Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Smith.
Caitlin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The goal of occupational therapy is to help people live a life full of all the meaningful occupations (or activities) that make us happy, healthy and balanced. As a child, I experienced first hand how frustrating it can be when your body doesn’t let you do the things you want or need to do. I survived cancer at a young age and spent much of my teen years dealing with side effects from the treatment.
Being an occupational therapist allows me to help people cope with everything from injuries such as tendonitis to chronic conditions such as cancer so they can get back to the things that matter. I received my masters and doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over the past 8 years, I’ve worked in a wide range of settings and across the age spectrum from birth to geriatric.
I was eventually drawn to focusing on the upper body because we use our hands to complete almost every activity we do throughout the day. Even a minor injury can have a big impact on a patient’s quality of life. Over the years, I become frustrated working at clinics that focus on patient volume, which often comes at the price of quality patient care. I found PhysioPartners while looking for a clinic whose values more closely aligned with mine.
They are a group practice that offers support services for independent associates. This allowed me to build my own independent occupational therapy practice, MOTivated Life Therapy & Wellness, without having to deal with some of the downsides of going into private practice. I was able to immerse myself in an existing clinic while expanding and addressing unmet occupational needs of their clientele.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I like to say that going into private practice is the best-worst decision I have ever made. Branching off on your own is at times scary, frustrating and overwhelming but overall I cannot imagine myself being happier. I love what I do and I love the population I see which makes the hard work worth it. I have been fortunate to have a lot of support throughout the process, especially the owner of PhysioPartners who has been an invaluable resource and guide.
MOTivated Life Therapy & Wellness – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Occupational therapy can be beneficial for anyone who feels they aren’t able to do the things they need or want to do- whether it is buttoning a shirt or lifting at the gym. Due to my wide range of experiences I see a vast array of populations. As I mentioned above, I focus on hands and upper body across the age spectrum. My main areas are upper body injuries including repetitive strain injuries, tendinitis, post fracture care and other orthopedic conditions, neuropathy, pain and fine motor impairments.
I also work with pediatric patients with fine motor issues, motor dyspraxia or post fracture/ orthopedic care. At PhysioPartners, I work alongside highly specialized physical therapists, personal trainers, massage therapists, and counselors. This allows for easy collaboration between disciplines, facilitating a smoother transition from injury to wellness and overall improved care for our clients. All of our sessions are one on one which lets us provide attentive and personalized care.
One service I am especially proud to offer is ergonomic workplace evaluations for OT and PT patients, as well as educational lectures and consultations for local businesses. It’s amazing how simple adjustments to a desk can have a huge impact on decreasing pain and preventing further injuries! My other passion is working to expand their cancer survivor program. As this is still an emerging area in rehabilitation it has definitely been an uphill climb to increase the awareness of consumer and referral sources of the benefits of rehabilitation for this population.
Many cancer survivors are living with long-term side effects from their treatment or struggling to return to full, active lives. Research is showing that this results in decreased quality of life and increased risk for developing secondary conditions. Therapy can really help facilitate this transition and address concerns that come up at any point during the cancer treatment and beyond.
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
I love Chicago, so I can’t imagine wanting to start a business anywhere else and I have found it to be a community that is supportive of private practitioners. Chicago does have larger chains of outpatient therapy clinics that can be a challenge to compete against. However, I feel that the increased awareness and shift toward wellness and holistic care makes it easier for small practices to stand out that offer one on one care and specialty programs.
For someone starting out, I would warn it is an interesting time to be in healthcare right now with healthcare costs rising. Healthcare professionals really need to be adaptable in finding ways to meet our client’s needs as well as contribute to increasing potential consumer’s knowledge regarding the benefits of therapy for many conditions.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2869 N Lincoln Ave
- Website: http://www.motivatedlife.org, http://www.physiopartners.com
- Phone: (773) 665-9950
- Email: caitlinsmith@physiopartners.com
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