Five Questions With: Michelle Collie

"Treating any health care provider is enjoyable as they are eager to learn more about the body, and provides an opportunity to really prove the value in what physical therapists are able to do. "

Michelle E. Collie is the CEO and majority owner of Performance Physical Therapy, a Rhode Island practice with nine locations. Born and raised in New Zealand, Collie came to Rhode Island 20 years ago working as a physical therapist at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. She has owned Performance Physical Therapy since 2003, and in 2014 founded the Performance Physical Therapy Charitable Fund – a nonprofit organization supporting the health and wellness of the community. In November, Performance Physical Therapy was awarded the National Jane L. Snyder Practice of the Year Award for 2014.

PBN: When you were creating your practice, what changes did you see that needed to be made in the profession of physical therapy?
COLLIE:
Ten years ago, a significant amount of the physical therapy services provided were anecdotal, with limited research supporting the effectiveness both clinically and from a cost perspective. In recent years there has been a significant amount of research published supporting specific treatments physical therapists provide, therefore directing and standardizing the interventions physical therapists provide. With this comes clinicians much more able to advocate for physical therapy – to their patients, to payers and other health care providers. Patients are more satisfied, and trust their physical therapists. Physicians and other health care providers now collaborate and work much more closely with physical therapists.

PBN: If a patient comes into your office today who hasn’t had PT in a decade or more, what would be the biggest changes that he or she would notice in the treatment paradigm?
COLLIE:
First, financial changes! Gone are the days of no copayments. Nearly all plans have deductibles, co-insurance and/or co-payments. Second, increased communication with other members of the health care team. A physical therapist will call the referring physician of a patient with concerning or challenging findings, and the health care providers will collaborate on the treatment plan. Third, physical therapists assessing the entire body – for example, a patient being seen for an ankle injury will be screened for mobility and strength throughout the rest of the body. Fourth, increased time and focus on educating on long term prevention, wellness and fitness. Fifth, new treatment techniques – including increased joint mobilization, manipulation and trigger point dry needling, much more specific, rehabilitative exercises. Sixth, an increased focus of treatment on “patient goals or functional needs,” rather than just external standards.

PBN: How did you first get interested in physical therapy, and was it a direct path to getting educated and opening your own practice?
COLLIE:
I first became interested in physical therapy, when at 15 years of age I injured my knee playing basketball (the common ACL tear), had surgery then many months of physical therapy. It’s the same story that many physical therapists have! I attended the University of Otago in New Zealand, and graduated with a Bachelors of Physiotherapy in 1994. In 1995, I came to Rhode Island and fulfilled a position at Memorial Hospital of Rhode island, back when there was a significant shortage of physical therapists. My intention was to work, travel the world and return to New Zealand to open a practice. Instead, I went to graduate school in the evenings for my masters and doctorate, and transitioned to Performance Physical Therapy in 2001. In 2003, when I was eight months pregnant with my first child, I purchased Performance Physical Therapy from the previous owner. So the path was not at all what I intended!

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PBN: Have you treated some doctors in the course of your career, and what is their typical response to receiving physical therapy?
COLLIE:
I love treating doctors – and have treated many during my career. Treating any health care provider is enjoyable as they are eager to learn more about the body, and provides an opportunity to really prove the value in what physical therapists are able to do. Doctors are always appreciative of the impact physical therapy has had on them, and are often quite surprised by the outcomes. These good clinical outcomes, with minimal risk and low costs compared to more medications, and surgeries result in satisfied doctors, satisfied patients. For example, for a physician with mid back pain – a specific manipulation to the mid back and postural education followed by two corrective exercises resulted in that physician being able to work without pain. Or a nurse’s chronic headaches and neck pain relieved by trigger point dry needling, connective tissue mobilization, education on posture and strengthening with three simple exercises.

PBN: What are you most proud of in terms of how you and your staff practice physical therapy in your own unique fashion?
COLLIE
: There’s no such thing as “old school” physical therapy at any of our clinics. We have changed and evolved to meet the needs of the community, the needs of the health care system and because of the new research and information we have access to. Of our 33 physical therapists, 10 are board certified orthopedic clinical specialists and 28 are certified in trigger point dry needling. These are a few examples of the effort our staff puts into providing the most efficient and effective treatment options for all patients.

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