Louisville, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2025) — Confluent Health, a national leader in musculoskeletal (MSK) care, today announced the launch of a groundbreaking student loan repayment initiative designed to attract top physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT) and speech-language pathology (SLP) talent and address the growing national workforce shortage.
The Loan Incentive for Therapists (LIFT) Program provides student loan repayment support for eligible PTs, OTs and SLPs who begin their careers with Confluent Health partner organizations. Qualified clinicians, as well as students up to two years before graduation, can receive upfront commitments for loan repayment. Payments begin immediately upon hire and are distributed across the clinician’s first three years of employment with Confluent Health.
Student debt for rehabilitative therapy graduates often exceeds $100,000, creating one of the largest barriers to entering and staying in the profession. At the same time, demand for PTs, OTs and SLPs is projected to grow sharply over the next decade, putting access to care at risk for millions of patients.
“Confluent Health is committed to removing barriers for clinicians, enabling us to meet the growing demand for high-quality MSK care,” said Dr. Kristi Henderson, CEO of Confluent Health. “The LIFT Program is a bold investment in our workforce, ensuring our patients and communities have access to exceptional care while empowering new therapists to thrive without the weight of student debt.”
The program will first launch in Kansas, Missouri, New York, Arizona, Florida, California and Montana—states where Confluent Health clinics face the greatest talent need.
The LIFT Program builds on Confluent’s broader workforce investments, including the recently announced Confluent Health Scholars Program, which provides up to $129,000 in tuition sponsorship and loan repayment for existing employees pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD).
Together, these programs represent Confluent Health’s commitment to recruiting, training and retaining the next generation of therapy professionals while ensuring long-term patient access to high-quality MSK care nationwide.
Learn more at confluenthealth.com/lift.