Who Says Physical Therapist’s Can’t Have Fun?

Outstanding.

That’s the word I’d use to describe one of the best physical therapy seminars I ever attended, PPS convention 09. (it’s not the altitude and the alcohol that’s making me say this)

Educational conferences can be dull and boring, but certainly not this one.  When I attend a conference, I want good, solid information sprinkled with some light hearted moments. In fact, what I look for is:

What lesson can I take home and apply the next day to improve my physical therapy business?

Sitting through several conferences in the past with my arms folded, frowing while occasionally scribbling random notes (which I can never find when I got home), I was unsure about what to expect here in Colorado as a presenter and attendee.

I was looking for something fresh, unique and thought provoking to transform my physical therapy marketing.

3 days later, I got MUCH more than I expected, including some new, eternal friendships. Not too shabby for a weekend in the mountains, surrounded by some pretty sharp therapists.

I’m sitting at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado, echoing the sentiments of the 800+ attendees that this was an AMAZING event filled with cutting edge content for the 21st century PT, brilliantly executed and topped off with a generous dose of FUN.

Physical therapy seminars like these are CRITICAL to the growth of private practitioners and if you are not part of the PPS, you should strongly consider becoming one NOW. I’d also volunteer for the private practice section and assist them with various committees – it’s the fastest way to meet and network with BRILLIANT therapists who are supportive and broad minded. For more information, check out the physical therapy private practice section of the American Physical Therapy Association.

The organizing committee did an excellent job. There were several physical therapy seminars going on at the same time, which made it hard to pick. All the topics were timely and relevant to the profession.

The speakers were outstanding, and I can report on the ones I managed to attend.

The one’s I did attend were packed with VALUE.  The well known Lynn Steffes was, as usual, brilliant with her workshop on “Get, Set Retail” for physical therapists as she outlined the importance of a ‘retail mindset’ for the private practitioner. I’d fly cross country to listen to Lynn if I were you.

The smooth and polished Tannus Quatre, my colleague in our presentation on “Online Physical Therapy Marketing” provided an outstanding, integrated view on online marketing and market analysis to a packed audience. I missed Kevin Hulsey’s talk on “Partnership Models” in private practice and asked him to get on the phone to record an interview for you guys, so that’s coming up soon.

Another workshop that got RAVE reviews was conducted by Carl DeRosa and Jennifer Gamboa, pioneers in the integration of fitness and physical therapy. They held nothing back, as they revealed the mechanisms of a business model that fuses health clubs and physical therapy clinics. Jennifer is one of the pioneers in cash-based physical therapy private practice, and has an unconventional business model, just like I do in my own cash-based model in New Jersey.

Shannon O’Kelley talked about raising awareness and free media publicity for the profession and John Childs conducted a brilliant round table on “How to drive your practice towards success by leveraging referral sources”. Jeff Ostrowski from Excel Physical Therapy, editor of IMPACT magazine conducted an eye-opening presentation on “Revenue based compensation plans” in conjunction with Holly Gullickson and Louis Coiro.

On Saturday, the highly respected trio of Larry Benz, Timothy Flynn and Rick Shutes presented a fresh new insight to take physical therapy to the next level and revolutionize your private practice.

I made detailed notes and will present you with the biggest, most valuable nuggets of content in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Friday night was a blast, Colorado style. Everyone left their “physical therapist” hat back at the hotel and partied hard. Dinner, drinks, desert and dancing amidst country music culminated in an evening that ended close to midnight (when the official end time was 10 pm)

The DJ did an excellent job, and all of us LET IT RIP. When we practice, we put our heart and soul into our patients, living each day like we are dying. Well, in this party, we danced like it was the last party on earth. The audience came alive after a ‘Thriller” dance early in the evening, and after that, there was no looking back as the night came to life. We live hard, and play hard as physical therapists.

Who said physical therapy business owners can’t have fun?