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Profile: Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team - West Central and Central Florida
Author: | Saturday March 24, 2007
For Randy Wiemer, "Culture of Excellence" more than just a phrase.
Evidence-Based Practice
Rehab Group Focuses
On Quality of Care &
Meeting Client Needs
Ed. Note: When Randy Wiemer, P.T., joined Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team in 1991 there was just one full time and one part time therapist on staff in Palm Harbor, FL.. Since then the growth of the company developed and became part of the Select Medical Corporation family of rehabilitation companies (February, 1997). In February of 2004, Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team acquired the Central Florida Kessler Rehabilitation Centers. We recently interviewed Randy Wiemer about the growth of the company and why he thinks it is so successful.
By Ray Brasted
The phrase "culture of excellence" is taken very seriously by Randy Wiemer, P.T., President of Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team, a team of clinics providing physical, occupational and hand therapy services throughout West Central & Central Florida.
It means establishing an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) culture grounded in research-based literature and integrating this with the therapists’ best practices. This happens in every outpatient clinic in the company. It also calls for extensive training of the staff and incorporating Best Practices in the delivery of services.
"In today's world, health care providers are being held more accountable for outcomes. When we talk about Evidence Based Practice ( EBP) we are talking about customizing care to the patient's needs in each of our 28 offices," Wiemer said. "We can't use the same therapy tools and technology on our patients as we did even ten years ago. The anatomy of the human body is the same but what you apply to it has changed dramatically," Wiemer emphasized.
With the new technology and the requirements to get patients better in a shorter length of time, especially in workers' compensation cases, there is an emphasis toward ongoing professional training in many companies and Sports & Orthopedic Rehab is a strong believer in continuing education. "We far exceed the minimum requirements in continuing education with our therapists receiving up to 72 hours of CEUs each year. We offer them the opportunity to take the courses free. We consider it an investment in our practice," Wiemer said.
In addition, three times a year the staff is invited to come in for a two day group clinic and, though the attendance is optional, sixty nine staff members attended the last course. "We also do peer reviews where staff members look over the cases of the colleagues. It is one of the ways we hold each other accountable," Wiemer stated.
And the company president does not exclude himself when it comes to continuing education. Wiemer said he is working on his thesis as he is in the process of earning his doctorate in physical therapy. He also stays in touch with the day-to-day operations by visiting the clinics and talks to staff members and patients. "It gives me great pleasure to walk into a clinic and meet someone at the front desk who has been with us for ten years or more. I think it says a lot about our company that many of our staff members have been with us for years," Wiemer said.
The company has grown in the workers' compensation market with about a third of the patients representing injured workers. "We believe this is an area where we can have an impact by saving the system dollars and at the same time maximizing the opportunity for the individual to return to work," Wiemer said. Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team offers scheduling within 24 to 48 hours, a centralized referral service with a dedicated toll free number, timely reports, compliance reporting and internal case management services.
"Patients can get lost in the workers' compensation system so we believe that if we provided superior results and services we will get more referrals and that is what has taken place," Wiemer pointed out. "Our primary goal is to get the patient better." As a result, Wiemer indicated, Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team has established relationships with many referral sources who have had positive experiences with the company.
Finally, to make sure the patient experience is the best it can be, Wiemer said that a WOW! officer works full time to grade the various locations on everything from phone etiquette and customer service to appearance of the individual office. The WOW! officer was recruited, not from the rehab industry, but from the hotel industry, to provide an objective perspective.
"Culture of Excellence is not something we just talk about, it is something that permeates everything we do,' Wiemer concluded.
About Sports & Orthopedic Rehab Team: Along with Physical, Occupational and Hand Therapy services outlined in the article, the clinics also offer pre-employment screenings, Physical Reconditioning, Ergonomic job site analysis and Functional Capacity Evaluations. The centralized scheduling phone number is 1-866-771-7677. The web site is www.sportsandorthorehab.com.
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