Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Staszak.
Patricia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Frustrated with the often chaotic environment of physical therapy where patients are sometimes double and triple booked, I wanted to take a different approach. So in 2000, I rented a room in the Cheetah gym in Andersonville and started Andersonville Physical Therapy and began providing one on one patient care.
After 5 years in that location, I found a storefront location nearby and have been in this location for the past 12 years. Over the years we have added staff and specialties. We now have 6 physical therapists offering post-surgical rehabilitation, pelvic physical therapy, balance, posture and gait retraining, orthopedic and sport-specific rehabilitation and women’s and men’s health programs. We also incorporate Pilates, yoga and other movement specialties in our practice.
We are very proud to serve our community. We have private treatment rooms and our treatments are always one on one with a physical therapist – we do not use aides or assistants. That means more time with a professional for our patients and we believe, ultimately a higher quality of care than clinics that double book.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
With the constantly changing healthcare environment, we have faced constant challenges. Initially, it was difficult as a solo practitioner to gain acceptance to be an in-network provider in the insurance plans. Over the years we have managed to become preferred providers for all major insurance plans. In Illinois, to receive physical therapy treatment, a patient needs to have a referral for a doctor. Therefore, to get new patients, it was necessary to build relationships with physicians. I was successful with local practitioners, but it was difficult to build relationships with larger physician practices.
Also, in the 17 years, we have been in business, 4 different physical therapy chains moved into the area. These large practices are easy for physicians to refer to because they have multiple locations and very established marketing programs. Thankfully, the consumer has become more and more educated about the difference in the quality of physical therapy. Most chains have wonderful physical therapists, but because they double and triple book patients, it is hard to have consistently high-quality care.
Our biggest day to day challenge is staying on top of the always changing world of health insurance and billing. Medicare and insurance companies change policies regarding reimbursement for physical therapy fairly often so to get paid we have to keep track of these changes. The last challenge we face is declining reimbursement amounts from insurance companies and a limitation of the number of approved visits. As a result, we have become more and more efficient in our care.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Andersonville Physical Therapy story. Tell us more about the business.
We are an orthopedic and pelvic physical therapy clinic. We currently have 6 physical therapists on staff. We provide PT for orthopedic, post-surgical and general rehabilitation. We also provide pelvic and pre and postpartum PT, McKenzie therapy, yoga, and Pilates rehabilitation and dry needling.
I am proud that we serve our community by continuing to take all insurance companies, regardless of the reimbursement levels.
I am most proud of the excellent team we have assembled. Our physical therapists are passionate, dedicated professionals who work very hard to take care of their patients. Our support staff is friendly, hardworking and caring. We have a very tight-knit group and it shows in our level of care, results, patient satisfaction and the sense of community we have in the clinic.
I am also proud of the communication that we have both with our patients and with each other. Physical therapy in our clinic works to achieve patient goals, but it is also an opportunity to learn ways to stay healthy and strong. We take every opportunity to teach and empower our patients.
We are known for always providing 45 minutes one on one treatments with a licensed physical therapist. This approach sets us apart from clinics that double and triple book and have patients being treated by nonlicensed staff.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel very lucky to have found the space we are in now. I was originally looking for space in Andersonville, but it quickly became clear that the cost was higher than I had budgeted for rent. I found a space a few blocks east on Broadway in Edgewater that was less than 1/2 the price and close to the El. I also was fortunate to have enough money saved to be able to purchase the building 6 years ago when the owner was ready to sell.
I also feel very lucky to have our excellent staff and the support of this incredible community!!
Pricing:
- Cash rate is $90 for a 45 minute one-on-one PT session
- To provide PT we need a referral from an MD, chiropractor, nurse practitioner, dentist or DO
Contact Info:
- Address: 5414 North Broadway Street
- Website: andersonvillept.com
- Phone: 7739073599
- Email: contact@andersonvillept.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Andersonville-Physical-Therapy-and-Wellness-Center-131077826948378/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/andersonville-physical-therapy-chicago
Image Credit:
Michael Hudson Photography
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