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We are a proud to be North America’s largest rehabilitation supplier, providing industry leading solutions and products to our customers. It’s our mission to enable the journey to recovery, helping our customers and their patients feel good, perform better, and live their best lives. To do that we seek to employ creative methods and strive to provide innovative resources. We love to see our customers do the same.
In this article, we want to highlight Shawn Burger PT, DPT, CSCS and the strategy he utilizes in his practice. Burger is the owner and chief director of patient experience at Joint Performance Initiative (JPI), a private practice outpatient clinic located in Roseville, CA. The following is his outline of how JPI takes a unique approach to occupational and physical therapy.
From Shawn Burger PT, DPT, CSCS
I've been asked recently what we are doing differently at Joint Performance Initiative compared to other outpatient private practices (OP-PPs). Some of these questions have been operational based, while others have been more clinical. Let’s get into it!
1. We are intensely focused on orthopedic musculoskeletal conditions involving primarily joints. In most OP/PPs, it's typical for 60% or more of a caseload being spine related conditions. At JPI, our caseload is 95% or more treating shoulders, knees, hips, elbows, ankles, etc. We train better, we learn better, we are focused on becoming the best in this CORE area. Think about it? Would you go to a surgeon who does surgery on every area of the body, or do you want to go to the surgeon who specializes in shoulders and knees if you need it?
2. We are focused on acute over subacute conditions, from the nonsurgical to post-surgical. We recognize that chronic pain is important, but similar in focus to orthopedics, we recognize what we are best at and what should be referred to other great providers in the region.
3. We decided from day one that we are an insurance-based practice. This is important because there are clinics that prioritize cash-paying clients, so there can be conflict in vision and operations when pivoting between cash and insurance. We certainly can take cash, but by focusing on insurance, we have been able to negotiate contracts on a fee-for-service basis (FFS). This is very important.
4. We define physical therapy differently than most, so we can prioritize what's best for patients. We see the role of PTs as that of a conductor of an orchestra: they lead the musicians but don't play every instrument. We know that it’s impossible to be great at all things, so we leverage the greatness out of our team.
Our PTs assess, do manual therapy, direct the orchestra, which consists of athletic trainers and certified conditioning specialists to progress exercises; we utilize chiropractic, massage therapists, and we have persons who are trained in gait analysis, isokinetic assessments and many other areas. We simply put our patients with the right person at the right time in their journey! Because we bill FFS, we are not burdened by bureaucratic rules that affect many other providers. This allows our team to be more focused and our patients to achieve their best outcomes.
5. Most patients are onsite for over an hour! Why mention this? Why is this important? Because we believe it takes an hour or more to deliver all the components needed for proper outcomes (yes, there are exceptions). If you’re in/out of another OP-PPs in 20 minutes or less, it’s because the focus is not on the patient.
6. We provide multiple modalities, meaning we have lots of toys and the latest technology to augment therapy sessions. (Modalities is a whole post for another day!)
Case Example
Just recently, we had a runner come in with recent heel and planter foot pain. Within 20 minutes of arrival and initial examination, we were able to:
- Apply laser - 4 min
- IASTM (tooling) - 2 min
- Radial Shock Wave and soft tissue work - 4 min
- We then were able to add HEIT modality - 10 min
- Gym Exercises - 10 min
- Boost Reduced gravity Treadmill running - 10 min (pain free)
- Forced AIR Cryo-cold - 3 min
Patient onsite a total of 1 hour and received all this care on their 1st visit. This is the fun and difference we have been able to create at Joint Performance Initiative.
Burger is just one of so many therapists making strides in the industry to offer innovative care to patients. The products are just the beginning in the course of care needed to enable recovery. We deliver them to the point of care, and amazing healthcare workers take it from there.
If you have a story of innovation that you’d like to share with us and our audience, please reach out to communications@performancehealth.com.
All photos used for this article attributed to JPI.
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided on this site, including text, graphics, images, and other material are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
