Home Health Physical Therapist (South Loop) - Medicare Certified Home Health

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Physical Therapist – Home Health

Location: South Loop, Chicago, Illinois

Employment Status: W-2 Employee or 1099 Contractor, as applicable

Reports To: Director of Clinical Services / Clinical Manager

Job Summary:

The Physical Therapist provides skilled physical therapy services to home health patients in the South Loop service area in accordance with the physician’s plan of care, the Illinois Department of Public Health home health regulations, and the Medicare Conditions of Participation under 42 CFR Part 484. The Physical Therapist is responsible for delivering care consistent with professionally accepted standards of practice, ensuring accurate and timely clinical documentation to support quality outcomes, regulatory compliance, and revenue cycle operations. The Physical Therapist functions as an integral member of the interdisciplinary team and is accountable for patient safety, satisfaction, and measurable functional improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Physical Therapist evaluates patients in their place of residence to determine functional status, mobility limitations, rehabilitation potential, and need for skilled physical therapy services. The Physical Therapist develops, implements, and updates an individualized physical therapy plan of care consistent with physician orders, patient goals, and evidence-based practice. The Physical Therapist provides therapeutic interventions including but not limited to therapeutic exercise, gait training, balance training, transfer training, neuromuscular re-education, pain management strategies, and patient and caregiver education to promote safety and independence.

The Physical Therapist collaborates with physicians, registered nurses, therapists, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team to coordinate services and ensure continuity of care. The Physical Therapist communicates significant changes in patient condition, lack of progress, safety concerns, or discharge readiness to the supervising physician and agency leadership in a timely manner. The Physical Therapist participates in care coordination, discharge planning, and outcome measurement as required by Medicare Conditions of Participation.

The Physical Therapist completes all required clinical documentation accurately, completely, and within agency-defined timeframes to support medical necessity, billing, quality reporting, and compliance with Medicare and IDPH standards. Documentation is completed in the agency’s electronic medical record and includes visit notes, functional assessments, care plan updates, reassessments, and discharge summaries. The Physical Therapist understands the direct impact of timely and compliant documentation on the agency’s revenue cycle, claims submission, and denial prevention and adheres strictly to documentation deadlines.

The Physical Therapist complies with Electronic Visit Verification requirements, including clocking in at the start of the visit and clocking out at the conclusion of the visit, in accordance with state and federal regulations and agency policy. The Physical Therapist adheres to patient schedules, arrives on time for all visits, and follows agency procedures for visit confirmation, rescheduling, and missed visit reporting. Missed or late visits are reported immediately per agency escalation policy.

The Physical Therapist maintains compliance with infection prevention and control standards, patient rights, confidentiality requirements under HIPAA, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing home health services. The Physical Therapist participates in quality assurance, performance improvement activities, and survey readiness efforts as required by IDPH and Medicare.

Qualifications:

The Physical Therapist holds a current, unrestricted Physical Therapist license in the State of Illinois and has graduated from an accredited physical therapy program. The Physical Therapist demonstrates competency in home health clinical practice and knowledge of Medicare home health regulations. Prior home health experience is preferred. The Physical Therapist maintains current CPR certification and meets all agency health, background, and credentialing requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

The Physical Therapist demonstrates strong clinical judgment, time management, and organizational skills. The Physical Therapist is proficient in electronic health record systems and understands documentation standards required for Medicare reimbursement. The Physical Therapist is able to work independently in the field while maintaining accountability to agency policies, regulatory requirements, and performance expectations. Effective communication with patients, caregivers, physicians, and agency staff is required.

Working Conditions:

The Physical Therapist provides services in patients’ homes within the South Loop and surrounding service areas and must be able to travel between patient residences. The role requires the ability to perform physical tasks consistent with patient care, including lifting, transferring, and prolonged standing or walking as clinically indicated.

Compliance Statement:

The Physical Therapist agrees to comply with all Illinois Department of Public Health regulations, Medicare Conditions of Participation, agency policies and procedures, and standards of professional practice. Failure to adhere to documentation timelines, visit compliance requirements, or regulatory standards may result in corrective action up to and including termination of employment or contract.