca Griffith breaks down how to communicate with leadership, advocate for patients, and avoid being labeled “difficult.” Key Insights: • Most leadership decisions are system-driven, not personal • Curiosity beats criticism in tough conversations • Timing, tone, and delivery matter as much as the message • Not all feedback moments are created equal • Small organizations allow more person...

This episode breaks down how AI is being used inside real physical therapy clinics—not as hype, but as a tool to improve operations. The biggest mistake clinics make is treating AI like a feature instead of building it into workflows. When Sal Aprea from Flagler Health shows you that done right, AI helps reduce no-shows, improves patient engagement, and creates new revenue opportunities without adding staff. Key Insights: AI fails when it feels like “extra work” Clinics must focus on workfl...

This episode explores how AI, business strategy, and human relationships intersect in physical therapy—and what clinic owners should actually do about it. Key Insights: • AI can scale listening and communication—but not human connection • In-person relationships still drive referrals and business growth • Other industries (sports, retail) are winning by owning attention and data • PT clinics are sitting on valuable data but not using it strategically • Partnerships and distribution matter m...

Most physical therapists think their career path is set the moment they graduate. This episode challenges that idea. Elana Yavetz shares how she transitioned from clinical practice into a project management role in tech—and why her PT background was actually her biggest advantage, not a limitation. If you’re a clinic owner, this changes how you think about your team. If you’re a clinician, it changes how you think about your future. Key Insights: PT skills translate directly into leadership a...