There has recently been an increase in awareness of challenges faced by health care workers. From a health care worker’s perspective, we have seen employees at big organizations go on strike due to work environments that have become unsustainable. As patients seeking health care services, we have faced challenges getting appointments, optimal personal time and consistency of care as health care providers have had to squeeze in more visits and opted to move away or leave the field.
The biggest lesson from this experience is that we have control of breaking out of this cycle and moving toward a more sustainable path for our individual health care needs.
The conventional model of physical therapy, and all health care, is to expect the majority or some of the cost of your care to be covered by insurance. You have paid your monthly premiums, and it is logical to assume that should be your best option. That sounds great – in theory. However, you may not realize that it can come at the cost of your health care providers’ ability to sustain ideal care and maintain their health to serve you best.
As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
This mindset brings awareness of the importance of caring for ourselves before attempting to serve others. As physical therapists, we are better equipped to support you when we have the space to meet our physical, emotional and mental health care needs. By optimizing our well-being, we can be in a stronger position to positively impact your lives when in need.
Physical therapists and all other health care providers have experienced ongoing
reimbursement cuts, unsustainable expectations for administrative work required by insurance intermediaries and a lack of feasibility to maintain value with conventional care. As a result, conventional models of health care have been influenced by reacting to insurance regulations rather than an ability to focus on how to serve you best.
Empowering patients
We need to put on our “innovative hats” to make this work best for you and health care providers. Part of our ability to make these changes is building awareness of what we face and what health care challenges can be overcome with a mindset shift.
As physical therapists and health care providers, we go into the field to become experts in helping you improve or maintain a better quality of life. It is getting more common to see that some health care providers are standing firm with a decision to deliver a more innovative and sustainable way to deliver health care. This way, we can provide the space to personalize your care and prioritize helping you achieve the best outcomes possible.
If we don’t take control of our work model that best supports your needs, we will not have the proper resources or energy to carry out the job we are dedicated to providing for you when you need a physical therapist. Addressing these issues can help ensure we deliver the best possible care for you when needed.
When physical therapists and other health care providers are in a position to avoid being overloaded, we can maintain the energy to personalize our care to serve you best. A positive work environment creates more space for team collaboration among colleagues, fostering a healthier environment for those we serve.
Some physical therapists are passionate about helping you develop mindfulness strategies that enhance your self-care skills. Some of us are also passionate and dedicated to giving you additional lifestyle strategy tips to support your physical limitations. These are often factors essential to address when facing chronic pain or health issues. However, this usually takes extra one-on-one time and privacy with a physical therapy expert, so you are in a comfortable space to give us relevant information regarding your health.
Kim Gladfelter is owner, physical therapist and Pilates instructor at PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness, 1000 Fremont Ave., Suite 108, Los Altos. For more information, visit physiofitpt.com.
