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Corporations with an eye on the bottom line are increasingly hiring physical therapists
to develop workplace injury prevention programs, creating exciting new opportunities for
PTs in settings ranging from wineries to insurance companies.
Many PTs serve as part-time corporate consultants who analyze work sites and educate
employees on ergonomics. Companies are recognizing that such low- or no-cost strategies
can effectively prevent injuries and reduce high workers' compensation costs, says Susan
Greenberg, MS, PT, and president of BEST Associates in Pelham, New York, a company
specializing in injury management and prevention.
Greenberg has offered a Back School, a Neck and Arm School and a Train the Trainer
ergonomics program for about 15 years. "In the beginning, I couldn't give them away.
Now companies are very interested," says Greenberg, who has worked with Pepsi, Hertz,
Liberty Mutual and Unisys Corp.
Employers used to hire industrial PTs to work primarily with laborers, says Carole
Galleta, MPH, PT, administrative principal for CGI Physical Therapy in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Now companies are paying more attention to people with desk jobs as well, says Galleta,
who customizes a Fitness Around the Clock program for employers.
Some corporations are offering physical therapists ongoing opportunities rather than
specific projects. "The heavier industries and larger employers are starting to add
therapists to their staffs, mostly on a contract basis," says George Wolff, MPT, PT.
Wolff has operated a full-time physical therapy clinic at the E & J Gallo Winery in
Modesto, California, for more than three years.
Wolff, who is on the Gallo staff, spends most of his time treating injuries, but he
also conducts custom lifting seminars and other preventive programs. "Employers lose
billions of dollars a year due to back injuries. This is one way to contain those costs
and keep them fixed," Wolff says. "It's also very convenient for employees. They
don't have to leave work and drive across town for an appointment. They can walk off the
floor, come for their treatment, and get right back on the floor," he says.
Wolff enjoys treating and educating his coworkers, he says. "It's amazing how many
people I get to know on a personal basis. I'll see these people year after year," he
says.
Wolff and other physical therapists involved in workplace injury prevention say they
enjoy the autonomy. "What's most rewarding is that my hands are now free from the
grips of managed care," Wolff says. Insurance companies can no longer dictate the
amount of time he spends with patients, he says. "It's really an enviable
position," he says.
The rewards of corporate work are different than traditional clinical work, Greenberg
says. "When you're working at a clinic, you're treating one patient at a time. In a
company, you're helping thousands of people at once," Greenberg says. "Your
recommendations will affect how a company and its employees work," she says.
Physical therapists who are interested in working with corporations should take an
ergonomics course, which generally isn't offered in PT school, Greenberg says. They also
may want to join an occupational health committee through the American Physical Therapy
Association, she says. PTs may need to take the initiative in approaching large employers
and inquiring about job opportunities, Wolff adds.
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