Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Fergus.
Benjamin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Cornerstone Health in 2013, with a unique focus on persistent pain and complex presentations. My goal was to help patients who had been bounced around to different providers with limited clinical success. People really responded to our mission.
Word-of-mouth advertising was really huge for us at the beginning, and we are so grateful for patients who told their friends about our new office. As we helped our patients, our office grew, and Cornerstone Health developed a reputation as a clinic where the physicians look deeper. We’ve stayed true to our roots.
Even now, 5 years later, we’re still making the quality of care our #1 goal. Our appointments are longer, our exams are one-on-one with the doctor, we use the best research-based treatments, and we treat each person uniquely.
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?
In order to help patients who have been let down by “the system” of other healthcare models, we had to rebuild healthcare as we would want to see it. We’re definitely the outliers- at the beginning, one of my patients said, “Wow, I can see you thinking, Dr. Fergus!” She went on to say that she had never seen a doctor take a moment to think before and that she appreciated the time that I was putting into her diagnosis and treatment plan.
I don’t think I counted ‘time to think’ as a strength of our practice at first. I just wanted to treat my patients as I would want to be treated and give them the time that we both need to overcome their pain and restore their ability to move well. Later on, a colleague shadowed at my practice, and told me, “The biggest strength of your clinic is the diagnosis.” We were starting each patient with a longer and more accurate exam, and we were creating successful treatment plans because of it.
In 2015, I started another branch of our company, a continuing education program that teaches other clinicians how to practice like we do at Cornerstone Health. This program is called GRIP Approach, GRIP is an acronym standing for Global Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention. We’re moving the focus away from pain (which is subjective to each patient) and utilizing movement screens to assess deficits. We’re creating exercises that directly target those deficits. We’re incorporating current neurological research into soft-tissue work that relieves pain. We’re now teaching these methods around the world, and our work has been translated into 4 languages.
I “burn the midnight oil” a lot. I advise my patients not to do it, but I do it myself – typical doctor behavior. My wife would tell you about the time she sat on a rooftop in New Orleans enjoying a vacation cocktail, while I writhed around on the floor trying to determine the perfect knee exercise for a patient with a tricky movement limitation. I chose a medical career because I care about getting people better, and then I chose the specific niche of complex cases. I take my responsibilities very seriously, but I do love this work. We’re making healthcare better.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cornerstone Health – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a 100% modern clinic. When I started Cornerstone Health, it was important to me that our systems here are agile. We’re looking at the best new research and evidence-based therapies, and our close team of clinicians reviews and approves them together. We aren’t a corporation-owned conglomerate focused on profit margins, we’re a doctor-owned clinic focused on healing.
We are focused on helping the body heal itself. We don’t use drugs or surgery. We treat each case as unique and we are a close-knit team that works together to create the best outcomes for our patients. What makes us different, makes all the difference.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are really excited about our growing Foundational Fitness program. In the past, after releasing patients from care, I often advised them to start a fitness program for their health. We noticed a need for trainers who are clinically-minded, who can take a client who has just recovered from an injury and help them build strength in a sustainable way. This process needs to be customized to the unique patient, much like treatment, in order to have successful outcomes.
With our new, in-house fitness program, we have been able to “graduate” patients from passive care to clinically-minded fitness and strength-building. This is a major victory for patients who have struggled to get their body to work for them, rather than against them. We’re building strength, durability, and physical fitness in a way that prevents flare-ups. We’re committed to growing this program as a natural continuation of care and progress.
Contact Info:
- Address: 500 Davis St. Suite #109 Evanston IL 60201
- Website: www.cornerstoneclinics.com
- Phone: 8478689609
- Email: info@cornerstoneclinics.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cornerstoneclinics/
- Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cornerstone-health-evanston
Image Credit:
Jerry Alt of ALT Imagery
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