Therapy program manager vs patient care manager

The differences between therapy program managers and patient care managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a therapy program manager and a patient care manager. Additionally, a therapy program manager has an average salary of $93,242, which is higher than the $65,369 average annual salary of a patient care manager.

The top three skills for a therapy program manager include patients, customer service and respiratory care. The most important skills for a patient care manager are home health, patients, and quality care.

Therapy program manager vs patient care manager overview

	Therapy Program Manager	Patient Care Manager
Yearly salary	$93,242	$65,369
Hourly rate	$44.83	$31.43
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	119,197	123,652
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a therapy program manager do?

A Therapy Program Manager provides leadership and management of the physical therapy department. They direct and coordinate the policies, objectives, and initiatives of physical therapy programs.

What does a patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

Therapy program manager vs patient care manager salary

Therapy program managers and patient care managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Program Manager	Patient Care Manager
Average salary	$93,242	$65,369
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $36,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Edwards Lifesciences	Accenture
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy program manager and patient care manager education

There are a few differences between a therapy program manager and a patient care manager in terms of educational background:

	Therapy Program Manager	Patient Care Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Therapy program manager vs patient care manager demographics

Here are the differences between therapy program managers' and patient care managers' demographics:

	Therapy Program Manager	Patient Care Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between therapy program manager and patient care manager duties and responsibilities

Therapy program manager example responsibilities.

Lead a team of thirty-five (35) FTE.
Manage a staff of 9 therapists in a CCRC setting including a 169 bed SNF.
Achieve employee performance and satisfaction providing supervision supporting excellence in documentation, a collaborative approach with providers and compassion for members.
Initiate department quality and process improvements to meet JACHO, MCR, CMS, CARF and other governing entity requirements.
Provide primary physical therapy treatment to patients on caseload and complete necessary documentation for billing insurance and showing medical necessity.
Consider a``working manager"( PTA )

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

Therapy program manager vs patient care manager skills

Common therapy program manager skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 12%
Respiratory Care, 7%
Acute Care, 7%
Respiratory Therapy, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

Common patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

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Executive Management Industry
Therapy Program Manager
Therapy Program Manager vs Patient Care Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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