Very few people go out of their way to give their physical therapy clinic a five-star review.
For the most part, these aren’t places you go because you want to, but because you have to. Because, through some injury or accident, your quality of life is being impacted by the pain of healing. Because you need some kind of relief just so you can think about getting yourself back to where you were.
When you head into physical therapy, it seems the real pain begins. It can be agonizing, muscling through the pain, but it has to be done. It just takes the right support, and that’s where most physical therapy clinics fall short.
To truly heal, to endure the grueling process of physical therapy until – slowly but surely – function returns, it takes a team. It takes support. In the wrong clinic, this support takes the form of a few surveys before and after, a few words of encouragement here and there, and a light smattering of instruction.
If you’ve been through it, you know.
To truly heal, to endure the grueling process of physical therapy until – slowly but surely – function returns, it takes a team. It takes support. With the right clinic, that support is just the foundation of a practice geared towards getting you back on your feet.
But then you find a place where the staff actually recognizes the level of support you need, and stops at nothing to meet that need. In that moment, a five-star review isn’t nearly enough. With the right clinic, that support is just the foundation of a practice geared towards getting you back on your feet.
In case the headline didn’t tip you off, when we talk about the right clinic, we’re talking about Benchmark Physical Therapy.
“One of the largest things we emphasize is outcomes,” said Leah Woods, regional vice president of Benchmark. “How do we ensure that what we’re doing is helping the patient? Day One that means having someone complete an outcome measurement specific to them. Then it means reassessing every two weeks to determine if we’re making progress or if there are other areas that need to be addressed. It’s about clear and consistent communication.”
But beyond actually listening to their patients, something that too few clinics do, Benchmark has built its brand on a style of care that never stops improving.
“The company works hard to work with clinicians who develop themselves. We have staff regularly attending continuing education in Savannah and Charleston so we can ensure we’re providing exceptional quality care in our clinics,” Woods said. “We hold master classes four times a year to make sure, from a skills standpoint, that our therapists are getting that exceptional practice. And we’re also committed to specializing in meeting the community’s needs.”
That means employing a public health specialist in the Bluffton clinic, working with patients on dysfunctions that impact their quality of life. “Our therapist there does a great job in assisting patients within their specialty as well as traditional outpatient orthopedics,” said Woods.
Beyond actually listening to their patients, something that too few clinics do, Benchmark has built its brand on a style of care that never stops improving.
Add to that functional capacity evaluations at the May River clinic to fine tune testing, and dry needling throughout all of their clinics, and Benchmark covers every base.
If you’re a patient, that extra effort to fine-tune offerings and maintain strong communications can make all the difference. For example, if you’re a magazine writer who fell off a ladder and was widely ignored at a different clinic, completing an entire course of treatment with no noticeable effect, and then make the switch to Benchmark you will notice. You’ll find therapists who actually care about your recovery. You’ll find an atmosphere of camaraderie between patients and providers. You’ll find that dry needling is nowhere near as scary as you thought and is, in fact, kind of a miracle.
(Full disclosure, the author of this piece is the hypothetical magazine writer mentioned above.)
And don’t be surprised to see your clinician out and about, as Benchmark has long made community involvement a cornerstone of their model. Whether it’s being right at the water’s edge during the Olu Kai Paddle Battle, working with student athletes at local high schools, or just dropping off the latest haul from their annual toy drive, these are folks who are making as much of an impact on their community as they are their patients.
“I get a ton of feedback from physicians on the impact they’re seeing from patients,” Woods said. “We’ve seen where there are needs in the community, and we’ve sought to address those needs through training and being better clinicians. We’re not about being stagnant. At the end of the day, that speaks volumes.”
Find and contact us at each of these locations:
Beaufort – Shell Point (843) 990-4411
Bluffton (843) 815-2563
Bluffton – May River (843) 806-2240
Hardeeville – Okatie (843) 208-2272
Hilton Head Island – Sea Pines (843) 715-0345
