Join Our Talent Community (link opens in a new window)

Lee Health Careers

Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency

Physical therapist working with patient

What is the Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program?

Program Mission

The mission of the Lee Health Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program is to provide structured, advanced clinical education that develops compassionate physical therapists with advanced competence in acute care practice. The program prepares residents to serve as trusted partners in delivering high-quality, evidence-based, and patient-centered care to hospitalized patients across a broad spectrum of medical complexity. Through mentored clinical practice, didactic education, and interprofessional collaboration, residents develop professionalism, leadership, and clinical expertise that enhance patient outcomes, empower healthier lives, and advance the practice of acute care physical therapy.

Program Goals

  1. Develop physical therapists with advanced competence in acute care physical therapy practice across a broad spectrum of medical complexity in hospitalized patients.
  2. Prepare residents to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered care while functioning effectively as members of the interprofessional healthcare team.
  3. Ensure adequate faculty, mentorship, and resources to support resident learning and program objectives.
  4. Maintain program quality and sustainability through ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement processes.
  5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the residency curriculum in achieving advanced clinical competence and professional development outcomes.
  6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the program in preparing residents to contribute meaningfully to patient outcomes and acute care system processes.

Program Overview

The Lee Health Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program is a thirteen (13)-month, full-time program designed to prepare physical therapists for advanced practice in the acute care hospital setting. The residency integrates mentored clinical practice with structured didactic education to support the development of advanced clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, interprofessional collaboration, leadership, communication, and patient management skills.

Lee Health’s Acute Care Rehabilitation Department spans four adult hospitals and one pediatric hospital within a large, integrated health system. Residents rotate across diverse acute care environments and work closely with experienced clinicians and interdisciplinary healthcare teams, gaining exposure to a broad range of patient populations and levels of medical complexity.

Through progressive clinical experiences, dedicated mentorship, and targeted educational activities, the program prepares residents to contribute meaningfully to high-quality, patient-centered care within the hospital environment.

Hospital Locations

Cape Coral Hospital
636 Del Prado Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33990

Gulf Coast Medical Center
13681 Doctors Way, Fort Myers, FL 33919

HealthPark Medical Center
9981 S. Healthpark Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908

Lee Memorial Hospital
2776 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33901

Golisano Children’s Hospital
9981 S. Healthpark Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908

Program Curriculum

Resident learning is supported through structured mentorship and guided clinical experiences. Mentors facilitate learning through modeling, clinical questioning, feedback, and reflective practice.

The didactic curriculum is informed by:

  • The Nationwide Acute Care Physical Therapist Practice Analysis
  • The ABPTRFE Description of Residency Practice relevant to acute care settings

Residents are employed as full-time physical therapists and divide their time among clinical practice, education, and professional development activities across Lee Health hospitals. Residents typically receive a minimum of 3 hours of 1:1 mentorship from board certified or specialty trained physical therapists.

Compensation and Benefits

Residents are employed by Lee Health as full-time physical therapists and receive 100% of the salary of a comparable physical therapist within the organization, along with benefits in accordance with Lee Health Human Resources policies for full-time employees.

The residency program does not charge tuition or program fees. Residents may be eligible to apply for institutional continuing education funding in accordance with Lee Health policies and funding availability.

Financial Fact Sheet

The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) has created this Financial Fact Sheet to provide financial transparency to applicants on the true costs to undergo residency and fellowship education. Click here to view the Financial sheet. (link opens Word document in a new window)

Program Outcomes

This developing residency program will accept its first resident starting October 1, 2026

What do I need to know before applying?

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must:

  • Graduate from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
  • Be eligible for Physical Therapist licensure in Florida and hold an active Florida license prior to the program start date.
  • Maintain active APTA membership, including membership in the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviors, superior written and verbal communication skills, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
  • Ideally, have prior acute care experience through work or clinical internships.

Candidates need three letters of recommendation:

One academic • Two clinical

Physical Therapy license illustration

Applications

APTA members, who are eligible for Physical Therapy licensure in the state of Florida and have graduated from a CAPTE accredited physical therapist education program, are eligible to apply for this residency program. The program spans 13 months with employment beginning each year in September.

Applicants must apply to the Residency Program through RF-PTCAS and to Lee Health on our Job Listing Page.

application illustration

Contact Us

For additional information please contact:

Paula Shulthiess, PT, DPT
Residency Program Director
Board Certified Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
Board Certified Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy
Board Certified Healthcare Executive

Paula.Shulthiess@leehealth.org

Jenny Willard, PT, DPT
Residency Program Coordinator
Board Certified Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
Certified Neuro-Developmental Treatment

Jenny.Willard@leehealth.org

computer screen illustration
Back to Top
Amobee Tracking Pixel