We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Diana Walker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Diana below.
Diana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?
When I took over Rehab Resource Inc. on August 1, 2022, I stepped into a role that demanded everything I had—and more. In those early days, it was just me, managing every aspect of the clinic alone. I handled patient scheduling, billing, insurance claims, marketing, cleaning, and front-desk duties. It was an incredibly overwhelming time, but I was determined to restore the clinic’s reputation and bring it back to life with integrity and heart. I believed that before I could lead a team, I needed to walk in every role myself and understand what it truly took to keep the business running.
After a few grueling months of managing it all solo, I knew it was time to start building a team. I began with the people I knew I could count on—individuals who not only had the skills, but who I trusted and who shared my vision for rebuilding something meaningful.
My brother William joined first, taking over the front desk. His calm, reliable nature and attention to detail brought much-needed structure to daily operations. I then reached out to Shayne Ferguson, a seasoned physical therapist and someone I had previously worked with and respected deeply. His decision to return to Rehab Resource was a major milestone. Shayne brought experience, professionalism, and a genuine passion for patient care that helped reestablish trust in our clinic.
Shortly after, we added Jennifer Ayotte, another seasoned and highly respected Physical Therapist, to the team. Jennifer’s clinical expertise, compassionate nature, and ability to connect with patients on a personal level have been invaluable. Together, she and Shayne form a strong foundation for our therapy services, providing high-quality care and mentorship to younger staff.
Faith, a former rehab technician with a great work ethic and a heart for helping people, rejoined us and quickly became an essential part of the daily patient care process. My husband Nick stepped into the role of IT and office operations, ensuring our systems were efficient and secure. My son Brent came on board as our HR representative, helping us implement policies, manage employee relations, and create a positive and professional workplace culture. My daughter Krystelyn and niece Louise later joined us for custodial maintenance, helping keep the clinic clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone who walks through our doors.
As the clinic grew and the workload increased, I welcomed Emily to the team as our Medical Coding and Billing Specialist. Her addition was a tremendous relief—she lightened my administrative workload and improved our overall efficiency. Her knowledge and precision have allowed me to focus more on leadership and future growth initiatives.
Of course, there have been changes along the way. Erin McAllister, our Physical Therapist Assistant, eventually moved on to pursue other opportunities. In her place, we welcomed Leah Morse-Hiles, a part-time Physical Therapist with years of experience and a calm, compassionate presence. Leah has brought fresh energy and flexibility to our team, especially as we’ve navigated a growing and evolving patient base.
Looking back, if I were starting over today, I would probably implement a more formal hiring and onboarding process—clearer job descriptions, structured training programs, and documented procedures to ensure consistency. But I don’t regret the way we built our team. Our approach was unconventional, built on relationships, trust, and shared commitment. Each team member brought not only their expertise, but also a piece of their heart. And that, more than anything, is what defines Rehab Resource Inc. today.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Diana Walker, and I am the proud owner and CEO of Rehab Resource Inc., an outpatient physical therapy clinic located in Radcliff, Kentucky. My journey into this field began with a deep-rooted passion for helping others and a commitment to creating a space where healing and compassion go hand-in-hand. I originally earned my Associate’s Degree in Medical Coding and Billing, and later pursued my Bachelor’s in Business Administration, which I recently completed. I’m currently working on my Master’s in Business Administration to continue expanding my knowledge and leadership capacity.
In August 2022, I officially took over Rehab Resource Inc., with a vision to not just run a clinic—but to rebuild a trusted community resource. From the very beginning, I knew this would take a strong team, innovation, and a lot of heart. Over time, we’ve assembled an incredible staff including full-time and part-time physical therapists, therapy techs, and office support. Our team includes Dr. Shayne Ferguson, Jennifer Ayotte, Leah Morse-Hiles, and many others who are committed to personalized, evidence-based care. We also recently welcomed Emily Walker as our Medical Coding and Billing Specialist, which has significantly helped lighten my daily administrative load, allowing me to focus more on patient and business development.
Our clinic specializes in outpatient physical therapy services tailored to individuals recovering from injury, surgery, chronic pain, or mobility limitations. We serve a diverse patient population, including Workers’ Compensation cases, and we’ve signed new contracts to broaden our referral base and reach more individuals in need of rehabilitation. One of our core strengths is our patient-first approach—we believe in listening, customizing care plans, and supporting the emotional as well as the physical recovery process.
What sets us apart is our family-centered work environment and our commitment to rebuilding not just bodies, but trust and dignity in healthcare. Many of our staff are family—literally—and we extend that feeling to our patients. We’ve modernized our clinic with updated branding, a user-friendly website, and even launched a Roku TV commercial to let people know we’re here and ready to serve.
I’m most proud of how far we’ve come since 2022. We’ve taken a clinic that was struggling post-COVID and turned it into a growing, thriving business that’s earning back the trust of the community one patient at a time. Every smile, every recovered injury, and every returning client reminds me why I do what I do.
To anyone considering our clinic, I want them to know this: we care. We’re not a corporate, cookie-cutter practice. We take time with our patients. We communicate. We advocate. And we work as a team to help you heal, gain strength, and live better.
Rehab Resource Inc. isn’t just a business to me—it’s a mission, a second home, and a symbol of resilience. I hope to continue growing it, expanding our impact, and showing what’s possible when compassion meets dedication.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2022, I acquired an outpatient physical therapy clinic—Rehab Resource Inc.—just as the aftershocks of the pandemic were still rippling through the healthcare industry. The clinic was struggling, referrals were down, and morale was even lower. But I believed in the potential of the business, the people, and the community it served.
At first, it felt like I was swimming upstream—handling billing issues, updating our marketing, managing staffing gaps, and trying to rebuild relationships with referral sources. There were days I questioned whether I had taken on too much. But I kept showing up. I launched a Roku TV commercial, overhauled our website, and signed contracts with Workers Comp agencies to bring in more clients. I also rehired a trusted physical therapist I had worked with years before, building a team I could rely on.
Slowly, we started to see growth. Patients were returning, word of mouth began to spread, and the atmosphere in the clinic shifted. What got us through wasn’t luck—it was resilience. It was learning from setbacks, adapting to changes, and staying committed to a bigger vision, even when the path wasn’t clear.
That experience reminded me that resilience isn’t about never struggling—it’s about continuing to move forward with purpose, even when things are hard. And that mindset is what keeps my business—and me—going strong.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that I had to do everything myself in order for it to be done right. As a small business owner, especially in healthcare, I felt an overwhelming responsibility to manage every detail—from patient scheduling to billing, marketing, and staff issues. I believed that if I didn’t handle it, things would fall apart.
This mindset quickly led to burnout. I was stretched so thin that I couldn’t be fully present in the areas where I was truly needed. It wasn’t sustainable, and it wasn’t fair to the amazing team I had built. I realized I was holding back their growth—and mine—by not trusting others enough to lead in their own roles.
The turning point came when I hired a physical therapist I had worked with in the past and knew I could trust. Delegating responsibilities and empowering my team not only lightened my load but improved the clinic’s performance. Our patients noticed the difference, too.
Unlearning the “do-it-all” mentality taught me that leadership isn’t about control—it’s about trust, communication, and building people up. Once I embraced that, everything started to align better: the business grew, my team became more confident, and I found the mental space to focus on the bigger picture.
Image Credits
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