Summit Physical Therapy Offers Personalized Treatment To Patients
Summit Physical Therapy, founded in 1988, is an independent, physical therapist-owned, private practice with a convenient location serving Union, Essex and Morris counties. In a world of medicine dictated by corporations, Summit Physical Therapy stays true to its roots with treatment provided only by licensed physical therapists.
In this environment, it is able to provide the personalized treatment that every patient deserves, as well as develop relationships that last longer than treatment. From exercising to stretching, the practice teaches you exactly how to manage your condition so you can live a happy and pain-free life.
John V. Scioscia, president of Summit Physical Therapy, let Patch in on the secrets to his 30-plus years of success in the business, as well as how the practice is providing virtual treatment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?
Scioscia: Summit Physical Therapy has been operating since 1988. My wife and I have lived in Summit now for the past 35 years. We raised our children here and have stuck around even after they left. The whole family has been very involved in the community, between sports, my involvement in various boards and organizations, and my wife previously working at Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School.
Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you're in, and how did you get started?
Scioscia: I have always had a passion for science and fixing things. As a child, this led me in the direction of medicine. I eventually wound up being recruited to Boston University for wrestling with the intention to become a physician. Over the course of my athletic career at Boston, I became involved with physical therapy and athletic training. After college, I started my career in professional sports, but I soon realized I wanted a life that allowed for more time at home with my family. I founded Summit Physical Therapy, and the rest has been amazing.
Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission in five words to a stranger, what would those words be?
Scioscia: Honest. Independent. Experienced. Skilled. Community.
Patch: What's the most satisfying part of your job?
Scioscia: In general, the most satisfying part of my job is helping people. There are some instances when a patient is dealing with a more difficult or complex case and confides that we have made a breakthrough. That is a special moment. As a physical therapist, I get a lot of time to truly invest in a patient's well-being. Making that personal connection and building trust with someone who needs it most is particularly satisfying.
Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?
Scioscia: The physical therapy industry as a whole has changed in recent years. Most have adopted a "team" model, where your care is delivered by numerous aides, technicians and assistants, putting the therapist in more of a supervisory role. At Summit Physical Therapy, your care is delivered entirely by physical therapists. We pride ourselves in being involved in every part of the rehab process. We even take care of sanitizing surfaces ourselves. Nothing is outsourced. Neighbors caring for neighbors. We have also maintained the same staff. Aside from bringing on a new therapist two years ago, our entire staff has worked here for over 20 years. It is hard to say that about any company, let alone a PT clinic. You definitely know someone who has been treated by our therapists.
Patch: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given when it comes to success?
Scioscia: "You are either moving forward or moving backward." This has applied to how we manage the business but is also applicable to our patients and athletes.
Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you're working on that you're extra excited about?
Scioscia: Interestingly enough, we had been planning to start offering telehealth services starting the summer of 2020 prior to this COVID-19 outbreak. Our goals were to provide an easier way for patients to receive care when they could only make it to the clinic on a less-than-optimal basis, provide PT for our patients who travel for business or vacation, provide a more-efficient method to monitor patients as they phase back into normal life after rehab, and to provide athletic program monitoring from a far with our Performance Therapy service.
Obviously, this pandemic moved our rollout date up by a few months, and we have now been practicing telehealth for over three months! Maintaining our theme of honesty, telehealth is not adequate to replace all in-clinic treatment, but is phenomenal for many treatments. We have seen great success with getting patients in for isolated treatments, if in acute or recent-onset pain, progressing to telehealth when symptoms are less irritable. For patients who are in lesser levels of pain, telehealth can be a great option even to start. We are currently offering free telehealth consultations to answer any questions and to help you find what treatment option is best for you.
Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?
Scioscia: In November 2019, we started hosting a lecture series at our clinic as well at a few local businesses. Since March, we have converted the series to webinars, which is not only awesome to maintain social distance but allows many more people to access the information from their home. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for the next webinar we host.