Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that this summer will mark our tenth anniversary! As I reflect back over the years, I am reminded of how, together, we have transformed every challenge and/or change into an opportunity. That is certainly true for this past year.
The decision to divest the downstate region in June was one of the most difficult, and yet most disciplined, decisions of my career. The subsequent feedback from our downstate colleagues has been positive as they now have more local support. More importantly, it has afforded us the opportunity to focus solely on our communities across the thruway in Upstate New York.
Lots of exciting things are happening! Today, we are an organization of 75 incredibly dedicated professionals serving nearly 340 patients daily in eight locations from Buffalo to Saratoga. The acquisition of Championship PT in July expanded our presence in Central New York leading to a new strategic partnership with the YMCA in Manlius. The Buffalo clinic which opened in late 2013 established itself as a leader in the downtown market.
I am extremely proud of our collective commitment to living our values each and every day. Here are some of our accomplishments as a “values-driven” service provider:
- Superior Clinical Care: We added online continuing education training through Medbridge for all clinicians. Internal mini-courses were offered on the shoulder and knee. And every market was represented at a weekend course presented by internationally renowned, Stu McGill.
- Professional Integrity & Ethics: We continued to be invested in comprehensive compliance auditing and are already prepared for the ICD-10 conversion.
- Outstanding Communication: We are a leader in social media with nearly 1200 followers on Facebook. Our weekly blogs share valuable information with the general public.
- Respectful, Courteous Service: The newly formed FAST team provided valuable support in our commitment to providing the best service at all levels.
- To provide Effective, Evidence-based treatment: Latest research is reviewed and discussed on our monthly journal club calls and is regularly shared internally.
- Service in a Friendly, Ethical Atmosphere: A smile, a hug or a cup of coffee are part of each clinic culture. And our Saratoga clinic was recognized as the best PT practice in Saratoga.
- Patient Confidentiality: We invested in new computers with advanced security measures and improved operational efficiencies.
- To Have Fun: We enjoyed a company-wide summer picnic and holiday celebrations in every region.
Our mission clearly points to the compassion that makes this organization special. We continue our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. Examples include food and clothing drives at the holidays, therapeutic yoga (Buffalo), education open house (Rochester), Fleet Feet presentations to runners (Syracuse), and Sportsmetrics (Saratoga) – just to name a few.
Sports PT is unique in its focus on professional growth opportunities through regular clinical, leadership and administrative trainings that led to multiple promotions in 2014. We continue to promote the physical therapy profession by involvement in the APTA at the national, state and local levels as well as through our extensive student affiliation program. Our clinicians represented Sports PT at national and regional conferences.
As we look forward to this year, we will be guided by three main principles. We will employ strategies to improve reimbursement and reduce operational costs. We will fully recognize our expertise and educate others to see us as the first stop in the patient care continuum for most musculoskeletal conditions. And we will deliver results through a framework of “Love, Serve and Care”.
Sports PT is proud of its high standards. It is not easy. We are open long hours, on most holidays, and Saturdays. We are committed to living our values to serve – through exceptional teamwork and unselfish dedication to our customers. Thank you all for making that a reality! This will be an exciting year! The sky’s the limit!
With gratitude,
Lynn