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This week’s spotlight is on Deidre D’Antonio, PTA, MPH, a non-clinical physical therapist assistant who is now Market Director of Business Development for BridgePoint Healthcare!
We’re excited to share that BridgePoint Healthcare is a hiring partner of Go Non-Clinical, our community for clinicians exploring non-clinical careers!
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What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?
Deidre D’Antonio, PTA, MPH — Market Director of Business Development for BridgePoint Healthcare
Where are you located?
Washington, DC
Where did you go to PT school?
LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, NY.
What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?
I worked as a clinical PTA in multiple settings, including SNF, acute care, AR, LTAC, and home health. I became a Director of Rehab in multiple settings, including transitional care, home health, and SAR.
My first non-clinical role was as a Clinical Specialist in wound care (CWS) for a third-party billing wound care company, and then I moved to my current company as a Clinical Liaison and Director of Business Development.
In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?
With the vast experiences I had, I worked with all kinds of patients and diagnoses. When I was clinical, my draw was to neuro, cardiopulmonary, and wound care patients.
When I was in acute care, I worked mostly in the ICU with vent and TBI patients. In LTAC I continued with vent patients, but then carried a large caseload of wound care patients, for whom I was able to perform advanced therapies including pulse lavage and sharp debridement.
I loved being a clinician, but with the ever-changing expectations due to changes in reimbursement, I did not love the changes the role of the clinician took.
What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?
In my earlier roles, pre-PPS, the delivery of therapy was truly based on the needs of the patient. The treatment session was very individualized and as long or short as the patient needed.
I did not enjoy the evolution of productivity and how certain pertinent parts of treatment delivery were being excluded. This made sessions appear rushed or more formal, not creating a good relationship with patients.
What else have you done since then, prior to your current role?
In my previous role as a Clinical Specialist, I took part in Medicare insurance appeals to fight for payment.
When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?
I no longer wanted to be a part of the clinical field when patient priority was no longer the case.
What are you doing these days?
I’m working my current role and considering a side business outside of healthcare.
Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?
I stopped treating patients in 2018.
How long have you been in your current Market Director of Business Development role?
I became a Director for BridgePoint in 2021, left in August 2025, and came back in April 2026 as a Director of Business Development.
Did you get any special certifications or training along the way to help you get into your current role?
No courses, other than earning my bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration and master’s in Public Health.
How did you find your job? Did you apply or find it through a connection?
I found it through a connection. They didn’t advertise the role for rehab, only RTs and nurses.
Editor’s note: BridgePoint Healthcare is a hiring partner of The Non-Clinical PT! If you’re interested in business development, utilization review, and other non-clinical roles, check out BridgePoint Healthcare’s careers page.
Did you do anything special to your resume and cover letter to land the job?
I just focused on the sales part of my role as a Clinical Specialist.
What are some of the things you did to stand out, take initiative, and advance in your career?
I learned everything I could about business development, read sales books and articles, and learned how to deliver the sales approach for this setting.
How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?
They want to know how they can do it too.
What’s a typical day or week in the life like for you? What types of tasks and responsibilities fill your time?
As a Clinical Liaison (CL) the time was a bit more flexible, but as a Director I’m pretty busy.
I coach a team of seven to nine CLs, keep track of the clinical needs of the patients on the referral log, and assist with clinical and financial approval to admit patients. I also work on growing the business with marketing to providers and C-suite at the referring hospitals.
What are some of the rewards of your Market Director of Business Development role? What are the biggest challenges?
The rewards are when providers become aware through my education to refer and admit their patients more frequently, or when the CLs grow their own territories after utilizing the coaching skills provided to them.
The biggest challenge is when you have providers who are not willing to hear the information provided, but figuring out new ways to educate helps get through that challenge.
How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?
Having an acute care and LTAC background prepared me with the clinical knowledge needed for higher acuity patients. Being a rehab director helped me to understand the pieces for insurance and discharge planning.
Roughly speaking, how are the hours and pay compared to patient care?
The hours aren’t less, but just way more flexible. The money is significantly more, either as a Clinical Liaison or Director.
What type of person do you think would do well in your Market Director of Business Development role?
All of the above. Being detail-oriented is important because of the amount of information that needs to be managed in a day, with the ability to desire and keep learning.
The ability to make friends, but know or feel comfortable with a sales pitch and approach, but have a thick skin for the turndowns. An ability to multitask with flexibility that the whole day could change in an instant.
Do you work remotely or onsite?
These roles have a small portion of remote and a small portion onsite, but a majority of the hours are within your own territory of assigned hospitals.
Does your organization hire PT, OT, or SLP professionals into non-clinical roles? If so, what type of roles?
Business development and utilization review (UR) roles.
Editor’s note: You can also find all open positions at BridgePoint Healthcare on the private job board inside our Go Non-Clinical community, where members can contact hiring managers directly and get a head start on the application process.
What is a typical career path for someone in your Market Director of Business Development role?
My career path could be a higher level in business development, utilization review, or possibly a CEO role.
What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?
Probably a higher level in business development, such as a VP role.
What would you recommend to someone who is considering going into a role like yours? Do you have any special words of wisdom for the readers?
Find an avenue of entry and then learn everything you can about the business and industry.
What career advice would you give yourself that you wish you had during school?
In our career, it still is very difficult to get a foot in the door in non-clinical roles.
I do hope that is changing now, but I would’ve made a point to get my RN for this part of my career to have started sooner.
