Physical Therapy Care adds Springfield location

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Gerry Catapang is more than a physical therapist. He's also an advocate for small-business owners like himself who operate independent physical therapy clinics in the Springfield area.|ret||ret||tab|

In 1997, Catapang left his job his managing three physical therapy clinics around the Springfield area and opened the Rogersville Physical Therapy Clinic. At the time, he believed the Rogersville clinic would serve patients who lived east of Springfield and provide them with easier access to care. |ret||ret||tab|

He soon found out he was wrong.|ret||ret||tab|

"The managed care systems in the Springfield area don't allow patients to get the physical therapy they need close to where they live," he said. "As a result, many of the people I could help still had to drive into Springfield because their insurance company wouldn't pay for them to be treated by an independent physical therapy clinic."|ret||ret||tab|

Getting into the managed care system has proven to be difficult, and during the past two years, Catapang's attempts to affiliate with an area hospital or health maintenance organization have been un-successful.|ret||ret||tab|

Still, his client base is growing. Approximately 60 percent of his clients are referred by local industries and businesses, and their care is paid for through worker's compensation insurance. The remainder of his patients receive treatment through personal injury claims, private insurance or other sources. |ret||ret||tab|

In August, Catapang's commitment to providing convenient patient care led him to open a second physical therapy clinic in Springfield. Shortly thereafter, he changed the name of both clinics to Physical Therapy Care, Manual Physical Therapy and Industrial Rehabilitation Center PC. |ret||ret||tab|

The Springfield clinic is open 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Satur-day. An office manager and five other li-censed physical therapists, including Catapang's wife Lalaine, assist him at both clinics.|ret||ret||tab|

"The Springfield clinic opens at 6:30 a.m. to serve patients who work the third shift," Catapang said. "Our philosophy is, It's not only how much you know, but also how much you care.' We show our patients that we care by making it as convenient as possible for them to receive treatment."|ret||ret||tab|

While Catapang believes it should be easier for injured workers to receive the care they need, he believes it's equally important to remain objective when evaluating and treating their injuries. |ret||ret||tab|

To do this, the physical therapists at Physical Therapy Care use the Ortho-pedic Manual Physical Therapy Assess-ment of the Institute of Graduate Phys-ical Therapy and ErgoScience Function-al Capacity Evaluations. According to Catapang, these two assessment tools rely on objective measurements and allow physical therapists to determine which patients really need care and which patients are abusing the workers' compensation system. |ret||ret||tab|

The ErgoScience Functional Capacity Evaluations also help to determine if the injured worker can return to work, what level of work he or she performs, as defined by the Department of Labor, and if the injured worker can sustain an eight-hour workday at that level. This information then can be used by physicians, employers and lawyers. |ret||ret||tab|

When working with an industrial rehabilitation patient, the physical therapists at Physical Therapy Care focus on helping the injured employee return to work as early as possible at the lowest possible cost. The clinic's expertise in orthopedic manual physical therapy and industrial rehabilitation helps achieve this goal, and each therapist works closely with the health care professionals who are involved in the employee's care. |ret||ret||tab|

Catapang said working closely with physicians and other health care professionals in the area has helped increase Physical Therapy Care's client base. |ret||ret||tab|

Still, Catapang said he values his independence. In fact, he's noticed more and more physicians in the area are returning to independent practice.|ret||ret||tab|

"When you're independent, you not the HMO or the managed care system decides what's best for the patient," he said. "Being able to do that allows me to give my patients the best physical therapy care they deserve."[[In-content Ad]]