We were the guest of member Jeff Clark at his business, I’ MOVE, on Cove St, near the intersection of Hwy US-31 and Van Wagoner Rd, in Ferrysburg. This is of course the former location of a bowling alley business and restaurant collaborated on by several now deceased Rotarians who needed a tax writeoff, before the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Monte and his company put in the building components, Jim and Bob the new parking area, Jim D (Megan’s father in law) the kitchen equipment, and so on.. But, out of the lost cause of an over sized man cave, rose from the ashes a worthwhile endeavor now used to save us from ourselves, and usual age progression. Marty Sytsema and Jeff have created a business that offers individual attention for physical therapy and related physical holistic efforts to make our bodies, and minds, healthy. Starting with a dream and keys to a decrepit building in 2007, member Jeff and his partner have grown the enterprise to 9 locations along the Lakeshore from Whitehall and Muskegon to Holland, stretching into the Grand Rapids area, with 25 highly trained physical therapists and 47 current employees.
The mission of Physical Therapists is to create an access gate for identifying needs of a patient for a continuum of care. Jeff stated that about $4Trilliion is spent annually in the US on health care. The evolution of physical therapy, and a person taking care of their mind, body and spirit, reveals that an ounce of prevention saves a pound of later medical care. The reason for I’Move’s growth over the past 15 years is the Physical Therapist’s efforts to create a great atmosphere for PT, plus the ability to have a great reputation with patients.
The PT business is constantly undergoing consolidation of offices and clinics, so the truly independent non venture capital owned PT business is becoming more scarce. The larger chains of PT require a more cookie cutter approach to services, and those independently owned facilities, like I’Move, are usually able to provide an atmosphere conducive to healing, preventive holistic therapy, and a staff that truly enjoys their professional abilities. The larger chains of P/T try to keep the bottom line always in view because the owners require a good balance sheet and an exit strategy to keep the capital needed in a position to exit the investment when goals have been met.
The time investment for the owners of I Move has been in addition to the educational component, many years of addressing the patient expectations of a healthy investment. The early name of Shoreline Sport & Spine transitioned to the current name of I’ Move as patients understood that there was more to P/T than fixing a sore or damaged part of their body.
The holistic segway from fixing to preventative P/T is meeting individual goals of participants. The model of a 1 : 1 relationship with a trainer and patient is following what a patient desires:
- A highly trained staff tuned into the goals of a patient recognizes the path to take to successfully meeting the goals of the patient. A typical ‘rookie’ P/T trained person has a college degree and another 2 to 4 years of specialty training in physical body functioning.
- Use of internet and at-home training exercises with approved instruction manuals is spreading the connection to P/T;
- Outreach with community based programs brings needed attention to the benefits of P/T.
- Having a positive approach with the providing of P/T, promoting the use of interns when available for training, and advising patients of their progress and plans for their own needs.
The mantra of this business is one to one, and not trying to administer to the P/T needs of 2 or more patients at the same time. I’Move pushes against a multi patient program, even though many insurance companies attempt to arrange for multi patient services. As a business, it appears now that more women are using P/T services than in the past, simply because statistically women have a need to be relieved of many aches and pains caused by their complicated life experiences and physical structure. Men seem to do more harm to themselves from life activities (sports injuries, etc.) but women walk a lot, have children, do the meals, laundry, carrying children and groceries, and generally can be exposed to wear and tear issues more than men.
Jeff and Marty closed the presentation with an observation that more Employing Organizations, such as the City of Grand Haven, are offering their staff direct employee services. These services in the nature of physical therapy routines, help to prevent a higher incidence of issues relating to heart disease, diabetic disabilities, cancer events, mental health impacts that are adverse, and general well being situations. Preventative Health Care is the best approach to overall well being of employees, which saves millions of dollars in after care expenses. Early intervention is a cost saver.
I’Move has a menu of services relating to P/T, including workout classes for various ages, conditions and personal needs. Again, the ROI for active management of personal conditioning is about 3 to 5 years and for those of us in the mature age group, better to start early than wait for later, as the problems can be addressed when younger. Thanks to Jeff and Marty for hosting our group of Rotarians at their business! Another great program from a Member…