Health care providers are facing an urgent and growing challenge: a critical shortage of licensed physical and occupational therapists.
Demand for musculoskeletal professionals is rising rapidly. But traditional education pipelines haven’t kept up. Many health care employers lack a reliable way to develop new clinicians or advance current staff.
The result? Unfilled positions, overextended teams, and reduced access to care for patients who need it most.
Solving the PT Shortage with Hybrid Education and Loan Repayment
With a growing shortage of physical therapists and rising barriers to entry, innovative education and funding models are more critical than ever. The Confluent Health Scholars Program is one example of how to meet that challenge head-on.
Launched in partnership with Evidence In Motion (EIM), the program helps current employees at Confluent Health pursue an accelerated, hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) path.
Through a competitive application process, selected employees are admitted into a DPT program at an EIM university partner. Students study online, complete clinicals nationwide, and graduate in just over two years.
Then, after securing full-time employment at one of Confluent Health’s 825+ clinics, scholars receive up to $129,000 in student loan repayment. It is a financial path forward that reduces debt and improves retention.
What Universities Are Saying
"Our partnership with Evidence In Motion has created incredible new opportunities to educate the next generation of physical therapy leaders at Graceland University,” says Joel Shrock, president of Graceland University.
“When Confluent first introduced us to the plans for the Scholars program, I felt genuinely encouraged, and the strong enrollment results proved that optimism was well placed. This is the future of health care in higher education: aligning with innovative employers to support the full student journey, address student debt, solve workforce challenges, and expand access to high-quality education."
How the Confluent Health Scholars Program Supports Aspiring PTs
For many aspiring PTs, the path to a graduate degree is blocked by financial pressure and lack of flexibility. The Scholars Program helps remove those barriers and open the door to career advancement.
Holly Taylor: Choosing a DPT Program Without Taking on Debt
Holly Taylor was working at HPRC Physical Therapy when she heard about the program. She had completed her undergraduate degree without debt and was determined to find a DPT option that aligned with both her values and her finances.
She applied for the Confluent Health Scholars Program and enrolled at Graceland University, an EIM university partner, where she's completing her DPT through a flexible, hybrid format.
"This program let me avoid debt and pursue PT school with confidence," Holly said. "The support from my Clinic Director and CEO has only deepened my excitement to grow my career at HPRC after graduation."
Holly’s story is just one example of how the program empowers employees to pursue graduate education without compromising their financial future.
Jackson Stinnett: Advancing His Career Through Evidence-Based Education
Jackson Stinnett chose the Confluent Health Scholars Program because of the reputation of Confluent Health and EIM in shaping clinicians through forward-thinking, evidence-based education.
"This opportunity has already accelerated my growth by exposing me to current, clinically relevant knowledge that I know will make me a stronger and more effective physical therapist," Jackson said.
He continued, "It has strengthened my connection to my employer and given me a clear path forward."
Scaling a Workforce-Aligned Education Model Nationwide
The Confluent Health Scholars Program launched with four students in spring 2025. By fall, 21 scholars had enrolled across seven Confluent Health partner brands.
Backed by EIM’s national university network and 27,000+ clinical sites, this workforce-aligned model is primed for growth.
EIM is now expanding this approach beyond Confluent Health to other physical therapy clinics and providers throughout the country.
More providers will be given similar partnerships to upskill their teams, support career mobility, and address shortages across physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other high-need disciplines.
As demand accelerates, so does opportunity. Together with its partners, EIM is building scalable, cost-effective education pipelines and funding options that benefit students, employers, and the future of care.