Physical Therapist

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Physical Therapist
Reports To: Assigned by the Government/site supervisor
Provides Direct Support To: Tripler Army Medical Center 1 Jarrett White Road Honolulu, HI 96859
Duty Hours: Monday through Friday, 0615 to 1515 or 0715 to 1615, with one unpaid 30- or 60-minute meal break. When directed by the Government, the HCW shall remain on duty to complete patient treatment when a lack of continuity of care would otherwise jeopardize patient health.

Qualifications Degree/Education:

• Doctoral degree in physical therapy from a program accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

Certifications:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) 

Licensure/Registration:  

• Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice as a physical therapist. 

Experience: ·

• At least two years of experience as a physical therapist within the past three years. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities:
This position delivers comprehensive physical therapy services for wounded, ill, and injured service members, including evaluation, treatment planning, rehabilitation, patient education, and care coordination within the scope of granted clinical privileges.  

• Perform a full range of physical therapist services in accordance with the scope of clinical privileges granted by the MTF. 
• Plan and prepare written treatment programs based on an evaluation of the patient. 
• Administer manual exercises to improve and maintain function. 
• Instruct, motivate, and assist patients in performing various physical activities, such as non-manual exercises, ambulatory functional activities, daily living activities, and in use of assistive and supportive devices, such as crutches, canes, and prostheses. 
• Administer joint and soft tissue mobilization, applying knowledge of mobilization techniques and body physiology. 
• Administer traction to relieve pain, using traction equipment. 
• Record treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart and/or automated systems.
• Coordinate treatment with physicians and other staff members to obtain additional patient information, suggest revisions in treatment programs and integrate physical therapy. 
• Treatment with other aspects of the patient's health care. Contact referring physicians regarding patient care concerns, as required. 
• Perform prevention and wellness activities, education, screening, and promote positive health behaviors.
• Performs a wide range of complex physical therapy duties requiring an advanced practical knowledge of physical therapy, evidence-based medicine and data collection. 

Responsibilities include providing evaluation and therapeutic interventions to a full range of wounded, ill, and injured service members with needs concerned with, but not limited to, physical rehabilitation, musculoskeletal extremity injury, spine complications and/or injuries, neurological injuries/impairments, pain, and concomitant mental health disorders:

• Performs comprehensive neuromusculoskeletal evaluations (in a physician extender role) on patients presenting medical or surgical diagnoses with or without physician referrals. 
• Use appropriate screening and diagnostic tests which may include ordering radiographic and laboratory studies; prescribing limited medications, i.e., anti-inflammatories; writing physical profiles and quarters for active-duty personnel and providing referrals to specialty clinics as needed.
• Designs treatment plans to meet patient/clinical objectives to maximize restoration of physical and adaptive roles and functions. Incorporates psychosocial and environmental factors that contribute to the impact of injury or illness on daily functional capabilities. 
• Utilizes physical performance measures to provide objective data and outcomes with activity/task performance. 
• Designs, fabricates, or recommends adaptive equipment and/or orthotic devices to improve function. 
• Develops short- and long-term treatment goals and modifies the treatment plan as necessary during the treatment process in order to meet the established goals and changing needs of the patient. Patients may be inpatients or outpatients.
• Maintains health records in accordance with Army regulations and provides documentation(electronic and/or written) of evaluations, tests, and treatments performed and any changes related to the treatment plan and goals. 
• Discusses with and educates patients, their family members and other health care providers on matters relating to the delivery of physical therapy care and how it relates to the patient's physical dysfunction.
• Hospital privileges are provided by and monitored as part of the hospital credentialing for Physical Therapists. Applies the use of therapeutic modalities and new integrative techniques and technologies for the purpose of evaluation and ongoing treatment. Therapeutic modalities may consist of, but are not limited to, traditional physical agents such as air, water, electricity, sound, and radiant energy; therapeutic exercise; therapeutic massage; soft tissue mobilization; and manual therapy. Additional emerging technologies, such as acupuncture and/or other integrative medicine techniques may be utilized.
• Must have ability to provide direction to others and review work and must have good oral and written communications skills to provide instruction. Supports the patient education activities of the physical therapy clinic through the presentation of various lectures and/or provision of consultation as the subject matter expert on topics related to physical therapy. Supports clinical operations by performing assigned collateral duties such as but not limited to active participation in Performance Improvement projects, instructor for the Back Education Class, Lumbar Stabilization program or Anterior Knee Pain Class, and attending ward rounds when assigned to inpatient service.