Name: Pain Doesn't Wait: Urgent Care Physical Therapy as Primary Care PT
Start: 2026-10-10T08:00:00-0600
End: 2026-10-10T09:00:00-0600

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Pain Doesn't Wait: Urgent Care Physical Therapy as Primary Care PT

Saturday October 10, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT

Urgent care is a well-established entry point into primary care for time-sensitive conditions, yet physical therapy remains underutilized in this role for patients with acute musculoskeletal pain -- one of the most common drivers for patients to seek care. This session introduces an emerging solution: Urgent Care Physical Therapy as a primary care access model for pain. Drawing from military research, private practice pioneers, and rural scale strategies, presenters demonstrate how stepping into a familiar access point for patients -- but a new space for physical therapy -- positions PTs to lead as primary care providers for pain, capture new patient populations, improve outcomes, and reduce unnecessary downstream care.Objectives:

Describe urgent care physical therapy as a primary care PT access model for acute musculoskeletal pain and movement dysfunction
Compare published outcomes from a direct-access military acute spine clinic with private practice urgent care PT implementation strategies
Identify operational, clinical, and systems-level components required to launch or pilot an urgent care PT model
Develop an initial implementation plan for an urgent care PT pathway in their own practice setting

Speakers

Sam Schmidt, PT, MPT, NCPI

Sam Schmidt, PT, MPT, NCPI is a physical therapist, business owner, educator, and healthcare advocate with over 20 years of experience advancing innovative care models at the intersection of clinical practice, business leadership, and public policy. She is co-owner of Alpine Physical... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT

Breakout Sessions

APTA Montana Primary Care Conference

Sam Schmidt, PT, MPT, NCPI

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APTA Montana Primary Care Conference

Sam Schmidt, PT, MPT, NCPI

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