Zoom in on Zachary

At 2pm on 10/28/11, a Friday afternoon, I arrived in Zachary, LA, just north of Baton Rouge in the Baton Rouge District.  I have friends from PT school who are now practicing there and invited me to come see their practices, so I thought I'd include this small town as the last stop of my week-long swing through south Louisiana.

The road from Hammond to Zachary was winding and narrow, and I was glad to emerge from a tiring drive into a quaint small city.  I easily found Lane Regional Medical Center on Main St., and it was a three story hospital that offered more than its facade allowed.  

My friend Amanda Weilbaecher Partin, PT was a couple of years behind me in PT school.  She and her husband Jason, who worked with me at LSUHSC-Sh and also was a couple of years behind me in PT school are now residing in Zachary and raising their 2 young sons.  They both accompanied me to the wedding of a mutual friend in Pennsylvania the week before.  

Amanda works in acute care at Lane and she is now PRN there, but usually works close to 40 hours a week.  I met her on the third floor and she was documenting on computer patient care from the day, but graciously took me on the grand tour of this 137 bed hospital.  She helps cover acute care with another PRN PT and a full-time PTA. 

Jason and Amanda Partin

We walked across the parking lot to the outpatient clinic where I met Joy Petty, PT; Delois Brent, PT; and Bruce Williams who is an experienced tech.  Those two therapists were PRN in outpatient, and are from Zachary.  Neither were members, but Delois told me she was going to join that very evening.  (I hope she did.)  Amanda and Jason have let their membership drop and I encouraged at least one of them to re-join to help them in their practices.  

In another building separate from the hospital, Amanda took me to the rehab unit where I met Jessica Davis, PT and a speech and occupational therapist.  Jessica said she recognized me from the Facebook page, but is not a member.  Again I encouraged membership.

Next stop on our walking tour was husband Jason Partin, PT's clinic, which is a POPTS that is fairly new in Zachary.  Jason works there with Kathleen Neal, PT and that afternoon they were not too busy.  Jason tells me that the orthopedist group out of Baton Rouge that owns this clinic does not refer every patient to this clinic.  He is guaranteed a salary and for him this is working right now.  They utilize e-documentation from Therapy Source and he likes the program.  

After I'd had the full tour of this area handing out informational sheets and promoting membership, I did have a couple of clinics in Zachary I wanted to visit as well.  But, it was a Friday afternoon in a small town, and I found both Moreau Physical Therapy and Kleinpeter Physical Therapy closed for the afternoon.  I left an info sheet and my card in the door of those 2 clinics and hoped they got them after the weekend.

I drove back to Shreveport as darkness fell.  Thinking about my whirlwind week in New Orleans and the Northshore, I realized how many therapists and assistants there are serving the public in our great state.  Clinics differ, hospitals are different sizes and have different amenities, communities span the gamut from indigent to wealthy, but there we are in all these communities, working, practicing our craft, serving.  People need us to help them out of bed the first time after open heart surgery, educating them on sternal precautions and ensuring that they remain physiologically stable for their first walk.  People need us when their back hurts so bad they cannot work or move, to educate them on pain reduction exercises and to place hands on to heal.  Babies need us to work on feeding and positioning, educating mothers and fathers on proper techniques to help baby grow and thrive.  The elderly need us to help them adapt to the changes the body goes through as it ages, to keep them safe from falling and to care for them at home.  

Our profession is unique and we as therapists need to own that distinctiveness.  What we do is rare, special, and healing.  We are one of a kind, and without fail, I have seen evidence of that on my travels across the state so far.  I am blessed beyond measure to be serving you for the next three years.  I hope I can rise to the challenge!

Northshore District, Part Two

Marching Through Mandeville/Covington

As I was heading toward Mandeville on the early morning of Friday, October 28th over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, I had only addresses of clinics in Mandeville, and somehow my GPS did not directly take me there, but, amazingly, I ended up exactly where I needed to be when I needed to be there (as has happened frequently throughout these travels, as if someone somewhere were looking out for me).

On a very busy corner, I stumbled upon a beautiful campus-like setting for the Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, with exquisite landscaping and a beautiful facility.  There I met Leigh Ann Krieger, PT, Director of Rehab Services at this Medical Center.  She was busy preparing for the second annual BooFest (http://www.lakeviewregional.com/online-tools/video-library-youtube.dot).  They have sponsors who purchase a cardboard "house" or "mansion" or "haunted house" at various levels of sponsorship $$, and have for the public a free and safe fall festival.  They are raising over $15,000 each year so far for children with disabilities.

Leigh Ann stated some issues she faces are staffing issues, especially for pediatric PT's.  She does encourage her clinicians to be CI's which always helps in recruitment.  She is a member and I told her I appreciated her membership.

She invited me to drive just to the other side of a busy street across from the hospital to check out their outpatient clinic, and I did just that, where I met Anna Boler, PT and Katie Kersch, PTA busily treating patients.

Yancey and Joe, Audubon Physical Therapy 

Next stop was Audubon Physical Therapy back in Mandeville and I met Yancey McWilliams, PT (who trained with Greg and Kinta LeBlanc in Shreveport) and Joe Zimmerman, PT.  Their clinic was busy, but they took a moment out for a pic and a brief conversation.  Joe told me that in the past year, there have been 7 new POPTS spring up all in this area, where there were none before, and naturally, these physician-owned practices take away referrals.  He said the problem with POPTS would lessen if we just had a more free direct access.

A Facility Challenge clinic was next, and I drove down N. Causeway Blvd to find Rehab Dynamics in Covington which was in an upscale office complex.  Unfortunately, neither Susan Blanchard, PT nor Crystal Cook Ferris, PT who are co-owners, were there that day.  The only PT present was Devon C. Nolan, PT, a new grad who was busy with pt care, so I left a handout and told the receptionist to please make sure all the therapists receive a copy and and I wrote a personal note on the info sheet to thank them for their commitment to their professional organization.

Heading back toward Mandeville, Northlake Physical Therapy was my next stop, and there I met Beth Albritton, PT who owns and runs this clinic alone, with only one contract OT.  She was a CI for Rayme (from Wellness PT).  She spoke for the single proprietor and did say that POPTS is a problem and has cut into her bottom line.

My last stop in Covington was at Jones Physical Therapy where I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Jones, PT who is from Scotland (I was expecting a bit more of a Scottish accent, but he said he'd been in the states for quite some time).  Paul had wonderful pictures posted in his waiting room of "before" and "after" ROM of, for example, knees, necks, and ankles.  He utilizes the privilege we have in this state to evaluate a patient without an MD order, and encourages referrals from family members and word of mouth.  He had a hopping practice.  He is a longstanding active member, and has worked with the state Board to help get wellness into our practice act so we can have Pilates, etc in our clinics.  He stated he was willing to help me in whatever capacity he could.  I also received a very nice follow-up email from him again offering to help.

Hoofing It In Hammond

A 30 minute drive from where I was in Covington, I arrived at the North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital at 12:30pm and all the therapists were out at lunch.  This looked like an amazing facility with a large PT gym, and I left an info sheet with a nurse there to give to the PT in charge.

I also had no luck at Affiliated Therapy just across the street, because all those therapists were at lunch as well.  I spoke with Ann Marie, the very nice receptionist, who allowed me to tour this facility which had an indoor pool.

The next stop I had more luck!  It was Anatomix Physical Therapy owned by Mike Conlin, PT who was there along with Mike Alfort, PT.  Mike Conlin has trained recently with dry needling and did educate me a bit about why this is in our practice act, because there is a certain number of hours a therapist should have in experience before performing this procedure on patients. (The new changes state 50 face-to-face hours.)  They are on computerized documentation and use WebPT which they like and has a flowsheet for exercises.  They utilize 2 PTA's in their practice as well.  He is a member and friend of Greg LeBlanc, PT, immediate past president, and said he'd help out wherever he can.

My last stop in Hammond was at O2 Physical Therapy and this clinic is owned by husband and wife Karen Heap, PT and David Heap, PT who are not currently members.  Karen was just returning from some water therapy/aquatics, and they talked to me for a bit about Workers Comp concerns, POPTS concerns.  Karen is friends with Stephanie Keen, PT over in Bogulasa at Therapeutic Concepts.  I left them an info sheet and encouraged membership.


Thus concludes my second day tour of the Northshore District.  I truly enjoyed meeting all the therapists and seeing all the clinics and hospitals I visited.  I was well received all around and would love to see this district come together more.  It is so spread out, that attending meetings takes driving for almost everyone.  I do think holding meetings in Covington is the most centrally-located spot, so David's been doing a good job in that regard as district chair.  I just want everyone to know that David Hendricks, the Northshore District Chair, really does work hard for you all and that he is someone who will always go look something up when the need arises.  He comes from a position of facts, not emotions, and that is great!  He'll be there for you if you all in the Northshore just begin to become more active in your state organization.

Next blog, next stop: Zachary in the Baton Rouge District on my way home from this south Louisiana journey!

Noshing in New Orleans (in seven parts)

Before I dive into blogging about my visits with students and therapists, let me lead off by saying that driving around New Orleans is not that easy!  I didn't know it was the City Of U-Turns!  My GPS on every search had me "go 421 feet and make a U-turn" because of all the lovely boulevards.  The New Orleans I knew from my travels there (and I love to be a tourist in New Orleans) consisted of parking my car in the Royal Sonesta parking garage on Bourbon Street and walking the French Quarter (drinking hurricanes from Pat O'Brien's along the way) or taking the picturesque streetcar to my destination.  I had not strayed too far from the Quarter in the past, and this trip took me all over kingdom come!  This was good to see, and in some cases (such as St. Bernard parish) was still quite difficult to see, emotional even (can you say "Katrina"?).  Read on for more details. . .

Part One: Students, students, students!

LSUHealth New Orleans PT students and faculty

I was fortunate enough to be able to meet with physical therapy students on the New Orleans campus of LSUHealth at 11:30am on Wed, Oct 26th, 2011, but realized it's difficult to catch these busy students.  The first years didn't have class until 1pm, so not many showed up for the 11:30am meeting, and the second years had a test of some sort at 12:30 and were cramming for that, so turnout was not as large as I had hoped.  (Third years are off on rotation.) Jane Eason, head of the dept, was present, as was Ha Hoang, a professor there. To the students present, I let them know about what APTA/LPTA is doing for them as students and as new grads with the New Professionals program for the first five years after graduation as well as the half price trans membership the first year they graduate.  I let them know of our FB group and this blog and left that info on a board so the students who missed my visit could access that. They had some good questions about student loan forgiveness which I promised I'd check into with APTA.  (Haven't had time to do it yet, sorry!)

I had a very informative "power" lunch with Paul Hildreth, PT at a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese place on the LSU campus, and we discussed many aspects of being LPTA president (he served in the early 90's).  He had some great insight and advice.  Currently, he is LPTA's voice on a project with Medicaid in which they are interested in keeping folks out of nursing homes (because cost is higher) and trying to keep them at home, and they want therapy to be an integral part of that.  He said that Medicaid is willing to pay well for therapy and that as PT's we could even work on "maintenance" goals in those cases, which is unheard of in the home health arena in which I practice, the Medicare world.  Paul left telling me he's happy to be a resource for me at any time.  And he invited me to visit LSU outpatient clinic in the old Lord and Taylor's where he works.    I told him I'd be there tomorrow and I truly appreciate his and everyone else's support and positive attitude!

Delgado PTA students and faculty

At 1:30, I had an appointment with the PTA students at Delgado and was met by Amelia Leonardi, PT who is head of the program there and Diane Sehrt, PT who was helping with the lab.  (Note: Susan Welsh, PT also teaches there, but I didn't have the pleasure of seeing her that day.)  The entire class was working on a lab of some sort and they allowed me a few minutes to talk to them.   This class is a great mix of men and women, some with more life experience, shall I say?!  They were very attentive and had great energy.  I received many follow-up emails and calls from them asking great questions for some research they were doing on issues affecting PT's and PTA's in this state.  Terrific!

The students at LSUHealth and Delgado were so enthusiastic and committed; I am proud to see that the future of our profession is strong!  Committed educators are inspiring!

Part Two:  Meandering Through Metairie

The later afternoon on 10/26/11 I had saved to see some clinics in Metairie, and I was not disappointed.  Again, I was so thankful for my GPS and ability to map clinics that were close together in an area, so I could maximize my time/energy in this large city.

I stopped by Southshore Physical Therapy, one of the facilities which has 100% membership and is recognized by APTA in their Facility Challenge.  This 3pm time was very busy for this clinic and I briefly said hello to Rachel Chetta Whitley, PT and her student Quinn Asaro, SPT.  That clinic was hopping, so I left a handout and moved down the road, thanking Rachel for their commitment to their professional organization with their memberships.  Don't you think all CI's should be enthusiastic members and should mentor their students in that way as well?

Here are the other stops in Metairie I made that afternoon and the therapists I saw:

• Select Physical Therapy
• Rick Coogler, PT (was doing shoulder mobs on a pt; he is our former treasurer for last 2 terms and just won the Dave Warner Distinguished Service Award, so I wanted to stop by)
• East Jefferson General Hospital's outpatient clinic
• Mary Gregory, PT (all the therapists there looked like fairly recent grads. I left a informational handout and encouraged membership.  Later that evening at a Medicaid meeting I'd meet Robert Hughes, PT who also works there).  Large, busy clinic.
• OrthoPTic Physical Therapy
• Eric Waguespack, PT (this clinic was so busy I didn't have time to meet anyone else, but did leave them a handout.)

Last stop in Metairie was Baudry Therapy Center where I met Rick Baudry, PT and Jerri Barron, PT.  Rick is the owner of Wellness Physical Therapy in Slidell that I visited the day before, and it was good to meet him in his clinic.  He has a regular PT gym (and 2 other therapists were treating pt's as I walked by) as well as a focus on wellness with pilates.  I thanked him for his membership!

Part Three: Medicaid Meeting

That evening at 5pm back at LSUHealth's Allied Health lecture room, there was a meeting of key PT's, OT's, ST's  gathered to learn about the new Medicaid Coordinated Care Network's Bayou Health, a new initiative by Medicaid to try to get rid of some waste and provide better pt care to children and disabled people on Medicaid.  Apparently Louisiana is putting this new program in place as you are reading this, starting with south La and by end of Feb in north La.  Dr. Rodney Wise from Shreveport, Medicaid Medical Director had come down to give this ppt talk to therapists and how it would impact their practices.  

Apparently Medicaid recipients will have a choice among 5 companies in two plans (shared vs. prepaid), and as therapy providers, if we want to be reimbursed for treating these folks, we must sign up with any or all of the plans.  Quite frankly, most of the details of this doctor's talk went right over my head, but if you want more info, you may email Dr. Wise at rodney.wise@la.gov.  Hopefully if you are a private practice owner, and especially if you treat Medicaid patients, you have received some information about this new Medicaid plan already.  

Part Four:  New Orleans District Meeting

Lisa George, PTA    New Orleans District Chair

Lisa George, PTA, had set a 7pm meeting for the district, and I rushed from this Medicaid meeting out to Oschner's Outpatient Clinic on Clearview to catch up with the meeting, and there were about 15 folks in attendance.  No students present, and this surprised me as there is always amazing student participation in our Shreveport District Meetings.  But, the therapists that were there were very involved and interested as Lisa addressed:

•  What PT's did for PT month, 
• Therapy cap extension and what our pt's can do to contact their senator or representative, 
• New Rules and Regs, Medicaid changes and workers comp guidelines.  
• Jake McKenzie, PT, presented a you tube video about membership which was unable to play that evening.  You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0mN9CXJQBQ&feature=player_profilepage.  Lisa and Jake talked about membership and what it means to them.  Magnolia Physical Therapy, of which Lisa is co-owner, pays for all their therapists to be members.  At East Jefferson, they give points for participation.  First year students in PT school are required to be members which introduces them to the benefits of membership and sets them up for success.  Jake McKenzie will be the new Membership Chair of LPTA, taking my place, and he'll do a great job!

After the wonderful meeting, Lisa Schuler, PT took us on a tour of the new Oschner facility, and our mouths dropped open at the amazing spaces they have there: a pool with parallel bars built in it, a neuro area, and the largest gym with the highest ceilings you have ever seen.  State-of-the-art equipment abounds.  There is even a sense in the large gym that you are at a Saints game with fans waving patients on, and some of the fans faces have been photoshopped to be the doctor's faces.  It's really something to see!  

Part Five: St. Bernard Parish

St. Bernard Parish, hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina and containing the small town of Chalmette, was my first stop early in the morning of Thursday, October 27, 2011.  I'd done what I considered good "homework" to find therapy clinics and hospitals there, but I was taken by surprise at what I found in Chalmette when I looked for the hospital.

Former Chalmette Medical Center, lost in Hurricane Katrina

My GPS took me to an intersection and I expected to see a hospital, but the only thing I saw was a dilapidated sign overgrown by weeds with a concrete slab also overgrown where the old hospital used to sit at the time Katrina hit, over 6 years ago, in August, 2005. (see pic)  This hit me hard, and I fought back tears imagining what the people here had gone through and are still fighting to this day.

This is one of those life-changing events.

I was working at LSUHSC-Sh hospital in acute care at the time of Katrina, and New Orleans lost its charity hospital with the Level 1 Trauma Center, and during that first year after the storm, at least half the people I treated at the hospital in Shreveport were displaced Katrina residents.  Not only were they dealing with the pathologies that took them to the hospital, but the psychological burden was palpable from every patient from that area.  To this day, people from New Orleans have difficulty even saying the name of that horrific hurricane that wreaked so much havoc on this vulnerable but unique area.

Next, I went by what I thought would be a clinic, but it, too, was a slab.  After some research on my phone, I finally found a clinic called Bridges Physical Therapy and Wellness, owned by Jody Bridges-Lemoine who was not in yet that morning, but I did speak with Rachel Birdsall, PT, who told me they have recently moved into this remodeled clinic and that they are rebuilding the hospital about a mile down the road.

Rebuilding the hospital in Chalmette - a year away

This was the only clinic I could find.  I think there are others, but I was unable to locate them.  I did go by the new hospital that is going up and there are trailers in the vicinity that house MD offices and clinics in a very make-shift way until the new hospital is completed in about a year.  (see pic of new hospital)

Part Six: Back to New Orleans

As I drove back toward New Orleans, I realized I was passing through the now-infamous Ninth Ward, which was totally flooded out after the levee broke.  There was only minimal activity there, but I didn't linger as time was important now.

Magnolia Physical Therapy in the French Quarter

First stop was Magnolia Physical Therapy, co-owned by Lisa George, PTA, New Orleans District Chair, and Beth Winkler-Schmit, PT who have a clinic in the Quarter and another in Elmwood.  (see pic)  This clinic had a great feel, and I met Jessica Barrois, PT, a new grad from the N.O. campus as well as Sara Saenger-Ormand, PTA.  There was a student there as well, and I'm sorry I didn't catch her name.  Lisa and Beth were heading out to a meeting and I moved on as well.

Next stop, Performance Physical Therapy, owned by LPTA's Vice-President Joe Shine, PT.  He was out, but I did speak briefly with Paul Gallant, PT, also a new N.O. graduate.  Paul was busy with at least 3 patients in the clinic at once, so I left an information sheet and told him to tell Joe I stopped by!

On to Tulane Medical Center where Judith Halverson, PT runs the rehab dept there (she is currently LPTA's Treasurer, but has been Secretary and Governmental Affairs Chair as well!).  Parking was not easy, and finding the clinic on the 7th floor was a bit of a challenge, but I made it and met the following PT's:  Vicky Kennedy, PT who has twin daughters both applying for PT school this year; Razi Jaffri, PT; Deborah York, PT; Stephanie Fletcher, PT (neuro); and Michelle Benham, PT (acute, just coming down from the floors).  All but Michelle work in the outpatient clinic which had tight spaces but was efficient.

I thought parking was difficult at Tulane, but my next stop proved quite the challenge.  I went to LSU's outpatient clinic and, as I said earlier, it's in the old Lord and Taylor's building on Poydras that was converted after Katrina.  The marble floors are still there, and if you follow the marble around to the left, you pass by a lab, financial assistance, pharmacy, med clinic, and when you get to men's underwear, well, you have arrived at the space devoted to outpatient physical therapy for the indigent LSU pt population.  Talk about tight spaces!  Paul Hildreth, PT works there and has for years.  What I found most amazing is that each therapist there (Tookie Bruchhaus, PT; Karen Olinde, PT; Austin, SPT; Sayyeda Jaffri, PT (sister of Razi at Tulane)) has been there forever!  No new PT's here!  Simply amazing that they have stuck it out through thick and thin to serve these patients!  Inspiring!  I must admit, I was a bit jealous at the obvious camaraderie I felt among those therapists!  Great team!

The last stop before lunch was another clinic committed to membership that has met APTA's Facility Challenge, The Movement Science Center in Metairie.  Troy Bourgeois, PT owns this clinic and was past President of the Student Assembly.  Jake McKenzie, PT, LPTA's new Membership Chair, and Randy Hernandez, PT I also met in this clinic before heading down to a power lunch with Troy and Jake.  Troy, like the owners at Magnolia, pays the dues of the therapists for their membership in APTA/LPTA.  He lead us in a very energetic discussion about direct access and POPTS in the state.  Very eloquent and passionate, Troy inspired me to work toward a plan for this state for unlimited direct access.  The timing is crucial and that's what we pay David Tatman for, but I'd love to work with the LPTA Board of Directors to get a plan in place.  I told Troy that it will take lots of PT PAC money, lots of man hours, and a favorable legislature, but that I'd try my best to get the ball rolling toward making a plan, and I asked him to become more involved.  He's young with 3 young children, but to have someone as passionate and vocal as he involved would be most excellent!

Just after lunch, I visited Touro Rehabilitation Hospital which was very busy, but I did manage to speak with Stephanie Gioe, PT in outpatient therapy, and Stephanie Basinger, PT, in acute.  I told the first Stephanie to please share the info from LPTA with all the therapists there.  I know amazing things happen there, and maybe Katie Breeland, PTA will be heading there for her rehab.

Last stop in New Orleans was Crescent City Physical Therapy owned by Gini Davis, PT whom I'd met at the workers' comp meeting earlier in the month.  Unfortunately, no one was at that clinic as the building it was in had flooded recently, so I slipped a sheet under the door with my card, and hoped she received it.

Part Seven:  Kicking it in Kenner

The late afternoon found me in Kenner, west of New Orleans,  where I visited the following clinics, but they were quite busy at that time and I didn't have long conversations with anyone, but I did visit:

• Kenner Orthopedics and Sports Therapy
• Craig Dautribe, PT owns this but was too busy to see me.  I left him an info sheet.
• Babin Physical Therapy
• Michael Babin, PT saw me briefly and I gave him a sheet as well.
• Concerta Urgent Care
• This is a walk-in clinic that has therapy only on certain days, but not the day I visited.  I left a sheet at the front desk for any therapist that might be there the next day.

New Orleans area is so large and populated with so many physical therapy clinics and hospitals, that two days would no way be adequate to cover this area, so I concentrated on those clinics that had met the Facility Challenge, clinics and hospitals where active members work, and PT/PTA schools.  If I missed you, I apologize.  If I spelled your name wrong, I apologize.  So many names and places and faces over the last few days; you must forgive me a mistake here and there!  But, I'm loving the reception I am getting wherever I go.  Thank you all for that!

Next blog:  Northshore, Part Two (Mandeville, Covington and Hammond) and Zachary in the Baton Rouge district.