A brand-new acute care hospital opening in the Gainesville, Florida area is recruiting a founding Occupational Therapist to join its inpatient rehabilitation team from day one. This is a full-time, hospital-based W2 role — not home health, not PRN — offering a consistent schedule, a diverse acute care caseload spanning neuro, ortho, stroke, and cardiac populations, and the rare opportunity to help build clinical workflows in a purpose-built environment. Both new graduates and experienced therapists are encouraged to apply, and a $20,000 sign-on bonus underscores the facility's commitment to attracting strong candidates early.
Perks and Benefits
- $20,000 sign-on bonus
- Relocation assistance available (evaluated on a case-by-case basis)
- Full-time W2 employment with stable, consistent scheduling
- Hospital-based setting — no home health travel or PRN variability
- Ground-floor program-building opportunity with direct influence over workflows and team culture
- Open to new graduates as well as experienced clinicians
Practice Highlights
- Founding OT role within a newly opening acute care hospital in the Gainesville, FL area
- Inpatient acute care setting with a diverse patient mix: neurological, orthopedic, stroke, and cardiac diagnoses
- Collaborative interdisciplinary rehabilitation team structure from the outset
- Consistent patient volume and predictable scheduling — no census-driven variability typical of travel or PRN roles
- Responsibilities include evaluation, individualized treatment plan development and implementation, ongoing progress monitoring, and patient and family education to support recovery and independence
- Direct collaboration with physicians, nursing staff, and fellow rehabilitation team members
- Opportunity to shape departmental workflows, protocols, and team culture as a founding team member
Qualifications
- Active Florida Occupational Therapist license, or eligibility to obtain prior to start
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Occupational Therapy from an accredited program
- BLS certification required within 30 days of hire
- New graduates are welcome; prior acute care or hospital-based experience is preferred but not required
About the Community
Gainesville is a mid-sized university city in north-central Florida — home to the University of Florida and UF Health — that offers a lower cost of living than Florida's coastal metros while delivering a vibrant cultural scene, strong public schools, and year-round outdoor recreation including springs, trails, and state parks. The city sits roughly 70 miles from both the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic, making weekend escapes easy, and its academic atmosphere supports continuing education and professional development for clinicians at any career stage.