hey team!
As we step into 2026, I want to take a moment to pause and celebrate the incredible journey we ’ ve shared. This team’s collective hard work, heart, and clinical excellence have brought us to this moment. If you haven’t seen it yet, I invite you to watch our 2025 Year in Review video.
Honoring Excellence
To kick off the year, we once again celebrate the heartbeat of our organization –people! Our 2025 Annual Team Winners. Please join in congratulating:
Tanja Hooper – Team Award
Kevin Minton – Progress Award
Lindsay DeLore – Employee Owner Award
Their dedication sets the standard for what it means to be part of the M4L family. You can find the full details of their inspiring contributions later in this newsletter.
Our Vision for 2026: The Strength of Our People
Our theme for 2026 is Building a Sustainable Future Through People, Systems, and Financial Resilience. While these pillars support our business, our primary focus is, and will always be, our people. We believe our greatest competitive advantage isn't a program, a platform or meeting a metric - it is having the strongest in the industry, supported. To honor that belief, our 2026 Strategic Plan is built on three pillars: Sustainability Through People: We are doubling down on retention and recruiting excellence and nurturing a true "Culture of Ownership." When we think and act like owners, we don't just work - we lead.
Technology-Enabled Support: We are committed to giving you the tools you deserve. By the end of this year, every employee and client will have access to Everflex, a tool that has already proven to improve patient outcomes and increase access to care. We are also fully integrating Paylocity to streamline new team member onboarding and enhance your access to your company benefits and information.
Financial Resilience: True clinical excellence deserves a solid foundation. By leveraging a confident payer strategy, we ensure the long-term viability of our mission. This financial health gives us the freedom to protect what matters most: our ability to deliver high-value care and providing a fruitful retirement for our team members.
Our Promise: Focus and Discipline
This year, we are making a unique commitment to you: No new initiatives. As we move forward, we will be disciplined. We aren't looking for the "next big thing" because we believe in the strength of what we have already built. Our goal for 2026 is to expand, fine-tune, and master our current operations. By eliminating the "noise" of new projects, we are prioritizing Sustainability and People.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our clients and to each other. Let’s make 2026 our most impactful, focused, and rewarding year yet.
With gratitude,
Kelly Sanders
the bright side
M4L Annual Awards
Please join in celebrating these amazing team members and a very specific kind of excellence. In any organization, there are those who stand at the front, and then there are those who build the foundation, bridge the gaps, and keep the engine running so smoothly that you almost forget how complex it truly is.
This year's awards truly honor our unsung heroes
These are the individuals who operate with quiet excellence. They are the architects of our infrastructure, the solvers of our complex behind-the-scenes puzzles, and the guardians of our data.
What makes the annual M4L awards so special is that they are a direct reflection of our team's voice. These three individuals were nominated by their peers, and the final selections were made by the team. With over one-third of our entire staff participating in the final vote, these awards carry the weight of a true company-wide "thank you."
TEAM AWARD - Tanja Hooper, Credentialing Manager
Awarded annually to an individual who consistently embodies the spirit of teamwork through their actions, communication, and collaboration with others, fostering a friendly, productive atmosphere that supports both colleagues and clients
PROGRESS AWARD - Kevin Minton, IT Director
Awarded annually to an individual whose work has been pivotal in moving the organization forward, particularly through initiatives that align with the company ’ s mission of flexible, early access to rehabilitation and proactive care
ESOP AWARD - Lindsay DeLore, Revenue Cycle Data Analyst
Awarded annually to an employee-owner who exemplifies ownership mentality, demonstrating accountability, initiative, and commitment to the company ’ s long-term vision to be a legacy company
Thank you to each and every person who submitted a nomination (we had over 50!) and also those that voted for the final award winners. So many amazing and deserving individuals were nominated! We are so lucky to have the team of people we do that make up Movement for Life!
the bright side
making headlines
Montana Fain, the powerhouse behind the "Golden Gains" program in the South Asheville clinic, was featured with her clients on the local ABC News outlet. Read the full story/watch the segment HERE.
PT on campus
leading the charge
Brian Tyler from the Stockton Hammer clinics represented the Northeast District in the CPTA Assembly of Representatives and championed AR, which passed in support of achieving payment for PT services in all practice settings that reflects value.
Brandon Weipert will be offering 8 hours per week of on-site physical therapy services on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, backed by the SLO Phillips clinic. Read more about this new service in the Cal Poly press release HERE.
on the mic
Our business development and marketing duo, Ryan Miller and Kalina Robles, were featured on Neil Trickett’s The Practice Marketing Podcast. Check out the episode HERE!
Residency Spotlight: The Road to Mastery is Better Traveled Together
At Movement for Life, we often talk about the "A for Ability," but our residents are the ones out there truly living it This month, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible clinicians currently moving through our Orthopedic Residency Program. Whether they are celebrating specialist status, awaiting board results or getting hands-on in the lab, these individuals represent the heart of our commitment to being the best in the business.
The "June Waiting Game": Sending Good Vibes to our OCS Candidates
The pens are scribbling and the laptops are whirring! Our 2024-2025 cohort Jayna Dever (Hendersonville), Alan De Vera (Morro Bay), and Lydia Rallo (South Asheville) are coming up on their OCS (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist) board exams this spring. Another BIG congratulations to Maeve Talbot (Falls Church) who tested early and passed with flying colors this past June!
We all know the mixed feeling of relief and anticipation that follows a major exam. While they’ve already been back in the clinic providing top-tier care, the official results for our remaining graduates won't be posted until June. When you see Jayna, Alan, or Lydia in the clinic, community or on a regional call, give them a high-five for their dedication We are so proud of the work you ’ ve put in!
Inside the Lab:
Jay and Ernesto Take on USC
Our 2025-2026 residents, Jay Hayward (Orcutt) and Ernesto Montoya (Indio), have been busy clocking miles and mastering techniques. They recently returned from their 3rd round of intensive didactic lab sessions at the University of Southern California (USC), our partner supporting our hands-on training throughout the residency
They didn’t just learn from the best, they worked alongside the legendary Joe Godges. Adding to the "homegrown" expertise, our very own Daniel McPherson (Clinician Scientist and long-time M4L teammate) was right there in the mix, assisting in the Upper Extremity Lab Daniel’s role in bridging the gap between complex research and real-world clinical application provided Jay and Ernesto with insights they could bring back to their patients the very next day.
Will You Be Part of the Next
Legacy?
Seeing the progress of Jayna, Alan, Lydia, Maeve, Jay, and Ernesto reminds us that the "M4L Standard" isn't just a goal, it’s a living, breathing tradition fueled by people like you. This residency is more than just a credential; it’s an invitation to transform your practice, sharpen your clinical "Ability," and join an elite tier of providers who are shaping the future of our profession.
If you ’ ve felt that spark of curiosity or a drive to go deeper into your craft, the door is open We covered everything from mentorship structure to application timelines during our Orthopedic Residency Informational Meeting on March 10th. If you can’t make it, the recording and materials will be shared via email to all our Physical Therapy Providers. Dive into those resources, talk to our current residents or Program Director Vince Kambe, and imagine where you could be this time next year
The path to mastery is ready, we ’ re just waiting for you to take the first step. Let's keep moving forward, together.
CSM, But Make It M4L
Our Talent Acquisition Manager, Mark Teague, took on the APTA Combined Sections Meeting this year and brought a few friends along: Bergie from Love Island USA and The Traitors USA, who is also a student PT, Kay Mastrocola known as @dpts_with_anxiety, and our own Taylor Leiby from North Asheville, AKA @courtandclinic.
CSM, hosted by the APTA, is the largest PT conference in the country, and we made sure our booth reflected us: welcoming, a little competitive, and very hard to walk past.
Between Truth or Dare, PT Hot Takes, nonstop conversations with students, and even some M4L face painting, it was a packed few days of connecting with future teammates.
Check out @teammovementforlife on Instagram for the highlights. More coming soon!
happy work anniversary!
happy work anniversary!
$3K RECRUITING BONUS
Given to anyone who refers a physical therapist to the recruiting team and is hired on at M4L vision
To transform lives through an unwavering commitment to proactive care that delivers more health and less healthcare from one generation to the next. core values ABILITY | ACCESS | ATMOSPHERE mission Movement for Life provides flexible and early access to rehabilitation, lifestyle support, and movement enhancement services delivered by a team of able professionals in a friendly atmosphere that prioritizes collaboration among our team, our clients, and the communities we serve. contact us! Do you have suggestions, comments or ideas for this newsletter? Something else you would like to see? Do you have something to share in the next issue? Photos to submit? Please email kelly.sanders@movementforlife.com We’re continuing to grow and are adding Physical Therapists to our team across multiple clinics. If you know a PT who would be a great fit for our