We recently connected with Kate Hernandez and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I first became a physical therapist to help the younger athletic population recover from injury and return to sports. As time went on, I developed a passion for helping elderly adults in their recoveries from surgery, orthopedic injury, and neurological diagnoses . I worked in a clinic setting for 15 years and witnessed the profound difficulty for much of the elderly population to get to therapy at the clinic. Not only was this difficult on the patient due to their weakness and lack of endurance, but it was also disruptive to the family and/or friends who were relied upon for transportation. This is the primary reason why I decided to move to the mobile therapy model, so that I could bring high quality one-on-one therapy to them and alleviate the burden of having to leave their homes. Therefore, I founded my small business, Therapy In Motion! I chose this name because there is a double meaning and it highlights our mission and philosophy: the clinicians are in motion and bringing therapy to the patient, and we use movement/motion for healing. A frog is part of my logo and this is a nod to my mom who taught me that frogs only move forward. Hence, Therapy In Motion’s message to our patients is that “we are always moving you forward”. Our therapy uses movement to empower the elderly population and combat ageism, while keeping them safe to age in place in their homes.

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?

Therapy In Motion was born in order to serve the needs of the aging population who, for one reason or another, benefit from receiving therapy services at their homes. As previously stated, Therapy In Motion’s message to ur patients is that “we are always moving your forward”. Our business model is unique in that we bring the clinic to the patient, using movement to empower the elderly population and combat ageism, while keeping them safe to age in place in their homes. Just as we move our patients forward, we are also moving healthcare forward by our commitment to full communication amongst all members of a patient’s team. Fortunately and unfortunately, this is one aspect that sets us apart from other practices. I have also developed a wellness program that sets us apart from other clinics. In the typical Physical Therapy medical model there is a known problem that people receive health changing physical therapy intervention, then they reach the time of discharge, and the person becomes increasingly inactive, which results in reinjury or hospitalization, only to start the process and cycle again. Not only is this physically difficult on the patient, but it’s a large financial burden on our healthcare system. My practice is on the leading edge of finding a solution to this problem by creating the ACT (Acknowledge, Commit, Thrive) Wellness Program that follows a period of PT services in order to continue health and wellness care beyond the PT episode of care. This allows therapists to keep the patients moving forward, while also identifying potentially escalating health scenarios before hospitalization is required.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I have found that the best way to continue to grow my referral base is by having conversations and developing relationships. This is one aspect that has been easy for me! My husband affectionately describes me as “someone who can talk to a wall”. Having discussions with potential referral partners is a 2 way street. I believe in first learning about their business and having a mutual discussion that revolves around how we can help each other grow our individual businesses while providing the best possible service to our clients. In adapting this philosophy, I have developed a network of people who are more than referral partners – they are allies, resources and friends.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Our unique business model of providing PT on a mobile basis is definitely one reason why my business has grown. We also prioritize the importance of communication and we are driven to move healthcare forward by committing to full communication between all members of the team involved in a patient’s care. We are attentive to all details and know the importance of coordination of care. We return every email and every call, treating patients and their families as if they are our own. I believe that this sets us apart and also what has built our reputation in our market.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.therapyinmotionllc.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapyinmotion_dpt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therapyinmotiondpt
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hernandez-dpt-b14b6373