By: Ben Peterson, PT – Chief Operations Officer, Partner
Two months ago, I never would have imagined the situation we currently face. As a practicing physical therapist, business owner, and parent, there has never been a time in my life where so much has changed so quickly. And beyond the speed and frequency of change, this pandemic brings a striking impact in its reach. It is nearly impossible to find anyone who has moved through these last few weeks unaffected by COVID-19.
And while this situation has brought countless challenges, today I want to share our commitment to excellence and the opportunities we see during this time.
Physical and occupational therapists have been deemed “essential” by our government authorities and our team at ARC Physical Therapy+ remains committed to you.
We recognize our obligation to serve patients and clients during this time, above our own needs. But we also recognize that keeping our doors open potentially exposes our patients and staff to additional risk. As we constantly weigh the risk of transmission with our responsibility to care for patients, we consistently look toward our mission: “To be a catalyst of change in the marketplace by redefining “Excellence” in healthcare.” And we ask, how we can redefine ‘Excellence’ during this pandemic?
To us, redefining excellence during this time means…
We are committed to keeping our doors open to allow our patients to receive the in-clinic care they need. To execute an open and operational business in an ‘Excellent’ way during this pandemic, we have implemented great changes in practice and protocol to keep our clinics as safe as we can. This includes:
- Screening all employees and patients daily
- Sanitizing and disinfecting our equipment, waiting rooms and doors
- Providing face coverings for staff and patients
- Ensuring safe social distance by spacing out people within our clinics
- Spacing out appointments to ensure less people are in our clinics
Read more about our commitment to your health and safety here.
We are serving as a catalyst of change in the technological front of telehealth therapy. Both physical and occupational therapy can now be offered through our secure, telehealth platform (learn more here). We have been able to bring high-quality, and creative, care into the homes of our most at-risk populations, individuals who may already be in quarantine and even members of lower-risk populations who can effectively be supported via telehealth, thus reducing the risk of exposure for many of our patients. Although we know in-clinic care is optimal, patients can still receive high-quality one-on-one therapy from the safety of their homes. As therapists, we have been pleasantly surprised with what we can do through this technology and our patients have been pleased with the experience as well.
We are doing our part to ensure we stay connected to and support our communities. During this time when many of our community members are working from home, or have been removed from their work completely, and social distance seems to create isolation, we are reminded to look to our neighbors with support in mind. I believe one of the biggest lessons we will learn during this challenging time is the reminder to be intentionally connected. With jobs, kids at home, and resources in limited supply, everyone has a full plate. However, I am reminded to look to others needs before my own and to eliminate “busyness” as an excuse. The more we support, care for, and reach out to one another, the more our community will thrive in the face of this challenge.
Albert Einstein said, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to move into opportunity. To move forward in the technological space. To educate our team. To re-evaluate the best way to support our partners and patients. And to look for creative and supportive ways to serve our communities.
Thank you for your support of ARC Physical Therapy+ and our people. Please let us know how we can better serve and support you during this time. We are all in this together!
