Acute Care Physical Therapist

Vantage Health Partners; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

CEU reimbursement (up to $2,500/yr)

Student loan repayment (up to $250/mo)

Research portal access

Board certification pay

Career ladder and growth

Job summary

Vantage Health Partners in Bakersfield, CA seeks an Acute Care Physical Therapist to join its hospital rehabilitation team. This full-time, on-site role evaluates patients, develops plans of care, and provides therapeutic exercise and mobility training to support recovery and safe discharge.

New graduates are welcome; prior rehab experience preferred but not required. Competitive hourly pay with a $10,000 sign-on bonus, plus CEU reimbursement and loan repayment options, plus board-certification

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program.
• Current California Physical Therapist license, or eligibility to obtain before start date.
• Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Ability to perform PT evaluations and develop plans of care.
• Ability to provide therapeutic exercise and mobility and functional training.
• Ability to educate patients and caregivers effectively.
• Ability to document thoroughly and accurately.
• Preferred: prior rehabilitation experience (not required; new graduates are welcome)
• Preferred: acute care hospital experience
• Preferred: knowledge of discharge planning processes

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive physical therapy evaluations for acute care hospital patients
• Develop and implement individualized plans of care to meet patient goals
• Deliver therapeutic exercise and mobility and functional training interventions
• Assess and address patient safety, fall risk, and functional independence
• Educate patients and caregivers on mobility, home programs, and safety strategies
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, case management, OT, and SLP to coordinate care
• Participate in discharge planning and recommend appropriate post-acute services
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant clinical documentation
• Contribute to staff education, in-services, and quality and safety initiatives
• Support orientation of new staff and students

Skills

Clinical assessment

Plan of care development

Therapeutic exercise instruction

Patient education

Documentation accuracy

Education

Accredited Physical Therapy program

Tools

California PT license or eligibility

AHA BLS certification

Job description

Description

We are seeking an Acute Care Physical Therapist to join our hospital rehabilitation team in Bakersfield, CA. This full-time, on-site position offers the opportunity to deliver high-quality physical therapy services to hospitalized patients within a collaborative, interdisciplinary healthcare environment.

As an Acute Care Physical Therapist, you will evaluate patients, develop individualized plans of care, and provide therapeutic exercise, mobility, and functional training to support recovery and safe discharge. You will work closely with physicians, nurses, case management, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology to coordinate care, participate in discharge planning, and contribute to staff education, quality, and safety initiatives. New graduates are welcome to apply; prior rehabilitation experience is preferred but not required.

The schedule is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, five days per week, with rotating weekends and holidays. Compensation ranges from $55 to $85 per hour, based on experience, certifications, and education, with a $10,000 sign-on bonus. Additional benefits include continuing education support with up to $2,500 per year in reimbursement, student loan repayment of up to $250 per month, access to a research portal, additional pay for board certifications, and a career ladder offering growth and pay increases.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive physical therapy evaluations for acute care hospital patients
• Develop and implement individualized plans of care to meet patient goals
• Deliver therapeutic exercise and mobility and functional training interventions
• Assess and address patient safety, fall risk, and functional independence
• Educate patients and caregivers on mobility, home programs, and safety strategies
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, case management, OT, and SLP to coordinate care
• Participate in discharge planning and recommend appropriate post-acute services
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant clinical documentation
• Contribute to staff education, in-services, and quality and safety initiatives
• Support orientation of new staff and students

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program
• Current California Physical Therapist license, or eligibility to obtain before start date
• Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Ability to perform PT evaluations and develop plans of care
• Ability to provide therapeutic exercise and mobility and functional training
• Ability to educate patients and caregivers effectively
• Ability to document thoroughly and accurately
• Preferred: prior rehabilitation experience (not required; new graduates are welcome to apply)
• Preferred: acute care hospital experience
• Preferred: knowledge of discharge planning processes