Jimmy: Welcome to FOXcast PT a podcast for clinician’s made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at foxrehab.org. All right welcome to FOXcastPT. I’m your host Jimmy McKay and we are at CSM 2018 in New Orleans or as the locals have repeatedly told, “Nawlens”, and I’m here with…
Jeff: Jeff Buzin, FOX Optimal Living rehab director.
Julius: Julius Franz, PT and RQAL.
Jimmy: Guys, welcome to the show. We’re doing this event on the very first night here at CSM. You guys are fresh from a particular ceremony. Why don’t we tell the audience what ceremony we just came from.
Jeff: So we just completed the ABPTS recognition ceremony for our Geriatric Clinical Specialist certification
Jimmy: GCS guys! I know I’m not the first because we’ve been saying congratulations all night. But let me be the first to say on mic: That’s an amazing accomplishment. I know a lot of blood sweat and tears went into that talk about the process of going through that.
Jeff: We sat down as a group. There was about six or seven PTs sat together use it as a study group. It took us about six to seven months, sitting down, you know, once a week for about an hour or so reviewing some materials. Obviously, we were able to achieve the ultimate goal. So that was good.
Jimmy: Now were you guys logistically in the same place did you guys do this online? Did you leverage technology?
Julius: What I was able to take advantage of: the Medbridge course. So all online courses, I had a couple of people in the area were taking the exam as well and I met up with them here and there and we kind of exchanged e-mails but mostly took advantage of being able to do it on my own time pacing myself with the online courses really kind of did it smoothly I think because I got to pace that out the way I liked it.
Jimmy: How long have you guys been PTs?
Julius: Five years.
Jeff: Also five years.
Jimmy: Why get a GCSS?
Jeff: When I was practicing my clinical rotations and also studying in school, I always had an inkling that I wanted to work in the geriatric population. I’ve always had a keen interest in working with the older adults and I want to make sure that I was providing the appropriate and most evidence-based care that I could.
Julius: Definitely second that as far as like a primary reason for getting the certification. They can get in the area and also personally just kind of a drive to try to do the next thing. So reaching something and feeling like I’m not really quite settled there for very long until I’m looking for another challenge and this is definitely something easy because FOX was able to support us in it. That’s something that I really wanted to do and took on another challenge find that fulfillment with taking on things like that.
Jimmy: Talk about the support. How did FOX help you kind of climb this academic mountain? What they do?
Julius: That was probably the easiest reason that we decided to do it. Because as a group and from the practice from the top down, being told that there’s going to be every piece of support that we needed. Having the course, like I said, on Medbridge that walks you through it, having leadership get on calls meet with us in person answer any kind of question that we had as we’re going through it, to be able to make it a little bit easier to feel like let’s take something on that is on our own time. We’re still working full time and now we’re taking on something that we would do on our own time and someone is saying “We can get you through this because we’ll give you the support that you need.”
Jimmy: How FOX make it easy for you? How did their support come into play?
Jeff: Working with fantastic clinicians that have already achieved their GCS, getting that mentorship from them, and the guidelines in order to study, and make sure were hit and those appropriate benchmarks, Make sure we’re getting the material down. also all the materials on Medbridge as being able to work together as a team.
Jimmy: That’s gotta help. Look, this is difficult for a reason because it’s worth it. If this were easy everybody would just get it and wouldn’t mean anything but a GCS in PT, everyone understands the weight the magnitude of that and to go through it together.
I think that’s a really smart idea because you all know what the “slog” is like. There’s always that slog in the middle of anything you know earning your degree or doing a marathon. There’s that moment where you’re like, “Why am I here?” And then you remember why you’re here to my clients. And that’s what brings you to the finish line but do it together. You know that’s that’s a great idea for you guys.
Jeff: Yeah absolutely. And the fact that we as FOX clinicians made up 8 percent of the overall GCSs for the year.
Jimmy: That’s this year?
Jeff: Yeah, just this year alone astronomical.
Jimmy: What’s the number total, Roy, Marketing Director for FOX, what’s the stat again for… how many Fox GCS’s is the percentage?
Roy: 22 that are walking today . And, that will bring our total to 55 overall.
Jimmy: 55 GCSs within the physical therapy profession. It’s a big deal.
You know, I like to see this move hopefully 5, 10, 15 years from now. There’s even more. It’s got to start with someone and we like to think here at FOX that it starts with us with lead from the front.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing the GCS?
Julius: I’ve actually already had that conversation with quite a few people on different teams that have asked about it.
They kind of hear FOX is very supportive of it. And before they take on the challenge they kind of want to know OK you’ve been through it. What does it take and is it something that they feel like they can manage.
And I really would say that with the support that we’re being given it’s absolutely doable and if you’re the kind of person who likes to take on that kind of challenge and enjoys the growth and the learning it’s an absolute no brainer to go through it’s very rewarding and being here today and being at CSM is just icing on the cake being able to celebrate it.
Jimmy: Yeah. And you should celebrate it.
Jeff: Yeah, I mean I couldn’t have said it better myself. You need to make sure that you have that dedication that time management skills to be able to partition working full time and also you know setting aside enough time to study for the exam in order to make sure you really understand it and your daily practice will really show for making sure you understand the materials.
Jimmy: I’d love to have a conversation one year from now. I’d love to set that up with you guys. My question then will be: What is getting your GCS done to your clinical practice?
You can’t obviously answer that question now what I hope to catch up with you guys CSM in Washington D.C. in 2019 and ask that because I’d love to hear that from you last question we always ask people here on the show what’s your FOXtale? Why do you work for FOX?
Jeff: So I work for FOX because I know the evidence-based practice has been strongly enforced throughout the practice. For me, that’s the biggest thing is making sure we’re providing the most appropriate best care possible.
I love practicing in a house-call environment as well, being able to treat a client in their home – Unmatched.
Jeff: Love that, Julius, same question.
Julius: Completely agree with that. And to add to that: I think what is so unique about working for FOX is the support that we’re getting from the organization. What it comes down to is doing the best for our clients and it takes our commitment. But, we can’t do it if we don’t have the support from the organization.
So, if you have leadership that doesn’t have the right kind of ideas about what is the priority in our practice, then you can’t do your job the right way. And I feel like with FOX, we absolutely have that kind of support. It just liberates you to do what you know is the right thing to do for your client.
Jimmy: As Tim Fox says practice of a top of your license, treat as you see fit. We started with the show saying congratulations I want to end there as well. Congratulations to you guys on amazing accomplishment getting your GCS. Gentlemen. Hats off to you guys kudos.
Julius: Thank you.
Jimmy: Thanks for listening to FOXcast a clinically excellent podcast. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Listen to other episodes or read articles and position papers at foxrehab.org.
