The Dave Kittle Show

When a high-maintenance patient expects concierge-level service weekly updates, equipment setup, family check-in sshould you charge more? Dave Kittle will break down how he closed a $950/month concierge PT client plus $550 per visit. Joined by Tony Maritato, they explore pattern recognition, price anchoring, and why charging premium rates isn’t unethical it’s strategic. If you're tired of undercha...

Most PTs panic when a Medicare patient calls asking, “Do you take my insurance?” but what if that same call could turn into a $350 cash session? In this episode, Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay break down how to communicate value, use outcome-based messaging, and sell clarity instead of coverage. From Medicare opt-out strategy to real patient calls and the psychology behind premium pri...

What if one email before the eval could lock in a $2,000 patient? In this episode, Dave Kittle shares the exact message that turned a cold lead into a private client. Alongside Tony Maritato and Jimmy McKay, they unpack how to lead with outcomes, use AI tools to personalize plans fast, and close with confidence no eval required. Watch more from PT Pintcast → https://www.youtube.com/@PTPintcast ---...

Are your patients ghosting after visit 3? It might not be them, it might be your onboarding. Here's how to fix it. If your patients aren’t completing their plans of care, you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck. In this tactical episode, Dave Kittle and Ben Bagge break down why patients drop off, how to coach therapists through mid-career slumps, and how outcome-based care can drive lifetime value....

McDonald’s tested a $12.99 all-you-can-eat buffet. It blew up. Why? Because it’s pricing psychology and physical therapists can use the same tactics. In this packed episode, Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay explore real-world pricing strategies for modern PTs. From $599 floor lifts that generate affiliate revenue to $100/month memberships that beat insurance, this is your tactical guide...

If your patients love you but don’t come back, your business is broken. What happens when your clinic is full of people who don’t actually want what you offer? You're not a provider anymore. You're a time-filler. That’s burnout on a platter. Some patients don’t want PT; they want convenience, routine, or whatever insurance covers. Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay show how to align your...

What do Cracker Barrel, Luna, and Medicare billing all have in common? Turns out: everything. If you run a PT clinic, you’ll want to hear this. From rebrands to reimbursement, this episode dives into how branding and perception are impacting physical therapy more than most realize. Dave Kittle, Jimmy McKay, and Tony Maritato unpack Cracker Barrel’s controversial rebrand and how it mirrors the shif...

$111 Visits, Missed Evals, and the Real Cost of Ownership in PT What happens when your top therapist completely forgets a new patient eval? Can a $5K mistake become a growth moment? Dave Kittle breaks down a painful no-show and the scramble to fix it: flowers, handwritten notes, and hard conversations. With Jimmy McKay and Tony Maritato, they dive into ownership, accountability, patient trust, and...

What does a viral water brand have to do with physical therapy? A lot more than you think. In this episode, Dave Kittle, Jimmy McKay, and Tony Maritato break down the marketing magic behind the 6-7 Water meme, how a high schooler accidentally built a viral brand, and what PTs can learn from it. Then we get serious: is PT school still worth it? We look at declining applications, shrinking reimburse...

Can a $700M athlete deal teach you how to scale your clinic? What if robots replaced your massage therapist? We’re talking MLB rehab, luxury concierge care, and the AI tools quietly changing patient expectations and what smart PTs are doing right now to stay ahead. Dave Kittle, Jimmy McKay, and Tony Maritato ask: what can Shohei Ohtani’s contract teach PT owners? We cover incentives to attract top...

NYC’s hand-painted “Need Money for Botox” Porsche—what can PTs learn from it? Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay unpack attention, remarkability, and why strong brands split opinions. We dig into memberships and pricing (PT as MRR like AAA/Netflix), when visibility beats visits, and how to market to patients—not peers. Steal simple plays from CrossFit, pest control, and bar mug clubs to b...

A patient said yes to $950 for one PT visit. Why? Dave Kittle shares a high-stakes vertigo house call that turned urgency, niche expertise, and trust into a premium, pre-paid booking no ads, no posts. You’ll hear the anatomy of a high-value visit, the psychology behind pricing power, and why conditions like BPPV command more than back pain. Jimmy and Tony unpack how to stop negotiating against you...

ATI Physical Therapy went private but what does it really mean? Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay break down the collapse and privatization of ATI Physical Therapy and reimagine what they would do if they owned it. From debt-fueled SPAC deals to turning patient data into a business asset, the trio takes a sharp, sometimes funny, and often brutally honest look at the PT industry. Watch mo...

What if Amazon built an EMR? Or if AI handled evaluations while clinicians focused only on what humans do best? We dive into the collision of artificial intelligence, marketing-first healthcare design, and the evolving role of therapists. From “red button” patient moments to the possibility of unlicensed care companions, the conversation pushes beyond compliance and into the future of patient-cent...

Do viral stunts actually help small clinics or just big brands? We break down branding vs direct response and show a simple content cadence any PT owner can ship this week. Viral stunts don’t book evals trust and clear offers do. In this episode we contrast big-brand awareness plays with local PT direct response: ship B-plus videos consistently (they beat A-minus work that never publishes), aim fo...

Patients cancel over $7.50? That’s a value problem let’s fix it. We unpack why tiny surcharges expose a value gap, what Medicare actually allows (no add-on fees for covered services), and when giving 25–40% to a platform like Luna can make sense for patient acquisition, RCM, and audit risk. We also debate Venmo/Zelle to pay for a TENS unit vs platform billing, Part B vs Medicare Advantage realitie...

How do PTs turn local businesses into a repeatable, no-ad patient engine? How can you use AI + video ethically to boost trust and reach? Dave Kittle and Tony Maritato reveal the Local Business Collab playbook turning treatments into content, reviews, and referrals with zero ad spend. If you’re a PT, clinic owner, or mobile therapist, this is growth your community can feel. Watch more from PT Pintc...

Stop paying for local attention you can earn. Dave Kittle and Tony Maritato break down the simple workflow that turned routine PT visits into discoverable content and helped trigger 7.2M views with $0 ad spend. The move: film a short, consented clip, tag the patient (and relevant brands or local businesses), and let the platform do the distribution. Watch more from PT Pintcast → https://www.youtub...

AI vs. PT: Will Chatbots Replace Trainers? | Cash vs Insurance, PTAs, & the Future of Care Can AI really replace the human experience in physical therapy and training—or just the parts people find boring? Dave Kittle, Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay square up on AI’s role in healthcare, from patient behavior, Medicare opt-out debates, and why premium clients will still choose people. Watch more...

Is a chatbot going to move the needle in private practice? Or is the future of physical therapy something far more human? Dave Kittle sits down with Tony Maritato, and Jimmy McKay dive into everything from AI diagnosis accuracy to how Facebook video reposts hit 2.3 million views in 30 days. They discuss the real patient behavior behind urgent care decisions, the future of chatbots on PT websites,...

What are the ethical and strategic pitfalls PTs face with insurance billing and patient dependency and how can they avoid them? In this episode, Dave Kittle, Jimmy McKay, and Tony Maritato share the future of physical therapy, with a focus on networking, marketing, ethical billing, and building strong patient relationships. Watch more from PT Pintcast → https://www.youtube.com/@PTPintcast --- EPIS...

Are you frustrated with referrals drying up or wondering how to break into physician marketing without feeling “salesy”? In this episode, Dave Kittle, joined by Jimmy McKay and Tony Maritato, shares how a Manhattan dinner party turned into a masterclass in patient referrals and practice growth. You’ll hear how to leverage goodwill, build referral lists, and create powerful networking events even i...

Do you feel guilty for not knowing your practice’s numbers? In this episode, Dave Kittle sits down with business coach Sturdy McKee to uncover why so many PT and OT owners struggle with the financial side of practice ownership and what to do about it. From understanding your P&L sheet to keeping patients from dropping off care, this conversation is like a free coaching call for clinic owners w...

Is Apple about to replace physical therapists with AI? From Project Mulberry to remote monitoring with the Apple Watch, the tech giant may be changing healthcare forever. But will nudges and algorithms work, or do humans still matter most? In this episode, Jimmy McKay, Dave Kittle, and Tony Maritato dive deep into Apple’s health tech revolution, exploring the risks, opportunities, and the future o...

What does a baby shower, a $75,000 fine, and luxury personal training have to do with clinic growth? In this episode, Dave Kittle sits down with Jimmy McKay to unpack how marketing, scarcity, and relationship building can transform your physical therapy practice. From unconventional networking to conference kickoffs and pricing psychology, this is your playbook for connection-driven business growt...