In 1999, we began with one small New York City office, and two employees.  Now we have twelve offices spanning the NYC metro area, with more than 45 physical therapists. 

Anniversaries are a time to look back – at the choices we’ve made and reflect on the good decisions and the mistakes.  It is also time to plan for the future.

If you look back to the beginning, why Recovery Physical Therapy even came into business, you’ll see the first good decision in a long line of great choices.  RPT started on the premise that this would be a company owned and managed by physical therapists.  Each Director has ownership in their facility which means that decisions are made from a clinical perspective and not by an accountant crunching numbers in a back office. 

Additionally, our President and CEO, practiced physical therapy in NYC for more than 20 years and understood that when patients are treated by licensed physical therapists patients heal faster with better overall outcomes.  He made the decision that licensed physical therapists would treat our patients.  Quality of care comes first. 

When I first came to work for RPT in 2003, our CFO took me on a tour of all six of our facilities.  As the day wore on, I started to panic, thinking I had made a big mistake. Each office was only treating a few patients at a time.  In my mind, clearly RPT was not doing well.  You see, I had previously worked at a competitor and physical therapists were constantly being pushed to see more patients in an hour, so I was used to offices loaded with patients. But not RPT.  It was quiet and calm in each office, one patient per physical therapist at a time.  It was just a different way of doing business.

We’ve also expanded with the same, “take our time” approach.   Each of our offices is strategically placed, based upon physician and patient feedback, as well as extensive research.  Instead of just blanketing the metro area with offices in order to “grow”, we’ve made decisions that make sense – such as, opening our Wall St office at 6 AM to accommodate our financial district patients to offering weekend hours at many of our “neighborhood” facilities.

Have there been missteps along the way?  Absolutely.  We’ve made some wrong hiring decisions, opened an office in an area that didn’t work out, and had to deal with our share of growing pains. Are their downsides to our philosophy?  In terms of volume, sure.  There are some insurance plans that we can’t participate with in-network simply because we can’t handle the number of patients that could potentially come our way. All in all though, the good far outweighs the bad.  We are blessed with a great leader, fabulous people, and loyal patients. 

Jim Cardone, our President and CEO, brings not only experience and expertise to the table; he has integrity and is an amazing leader.  He gives people what they need to succeed; he’s open to new ideas and supports our staff in all ways.

Our physical therapists are the best.  They are not only highly skilled practitioners, but they care about their patients’ recovery and treat them with highest level of attention. 

Our front desk staff greets our patients with a smile while untangling ever-changing insurance coverage and issues.  Kudos too, to our corporate staff who keep it all together behind the scenes.

Most of all, we are most grateful to all of our patients who have become like family to us.  We’ve watched many of you go on to achieve amazing things, like running a marathon after a debilitating injury or climbing to Mt Everest’s base camp.  Thank you for coming back again and again and for referring your friends and family to us. 

And to our physician partners, we look forward to continuing to provide the highest level of care that you’ve come to expect from us.  Thank you for believing in us.

 As we look ahead to the future, there will be bumps and bruises along the way but as long as we stay true to our core values, the future is limitless.

I recently finished the last batch and after sorting through hundreds of responses (and deciphering some chicken scratch writing), I was reminded of the integral role our physical therapists play in a patient’s life.  I have been a patient myself, so I know first-hand how PT can make a difference.  On a day to day basis however, my interaction with the physical therapists is on a completely different plain.  These surveys remind me what makes Recovery Physical Therapy truly extraordinary – their hands-on care, professionalism, knowledge and concern.

Our physical therapists are focused on positive patient outcomes, but most importantly, they care about their patients.  They want them to heal and get back to the activities they love.  Patients are treated with ‘hands-on’ care, kindness, warmth and laughter.

In terms of results, most of our patients are “very satisfied.” There are always helpful suggestions and sure, there are those select few who complain about everything.  (I’m convinced that they are put on this earth to make us better.)  But what always strikes me (especially when I’m somewhat crossed-eyed and covered in surveys) is the heart felt comments, handwritten praise and “thank you’s.” 

Let’s face it, no one wants to be in physical therapy.  It is not a something you choose to do. like personal training.  It can be painful and time consuming.  You may be there because of an injury, as a last resort before surgery or post-surgery.  But it works.  And it works even better when you are treated by kind and caring therapists.   A sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.   There is a camaraderie and friendship that builds, a feeling that “we are in this together” especially since appointments are usually for several weeks, 2-3 times per week.

Thank you to the patients who take the time to respond to our surveys with the helpful comments.  I couldn’t put it in a better way.  Patients really do know best. Here are a few comments, in your words:

“Even though other PT places are closer, I’ll travel  to RPT.  The staff is pleasant, courteous and helpful, which is so important – I speak from experience, I’ve had several PT experiences all over NYC!”

“My knee is 90% better than when I started 8 weeks ago.  No more pain and the swelling is down.  I will not need surgery as a result.  HOORAY and Thank you”

“John was fantastic.  He went above and beyond in terms of explaining things, being gentle and courteous, yet thorough.  He even checked in while he was on vacation.  John is wonderful!”

“Steve Frank has been outstanding.  He paid close attention to the issue and did everything to monitor and help my knee to improve.  I feel better knowing I have a PT in the city that I can turn to.  He was terrific in every way – thorough, caring and very professional.  I can’t praise him enough.   I’ve had PT at several facilities over the past 2 years and he is the best PT I have experienced.  He is thorough smart and gives detailed explanations to questions asked.”

“This is the 3rd time I’ve had PT but my first time at RPT.  I would definitely return here.  RPT ranks as the most professional, engaging and helpful.  Excellent service, professional staff and I’ve very pleased with my progress.  I thought everyone was great – wonderful hands-on therapy. Thank you!”

“Amie has been a phenomenal therapist.  She listens, answers any questions and all types of questions, cares and takes a genuine interest in the well-being and healing of her patients.  I could not have progressed to the level I am without her assistance and am truly grateful.  She also has a friendly, dedicated staff.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to stand up without the excellent care I received.  They were amazing.  They helped me to return to my activities while teaching me to be realistic about my limitations.  And they pushed me hard, which I needed, and got the job done within the very few visits allowed by my insurance.  Everyone was a nice as could be.  Thank you!”

“Usually I am a critic, however with the service at RPT, I have no recommendations for better service.”

Thank you too, to our team of physical therapists who heal, motivate and inspire us all.