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For more information on business insights, physical therapy, sports medicine, and sports performance topics, tune into KIMEcast.

PROVIDER OF CHOICE: UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING THE CHALLENGE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE

In sports medicine, what does it take to close the gap between good and great? Of course the answer depends on sport, it depends on position, and when it doesn’t depend on the athlete or a team, it depends on the coach. 

“If you can’t appreciate the wholeness of someone’s pursuit, because you haven’t pursued and been a part of a team environment or a group environment, it’s hard to influence people, frankly,” says Russ. Oftentimes the coach or clinician who has practiced a sport at a Division 1 level or an Olympic level have the tools (experience) to make an impact on an individual and team. “It’s unbelievable, the speed of the game and the demands on the people,” agrees Tony. “If you haven’t been at that level of speed and competition, it’s really hard to recognize it.”

While education might incline clinicians and physical therapists to focus on training at a granular level–such as dissecting the correct hip rotation for a 30-inch vertical, for example–Tony and Russ argue that seeing an athlete as they are, and their natural level of accomplishment, is just as important. But to see that athlete in a big-picture sense, experience is crucial. “Look at the person in front of you,” says Tony, “and then optimize them for what they’re trying to do and what they bring to the table.”

To emphasize an athlete’s natural state, and to further develop their skill set based on their niche needs and goals, is a different approach to many existing evaluation models within the sports and physical therapy field. “A lot of the approaches in general [say] you have to move a certain way or do things a certain way, and that just isn’t true,” Tony reflects. “I’ve had too many guys that have scored an eight on the functional movement screen and have been a first round draft pick, and been in the league for ten years…I love the movement screen. I’ve used it for over 20 years. But if I was to just take the movement screen and say, ‘Oh, this guy’s a good athlete’…that’s not what it does.” 

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE:  A PROVIDER IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PLATFORM THEY WORK FROM

In sports medicine, a successful business model should be evaluated by how well a clinic can serve its patients–and a clinic can only serve its patients so far as it serves its own employees, which begins in the workplace environment. 

While, yes, there are countless processes and systems in place to ensure that clinicians and therapists feel supported in their respective journey’s, these structures are non-negotiables when it comes to preventing burnout and providing the best atmosphere possible for clinicians, which will in turn be felt by the patient. This might look like offering mentorship for the personal, professional, and financial corners of a clinicians life; it can be encouragement and ensuring adequate compensation based on performance (rather than seniority), and on the most basic level, understanding how to connect and engage with people. 

Mentorship: In past KIMEcast episodes, Tony and Russ discuss the importance of top-achieving clinicians being able to serve as role models to their fellow colleagues. Amidst reported numbers of therapists resigning before they even have the time to reach their prime, we are reminded that community within the office is the understated force to drive morale, and to encourage each department to reach a level of performance that they themselves aren’t able to see as part of their potential. In a leadership sense, this requires a level of dedication to one’s own team, a level of self-education and curiosity about what exactly motivates each individual, and real-world experience to apply your wisdom, and even to apply your own failures. Knowing what doesn’t work is equally as valuable as knowing what does. In consideration of the burnout rate and the percentage of people who are leaving their jobs after so few years, a leader who is able to educate their colleagues on how to adequately accept cash versus insurance, obtaining authorizations or note writing, helps to combat that burnout and that level of confusion or self-doubt that these newer clinicians might feel. As Russ says, “If you don’t enjoy a process, you tend to not stick with it.”

• Financial compensation: People need to feel honored on their professional journey, so a clinician’s salary should be reflective of their performance as opposed to their tenure. At KIME, there is an objective to shorten the amount of time that it takes for a clinician to be considered “tenured,” as it allows therapists to impact more people who are in need of these services. To do this, a clinic must develop a model where employees can obtain financial independence and have autonomy over their schedule–with these professional freedom’s clinicians feel valued. Paying someone what they’re worth further encourages them to dedicate themselves to their workplace, their community, and their own expertise. 

An immeasurable effect in cultivating an environment where people can thrive–from those in need of rehab care, to top-training athletes, to care providers–is one in which they feel seen for who they are, and recognized for their own skill sets. The employer and provider who has the intention to build personal connection offers their clients and their colleagues an unreplicable asset. 

Written by Franchesca Baratta

Contact franchescabaratta@gmail.com