Putting Our Best Foot Forward In 2020: Clinicians’ New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions pop up this time each and every year. As we look back and wrap up another trip around the sun, it leads us to look forward to what we think will come in the next year. New Year’s resolutions are nothing new. The Babylonians were making new year/new me proclamations 4,000 years ago.
By the time you’re done singing the wrong words to Auld Lang Syne this year, you’ll likely have some things you want to change and resolutions to match for 2020.
We asked FOX clinicians how they were looking to grow personally, professionally, and clinically when the calendar changes this year. We compiled a highlight list to bring inspiration and insight into what other clinicians are focused on and how they’ll accomplish their resolutions in 2020.
Resolutions From FOX’s PTs, OTs, & SLPs
“I want to gain more expertise in my documentation to support my interventions, improve my confidence in my skills as a clinician, and add even more evidenced-based practice into my intervention and treatments.” – Stacey Spuler, MS, OTR/L, Monroe Township, NJ
“Clinically, I would like to become LSVT Certified in 2020. Personally, my husband and I just relocated from Savannah to Atlanta with FOX, so I would love to build my caseload in this area, keeping me closer to where I will be living. Professionally, I would like to become more involved with being a mentor to an emerging professional or having a student. I love teaching and would enjoy this experience to help me grow professionally, personally, and clinically.” – Katie Hicks, PT, DPT, Alpharetta, GA
“Clinically, I would like to be certified in the PWR! Program to better serve our patients with Parkinson’s disease. I would like to spend more time exploring outdoors with my family. FOX can help by continuing to allow scheduling flexibility. As a new FOX clinician, I would like to join the PACE program.” – Laura Ernst, PT, DPT, West Hartford, CT
“I want to enhance the skills I have already by taking specific continuing education courses. I want to ‘add more tools to my toolbox!’ Personally, I want to grow to have strong, healthy, productive relationships. FOX can help me achieve this by giving me awesome team members to work with! Clinically, I want to improve the interventions I prepare for my patients. I want to be creative and think outside the box about which ways I can progress and regress exercises if needed for my patients. FOX will help me achieve this by providing me courses and research, mentors, and other clinical co-workers to bounce ideas off of.” – Alexis Betts, PT, DPT, Minnetonka, MN
“I would like to begin working toward becoming a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist (GCS). The FOX Rehabilitation Geriatric Specialist Program can help in 2020. I would like to help establish better daily balance and exercise classes for the residents at my senior living community, which would be more in line with the FOX Optimal Living program.” – Sandy Gross, PT, MHS, West Milford, NJ
“I would like to become AOTA Board Certified in Gerontology. I would like to increase my personal wellness and complete mindfulness daily. I would like to have more practical intervention techniques at my fingertips when working with patients with dementia—specifically cues and education to provide to caregivers for increased compliance.” – Nika B, MOT, OTR/L, ATP Indianapolis, IN
“In 2020, I plan to pass my GCS exam to become a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist. I also plan to improve my chart audit score to >2.5, improve my point of service documentation, and volunteer more in my senior living communities. Personally, I would like to spend more time with my family, eat healthier, put my phone down more, spend time in my community, and finish projects around my home. With support from FOX, I plan to achieve board certification in geriatrics after passing my GCS exam and introduce more variety in my treatments, with professional purchases I make through the PACE program.” – Rachelle Anderson, PT, DPT, Pittsburgh, PA
“I want to strengthen my team as a Regional Director, hire great ‘FOX fits,’ and grow my two counties, so that my clinicians are happy, and their patients are receiving clinically excellent care. FOX will help me grow my team with the strong support and team members surrounding me, including my account manager, senior regional director, and recruitment team, who also work their hardest for the cause of abolishing ageism. I just got LSVT certified through FOX, and I want to continue treating patients with Parkinson’s disease with this method, to become stronger and stronger through practice. I want to implement this best practice with every patient with PD who comes through, so I have compiled a list of my clinicians who are LSVT certified and encourage others to get certified as well.” – Rachel Fusco, OT, MS, OTR/L, Rahway, NJ
“I would like to improve upon my note writing efficiency while maintaining quality. This year I am expecting baby #3, and balancing work life and mom life with three is going to be much more challenging. I want to personally grow in my family life but also maintain a professional career. I feel FOX can help me achieve this goal by supporting my flexible schedule. I would like to learn more about LSVT BIG programs and look into starting the PACE program for the following year.” – Julie Gustafson, PT, DPT, West Milford, NJ
“In 2020 my professional goal is to expand upon my leadership skills. FOX allows for that by providing opportunities for mentoring and sponsoring new colleagues, hosting student externs, and potential advancement within our practice. My personal goal for 2020 is to reduce stress in my life. FOX allows for flexibility in my day to schedule activities important to me and offers a strong support system for clinicians when assistance is needed. Clinically I would like to increase my use of the evidence-based practice in treatment sessions and documentation. FOX provides ample resources for continuing education and contact with other colleagues to assist with answering clinical questions!” – Kimberly Gehrmann MS CCC-SLP, Wilmington, DE
“Clinical excellence has always been a passion of mine, so I am thrilled that FOX offers the autonomy in which we were all trained and well educated. FOX offers us Geriatric Clinical Specialist Certification, which is not an option with many other organizations. Finally, the journal groups will keep us all up to date with evidence-based practice methods and a way to network—especially those who are community-based clinicians!” – Tracy Gibson, PT, DPT, Essex County, NJ
“I am going to be a student mentor for the first time in 2020, which I believe is a great way to grow professionally. I’m excited about this new opportunity that will bring new responsibilities and challenges as both an individual and a physical therapist. FOX has given me this opportunity to become a mentor so quickly in my professional career, which I believe will only help me become a better clinician. I’d like to grow more in my spiritual life by spending more time volunteering, reading books, and traveling on another medical mission trip. I have a strong faith, which is essential for navigating the changing, unpredictable therapy world. FOX encourages volunteering and giving back. I’d also like to receive my GCS this year. FOX provides many resources and opportunities to prepare for certification. Additionally, as a FOX clinician, we are able to access many prep courses through Medbridge.” – Marissa Schneider, PT, DPT, CCI, Lemoyne, PA
“I want to participate more in advocacy for the physical therapy profession as well as for conditions related to aging. I’ve started to engage with the advocacy arm of the Alzheimer’s Association. I have two personal goals for this upcoming year. The first is to read one book per month—I typically read just for fun, usually when I’m traveling. The second goal is to average 10k steps per day. 2020 will be the year for 10k daily! I want to learn more about vestibular disorders. I have queued up the Medbridge Vestibular Rehabilitation Certificate training. I’m currently researching courses to take with PACE rewards.” – Sam Kelokates, PT, DPT, GCS, Philadelphia, PA
“I will be serving as a delegate for the state of Virginia in the APTA House of Delegates. I want to improve my engagement at the national level for physical therapy affairs. In 2020, I want to stay fit and exercise daily! I also want to take LSVT Big continuing education programming.” – Samantha Foster, PT, DPT, Lynchburg VA
“I have big plans for myself in 2020. I would like to take on more responsibilities, whether that be helping my regional director and account manager present to senior living communities, potential patients, and physician partners. I’d like to become a stronger speaker. FOX can help by providing me with opportunities to speak to senior living communities, PCHs, etc. I would like to expand my clinical skills by getting my BCG and LSVT Big certification. Through participation in the PACE program, I have the opportunity to achieve professional development money to utilize towards growing clinically!” – Jenna Grow, MS, OTR/L, York, PA
“I have been a physical therapist for 46 years, and you can teach an old dog new tricks! My philosophy throughout my career is that I will learn one new thing every day. I have stuck to this idea throughout my professional career and my daily life. I have been thinking about how I can pass the torch to younger therapists. In 2020, I would like to mentor new grads that come into the practice.” – Patricia Buck, PT, Hackettstown, NJ
“I want to continue to build interprofessional collaboration among occupational and physical therapists and speech-language pathologists. FOX encourages and promotes communication across all disciplines in practice. My FOX coworkers have become my friends, and I want to continue to grow my relationships with them. We meet for book clubs, holiday parties, and other FOX events. I want to find my niche and strengthen my treatments as a PT, and FOX offers many different avenues for certifications, specialties, and continuing education courses to do so.” – Kat Ziemke, PT, DPT, Westminster, MD
We’d love to hear your 2020 resolutions as a clinician in your personal, professional, and clinical lives. Share those by connecting to FOX Rehabilitation via social media on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.