DECEMBER 2023
THE PTSMC OCTOBER MANAGEMENT MEETING
On October 26th and 27th PTSMC’s leadership team came together for our annual meeting. We spent the better part of two days sharing information and discussing the opportunities and challenges facing our people and organization. This is one of three annual meetings where we are all together, in person, with the goal of making PTSMC better. The agenda is generally jam packed, and this year was no exception. The “pre-read” series of documents was 56 pages in length!
For the first time, two EMR companies were invited to present to the group. WebPT leaders presented on SOAP 2.0 and representatives from PROMPT demonstrated their platform. Back in June, we hosted Raintree during our mid-year meeting. These appear to be the “big three” currently providing EMR & Billing and Collection platforms in the outpatient physical therapy market. The reason we are spending time evaluating these products and services is straightforward: Does any product or provider make our clinician’s life better? Can anybody deliver on the promise of reducing the administrative burden associated with documentation? As you might expect, each has strengths and weaknesses. The decision to change EMRs is not taken lightly. Even staying with WebPT means a platform change to SOAP 2.0 eventually. Input from staff is extremely important. Thank you to all who have participated in testing and given feedback thus far. A survey will be sent to all clinicians and front desk staff to continue the feedback process. Mallory Mason (Director of Culture & Engagement) and I presented on the “B” word: burnout. We took the opportunity to dive deeper into our lowest scoring statement from the Energage survey, “PTSMC cares about preventing burnout.” We began with understanding the term burnout: work-related and personal causes, differences between stress and burnout, identifying signs and symptoms. We reviewed the common comments and themes related to burnout from the Energage survey and turnover data of clinicians who left PTSMC. Finally, we shared a collection of insights from discussions over the last six months about what Partners & Directors said about their staff and burnout. This opened the floor for the group to discuss techniques being used every day to help support our people.
Mike Durand (VP of Business Development) proposed a change to the PT Incentive Program. The decision that “vacation is not a punishment” was unanimous! Effective for dates of service in October, bonus calculations will be “pro-rated” to reflect approved vacation time. In the early afternoon, Melissa Boutagy (Clinical Compliance Officer & Guilford PT), Juliann Chacko (Student Program Director & Orange Assistant Director) and Danielle Dunn (Director of Clinical Excellence and Residency Program & Wallingford PT) presented as the Clinical Ops Team. These leaders shared how Compliance, the Student Program and Clinical Excellence are working together for our people at PTSMC. Partners and Directors worked in small groups to discuss and give feedback on how this clinical team can continue to add value. Later in the afternoon another dynamic team presented. Jenn Detlefsen (Director of Billing), Kristen Forster (Director of Operations) and Alison Pearce (Director of RCM) shared the latest developments in Patient Services Operations and Revenue Cycle Management (RCM). First, Partners and Directors were challenged to create the Revenue Cycle! Then, we dove into each step of the cycle. We reviewed the factors that impact each step, that delay the cycle, and areas where we can influence improvement.
IN THIS ISSUE Clinician’s Corner by Matt San Angelo Southbury Physical Therapist Assistant Swimmer’s Shoulder Upcoming 2024 Courses Employee Spotlight: Ted Raczka Branford Partner & Director Employee Assistance Program The Extra Mile: The Loyalty Loop By Kristen Forster
DEI: November DEI Forum By Marilex Santiago Ugly Sweater Contest
After the formal portion of the day concluded, it was time for a little fun. We boarded a bus to Golf Lounge 18! We had reserved the golf bays for some BRAGS contests and open play. Not everyone is a golfer; however, everybody jumped in! We shared some adult beverages, appetizers and a lot of laughs! Energage Comments Summary We ate dinner as a group at Arugula in West Hartford center. On Friday, 7:00 AM seemed to come faster than normal. We spent the next block of time debriefing and discussing the pros and cons of Raintree, WebPT and PROMPT. The last of our time together was spent in “Regional Clusters” working though the pre-read materials. Personally, I look forward to these meetings every year. I always learn when I am with this group. I am also reminded of how deeply this team cares about our people and the communities we serve. Thanks,
Interested in planning, improving or contributing to the PULSE in 2024?
Alan
Congratulations to PTSMC’s Next Class of Orthopaedic Residents!
Join us on December 6th at 11:30am for a meeting on how to make the PULSE the best it can be. To attend the meeting, email Emily at Emily.Fillion@ptsmc.com. Can’t make the meeting? We still want your input! Send an email to Emily with your ideas.
Leah Cummings Orange PT
Xavier Gibson Naugatuck PT
Justin Marceau Wallingford PT
Emily Pelz Waterbury PT
Mike Popolizio Glastonbury PT
CLINICIAN’S CORNER Swimmer’s Shoulder
By: Matt San Angelo, PTA Physical Therapist Assistant at PT for Life Southbury
Due to our clinic’s position in Southbury, I have found myself drawn to treating athletes, as we tend to get swarms of high school athletes from the local schools as well as college athletes when they’re home for breaks. Our office has seen plenty of sports related injuries, ranging through many sports: soccer, football, baseball, softball, gymnastics, basketball, running, lacrosse, field hockey, swimming and diving, volleyball, and more recently cricket.
well. Sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius and levator scapulae stretches can also help decrease tension on the affected limb and neck. A side lying thoracic rotation stretch can bring on great stretches and improve mobility to everything that’s tight in the trunk region.
Strengthening should be the focal point for all of the trapezius muscles, the rhomboids, the serratus anterior, triceps, and latissimus dorsi. Creating more Beyond working at PT for Life, I also happen to coach high school swimming! stabilization at the scapulae and bringing on an improved muscle balance I’m now six years into being the head coach of both a girls and boys swim and should be one of the goals for these types of athletes. Examples of common dive team. It’s a very busy schedule from August to March, but it’s something I exercises we tend to prescribe to this type of injury: theraband rows and open truly enjoy, and I get to work with a fantastic group of kids. Being at this books, bent over rows, serratus wall slides, serratus push ups, wall clocks, intersection of these two jobs, I see plenty of overuse injuries, mainly shoulder medball circles on a wall, weight or theraband tricep extensions, prone I’s, T’s, pain from repetitive motions aka “swimmer’s shoulder.” and Y’s on a physioball. Mix in some rotator cuff strengthening, mainly focusing on the supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres, is also a good call. Swimmer’s shoulder can involve any of these diagnoses: an impingement Start with isometrics if needed, then progress to isotonics, keeping the created by repetitive overhead activities, a labral tear, or a rotator cuff motions pain-free. tendinopathy. Additionally, the athlete could have a ligamentous laxity around the glenohumeral joint or a muscle imbalance leading to the pain or Combining those stretches and exercises can yield some very positive results. dysfunction they are experiencing. Commonly, we’ve seen athletes with over Rest and time out of the pool would be ideal; however, the swim practice and performing pectorals and biceps, which lead to weak triceps and posterior competition schedule can be brutal between high school, college or club scapular musculature. The serratus muscles are generally weak and don’t offer swimming, so it does get hard to convince high level athletes to take the time much support, while the upper trapezius compensates to achieve the off that they need. Encouraging regular icing to counter inflammation and necessary motions. Most often, poor form while swimming thousands of yards pain can help, as can kinesiology taping to pull the shoulders back into a more a week tends to contribute to this type of overuse injury. regular position. Fortunately, the school has a great athletic trainer, and she is more that ready to throw tape on a kid before a practice as long as they A good stretching program becomes necessary for this diagnosis, as there’s a supply it. There are ways to continue participating in swim while one has this good chance there is a forward shoulder and neck posture at rest due to the diagnosis. Usually, it involves modifying a practice or stroke to decrease compensation and repetitiveness of a swimmer’s stroke. Any type of pectoral overloading the affected limb, such as using a kick board or avoiding one or a stretching is welcome, whether it be in a doorway or on a foam roller. A foam few of the four strokes entirely. roller is excellent for this condition as it can help mobilize the upper spine as Overall, swimmer’s shoulder is a nagging, overuse injury that can be addressed with various treatments before surgery is even considered. A good stretching and strengthening program can go a long way in helping these athletes stay in the pool and to compete at their desired levels. Rest with a good home exercise program is ideal, but not always possible with one or two a day practices, six days a week. Educating the patient on monitoring symptoms and ceasing activity when the pain levels begin to increase is also beneficial.
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE Upcoming Courses NEW PTSMC SPONSORED COURSES Myopain Dry Needling 1 Foundations I: January 12-14, 2024 Myopain Dry Needling 2 Foundations II: March 15-17, 2024 Myopain Dry Needling 3 Advanced: May 17-19, 2024 Use the link below for all Internal, Sponsored and External course information: https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/fl/sXMiXA6tMr/Clinical_Excellence_ Email ConEd@ptsmc.com with any Clinical Excellence questions.
Congrats to Vlad Smolgovskiy! Congratulations and welcome to Vladimir (Vlad) Smolgovskiy, West Hartford PT, to a new PTSMC position, Residency Program Coordinator! As the PTSMC Orthopaedic Residency Program grows, Vlad steps into this position to assist with providing residency mentorship, curriculum review and support to the program. Vlad has been instructing in the residency program’s three semesters (Upper Extremity, Spine and Lower Extremity Semesters) since 2021. He has also been providing mentorship sessions to the residents assisting them in advanced clinical reasoning and reflection on their clinical care delivery. Vlad graduated from University of Connecticut in 2017 with his DPT and completed an orthopedic residency program in 2019 through Select Medical before joining PTSMC. Vlad is a board-certified orthopedic specialist, certified dry needling provider, certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified in blood flow restriction rehabilitation. He also serves as an adjunct professor at University of Hartford. Vlad will continue his role as a PT in the West Hartford clinic, while splitting time as the Residency Program Coordinator.
COMING IN 2024... The Clinical Excellence Team is in the process of scheduling and contracting courses for next year. Here’s what’s on the docket.
DOCS Program Internal Courses • Lumbar • Upper Extremity • Lower Extremity
Sponsored Courses
• SMT 1: High Velocity Low Amplitude Thrust Manipulation of the Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, & Sacroiliac Joints (AAMT) • Return to Sport • Clinical Management of the Fitness Athlete (ICE)
Once dates are finalized they will be emailed out to all clinicians.
CASE DISCUSSION & JOURNAL CLUB All meeting are 12:00-1:00 pm on TEAMS. There are no dates in December. Upcoming CD dates: 01/09, 02/06 Upcoming JC dates: 01/23, 02/20 Click here to view the 2024 schedule: https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/fl/sXMiXA6tMr/Clinical_Excellence_
HUMAN HUMANRESOURCES RESOURCES
New Employees
JOB OPPORTUNITIES ATHLETIC TRAINER Essex
PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Eliza Chekas Windsor PSC
Kathy Esposito Guilford PSC
Ruby Jahner Southbury PT Aide
Dylan Love Simsbury PT Aide
Avon Danbury Groton Guilford Lock St New Haven New London Newington Southington (part-time) Windsor
PATIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR Groton
Olivia Lund New Haven PT Aide
Allison O'Brien Authorization Representative
Anthony Vignola Middletown PT Aide
Acea Ali Shaham Waterbury PT Aide
Nathan Steinberg Windsor PT Aide
Not Pictured Amanda Akerley, Waterbury PT Aide Kendall Davis, Plainville PT Aide
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) Provided by UnitedHealthcare Are personal problems affecting your day-to-day at work? Are you struggling with focus and performance at work? You are not alone. Personal problems can affect the lives of employees both at home and at work. When life’s events become challenging, we would like to remind all employees involved in Life Insurance about our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which can provide support such as life advice and professional counseling, stress management, crisis intervention and more. This confidential service is available to all employees, dependents and family members at no cost. If you are referred to a treatment resource beyond the EAP, UnitedHealthcare will help you locate providers covered under your medical insurance plan. Typical issues addressed include the following: • Unlimited telephonic assistance on common employee/workplace issues • Life advice and professional counseling • Caregiving • Balancing personal and professional life
PT AIDE
Danbury Essex Fairfield Groton Guilford Middletown Plainville Putnam Simsbury Southbury Westbrook Windsor
PRACTICE LIAISON Admin
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE REPRESENTATIVE Admin
• Divorce/marital problems • Depression and Anxiety • Stress management • Crisis intervention • Childcare and Eldercare
The PTSMC EAP is provided by UnitedHealthcare and is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Call: 1-888-887-4114
Westbrook
• Eating disorders • Gambling addiction • Financial services • Legal services
Check PTSMC.com/job-openings for our most up-to-date postings, and feel free to share! Call Karen or email at Karen.Havlicek@ptsmc.com if you are interested in a position.
e
loye p m E
SPOT LIGHT Ted Raczka Branford Partner Director By Caty Mulligan, Sports Medicine Coordinator & Human Resources Coordinator Ted Raczka, Partner & Director of PTSMC Branford, has had a big year- starting with the clinic’s move to a new location and recently becoming a dad! Let’s jump back in time to when Ted was first introduced to PTSMC during his graduate career. After a clinical rotation in New Orleans, a last-minute opportunity led him to return to Connecticut and begin his rotation with PTSMC New Haven! With oversight from his clinical instructor who specialized in vestibular rehabilitation, he worked closely with many vestibular patients. Upon graduation from the University of Hartford, he accepted a position with PTSMC and initially split his time between the New Haven and Branford clinics under the direction of Fred Havlicek (New Haven Partner & Director). Part of Ted’s long-term goal had always been to become a Partner of a PTSMC clinic. In October of 2018, the opportunity arose for him to take over the Branford clinic. Ted successfully grew PTSMC Branford and just a few years later, to continue to deliver on the best quality care, it was time for a newer and bigger space. The clinic moved into a new location in August of 2022. Ted described that the new space has been great because of the open layout and how it allows for a more cohesive clinic environment. He explained that for the clinicians, it makes treatment smoother and more efficient to see the patient from the moment they walk in the door. For the patient, it’s much more welcoming to be greeted by the front desk staff and the clinicians rather than sitting in a closed off lobby area.
Ted expressed his gratitude to his staff and how they’ve grown and developed over the years. He shared that they each play a role in making the clinic function smoothly and without each of them, things just would not work! To speak to their success, Ted was the Clinical Instructor (CI) for two of his current clinicians, Amy Demers and Colin Ketchel, during their student clinical rotations. Now physical therapists at Branford, they are both CIs and are taking DPT students themselves! The holiday season will be extra special for Ted and his wife Madison as it will be their first time with 5-month-old daughter Amelia. This new chapter in his life of managing the clinic and being a dad has been a learning curve. However, it’s also been the most rewarding. He describes Amelia as a happy, easy-going baby who loves to smile and be held. She will be the star of the show at family get-togethers this year! Ted grew up in Middletown and his family has remained local. In fact, he now lives in the same neighborhood that his parents grew up in, so they don’t travel far for the holidays. His family enjoys gathering and sharing a very relaxed Thanksgiving packed with food and football. Amelia has already been introduced to football in a big way- as her parents are season ticket holders for Army West Point football! She’s been to quite a few tailgates this fall. During the summer Ted likes to spend his time by the water. Depending on the season and ever-changing New England weather, downhill skiing and mountain biking have become some of his favorite hobbies. An annual tradition with his friends, Ted plans a March ski trip to Colorado and takes frequent day trips to Maine. As winter quickly approaches, Ted is looking forward to hitting the slopes again!
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Raymond Seward Kendall Davis Alan Balavender Kamilla Dompier Olivia Smith Danielle Butsch Shyanne Metzger Meagan Hoffman Cory Wolski Dominique DiBiaso Elmer Galvez Mallory Mason Liz Miller Melissa Walton Samantha Aldrich Anna Montgomery Kyleen Sidwell Michelle Linicus Jen Ashman Rob Bass Naomi Rascati Juliann Chacko Nathan Panico Emily Pelz Jenna Hancock Alyssa Griffo Lauren Vitola Mike McGowan Emily Clegg Bryan O'Neill Ayesha Malik Christine Raffone Scott Cameron Michele Zemaitaitis Kilah Mendes Mary Clark Ally Hickey Chelsea Wadle
1 1 4 4 4 5 5 5 8 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 13 14 14 16 16 18 18 21 23 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 28 30 30 31 31 31
Guilford Plainville Admin Middletown Watertown Lock Street Putnam Westbrook Avon Fairfield Lock Street Admin New London Watertown New Haven Southington Putnam New London Simsbury Middletown Wallingford Orange Westbrook Waterbury New London East Hampton Orange Windsor East Hampton New Milford Southington Authorization Team Westbrook Admin/Groton New Haven New Haven Watertown Westbrook
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Liz Miller Katelyn Mogelnicki Bianca Tata Celia Debrocke Jessica Owens
Megan Boswell
Physical Therapist PT Aide PT Aide PT Aide Patient Services Coordinator PT Aide Physical Therapy Assistant Physical Therapy Assistant Physical Therapist Patient Services Coordinator PT Aide
Jane Rosadini
Occupational Therapist Guilford
Ayesha Malik Heidi Bridge Mariah Rasmussen Jaclyn Skirkanich Paige Gomez
New London Newington Newington Newington Orange Southington Westbrook Westbrook Westbrook Windsor Windsor
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Engagement & Wellness Calendar
Ugly Sweater Contest
DECEMBER
Get ready for PTSMC’s 7th Annual Ugly Sweater Contest... Dress in your best (or worst) holiday fashion and the PTSMC extended community will decide which clinic had the “best” looks. The winning clinic will receive a morning of their favorite breakfast treats. Clinics will each choose any day before December 22 to dress up. Submit a group photo, and pictures will be live on Facebook from December 22-29. The photo with the most engagement (reactions, shares and comments) will be donned the winner. Pictured is last year’s winner, Wallingford!
Holiday Food Drive
Join in this special PTSMC tradition to give back to and serve our local communities in need.
For 2023, PTSMC is setting the goal to donate 3,200 items! Once you have designed a Food Drive Leader, local group your clinic will donate to, and timeframe for collection, the designated leader needs to complete this survey with donation information: www.surveymonkey.com/r/PTSMC-holiday-drive-2023
Color flyers will be made specific to each clinic’s collection and mailed so they can be posted in the Welcome Center and around the clinic. Email or call Mallory Mason at Mallory.Mason@ptsmc.com with any questions.
PTSMC Holiday Food Drives: November & December Ugly Sweater Contest: December 1-22
JANUARY Well-being Theme: Prioritize Yourself Annual Routine Physical Raffle: Jan 2 - Feb 16
DEI
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
NOVEMBER DEI FORUM
By Marilex Santiago, DEI Lead & Administrative Coordinator In November we hosted our first DEI forum. The purpose of the forum was to review the PTSMC DEI commitment statement that our Partner & Directors and Admin leadership developed. It was important to give our employees the opportunity to comment, discuss, edit, and ask questions about the commitment statement before it becomes final. The forums were a great opportunity for employees to share their feedback on what the commitment statement means to them as well as communicate diversity, equity and inclusion topics they would like to see action on. Initial thoughts and questions about the commitment statement: • Overall participants of the forum are happy with the statement – we had a few working and grammatical edits that are being reviewed. • What are PTSMC action steps towards the commitment statement? • How will PTSMC hold all employees accountable to the commitment statement? • Would like to see the commitment statement shared externally as well as internally. • Seeing as the word “unique” is used in the commitment statement, will we be looking at areas like dress code to allow employees to express themselves? • How can we get employees involved in discussions to share their perspectives? Areas forum participants would like to see action: • Getting out into the community • Are there ways we can show support and safety for the LGBTQ+ community in the clinics? Ideas were: • Safe zone training and safe zone stickers • Ally flags • Additional training for treating transgender patients • Inclusive language – paperwork, translation services, resources and training when we have patients who are Limited English Proficient (LEP). Participants were also asked what their preferred frequency of forums would be and all groups agreed at least 1x/month would be preferred. So many great thoughts and ideas were brought to light. We will continue forums with the next one being in January. The topic for January is Ideas & Actions for 2024. We would like to hear from you on what DEI topics you want to see action on for the new year. If you have any questions or ideas and cannot make a forum please contact me at Marilex.Santiago@ptsmc.com.
The
Extra MILE
HALLOWEEN 2023
By Kristen Forster, Director of Operations I had the privilege of attending the APTA Private Practice Section conference in early November. The keynote speaker presented on the “Loyalty Loop.” It struck me that it sounded an awful lot like PT for Life! In the competitive landscape of private practice physical therapy, patient loyalty is a key factor in long-term success. The McKinsey Loyalty Loop outlines the stages of customer loyalty: consider, evaluate, purchase, enjoy, advocate, and bond. In physical therapy, ensuring a seamless patient experience is vital at every stage. Front desk staff, being the first point of contact, play a crucial role in supporting the McKinsey Loyalty Loop.
EAST HAMPTON
ESSEX
LOCK STREET
NAUGATUCK
NEW HAVEN
ORANGE
Building a Positive First Impression: Initial Consideration & Initial Active Evaluation Stages The loyalty loop begins with the consideration and evaluation stages, where potential patients are exploring their options for physical therapy. Front desk staff can create a positive first impression by being welcoming, attentive, and knowledgeable. Clear communication about the services offered, appointment availability, and the expertise of your physical therapists sets the foundation for a strong patient-provider relationship. Efficient Appointment Scheduling: Moment of Purchase Stage The purchase stage involves the decision to commit to our services. Front desk staff should streamline the appointment scheduling process, making it easy for patients to book sessions that align with their schedules. This includes providing flexible options, accommodating urgent appointments when needed, and ensuring efficient handling of administrative tasks such as insurance verification. Personalized Patient Experience: Enjoy & Post Purchase Experience Stages During the enjoy stage, patients experience your services. Front desk staff can enhance this stage by personalizing the patient experience. Greeting patients by name, remembering personal details, and offering a comfortable waiting area contributes to a positive and memorable encounter. Additionally, clear communication about the treatment process helps manage patient expectations, fostering trust. SOUTHINGTON
WATERBURY
WETHERSFIELD
Collecting & Utilizing Feedback: Advocate Stage The advocate stage involves turning satisfied patients into advocates for your practice. Front desk staff can actively seek feedback from patients, gauging their satisfaction and addressing any concerns promptly. Positive feedback can be leveraged in testimonials or reviews, showcasing the success stories of patients who have benefited from your physical therapy services. Facilitating Continued Engagement: Bond Stage The bond stage is about fostering long-term relationships with patients. Front desk staff can support this by proactively engaging with patients, following up on their progress, and ensuring that they feel valued beyond the completion of their treatment plan. Offering educational resources and maintaining open lines of communication results in patients staying engaged and choosing us as their PT for Life!
Watertown
Westbrook
PTSMC Happenings!
!
UPCOMING PTSMC
EVENTS DECEMBER
December 3 New Haven Christopher Martin’s Christmas Run
JANUARY Tom the Turkey (Tom Kirsch, Avon Partner) made an appearance in the Avon clinic to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Andrew Perazella (New Haven PT - on the right) said goodbye to his most recent student, Jack, who is currently attending Quinnipiac.
January 1
Guilford Frosty 5k
Are you participating in an event?
Reach out to Emily.Fillion@ptsmc.com
Wallingford is hosting a shoe drive with Sneakers 4 Good. They are still collecting clean, wearable sneakers.
New Haven enjoyed a staff outing at Bear’s in New Haven.
Employer Services attended the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Region Conference. Jeff Sheridan, Injury Prevention Specialist, and Shelby Pocius, Employer Services Specialist spoke with business owners about how they can create safer workplaces.
OCTOBER MANAGEMENT MEETING
Danielson was a part of a light parade and participated in the trick or treat down main street in Danielson.
Did you miss the November monthly video?
President Alan Balavender was joined by Heather Marsoz, Middletown PTA, to talk about the annual food drive, Middletown's "Thankful Wall," and supporting our communities.
PTSMC HIGHLIGHTS Kenny Markwat, Essex PT Aide, got into PT Assistant school at Naugatuck Valley Community College.
Congratulations to the following PT Aide who completed the SIPTA (Skills Introduction for PT Aides) Program: Stephanie Capito, Fairfield Kendall Davis, Plainville Kyle Kortick, Lock Street Andrea Pezzimenti, Fairfield Erika Ngan, Wallingford Liam Vander Wyk, Lock Street
StriveHub Fab 5 “LOVE THEM !!! Extremely polite and professional. I really want my mom to start going here. They really want what's best for their patients and they want the patients to feel better, get stronger, healthy and happy.” - Shelton “Both my wife and I have been patients there. We have been very impressed by the staff and their willingness to help in any way they can. Quinn (McAnaney) was our therapist. He listens well to everything we say. He will adjust our plan as needed always making sure we are ok. My wife is back to walking 10,000 steps daily with no pain. I am 8 sessions in after my surgery and can see improvement already.” - Guilford
Social Media
CATCH UP BLOG POST
“Brittany (Kearney) is excellent in every aspect of her position. She clearly likes what she does and the people and organization she works with. She is professional to the core and passionate in her approach to client/patient needs and recovery. Bravo! Keep her as long as you can because it’s pretty clear she is going to fly!!” - Westbrook “My physical therapist, Amber (Manville), is a caring and highly skilled professional. I especially appreciated how she listened to me and then offered comprehensible explanations and solutions. Patient education is so important and she is exceptional. The facility is welcoming and all staff are kind and efficient.” - Southbury
Reel
“I've done PT in the past at a different location, and I really felt like there wasn't much interest in getting me back to normal as opposed to keeping me around as a client for insurance payments. PTSMC is much different. There is a definite interest in getting me back out to being active as soon as possible.” - New Milford
Brittany Kearney, Westbrook PT, filmed a reel about how PT can treat headaches.
LINKEDIN ARTICLE We shared our first article on LinkedIn: “Open Kinetic Chain Exercises & ACL Reconstruction” by Jen Ashman, Simsbury PT. Make sure to like and share!
Channing Harwood, Plainville PT, and Marilex Santiago, Administrative Coordinator & DEI Lead, married in Ireland.
Follow PTSMC on social!
ENERGAGE COMMENTS SUMMARY
631 COMMENTS 377 POSITIVE 254 IMPROVEMENT
POSITIVES
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
The positive comments reflect these themes that make PTSMC great and are worth celebrating!
The comments for areas to focus on for improvement can be summarized in the following themes.
Company Culture & Team Collaboration:
• Strong camaraderie and team spirit. • Inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for staff and patients. • Collaboration among different departments and clinics.
Flexibility & Work-Life Balance:
• Flexibility in scheduling and support for work-life balance. • Open communication and approachable supervisors. • Positive impact on personal and professional growth.
Patient-Centric Approach:
• Focus on patient care and individual needs. • One-on-one time with patients and attentive staff. • Emphasis on improving patients' quality of life.
Positive Work Environment & Appreciation:
Clinic Operations:
• Concerns about patient load, documentation demands, and the impact on patient care. • Issues with double bookings and high patient volumes affecting quality of care.
Compensation & Benefits:
• The need for increased pay and better health insurance options
Supervisors & Leadership:
• Desire for improved communication from supervisors. • Feelings of not being valued or respected, and desire for better acknowledgment and appreciation for contributions.
Communication & Accountability:
• Constant appreciation for the work done. • Supportive coworkers and positive feedback from patients. • Inclusion in meetings and transparent communication.
• Challenges with a lack of accountability and communication between departments. • Desires for a more inclusive decision-making process and better adherence to company values by all.
Professional Development & Support:
Technology and Administrative Support:
• Opportunities for continuing education. • Supportive supervisors. • Growth opportunities and clear communication about the company's direction.
• Constant issues with WebPT system, billing, and collections. • Desire for better utilization of technology tools and improved IT and administrative support.
Thank you again for making PTSMC a Top Workplace in CT for 13 years running! Your comments and feedback have helped us continue this streak for so many years.
ENERGAGE COMMENTS SUMMARY BURNOUT
These bullets represent the most common comments related to burnout.
Experiences that can lead to burnout:
Experiences that counteract burnout:
• Number of double bookings, increased time with evaluations when necessary, reduced number of max evals allowed in a day, and adding blocks for documentation time when needed. • Better hours for working and less pressure to overbook therapists. • Late hours; quick turn arounds • More control over my schedule • Overbooking and understaffing at certain points of the day. • Not enough time to document; Time to complete notes so we don’t have to do them at home; The excessive and ever-growing documentation demands; no scheduled time for documentation requiring paperwork being done on personal time. • Caseload can be too much at times making me feel as though I'm just going through the paces rather than have the opportunity to take the time needed with each individual patient.
• Flexibility/full autonomy over my schedule, great work life balance. • Being treated fairly, autonomy, professional growth. • My director is always encouraging me to take personal time. • At least once a week, my supervisor asks how I’m doing; shows interest in my life outside of work. • 2 patients an hour is a wonderful to show caring about less burnout. Other companies that book 3 - 4 patients an hour is not sustainable.
I
MY JOB BECAUSE…
This word cloud represents the words/phrases most frequently used in comments in response to the statement “I love my job because...” The larger the word the more it was used!
BRAGS 2023
Allyson Melillo,
Remote Services Coordinator Bragger: Anonymous
I don’t think Allyson Melillo gets bragged about enough! Do you know she does it ALL!? Verifications, Authorizations, and head of balancing where she is doing a rockstar job at them all! Allyson will jump into any department that needs help. She is someone that can do the workload of 2 people in an 8-hour day and honestly none of us knows how she does it! A true team player all around and I know I am truly grateful for her!
Drew Coisson,
Physical Therapist, New Haven Bragger: Anonymous
Drew works hard every day and ensures each patient is getting the care they deserve, as well as keeping the office in a fun & lighthearted mood.
Emma Graham,
Patient Services Administrator, Westbrook Bragger: Amanda Baldwin
Emma proves time and time again that she is an amazing co-worker and PSA. She is always trying to understand the best way to support us as a clinic and always willing to help. I have had the pleasure of working with Emma for a couple years now and I am beyond grateful for her patience, kindness, and understanding. She truly improves the office in a variety of ways and for that we are all grateful. THANK YOU EMMA!
Jack Pearce,
Senior Virtual Operations Coordinator Bragger: Stevie Fell
Jack consistently goes above and beyond in every aspect of his role. He is not only great with patients, but also in how he supports his team and the VPSC department!
John Allen,
PT Aide, Newington Bragger: McKenzie Daniels
John has really stepped up recently. He doesn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand throughout the day whether that be with the phones, patients, or even training new aides. Thank you John for what you do to help out PTSMC Newington!
Kate Riotte,
PT Aide, Middletown Bragger: Jacky Severance
Kate has been an awesome addition to our PTSMC family in Middletown. She is wonderful with our patients, kind and caring. Kate is very organized and efficient and stays ahead of the schedule to keep things running as smooth as possible. She has also taken on the task of growing our social media presence, which has been super. Kate is thoroughly a dream to work with!
Kristen Forster,
Director of Operations Bragger: Emily Fillion
Kristen is always extremely helpful, responsive, and positive. She always responds immediately to any questions I might have. I look forward to whenever we get to work together, as she is a great teammate who gets things done while keeping a great attitude and encouraging collaboration.
Stevie Fell,
Float PSC & Customer Experience Trainer Bragger: Christine Raffone
Stevie really is the "jack of all trades" and I vote for that to be her new title :) She will jump in for anything ANYONE needs. She will answer questions, answer calls, jump in for verifications, jump in for authorizations, run reports, sit on meetings, send important emails, help balancing, train PSCs, follow up on anything that needs to be followed up, innovative; always trying to be ahead of the curve and come up with new ideas and always trying to save visits/money, all while trying to get patients seen and cared for. The last few months have proved I would be lost without her! Thank you Stevie for all you do! friendly face to greet you when you walk into our Admin office! I am glad she is part of our PTSMC family!
Theresa Nolan,
Customer Service Representative- YHP, Lock Street
Bragger: Anonymous
Theresa puts 110% effort into all of her tasks, always doing things by the book and following protocol. I can depend on Theresa to get all of her work done and it is accurate. She will step in to help when needed, without even being asked!
THANK YOU FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR PATIENTS AND COWORKERS, AND DELIVERING ON THE PTSMC MISSION EVERY DAY!