Acute Care Physical Therapist
St. Louis, Missouri
Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Job Opportunity: Physical Therapist - Acute Care Hospital (Travel/Contract)

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Specialty: Therapy/Rehabilitation (Physical Therapy)
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Description

• Provide physical therapy services across a variety of patient care areas including medicine, surgery, orthopedics, neurology, cardiopulmonary, and oncology.
• Primary focus on inpatient acute care and emergency department.
• Patient populations may include boarding patients, non-operative fractures, back pain, and non-operative pain management.
• This is a Level 1 trauma Emergency Department position.
• Floating within therapy service lines may be required to meet facility needs.

Schedule

• Monday through Friday
• Shift options: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM or 9:00 AM - 7:30 PM
• One weekend (Saturday and Sunday) required every 4 weeks, with a day off during that week.

Required Qualifications

• License: State Licensed Physical Therapist (Missouri license accepted; pending state license accepted)
• Certifications: Basic Life Support (BLS) required
• Experience: Minimum 1 year of acute care physical therapy experience (higher experience requirement applies)
• Prior Travel Experience: Not required
• Strong communication skills and desire to work with diverse patient populations.
• Ability to perform assessments, documentation, patient/family education, and safety & injury prevention.

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to float within the scope of physical therapy services.
• Local radius rule: Candidates within 75 miles are not accepted.
• No on-call requirements.
• Restrictions on time off: No more than 7 days off within the 13-week contract.
• Guaranteed minimum of 3 shifts per 13-week contract.

Compliance and Documentation Requirements

• Government-issued ID (e.g., driver's license)
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches
• Quarterly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks
• Education verification of highest related degree
• Professional license primary source verification (NURSYS for Missouri)
• Physical exam within 1 year of start
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, including a comprehensive panel
• Immunizations and health screenings including:

  • Tetanus/Diphtheria/Tdap (required every 10 years)
  • Negative TB test or chest X-ray within 1 year
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella immunity or vaccination/declination as applicable
  • Seasonal flu vaccination or approved exemption during flu season
• Fit mask testing (N95) with annual renewal
• Facility-specific documents such as HIPAA acknowledgement, confidentiality form, hand hygiene policy, dress code policy, and orientation modules (approx. 16 hours)
• Skills checklist and competency exams as required by unit
• References: Two professional references required (supervisors preferred)

Facility Highlights

• Short Term Acute Care hospital with 1,259 staffed beds
• Level 1 Trauma Center
• Charting system: EPIC
• Parking available (details provided during orientation)

Special Notes

• First-time travelers accepted.
• This role requires acute care experience in a fast-paced, trauma-focused environment.
• Candidates must be prepared to work weekends as scheduled.
• Floating within therapy service lines may be necessary to meet patient care needs.

This summary includes all relevant information for healthcare recruiters and workers considering this Physical Therapist travel contract position in Saint Louis, Missouri.