The following post is also provided on Harrison Vaughan's blog site - In Touch Physical Therapy Blog

I have been fortunate over the years to have fantastic mentorship from clinicians, both in the clinic and through formal education.  It is even one of my "5 L's---Lean" that I have written about in the past.  I find that mentorship, or apprenticeship, is a key component of clinical care that is lacking in our current clinical education system and even more when entry level DPT students graduate.  Granted, the residency and fellowship programs have blossomed over the years, but not everyone is at the financial or family state to go that route.

I continue to strive for more knowledge and gain insight from others, younger and older than I am.  I really enjoy continuing to mentor DPT students and current DPTs in my clinic.  It is a passion of mine and we both, as well as the patient, gain from this experience!  

I know others outside my clinic seek out mentorship, either in their clinic or social medium. I  see cases written on the DPT student Facebook Page and other social mediums asking other professionals opinions on diagnostics and treatment options for difficult cases.  Therefore, I know it is a continued need in our profession. 

I am now introducing an E-Mentorship Program that I am providing digitally.  It is something I have wanted to provide for awhile, but never got around to do it.  Here are the basics:

• I plan to run it just like I would with a DPT student, entry-level clinician or fellow in training----no gimmicks, not selling "an approach", or formal lectures through powerpoint---but straight up clinical mentorship with cases that you are seeing right now.   
• My entire career so far has been in a rural environment treating chronic pain and spinal conditions.  No offense if you see mostly post-op (as I don't...), so not interested in mentoring TKAs---but I specialize in the assessment and treatment of headaches, dizziness and all spinal conditions----the ones that YOU will be the primary clinician for as not appropriate for surgery and want to get off of medications.
• If you want lecture format and an 8 hour day course---go to a weekend con ed course.  This will be simple hustle and old school apprenticeship --- just in a modern environment that is now available digitally compared to having to be in the clinic with you.

If you would like more information, visit my E-Mentorship Program page and/or contact me at harrisonvaughanpt@gmail.com or call at 919-728-003

Interested in live cases where I apply this approach and integrate it with pain science, manual therapy, repeated motions, IASTM, with emphasis on patient education? Check out Modern Manual Therapy!

Keeping it Eclectic...

Subscribe to our mailing list and get the free ebook - The Rules of the Reset

When patients are seeking treatment in an oversaturated health care market, wouldn't they choose the place that has the best outcomes? 

Who would you choose?

This is the key for physical therapy to thrive in healtcare reform and the answer to ONE THING question is 

SUPERIOR RESULTS COMPARED TO OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Can you get your patients better, faster, in fewer visits, for a cheaper cost as compared to standard health care?

I recently had the opportunity to lecture at the Florida Physical Therapy Association Student Conclave at Florida International University.  I was very excited for this opportunity to educate and inpsire the PT students about the future of physical therapy and how we can thrive in health care reform.  I also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Sharon Dunn, the APTA president, who actually attended my lecture along with two other APTA Board of Directors.  My goal was to educate the students about future trends in healthcare, the current status of physical therapy, and what we need to do to survive and thrive in the future.  The students asked lots of questions and were very engaged so I thought it was a very postive response.  Dr. Sharon Dunn and the two Board of Directors came up to me after my lecture and both congratulated me on a great presentation.   Dr. Sharon Dunn actually gave me props during her keynote lecture, which caught me off guard and I was truly honored, stating she loved my lecture and that "Ron Miller said it best in a presentation earlier, I believe in physical therapy".  She further stated the importance of evidenced based practice, decreasing practice variance in physical therapy, and for us to show proven short term and long term outcomes that is supported by research.

The main point is, through all of the heath care changes, practice act limitations, decreased reimbursement, poor business strategies,lack of public awareness, lack of marketing knowledge, etc:  we need to have superior outcomes as compared to standard healthcare and other healthcare practitioners!  This will allow us to overcome and hardship or future limitations.  Physical therapy outcomes, in patients that are best fit to respond to physical therapy treatments, needs to exceed physician outcomes, chiropractic, massage therapy, personal trainer, podiatrist, etc.  all other fields of healthcare.

What can you do as a Physical Therapist to make sure you show superior results compared to standard care.  This is what I recommend to new PT graduates.

1.  Get good quick

Find a mentor.   Find a physical therapist that is doing exactly what you want to do and has the advanced training.  Make sure that the mentor is willing to spend time to help review research and to teach you clinical decision making and manual therapy.

If you do not have a mentor then I recommend to complete a residency or fellowship.  This will get you good real quick.

2.  Identify all of the problems with standard care and provide answer to them

See healthcare from the eyes of a patient.  All of the waiting periods to see a physician.  the waiting peroids in the office.  seeing the physician assistant when you wanted to see the physician.  going into a clinic with LBP and being diagnosed with .........(wait)..........ready.........LBP.  The double and triple booking with other patients.  Identify these problems with the patient experience and provide and answer for each one

3.  Make your patient experience far superior as compared to the standard

This is simple, especially as a private practice owner, make your patient experience far superior than standard healthcare.

Regardless whether you own a cash based practice, work for an insurance based practice, work for an hospital based system, when it comes down to it, for Physical Therapy to thrive in the future, you have to show superior outcomes compared to standard care and other healthcare practitioners.

So the main point of this blog is as we go through health care reform that we must show superior results with our patients compared to standard health care.  If we can do this, then physical therapy will continue to thrive in the future of healthcare.

 Are you in the right position to show superior outcomes compared to standard healthcare?  

Have you taken the right advanced training to show great patient outcomes?

Are you in the right system to allow you to do what is best for your patients?

What do you feel we need to do to thrive in the future of healthcare?

Regards,

Ron

Owner of Pursuit Physical Therapy
email:  pursuittherapy@gmail.com

Owner of CashBasedPhysicalTherapy.org

Adjunct Faculty of University of Central Florida

Subscribe to our mailing list and get the free ebook - The Rules of the Reset

I had a new blog reader of just 1 month fly all the way down from Southern California for 3 mentoring sessions this week. Here are 5 of his questions along with my answers.

via McKenzieMDT.org

A transcript of my mentor's acceptance speech at the 2011 AAOMPT Conference.

I have been nominating him every year since I became a member of the AAOMPT! I owe most of my success to him. He mentored me in fellowship while I was studying at University of St. Augustine. He brought me on as faculty at D'Youville College when he left, and then again at Daemen to teach in the undergrad DPT program, and as a mentor for the MDT and Daemen Fellowship in OMPT programs. I use him as a model for success, ethics, and work ethic. Congrats Ron!

A copy of Daemen's press release: 

Daemen College is pleased to announce that Ron Schenk, PT, Ph.D., has been chosen as the recipient of the 2011 Kaltenborn "Teach I Must" Award. Schenk is Dean of the Division of Health and Human Services at Daemen College. 

            Dr. Schenk earned his BS degree in Physical Therapy and MS degree in sports medicine from Ithaca College. He completed a residency program in orthopaedic manual physical therapy through the Gulf Coast Graduate Physical Therapy Institute and earned his Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo. 

           The American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists Executive Committee (AAOMPT) and Professional Development Committee chose Dr. Schenk for the 2011 Kaltenborn Award.  This award is given to recognize an outstanding instructor in an APTA credentialed clinical fellowship in orthopaedic manual physical therapy.  It is a testament to the impact he has had on students and the promotion of orthopedic manual physical therapy in clinical practice.

           Daemen Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael S. Brogan said, "This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the impact Ron has had on students and the promotion of orthopaedic manual physical therapy in clinical practice."

           Dr. Schenk will receive his award at the AAOMPT Annual Conference on October 28th.