Physical Therapy Group Heals its HR and Payroll Pains with Paylocity

When you’re managing a growing, multi-state enterprise, it can sometimes feel like you’re facing an endless list of challenges. Complying with industry rules, keeping employees engaged and motivated, and navigating state tax regulations all create a huge amount of complexity. And when you’re handling HR with a mix of systems and spreadsheets, things become even more complicated.

That was the situation facing Therapy Partner Solutions® Holdings. Headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida and employing 1,500 people, Therapy Partner Solutions is a national leader in therapy business solutions for outpatient private practice clinics, hospitals, health systems, physician partnerships, and home health organizations.

Kristy Krueger, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Therapy Partner Solutions explains: “We are composed of five divisions, each built on the foundation of acquired companies with decades of experience in key areas of the therapy industry—including operations, management, finance, staffing, compliance, and billing.”

With a mission to empower therapy organizations to deliver exceptional patient care while achieving sustainable, profitable growth, Therapy Partner Solutions currently operates more than 130 physical therapy locations and serves clients in all 50 U.S. states.

For many years, Therapy Partner Solutions relied on a combination of systems and manual processes for HR and payroll but recently switched to Paylocity. “Our previous systems weren’t integrated and created inefficiencies,” adds Kristy. “Paylocity gives us a comprehensive, all-in-one solution that hits all our needs. We can manage all five companies in Paylocity: it makes complex things so simple.”

 

The Challenge: Assessing the Symptoms

Over time, Therapy Parter Solutions added more and more tools and workarounds to support payroll and HR. To simplify operations, the organization looked for a modern, integrated platform.

Fast-Growing Organization Needs Responsive Support

In recent years, Therapy Partner Solutions has been expanding rapidly, forging new partnerships and adding new divisions. To handle a growing payroll, the organization relied on Paycor, but the HR team regularly found themselves needing guidance to navigate the system. “Our support rep kept on changing, and we were often left waiting on hold for 30 minutes,” explains Kristy. “Our team felt frustrated, and we didn’t feel the vendor was committed to us. As we were planning to expand further, we decided to look at our options and find a real partner for HR and payroll.”

Standalone Systems Create Additional Work for HR

Beyond Paycor, Therapy Partner Solutions also used various point systems for running employee surveys and background checks on candidates. Inevitably, switching between interfaces would take extra time for HR. Kristy continues: “Even in Paycor, we often had to enter the same data into the timekeeping, payroll, and HRIS components as they didn’t talk to one another. Moving forward, we wanted a more integrated platform.” Another key requirement was a modern, seamless user experience. “We are often hiring therapists coming fresh out of college, so we looked for something innovative and user-friendly that would help to attract younger digital natives.

Labor-Intensive Manual Workarounds Drain HR Efficiency

In addition, Therapy Partner Solutions developed various manual steps to handle HR. For example, onboarding new hires involved printing, filling out, and scanning a mass of paper forms. Similarly, extracting data and building reports to track employee hours at different locations was a tedious, time-consuming manual process, while the company relied on spreadsheets to monitor the validity of employee accreditations. “We have to ensure therapists hold valid licenses, CPR certifications, and auto insurance,” adds Kristy. “Otherwise, we can run into issues with state regulators.”

 

The Solution: Prescribing the Treatment

After consulting with her network and running a series of demos with vendors, Kristy selected Paylocity for the modern look and feel, seamless integrations, and proactive support.

Simplifying Payroll and Employee Time Tracking

Using Paylocity’s Payroll module makes it easy for Therapy Partner Solutions to comply with tax rules across the 11 states where they have employees. Employees can clock in when they arrive at a clinic or hospital through the Time and Labor module, which they can access via the Paylocity Mobile App. Meanwhile, the HR team can pull reports from the platform that break down employee hours by location. 

Streamlining Onboarding and Benefits Management

With the Onboarding module, Therapy Partner Solutions has simplified and digitized paper-heavy workflows. “We now have a digital onboarding package for different roles, which new starters complete at their convenience,” adds Kristy. “Thanks to an integration with Checkr, we can perform background checks without leaving the platform.” When new supervisors join, the organization uses the Learning module to run orientation training, introducing them to corporate policies and culture. 

Furthermore, Therapy Partner Solutions harnesses integrations between Paylocity and health plan and 401(k) providers to streamline benefits management. “Having seamless integrations with Employee Navigator and Voya eliminate data entry and save us so much time,” explains Kristy.

Offering Employees Flexibility and Convenience

Using the Employee Self-Service module, Therapy Partner Solutions enables its people to manage their own Paylocity account, update their personal details, view pay stubs, and request time off—all without going through HR. The organization also uses the On Demand Payment feature to offer employees the flexibility to access a portion of their pay ahead of payday.

Gathering Feedback to Enhance the Employee Journey

Using the Community collaboration hub, Therapy Partner Solutions makes organization-wide announcements, such as upcoming benefits enrolment periods, while individual clinics have their own groups for sharing news. Similarly, the organization uses the Employee Voice module to run engagement surveys, as Kristy notes: “Employee Voice has become a real favorite, enabling us to gather authentic, real-time feedback and build a more transparent, responsive workplace.”

 

The Results: On the Road to Recovery

With Paylocity, Therapy Partner Solutions has gone from strength to strength, with smarter processes for everything from compliance tracking to onboarding and strategic reporting.

Unlocking More Time For Strategic HR Work

By switching to Paylocity, Therapy Partner Solutions has replaced standalone systems and paper-based processes with a best-in-class HR and payroll platform—helping to drive efficiency. In the case of onboarding, the streamlined digital process is unlocking valuable time-savings. “As we no longer manage so many paper forms, we save around 15 hours every week that we can focus on more strategic work,” explains Kristy. Similarly, being able to instantly pull reports on employee hours saves a further 20 hours during every bi-weekly pay period—or 520 hours over a year.

Minimizing Complexity in a Multi-State Enterprise

For Kristy, Paylocity provides a centralized view of HR and payroll across all five companies, making it easier to manage a complex, multi-state enterprise. In particular, she uses the Data Insights module to monitor turnover, hiring, and other HR trends. “We love Data Insights—it’s such a robust tool,” adds Kristy. “We can drill down into the data by region, location, and role. And if we find we are overstaffed or face attrition in places, we can reshape and optimize our recruiting strategy.” 

Furthermore, Paylocity enables the HR team to pull reports showing the status of employees’ professional certifications, licenses, and insurance. “If a state auditor arrives, we can present the information immediately to demonstrate compliance,” says Kristy. 

Creating a More Empowering Employee Experience

Therapy Partner Solutions has also taken the employee experience to the next level. Employees can manage their time, find their Form W-2, and stay informed on company news—all in one place. And the On Demand Payment option offers employees greater control over their finances. “People are so excited about On Demand Payment, especially our entry-level employees,” explains Kristy. “It gives them peace of mind: if they need advance pay, they can have it in their account that afternoon. With Paylocity, we’re creating a more empowering, flexible workplace experience.”