Anniversary Q&A
We asked our owner, Ida Hirst a few questions about how Physical Therapy Specialties came to be. Here is what she had to say: Q: What inspired you to start Physical Therapy Specialties? Ida: I was fresh out of school and eager to make a difference in people’s lives. I was very disappointed in the care patients were receiving at the first places I was hired, and started dreaming about how I could make the quality of PT better for the patients. My husband told me I should start my own practice, but I was intimidated by the responsibility of owning a business. I have always put my “all” into anything I do and after some time, I realized that I would take on this responsibility anyway…whether it was for my employer or myself. With a little more encouragement from my husband, I took the leap and started a practice.
Q: What is different about Physical Therapy Specialties?
Ida: That’s hard for me to answer because I have been practicing here for so many years. I can however share the philosophy of care that we have adopted here at Physical Therapy Specialties:
• We believe a person shouldn’t need medication every day for pain.
• Just because you are older doesn’t mean you have to be in pain.
• Physical Therapy doesn’t have to hurt.
• You have options OTHER THAN surgery and medication.
• Our bodies want to recover and need to be given the opportunity and environment to do so.
• Education: Teach so that a person has tools forever.
We have always been a very patient-oriented, hands-on practice. I have been blessed to have other physical therapists and assistants join the practice that are not only highly skilled and intelligent, but also share this philosophy so we can provide compassionate, high quality PT that gets results, often very quickly for our patients. Q: What’s next for Physical Therapy Specialties? Ida: Every year brings new changes and challenges, but we would like to remain independent and easily accessible to patients looking for natural ways to feel good and to stay active. In California, people have the ability to directly access PT without first seeing their doctor, so I would like to keep providing education to the community about ways they can help themselves and natural options for recovery or improvement. Q: What else would you like to share? Ida: It makes me happy to see the smiling faces of our patients as they come and go, all in various stages of improvement. I feel grateful for the opportunity to serve our community, to work closely with the physicians in our area, and to meet so many wonderful people along the way.
www.pt-specialties.com
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