What's your role at Beatty Harris Sports Medicine and how do you help support our clients and patients?
I’m a physical therapist who treats patients with any orthopedic need - muscle, joint, tendon pathology, etc.
My overall goal is to look for functional limitations: Are there any weaknesses? Flexibility issues that may contribute to their pain?
I aim to get patients back to their functional level whatever that means to them whether it’s high-level athletics, lifting their grandchildren, or brushing their teeth.
What's cool is that I’m able to see patients referred within the practice and outside the practice (that are referred from outside physicians).
What’s your greatest moment — whether in work, school, business — so far?
Being able to build relationships with my patients. For example, I treated a 12-year-old that came back as a college athlete. The best part is remembering back when they were 12 and seeing how the relationship grew. The longevity of patient relationships is the best part.
What's your favorite thing about your job?
I love my job. I’m helping people every day even in the smallest of ways - strategizing the solution to things that have bothered them for so long and creating a path.
I emphasize patient education and use commonplace analogies so that patients can understand anatomy and physiology as it relates to their issue. For example, when talking about tendon and muscle issues we can compare the remodeling of tissue at the beginning of treatment to a garden that first needs to be tilled (stretching and massage) before planting the seeds (strengthening) and seeing growth (function).
What was the moment when you decided being a physical therapist was your calling?
I had a physical therapist that got me through a tough time in high school named Peter Clain. I needed shoulder surgery so I couldn’t compete my senior year but wanted to compete in college. To get back to that high level of function, it wasn’t just the physical therapy but the individual that helped me recover. The real moment was realizing I wanted to be that person for others.
How is this experience different from any other physical therapist experience you have had?
Beatty Harris Sports Medicine marries the autonomy of what I love about physical therapy with the collaboration of an in-house sports medicine team. I make independent decisions about my patients’ care but when I have a question, I have direct access to their charts, their notes, and their physicians right down the hall. The patients really get 360-degree care.
What characteristics do you feel are most important when looking for a physical therapist?
My top 3 would be an active listener, someone with a good skill set in manual therapy, and empathy.
What motivates you in life?
My family is #1. I’ve always considered myself to be someone that’s self-motivated but there has to be an external source of motivation when you’re not feeling it that day. For me? It’s my family.
Where can someone find you on a day you're not working at the office?
Hanging with my family - I have 3 kids, a husband, and a dog. At a park, sporting event with the kids, or the beach.
What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
Where the Crawdads Sing. I’ve also recently read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban to my kids - that was a good one.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
Currently - my Peloton! I use the app every day using some sort of workout - even meditation, yoga, and stretching. *Where’s my sponsorship, Peloton?!