It’s no secret that our people are what make us special. But don’t take our word for it — see for yourself. We’re giving you an exclusive deep dive into our travel therapy division so you can learn what sets our travel therapy team apart from others in the industry.
Division Deep Dive: Q&A with Travel Therapy Recruiters
Meet MacKenzie
Adventure seeker. Sports enthusiast. Puppy parent. These are just a few ways to describe Fusion Medical Staffing therapy account manager MacKenzie Pickett. Let’s meet MacKenzie.
Megan Bebout: Hey, you! So, you’ve been a member of our therapy team here for five years — what’s the most unique or interesting travel therapy assignment location you’ve ever found for a travel therapist?
MacKenzie Pickett: Hi, yes! I love this question. The most interesting assignment location I’ve found for a traveler is for sure Alaska. I’ve been able to have more than eight travel therapists there and each one has had a different experience. From deep sea fishing, hiking the mountains, or seeing the Northern Lights, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like, how COOL are these views (featuring one of my traveling occupational therapists Alaina)?
MB: Ugh, incredible. To say I’m jealous is an understatement. Can you share a funny or unexpected experience one of your therapy professionals encountered while on a travel therapy assignment?
MP: One of the reasons I love being a travel therapy recruiter is getting to know travelers on a more personal level. I formed an AMAZING friendship with an occupational therapist (OT) of mine, Anne, that completed six travel assignments with me. While Anne was on contract, she got engaged and I was lucky enough to get an invite to the wedding! So, I drove from Omaha to Minnesota one weekend to meet her for the very first time after she walked down the aisle. We ended up dancing the entire night and it truly felt like we’d known each other our entire lives. Fast-forward to February of 2023 and I visited Anne and her new hubby in Chicago!
As a bonus, I met another one of my amazing travel therapy professionals, Rachael, when she was also doing an assignment close by. First comes travel, then a wedding, then a baby! In July of 2023, I was invited to attend her baby shower for a beautiful baby girl who arrived in October 2023! It’s safe to say another trip to meet this sweet new babe is in my future.
Connecting with my therapy travelers is one of my favorite things about being a travel therapy recruiter. I’ve made some pretty great lifelong friends doing so!
MB: That’s so special! I love when work besties get promoted to real-life besties and it’s so great that you have that with your travelers and them with you. To wrap up, can you walk us through the process of how you match a travel therapist with their ideal destination? Is it more of an art or a science?
MP: Ooh. Honestly, I think it might be a bit of both. I really try to get to know the travelers I work with, what they like, what they don’t, etc. The more I get to know them, the better recommendations I can give to find them the perfect work-home balance. I’m here to make their travel therapy career adventures everything they want them to be, so I guess I’m an artistic scientist!
Fun facts about MacKenzie
⭐She tries to visit one new city or state each month
⭐MacKenzie bartends during her free time
⭐She’s a big Shania Twain fan
Erika, PTA, at your service
A high energy, team player passionate about movement and nervous system regulation — you may have a lot in common with Fusion Medical Staffing therapy recruiter Erika Marron. Not to mention the fact that she’s also an experienced physical therapist assistant (PTA). Here she is, Erika, PTA, at your service.
Megan Bebout: Hey, Erika! Thanks for chatting with us. To dive right in, if you could trade places with one of your travel therapists for a week, where would you go and why?
Erika Marron: Hello, I’m happy to share! I would go to Hawaii...because it’s HAWAII. I’ve never been and have always wanted to go! To me, it seems like the definition of “work hard, play hard.” The weekends would be all things outside, food, ocean, hiking — all the warm vibes. It’s a bucket list location that I would love to swap a traveler for!
MB: Retweet! How do you tailor your services to meet the unique needs of each individual travel therapy professional?
EM: Being a therapist myself, I can speak the language and understand the traveling therapist, which gives me a unique position to advocate for them from this side of the desk. And that’s my favorite part of the job!
I know how it feels to smash your lunch and document at the same time, to leave your work shoes in the garage because you’re not sure what’s on them from that day, to feel naked without your name badge, to tap into your creative mojo every day under pressure, and to enjoy both the gig and the small moments with patients.
I treat each traveler as a separate entity with separate goals and ultimately seek what aligns best with their priorities and their why. I get to know them as a person and a therapist first before we even talk about travel therapy and what’s next. I meet them where they are throughout their journey and modify my approach from there based off of what’s important to them.
I also send personal details and pictures of myself and my family with milestone emails to humanize and personalize the process to establish a partnership and put a face to the voice on the phone.
MB: I love that you share personal photos and milestones — that’s amazing. Ok, last question! What’s a myth about the role of travel therapy recruiters that you’d like to debunk?
EM: So, the myth is that recruiters lie all the time to tell you what you need to hear in order to take the job we want you to take. And that’s simply not true.
Here’s the truth: it’s our job to know what the market is doing, what hot jobs/clients are, and educate travelers accordingly to their benefit. That being said, honesty and transparency are the best policies. Lying is a convoluted snowball effect that only gets hit by karma coming back around. We don’t do that here at Fusion Medical Staffing.
Fun facts about Erika
⭐She played two years of junior college softball
⭐Erika cooks her best meals with a glass of red wine in hand and Frank Sinatra serenading her through the speakers
⭐She’s been married to her best friend, Josh, for 10 years and they share three spunky daughters
Introducing Mike
When we think of “travel therapy team OG” at Fusion Medical Staffing, we think of Mike Flynn. Creeping up on his 10-year work anniversary, Mike has been driving us toward success since 2014. Without further ado, introducing therapy account manager Mike!
Megan Bebout: How's it going, Mike? Thanks for being here! Can we start with you telling us what makes our travel therapy department so special?
Mike Flynn: Our travel therapy department is special because we have a handful of teammates who have been in the division between five and 10 years. Collectively, we have over 60 years of therapy industry knowledge, making us one of the most experienced travel therapy teams in the country!
We’re different from other companies because of our loyalty to our team and travelers. We have recruiters and account managers that want to work here, and we have some of the best direct clients in the country that only want to work with us at Fusion Medical Staffing. Even better, we have travelers that have worked with us for years and years because of the loyalty of our therapy team!
MB: What a flex! What made you want to be part of our travel therapy department?
MF: So, I came from a competitor in town where I worked in travel therapy recruiting for almost four years. When I interviewed here, I really appreciated the loyalty of our internal therapy employees. We have a solid team that works extremely hard and that makes me feel really special. You don’t see that in a lot of companies, and I am so grateful for our team.
MB: You’re so right, it is hard to find that level of loyalty and camaraderie in other workplaces. Ok, final question — can you share a memorable traveler story?
MF: I had a traveler who took a job in Western Colorado on a whim, and then fell in love with the location. The next place on her bucket list was Hawaii, so we got her a job there. She took the job in Hawaii and her boyfriend met her there to propose. After Hawaii, they went back to Western Colorado, and now they’re married with a kid! I felt I was a big part of all that because of my influence on the job.
Fun facts about Mike
⭐He’s been married to his wife, Pamela, for 16 years
⭐Mike enjoys sports, taking walks, and working out
⭐On the weekends, you can find him playing games or watching a movie with his wife and two daughters
Frequently asked questions
How much experience do I need to start traveling?
The best part about being a physical therapist (PT), physical therapist assistant, speech language pathologist (SLP), occupational therapist, or occupational therapist assistant (OTA) is that you can hit the road right after you receive your valid state license!
Related: How Much Experience Do I Need to Apply for Allied Health Travel Jobs?
Even better, when you start traveling with us, we’ll pair you with an experienced travel therapy mentor to help you transition into your first couple assignments.
“Fusion Medical Staffing works with several new grad-friendly facilities in all settings that welcome new graduates with open arms,” said MacKenzie. “We also offer a mentorship program to any physical or occupational therapy new grads!”
Can I choose my Fusion Medical Staffing recruiter?
If you have a recruiter’s name in mind that you’re dying to work with, let us know and we’ll do our best to connect you two. Otherwise, we’ll take the time to get to know you before matching you with your travel therapy recruiter.
Related: What Healthcare Travelers Love About Fusion Medical Staffing Recruiters
By chatting with you and understanding your preferences, goals, and personality, we ensure you’re paired with a travel therapy recruiter who’s on the same page as you. This helps build trust and communication with you right off the bat and sets the stage for a successful partnership. No matter what, we make sure you’re in good hands.
What are the benefits of traveling with Fusion Medical Staffing?
From great travel therapy jobs to day one insurance to mental health resources to retirement investment matching to comprehensive health insurance, there are loads of benefits to traveling with us. But what truly sets us apart are our people.
“Our recruiters are the best because we’re fun, and very down to Earth and approachable,” said Erika. “We want to invest in you. We want to have those conversations and really get to know you so we can ensure that your priorities are aligned and we’re doing justice to you.”
Plus, we won’t pass you around to multiple recruiters depending on your assignment location, specialty, or any other factor. Instead, you’ll keep the same recruiter as your main point of contact throughout your entire travel therapy career with us.
“My recruiter is an incredible asset to the company,” said Fusion Medical Staffing traveler Melissa. “I always feel as if he has my best interest at heart. I never feel like I work ‘for’ Fusion Medical Staffing, but rather ‘with’ Fusion Medical Staffing!”
It’s our mission to ensure everyone we touch has a better life, and that starts with making sure you have the support, tools, and resources you need to do what you do best: make a positive impact.
Being a traveling therapy professional isn’t just about work — it’s a lifestyle that blends your passion for movement and healthcare with the excitement of discovering new destinations. From travel occupational therapist jobs, physical therapy travel contracts, and SLP travel therapy jobs, our travel therapy jobs will help you enhance your skills, collaborate with diverse allied health professionals, and experience growth along the way.
