Back at the Hospital & an Archive Photo

I left the hospital around 2.5 years ago to open my PT clinic and have loved every moment. There has been plenty of outpatient clinic business for A Balanced Approach and I've been able to carve out a niche in Kodiak for the treatment of neck, pain, back pain, women's health and childbirth education/doula work.

Last week I got a phone call from a local hospital administrator asking if I could do a few hours of physical therapy in acute care. Lately the physical therapy clinic at the hospital has been short staffed. I agreed, and said yes to 6 hours a week. I have enough business to not take the hours, but for a short term situation, I felt I could-and should-help out.

So this week I donned my Providence Physical Therapist badge and returned to the acute care floor to help patients with strength, mobility and ambulation. Acute Care physical therapy is a whole different scene than what I have been doing for over 2 years, so my mind has had to shift gears a bit.

At A Balanced Approach, I primarily see clients for pain (neck and back, largely), stiffness, some deconditioning. People walk into my clinic and I spend 45 minutes with them in a treatment room doing manual therapy, or sometimes exercises. Its very different from working with patients who have multiple medical conditions, and I must check with the nurse before evaluating them. Being away from the hospital acute care from these past 2 years puts into perspective what a challenging job acute care is. It makes me really appreciate the nurses and staff who do that work on a daily basis-on a medical surgical floor. It is a hard job.

Its felt good to do the inpatient work. Partly because I enjoy the staff up there. I know many of them from before when I did acute care at Providence. And I also know some of them from my doula work.

Occasionally I miss the camaraderie of working with others as a team. However, my office manager, Winona, and I have such a great time at A Balanced Approach--she and I laugh lots and we are an efficient duo in running the business. Its a good feeling. To have such smooth teamwork in running the business. And to have a good time as well! As a therapist, I feel much more productive at my own clinic.

The photo I posted was from early 2000's at Providence. At a dinner out at the Chart Room Restaurant. Good times.

Zoya