Book excerpt: The Physical Therapist's Guide to Health Care is the simple, clear approach to understanding health care in today's changing environment. This book provides a strategy based approach to help physical therapists successfully manage change and meet the challenges of clinical practice in common practice settings. This essential text includes an introduction to health care that covers the basics of health care financing, health care reimbursement systems, cost containment strategies and referral services. Important issues covered in this book include trends in acute, subacute, home health care practice, outcomes management and prevention. Chapters include information on health care reimbursement systems and cost containment strategies, time and caseload management, documentation requirements, quality management in physical therapy, and the role of the physical therapist in prevention and wellness. Check out our new website dedicated to The Physical Therapist's Guide to Health Care. This innovative new website presents valuable up-to-date information as it becomes available. You can visit the site at ptguide.slackinc.com Dr. Kathleen A. Curtis is the winner of the “President’s Award of Excellence” for 2005 at California State University, Fresno