Name: Maureen Title: Physical Therapist
How long have you been with ARC?
I have been with Accelerated for 20 years.
Where did you attend Physical Therapy school?
I attended Northwestern University and graduated from their physical therapy program in 1987 when it was a Bachelor of Science degree.
Why did you choose to become a physical therapist?
I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, so for me it was a choice to pursue physical therapy, a medical assistant program, or medical school. My counselor in college had me speak with a physician who actually talked me out of going to medical school. I chose to volunteer with a family friend who owned a physical therapy practice in my hometown, which led me to pursue physical therapy.It’s a fun profession and it is great to take care of people. Every day I can go home and feel like I made a difference.
Why did you choose to work at Accelerated?
The location at Accelerated is great and we have an excellent group of physical therapists. When I first started, everyone was under 30 years old and we were very energetic and motivated. Back then, there were not a lot of outpatient clinics in the area so, we had great patients coming to our clinic. Accelerated was, also, one of the only freestanding physical therapy facilities with great physician relationships.
I have had the unique opportunity of seeing Accelerated grow from one single clinic to over 200 clinics, but it doesn’t feel that different from when we started, which I think is a compliment to our company. Accelerated is going in the right direction, which is why I am still here 20 years later.
Your greatest accomplishments to date as a physical therapist:
The fact that I still really like it after 20 years is an accomplishment! I think that’s rare. Earning a manual certification with Stanley Paris is also a great achievement.
Areas of specialization:
Manual Therapy, orthopedic clinical specialist, pre- and post- natal, and sacro-iliac patients. I, also, like working with runners.
Long term goals as a physical therapist:
To be honest, I love the track that I am on and I still really like treating patients, so staying up on treatment techniques is the most important goal for me. The techniques and book knowledge that physical therapy students receive today is amazing, but I think physical therapists should always remember to not lose the skill of touch and listening to our patients.
When I am not at work, I enjoy:
Being a mom to two kids, yoga, Pilates, running, skiing, and hiking out west
