Northwest Therapy Resources PS, a Spokane Valley company that places physical-rehabilitation specialists in temporary assignments, has moved and now is sharing space and employees with Progressive Physical Therapy Inc., an outpatient physical therapy concern here.

Northwest Therapy now shares 2,800 square feet of leased space at 11915 E. Broadway, just west of Pines Road, with Progressive Physical Therapy, which also has moved. Since 2002, Progressive Physical Therapy had been leasing about 1,400 square feet of space at 321 N. Pines. Owner Kimberlee Hammond says it has three employees.

Northwest Therapy specializes in placing rehabilitation therapists, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, in temporary job assignments. Such short-term assignments range from four hours to a full week, at outpatient clinics, hospitals, and home-health agencies in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. The company also offers traveling therapists for longer-term temporary assignments, from three months to six months.

Northwest Therapy had been located at 601 S. Park , where it leased about 1,400 square feet of floor space, says owner Donelle Odren.

On average, Northwest Therapy places about eight to 10 workers a day, Odren says. The company has 28 therapists who work as employees and another about 15 professionals on its on-call list, she says. About 70 percent of the therapists are physical therapists.

Both Odren and Hammond say they've been friends for years, have worked with each other in the past as business owners, and wanted to "combine forces" to keep costs under control and keep their employees working. The two say they will be sharing employees, under a contractual arrangement.

The two businesses will maintain their individual business names and will continue to be owned separately, they say.