THE LOST ART OF COMMUNICATING
and we have to readdress these on our initial contact. That does take a little time and it can feel like we are filling in the blanks. One must understand the information we receive on these forms can make a significant impact on the way we will evaluate and treat you from day one. You see, we here at Appalachian Physical Therapy feel anything that has happened with your health has had an impact on your wellbeing. You might have experienced a broken arm when you were just a youngster and feel it really did not cause any problems later on in life. Maybe not however what about that rotator cuff strain you are experiencing right now or that tingling you are having intermittently when you grasp items? I could go on but I think you get the idea. A good history is very important in helping us figure out problems that “just happen” without a cause and effect. It is very important for you to come prepared to talk with us regarding your history of the problem or perceived problem along with your other health issues. Our bodies are wonderfully made and we understand the relationship when one part suffers, the whole body suffers. It is all related and you remember the song that states the leg bone is connected to the hip bone and so on. Everything is connected. You might get a physical therapist asking you questions while entering in data on their computer however they have had the talk that this should not be the main focus of attention. If they can have a good evaluation with you by asking questions, listening and then asking the next best question, then that is wonderful. Me, I am unable to do that. Call me old, seasoned or just too ornery to change. I prefer talking with patients face to face without having a computer to get in my way. Again it should be personal preference but the results are the same. You should feel like you are being listened to and experience a thought provoking conversation involving the physical therapist asking sometimes pointed questions to get to the proper place of making a decision regarding your plan of care (POC). Remember it is your POC and you should want to be involved in it. The less you are involved with it will result in less than desirable results; all the time. Communication is the key to successful treatment and completing your POC. Come prepared with your forms filled out so we can focus our time and energy on asking you pertinent questions regarding your issue. Your first day with us is your most important one as we sift through all the information to come up with the best way to treat your condition. Help us help you with listening, pondering and asking the next best question. Every day you are seen will begin with us asking questions and filtering out the important from ordinary information. When we have successfully communicated and reacted to this information, you will experience the very best in patient care. Thank you in advance for coming prepared to talk, listen, and ask questions as well as converse as we travel down this path of wellness. And just know there are other folks out there with the same name!
Communication is a two way street. It is a sharing of information from one person to another to have a better understanding of certain information. I know I have been in a place of talking to someone who was on a total different wave link than I was and it seemed we were just getting further apart. Heck, just this past week I had a situation happen tome that illustrates this perfectly.
We were having a webinar on shoulder pain since our face to face in-house seminars have been postponed to COVID-19. I was the moderator, the person who answers question in the background while the presenters go through the information online. Themoderator is able to communicate with a registrant one on one privately or involve a larger group communication such as giving out a contact email or reference that would benefit all. The moderator also gets to see everyone’s first name as they log onto the webinar. You need to know my wife Colleen who is also a PT, came by our office a few minutes before we started to get this webinar rolling and wished us good luck. She was going home to get on her computer to get some things done for a webinar she was organizing and presenting on a later date. A fewminutes into the webinar, I see a notice where Colleen pops up as a participant on our webinar. Dan, one of our employees helping with the webinar nods as I do when we recognize Colleen’s presence. I smile and being the devious husband that I am sent off a private note to Collen saying “hey baby”. I kind of smirked knowing that I had sent her a message that would get a response back. Nothing happened from that and a few minutes later, she asked a question regarding her shoulder. It was one that was open ended, not really specific in my interpretation and I just sent her another private message that stated the way to treat her problem was to come home and take a stiff drink and prop her feet up. Again nothing from her and later on she asked another question I thought was appropriate for sharing to the group and showed it to the presenter and had it answered that way. I got home about an hour later and asked Colleen why she did not respond to my comments and she stated she had not been on our webinar. OH MY GOSH!!! What did I say? I quickly figured out it was pretty innocent and could have been a lot worse. I mean a whole lot worse. Thankfully I was able to contact the other Colleen and get this all straightened out. Lesson learned. Know who you are speaking and communicating with face to face or virtually. When a new client comes into our facility, we all know we must get some baseline information. The usual medical forms need to be filled out and the better they are filled out, the better we will know what is happening right from the start. I get it that some of these forms are a pain and seem to be poorly organized. We are always looking at ways to improve these however most of them are not filled out properly
ARTWORK AT THE OFFICE Gayle has volunteered her time and talent photographing newborns and children for a program called “Hand In Hand” at the local hospital. In her spare time when not behind the camera, you can find Gayle spending time with her family or riding her horses. She and her horses compete in 30 and 50-mile endurance rides throughout the state of Virginia. She is married 35 years to her husband, Douglas and they have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Gayle and Douglas are members of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg and they live on their 30 acre farm in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with their sweet pup and 6 horses. View her website at https://gayledriverphotography.pass.us/gayledriverart/
HarrisonburgArtist: Gayle Driver, Digital Photography. In this body of work I concentrate on the facial expressions of my subjects (whether people or animals) trying to capture the emotion of the moment when my subject is looking directly at me. The eyes
Pinehurst Artist: Gwen Dumas. I graduated fromPeace College with an Associate of Art Degree and from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interior Design with a minor in Art. After college, I worked in commercial interior design for Raleigh Office Supply in Raleigh, NC and Design Logic in Asheville, NC. I have also had the opportunity to work as an artist for Camden Field, a painted furniture company in the mountains of North Carolina. Currently, I live in Whispering Pines, NC. I love art and wake up every day ready to paint. Pinehurst Artist: Sarah Hendrix. I grew up on a beach in Southern California with an artist for a mother. My first training was absorbing her knowledge of painting. She would call me to ask if I had seen the clouds that day or looked at the sunset. Through her, I learned to look at the beauty that surrounds us. My paintings aremostly landscapes and I lean towards seascapes frommy beach bum days. Over the years, I have taken instruction from various artists-including Frank Pierce, Mike Rooney and recently Connie Winters.
are windows of the soul… a phrase that I think about as I am working with my subjects. There is something captivating tome about looking directly into someone’s eyes and knowing how that person is feeling. When that person or animal starts to feel comfortable with me is when I can capture that special image. I focus my camera on their eyes and by adding a soft blur behind the subject helps draw the viewer into the detail of the face. Of the animals that I photograph, the dogs and cows have a special place in my heart. I love their interesting, unique faces and I try to show their sweet personalities in my photograph.
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