Full Time Outpatient Physical Therapist

St. Luke’s University Health Network; Nazareth (Northampton County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Luke's University Health Network in Nazareth, PA is seeking a Physical Therapist to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with impairments to maximize function and independence in an outpatient setting.

You will design individualized treatment plans, educate patients and families, work with a multidisciplinary team, and participate in quality improvement initiatives. A PA or NJ PT license and BLS/CPR certification are required.

Qualifications

• Doctoral, master’s, or bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from an accredited program.
• Current PT license in PA or NJ, based on work location.
• BLS and CPR certifications required.
• Successful completion of required affiliations; outpatient PT experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Performs comprehensive initial evaluations to identify functional deficits and develops a treatment plan to improve mobility and reduce pain.
• Provide skilled interventions tailored to patient needs using appropriate techniques and equipment.
• Collaborates with patients to create short and long-term goals.
• Educates patients and family on prognosis and care options; maintains confidentiality.
• Supervises PT aides and students as assigned; participates in program development.
• Maintains accurate documentation of progress and outcomes.

Skills

Clinical evaluation

Treatment planning

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Patient education

Ethical conduct

Education

Physical Therapy degree (DPT/MS/BS)

BLS certification

PT license PA/NJ

CPR certification

Job description

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient's ability to pay for health care.

The Physical Therapist evaluates, diagnoses, and manages patients with physical impairments and functional limitations to maximize the patient’s functional abilities. The Physical Therapist will design and implement individualized treatment plans that address the specific goal and needs of each patient, as well as educating patients and their families on how to prevent or manage their conditions to promote optimal health and wellness.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Performs comprehensive initial evaluations to identify functional deficits and develops a treatment plan to improve their ability to move, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability
• Provide skilled interventions that are tailored to the patient’s needs and preferences, using appropriate techniques, modalities, and equipment
• Collaborates with patients to create short and long-term goals
• Communicate effectively and respectfully with patients, families, and other health care providers, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity
• Manages patients to improve their ability to move, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability through means of direct or indirect treatments or referral to another provider as appropriate
• Establish and update diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care based on the best available evidence and clinical reasoning
• Reviews and records information in the patient’s medical record and history, including evaluative findings, treatment plan, responses to treatment and any changes to the patient’s status
• Educates patients and family members about prognosis and care options.
• Assists in developing and implementing department programs
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, continuing education activities, and professional development opportunities
• Monitor and document patient’s progress, outcomes, and satisfaction with services provided
• Shares clinical knowledge and new techniques to improve patient care
• Supervises Physical Therapy Assistants as assigned
• Supervises PT and PTA students and observers as assigned
• Maintains confidentiality of all materials handled within the Network/Entity as well as the proper release of information.
• Complies with Network and departmental policies regarding issues of employee, patient and environmental safety and follows appropriate reporting requirements
• Adhere to the ethical, legal, and regulatory standards of the physical therapy profession and the health care organization
• Demonstrates/models the Network’s Service Excellence Standards of Performance in interactions with all customers (internal and external).
• Demonstrates Performance Improvement in the following areas as appropriate: Clinical Care/Outcomes, Customer/Service Improvement, Operational System/Process, and Safety.
• Demonstrates financial responsibility and accountability through the effective and efficient use of resources in daily procedures, processes and practices.
• Complies with Network, departmental policies regarding attendance and dress code.
• Demonstrates competency in the assessment, range of treatment, knowledge of growth and development and communication appropriate to the age of the patient treated.
• Attend meetings as designated or requested.
• Accurately bills patient’s accounts for services rendered.
• Provides in-services to PT department staff and others.
• Participates in QI data collection/planning.
• Attends multi-disciplinary meetings as applicable.
• Cleans and orders supplies, as assigned by facility director, for daily operations.
• Other related duties as assigned, e.g. peer record review

PHYSICAL AND SENSORY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to sit for up to ninety minutes at a time.
• Able to stand for thirty to forty-five minutes consecutively.
• Must be able to use hands/fingers to manipulate dials on machines.
• Must have the ability to occasionally stoop/bend, squat, crouch, kneel and reach above shoulder level.
• Must have the ability to lift/move patients up to 50 lbs., push/pull patients weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Must be capable of tactile sensation as it relates to feeling for muscle spasms, texture and skin temperature.
• Must have the ability to hear as it relates to normal conversation.
• Must be capable of seeing as it relates to general vision, depth perception, and peripheral vision.

EDUCATION:

• Doctoral Degree, Masters or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited physical therapy program or physical therapy certificate.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association (AHA) or equivalent, required upon hire or to be obtained within 30 days of hire.
• Current Physical Therapist license in the State of Pennsylvania or New Jersey, based on work location, is required.
• The Physical Therapist shall work within the practice guidelines as defined by Pennsylvania or New Jersey state law (based on work location).

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Successful completion of required affiliations.
• A minimum of one year of experience as a physical therapist in an outpatient setting.
• CPR certification required.

Thank you for your interest in St. Luke's!!

St. Luke's University Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 23,000 employees providing services at 16 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites.

With annual net revenue in excess of $4 billion, the Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.

St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.

It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.

The Network’s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Premier 13 times total and eleven years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.

In 2021, St. Luke’s was identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally.

St. Luke’s is the ONLY health care institution in the Lehigh Valley to be named a Top Workplace regionally repeating the exclusive honor for the third year in a row.

Also, for the third straight year, St. Luke’s has been a Top Workplaces in the Philadelphia Region by the Philadelphia Inquirer, ranking 9th in the large employer category for 2025 and the only health care system in PA to receive this award.

In 2025, St. Luke’s was recognized as a national Top Workplaces by USA Today, three years in a row, including the 3rd best health care system in the nation in 2023 and 2024.

Lastly,St.Luke’s was namedaTopWorkplaceinNewJerseyforthethird yearinarow.

LearnMoreHere.