The Better Outcomes Show

Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Exploring the possibilities of a new healthcare. Let’s get real: Healthcare is broken. You know it. I know it. Every clinician who came into this field from a desire to care for others, knows this to be undeniably true. We feel it everyday when we enter our clinics, hospitals, and practices. We feel the burden of time-based productivity metrics, utilization rates, and the expectation to behave like cogs in a giant, soul-crushing machine aimed at extracting revenue from our patients in exchange for “units” of treatment. Healthcare should be about one thing: PEOPLE! Yet how many clinics, organizations, or healthcare professionals live their lives by the numbers? Metrics & spreadsheets drive most of our healthcare decision makers and administrators. That leaves patients -the people we serve- lost in the mix. Patient’s feel lost, forgotten, and ignored by a system that prioritizes efficiency & productivity over their own personal experiences, priorities, or goals. It’s time for clinicians to finally stand up and say what we’ve all been thinking for so long: enough is enough! It’s time for healthcare organizations to commit to serving the individual needs of each unique patient that they are charged with serving. Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures.

  1. 163: Why Clinical Decision-Making & Business Growth Are All About Reps

    6D AGO

    163: Why Clinical Decision-Making & Business Growth Are All About Reps

    How do you actually get better — as a clinician, a business owner, or a leader? It’s not more school, another certification, or reading one more article. It’s reps. In this episode, I break down the single biggest piece of advice I give new clinicians (and anyone moving into leadership or entrepreneurship): your education is just your ticket to play — expertise comes from getting reps. We’ll explore: Why formal education is only the starting line, not the finish line How repeated exposure to patient cases sharpens pattern recognition and clinical decision-making What it really means to turn experience into wisdom through reflection Why this “reps + reflection” framework applies equally to business and leadership — hiring, marketing, launching new services Practical ways to accelerate growth in any career path without waiting years for confidence to catch up Why This Matters Confidence isn’t built in a classroom — it’s built in the field, one decision at a time. Business & leadership skills develop the same way as clinical ones — through lived experience and iteration. If you’re feeling “stuck” or unsure, the solution isn’t another credential — it’s getting in the game and stacking reps. Listen to the Episode to Hear … How to intentionally extract lessons from each patient, project, or business challenge Personal stories from my early days as a clinician and later as an entrepreneur Simple strategies to speed up growth without burning out — journaling, mentorship, and deliberate practice Encouragement to stop waiting for perfection and just start doing the work Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-163 Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    42 min
  2. 162: Why PT & OT Programs Are Struggling to Attract Applicants

    OCT 1

    162: Why PT & OT Programs Are Struggling to Attract Applicants

    In this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we take a look at a recent conversation on LinkedIn about the steep decline in occupational therapy (and physical therapy) school applications. A post by Sarah Lyon raised an important question: Why are fewer students choosing OT, and what does that mean for the future of the profession? In response, Rafi shared several factors that may be contributing to the decline — and in this episode, he unpacks those ideas in more detail. What we cover in this episode:- Why confusion about OT entry-level requirements (Master’s vs. OTD) is discouraging prospective applicants.- How rising tuition and questionable ROI impact PT/OT’s attractiveness compared to other health professions.- The role of corporate healthcare and private equity in fueling burnout — and how that shapes the profession’s reputation.- Why other clinical degrees often carry higher compensation ceilings and broader leadership opportunities.- What these trends mean for the future — and why this might actually be a unique opportunity for new students entering PT/OT now. If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    30 min
  3. 161: Connecting the Dots in Your Healthcare Career

    SEP 3

    161: Connecting the Dots in Your Healthcare Career

    Finding the Thread – Humanizing Healthcare Across a Career Have you ever looked back on your career and tried to connect the dots?For a long time, I thought my resume looked like a series of “rabbit holes” in healthcare—clinical care, academia, management consulting, strategy work, practice ownership. At the time, each move felt like simply saying “yes” to an opportunity. But a recent conversation with a prospective client made me pause. They said, “I can see a common thread running through everything you’ve done.” That led me to reflect on the last 13 years of my career… and I realized they were right. The thread? Humanizing the healthcare experience.In this episode, I share the story of discovering that throughline, what it means for me today, and why humanizing healthcare isn’t just a personal mission—it’s a necessity for our industry.What We Cover in This Episode:- The winding path of my career: from clinician to consultant to practice owner.- How a client conversation sparked the realization of a unifying theme.- Why “healthcare is a human experience” became more than a phrase—it became my mission.- The risks of reducing patients to checklists, protocols, and data points.- How technology and operations should be used: to create space for real human connection.- A framework you can use to find your own “common thread.” Why It MattersHealthcare often gets lost in efficiency metrics, compliance checkboxes, and bottom lines. But patients—and clinicians—need meaning, connection, and human presence. By stepping back and asking what ties our careers and choices together, we can refocus on what really drives us and the work we do. Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160 Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    55 min
  4. 160: Where will REAL Healthcare Innovation Come From?

    AUG 6

    160: Where will REAL Healthcare Innovation Come From?

    Healthcare Disrupted: Why the Next Big Innovation Won’t Come From Healthcare In this episode of the Better Outcomes Show, we dive into a bold prediction about the future of healthcare: The next wave of real innovation — the kind that transforms how we deliver care, engage patients, and improve outcomes — won’t come from within the healthcare industry. Instead, it will come from outside. Tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and others are entering the healthcare space not to play by the traditional rules, but to rewrite them. They’re not dependent on fee-for-service reimbursement or burdened by legacy EMR infrastructure. They’re consumer-first, data-driven, and laser-focused on convenience and outcomes — not billing codes. So, what does this mean for providers, practice owners, and healthcare leaders? It means the time to adapt is now. What we cover in this episode:-Why the healthcare industry is structurally incapable of disrupting itself-How tech giants are positioned to lead the next wave of care innovation-The business models these companies are using — and how they differ from traditional healthcare-What small-to-mid-sized providers can do to stay relevant and competitive-How to rethink your value proposition outside of third-party payer systems-Where the opportunities lie for independent clinics to innovate at the edges Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-160Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    28 min
  5. 159: Can you build a profitable business offering free healthcare?

    JUL 9

    159: Can you build a profitable business offering free healthcare?

    Can you use Free Healthcare to build a profitable business? What if you gave away your clinical services… for free? Not as charity. Not as a one-time promo. But as an actual business model. I recently revisited Chris Anderson’s book Free: The Future of a Radical Price. I read it in 2013 and recently picked it back up — and it got me thinking: How could we apply this to healthcare? The cost of delivering digital care (videos, plans, consults) is rapidly approaching (nearly) zero. That opens the door to radically different care delivery models — ones that lower access barriers and still generate real revenue. So, in this episode, I dive into ways that clinicians could build a profitable business offering free healthcare services. In a world where trust, access, and attention are more valuable than ever. Offering “free” services could be a strategic move — not a loss. For clinicians willing to rethink their model, there’s real opportunity here. Curious — if you had to give away your clinical services for free,what would you monetize instead? Shoot me an email if you've got some ideas! What we cover in this Episode: -How a Freemium model could work in delivering healthcare services -The idea of a Cross-Subsidy model for private practice healthcare services-Membership models, like Direct Primary Care -Sponsorships or Ad-based Healthcare services-Data Exchange & Research Recruitment Models Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-159 Podcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    35 min
  6. 158: Why You NEED to Read Outside of Healthcare

    JUN 18

    158: Why You NEED to Read Outside of Healthcare

    Real Healthcare Innovators Read Outside of Healthcare I covered this topic in a LinkedIn article recently, but thought the idea of reading outside of healthcare warranted its own podcast episode. Here's the main idea: if you want to be truly innovative in healthcare, you need to read outside of healthcare. Being well-informed in your field is just the baseline. Everyone should be doing that. What often sets leaders and innovators apart stems from their ability to take insights and ideas from outside their field and apply it to their industry. You’d be surprised at how often ideas from seemingly unrelated fields can unlock new ways of thinking about your own work. A story about survival in the Alaskan wilderness might teach you more about resilience and process management than the latest leadership manual. A deep dive into the history of jazz might shift your perspective on improvisation and problem-solving in ways that no business podcast could. The more I read outside the typical business playbooks, the more I’m convinced: if you want to stand out in your field, you sometimes have to look beyond it. What we cover in this Episode: -Why reading outside of your industry provides unique insights that can be applied to healthcare-How reading broadly can help you communicate, lead and innovate in healthcare-The reason that innovation to the industry will come from outside of healthcare-A few of the recent books I've read and the insights I pulled from them that applied to healthcare Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-158Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    39 min
  7. 157: Bridging Healthcare Data Silos with Technology

    MAY 28

    157: Bridging Healthcare Data Silos with Technology

    Healthcare Data Silos Cause Problems Throughout the Healthcare System If you talk to any healthcare provider, and most patients, about healthcare data sharing, you quickly discover that one of the biggest problems patients and providers face is healthcare data silos. What do I mean by that? Imagine you see your primary care physician. Your PCP determines that you need an evaluation by a specialist. They put in a referral. You go see the specialist like an orthopedic surgeon, and that provider determines you should try a conservative treatment by another sub-specialist, like a physical therapist. Fast forward 2 months, and you follow up with your PCP. The PCP asks you how things have been going, and you say you don't feel any improvement. So, your PCP tells you that they believe you would benefit from a physical therapy course of treatment.  Now you're annoyed. "How did you not know that I've just finished up 8 weeks of PT treatment?" you might be thinking. Here's the problem: your PCP put in the referral for the original specialist, but then had no idea about the PT. Maybe they received some kind of follow-up communication of note from the orthopedic surgeon. But your PCP has no insight into the rest of the course of care. This is the problem caused by healthcare data silos. So, this week, I sit down with Rick Mirell from Arrow Health to talk about the challenge with healthcare data silos and some new technology-driven tools that aim to solve this problem for the industry.   What we cover in this Episode: -The importance of open flow of data in healthcare-The breakdown in communication and data between healthcare systems and providers-How data can improve clinical outcomes-The patient experience when healthcare data isn't shared well Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-157 Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    28 min
  8. 156: Should State Licensing in Healthcare Go Away?

    MAY 14

    156: Should State Licensing in Healthcare Go Away?

    Rethinking State Licensure in Healthcare for the 21st Century State-based licensure for healthcare professionals has been the status quo for over a century. But in an era defined by digital health and telemedicine, is this 19th-century solution still fit for purpose? In this episode, I explore the historical context of state licensure, the modern-day challenges it poses to telehealth, and practical solutions for breaking down regulatory barriers. Drawing insights from my experience as a state licensing board member and recent academic research, we dissect the structural flaws that limit patient access, drive up costs, and stifle innovation in healthcare. Here's the original post on state licensure in healthcare that fueled this episode. What we cover in this Episode: -The origins of State-Based Licensure-How Technology has Changed the Healthcare Regulatory Landscape -The Real-World Impact of State Licensing in healthcare & the Barriers it places to providing/receiving care-Possible solutions or alternatives for State-based healthcare licensing -How value-based care and regulatory policy are intertwined  Full episode note: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-156 Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com If you'd like to learn more about Strata EMR & RCM and achieving a 99.99% reimbursement rate for your PT, OT, or SLP Clinic head over to stratapt.com and book a demo with their team!

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Exploring the possibilities of a new healthcare. Let’s get real: Healthcare is broken. You know it. I know it. Every clinician who came into this field from a desire to care for others, knows this to be undeniably true. We feel it everyday when we enter our clinics, hospitals, and practices. We feel the burden of time-based productivity metrics, utilization rates, and the expectation to behave like cogs in a giant, soul-crushing machine aimed at extracting revenue from our patients in exchange for “units” of treatment. Healthcare should be about one thing: PEOPLE! Yet how many clinics, organizations, or healthcare professionals live their lives by the numbers? Metrics & spreadsheets drive most of our healthcare decision makers and administrators. That leaves patients -the people we serve- lost in the mix. Patient’s feel lost, forgotten, and ignored by a system that prioritizes efficiency & productivity over their own personal experiences, priorities, or goals. It’s time for clinicians to finally stand up and say what we’ve all been thinking for so long: enough is enough! It’s time for healthcare organizations to commit to serving the individual needs of each unique patient that they are charged with serving. Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures.

Information

  • Creator
    Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    164
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Rehab U Practice Solutions (SALAZAR ENTERPRISE, LLC). All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Better Outcomes Show