Out of the Cold: American Southwest offers warm weather and diverse culture
Monday April 12, 2010
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The American Southwest, with its diverse topography, temperate climate and myriad cultures, makes it a good fit for many PTs.
“I moved around my entire life,” says Beth Jones, PT, DPT, OCS, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico Physical Therapy department, who besides teaching spends about a quarter of her time in private practice at Langford Sports and Physical Therapy in Albuquerque. “We lived in Europe, Hawaii, Vermont, Florida and California. My husband was a Marine, and on top of that my dad worked in Europe for 11 years when I was young. When it was time to retire, my husband and I could have gone anywhere. My husband was from New Mexico so we moved here nine years ago, and I love it. There’s great weather, people who are active and engaged in health and it’s not overgrown — our largest city is Albuquerque and it has less than 1 million people. I like it that you can go someplace quickly and be alone.”
Michael Strakal, PT, MBA, CAE, and Genie Strakal, owners of The Center for Physical Therapy and Hand Rehabilitation, resided and worked in South Bend, Ind., before selling their private clinics to U.S. Health Works and moving to Genie’s hometown of Tulsa, Okla., when her father passed away and she wanted to be closer to her mother.
Recreation Opportunities
“I really wanted to stay in Indiana, but I figured it was my turn to move for her,” Michael Strakal says. “What I found was that our children thrived in Tulsa, the schools are fantastic, the churches are great and the people are friendly.” Strakal, an avid golfer, adds that the weather is great.
“It’s also a horse-crazy state and my daughters ride, so we’ve been able to capitalize on trainers,” says Strakal, noting that before he moved to Tulsa, his view of Oklahoma was what he had gleaned from reading “The Grapes of Wrath.”
“I was surprised to find that east of Oklahoma City it’s very hilly and green, there are limestone caves and plenty of parks and rivers,” he says. “I don’t miss the gray South Bend winters.”
For Zane Larson, PT, DPT, ECS, OCS, and owner of Larson Rehabilitation Services, with clinics in three locations in Flagstaff, Ariz., great weather is definitely a plus.
“I love having seasons and green. There are a lot of outdoor things to do,” says Larson, who recently went snowshoeing. “I like to go mountain biking, road biking, hiking, backpacking, camping and snow skiing. In the winter, if it is too cold or too much snow, you can drive 30-40 minutes south into Sedona and Red Rock country and be in warmer weather.”
Amy Flory, PT, owner of CoreBalance Therapy LLC, who moved from her home state of Alaska to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, left for a year and then returned because she loves the area, agrees. “Arizona offers such a wide range of cultural and recreational opportunities year-round,” she says. “For example, this last Christmas break, we were downhill skiing in Flagstaff one day and hiking with family amongst the cacti in the Saguaro National Monument the next day.”
Texas, the second largest state in the union, offers something for everyone, says Joel Blanco, MPT, CSCS, and Center Therapy Director at Concentra Medical Center.
“The state is so big there are tons of landscapes,” Blanco says. “Lubbock, where I went to school, has the college scene. Dallas, where we live, is a lot greener and has a lot of cultural activities, walking and biking trails, symphonies, a great arts district and sports teams, so there’s always a game. San Antonio is hot and dry. Corpus Christi is on the coast. That’s what makes Texas so appealing, there’s something for everyone.”
Climate Change
Diana Fassett, PT, Women’s Health and Pelvic Rehabilitation at St. Joseph’s Hospital, moved to Tucson, Ariz., from Vermont where she had attended school. “I wanted out of the cold,” she says with a laugh.
Both Fassett and her husband are rock climbers and enjoy being outdoors, so Arizona is the perfect place for them to indulge in such activities as trail running and hiking. She also likes the richness of the culture and the chance to meet snowbirds — people who come to Arizona in the winter.
“We moved here on a whim,” she says, noting that even in the intense heat of the summer, the area has what she describes as a monsoon season — hard rains for a short period of time. “We welcome it as it helps refresh us,” she says.
But it isn’t only weather and activities that attract PTs to the Southwest. Another reason for Larson is the healthy lifestyle that many of the area’s residents embrace. “Here everyone likes to be active and healthy and they take PT seriously for the most part,” he says.
“Because we live surrounded by natural beauty that is accessible all year long, it’s easier to motivate patients to adopt activity changes that involve outdoor recreation,” Flory says.
Educational Offerings
There’s an abundance of educational options in the Dallas area, says Karen Crain, PT, PCS, coordinator of staff development for Therapy 2000 in Dallas. That includes continuing education and post-graduate educational opportunities.
“Arizona boasts two terrific physical therapy programs — Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and Arizona School of Health Sciences — A.T. Still University in Mesa,” Flory says. “The AzPTA [Arizona Physical Therapy Association] offers excellent programming in semi-annual conferences and also regional continuing education throughout the year. The AzPTA is very active in state and federal legislative matters and provides many opportunities for all members to be educated in this aspect of their practice.”
According to Jones, New Mexico has up-to-date continuing education offerings. “We just did a major imaging class and had 130 people at it and that’s huge for our state,” she says.
The work is both challenging and rewarding, says Flory, who also is the membership chair of the AzPTA section on women’s health. “I really like working with a population that is very diverse in ethnicity and cultural background, and rich in native traditions,” Flory says. “On any given day, I can visit with a patient from the Navajo or Hopi reservation, a working cowboy, a university professor from India, and a biotech engineer. It’s very stimulating.”
Access Openings
Crain likes that the Medicare system in Texas allows in-home visits. “I work in pediatrics, and we are able to offer the children a variety of in-home services, giving us the ability to meet their needs in the least restrictive environment,” she says. “For example, we are able to work with them on their stairs, not the stairs in the clinic, which can be totally different.”
The Southwest’s scorecard on direct access is a little more complex. Strakal says that PTs in Oklahoma are working hard to get direct access. Arizona has direct access, Larson says.
Jones says New Mexico has a supportive state legislature that granted the state qualified direct access.“Not 100% of patients can walk in off the street,” she says. “But there are some insurances in this state that don’t require a referral.”
Texas also continues to negotiate for direct access, Blanco says. “We can see a non-referral for evaluation but can’t treat without a referral,” he says. “But I’m sure that we’ll get there.”•
Jane Ammeson is a contributing writer for Today in PT.
“I moved around my entire life,” says Beth Jones, PT, DPT, OCS, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico Physical Therapy department, who besides teaching spends about a quarter of her time in private practice at Langford Sports and Physical Therapy in Albuquerque. “We lived in Europe, Hawaii, Vermont, Florida and California. My husband was a Marine, and on top of that my dad worked in Europe for 11 years when I was young. When it was time to retire, my husband and I could have gone anywhere. My husband was from New Mexico so we moved here nine years ago, and I love it. There’s great weather, people who are active and engaged in health and it’s not overgrown — our largest city is Albuquerque and it has less than 1 million people. I like it that you can go someplace quickly and be alone.”
Michael Strakal, PT, MBA, CAE, and Genie Strakal, owners of The Center for Physical Therapy and Hand Rehabilitation, resided and worked in South Bend, Ind., before selling their private clinics to U.S. Health Works and moving to Genie’s hometown of Tulsa, Okla., when her father passed away and she wanted to be closer to her mother.
Recreation Opportunities
“I really wanted to stay in Indiana, but I figured it was my turn to move for her,” Michael Strakal says. “What I found was that our children thrived in Tulsa, the schools are fantastic, the churches are great and the people are friendly.” Strakal, an avid golfer, adds that the weather is great.
“It’s also a horse-crazy state and my daughters ride, so we’ve been able to capitalize on trainers,” says Strakal, noting that before he moved to Tulsa, his view of Oklahoma was what he had gleaned from reading “The Grapes of Wrath.”
“I was surprised to find that east of Oklahoma City it’s very hilly and green, there are limestone caves and plenty of parks and rivers,” he says. “I don’t miss the gray South Bend winters.”
For Zane Larson, PT, DPT, ECS, OCS, and owner of Larson Rehabilitation Services, with clinics in three locations in Flagstaff, Ariz., great weather is definitely a plus.
“I love having seasons and green. There are a lot of outdoor things to do,” says Larson, who recently went snowshoeing. “I like to go mountain biking, road biking, hiking, backpacking, camping and snow skiing. In the winter, if it is too cold or too much snow, you can drive 30-40 minutes south into Sedona and Red Rock country and be in warmer weather.”
Amy Flory, PT, owner of CoreBalance Therapy LLC, who moved from her home state of Alaska to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, left for a year and then returned because she loves the area, agrees. “Arizona offers such a wide range of cultural and recreational opportunities year-round,” she says. “For example, this last Christmas break, we were downhill skiing in Flagstaff one day and hiking with family amongst the cacti in the Saguaro National Monument the next day.”
Texas, the second largest state in the union, offers something for everyone, says Joel Blanco, MPT, CSCS, and Center Therapy Director at Concentra Medical Center.
“The state is so big there are tons of landscapes,” Blanco says. “Lubbock, where I went to school, has the college scene. Dallas, where we live, is a lot greener and has a lot of cultural activities, walking and biking trails, symphonies, a great arts district and sports teams, so there’s always a game. San Antonio is hot and dry. Corpus Christi is on the coast. That’s what makes Texas so appealing, there’s something for everyone.”
Climate Change
Diana Fassett, PT, Women’s Health and Pelvic Rehabilitation at St. Joseph’s Hospital, moved to Tucson, Ariz., from Vermont where she had attended school. “I wanted out of the cold,” she says with a laugh.
Both Fassett and her husband are rock climbers and enjoy being outdoors, so Arizona is the perfect place for them to indulge in such activities as trail running and hiking. She also likes the richness of the culture and the chance to meet snowbirds — people who come to Arizona in the winter.
“We moved here on a whim,” she says, noting that even in the intense heat of the summer, the area has what she describes as a monsoon season — hard rains for a short period of time. “We welcome it as it helps refresh us,” she says.
But it isn’t only weather and activities that attract PTs to the Southwest. Another reason for Larson is the healthy lifestyle that many of the area’s residents embrace. “Here everyone likes to be active and healthy and they take PT seriously for the most part,” he says.
“Because we live surrounded by natural beauty that is accessible all year long, it’s easier to motivate patients to adopt activity changes that involve outdoor recreation,” Flory says.
Educational Offerings
There’s an abundance of educational options in the Dallas area, says Karen Crain, PT, PCS, coordinator of staff development for Therapy 2000 in Dallas. That includes continuing education and post-graduate educational opportunities.
“Arizona boasts two terrific physical therapy programs — Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and Arizona School of Health Sciences — A.T. Still University in Mesa,” Flory says. “The AzPTA [Arizona Physical Therapy Association] offers excellent programming in semi-annual conferences and also regional continuing education throughout the year. The AzPTA is very active in state and federal legislative matters and provides many opportunities for all members to be educated in this aspect of their practice.”
According to Jones, New Mexico has up-to-date continuing education offerings. “We just did a major imaging class and had 130 people at it and that’s huge for our state,” she says.
The work is both challenging and rewarding, says Flory, who also is the membership chair of the AzPTA section on women’s health. “I really like working with a population that is very diverse in ethnicity and cultural background, and rich in native traditions,” Flory says. “On any given day, I can visit with a patient from the Navajo or Hopi reservation, a working cowboy, a university professor from India, and a biotech engineer. It’s very stimulating.”
Access Openings
Crain likes that the Medicare system in Texas allows in-home visits. “I work in pediatrics, and we are able to offer the children a variety of in-home services, giving us the ability to meet their needs in the least restrictive environment,” she says. “For example, we are able to work with them on their stairs, not the stairs in the clinic, which can be totally different.”
The Southwest’s scorecard on direct access is a little more complex. Strakal says that PTs in Oklahoma are working hard to get direct access. Arizona has direct access, Larson says.
Jones says New Mexico has a supportive state legislature that granted the state qualified direct access.“Not 100% of patients can walk in off the street,” she says. “But there are some insurances in this state that don’t require a referral.”
Texas also continues to negotiate for direct access, Blanco says. “We can see a non-referral for evaluation but can’t treat without a referral,” he says. “But I’m sure that we’ll get there.”•
Jane Ammeson is a contributing writer for Today in PT.
To comment, e-mail pteditor@gannetthg.com.
Monday April 12, 2010