Al C. Moreau III, PT, MPT
Al C. Moreau is the owner of Moreau Physical Therapy in Louisiana. He can be reached at al@moreaupt.com.
Practice, Location: Baton Rouge, Zachary, Central, Port Barre, and Opelousas, Louisiana Founded in 1977, Moreau Physical Therapy currently has eight outpatient clinic locations and six contracted management and therapy service sites including hospitals and industrial sites. We currently have over a hundred full- and part-time employees.
What is your most influential book/person/event that enhanced your professional career and give a brief description of why? The most influential person in my professional career has been my father, Al Moreau, Jr, who is a physical therapist. I followed him around as a child and was fascinated by the work he did with patients and knew I wanted to help people in the same way. Observing him taught me that patient care is as much about connecting with our patients personally as it is treating their physical deficits. People frequently stop me and tell me how much my father has helped them and the impact he has made in their lives. This type of patient care and service is what continues to drive our team to inspire and serve others.
Describe the flow of your average day. Do you treat patients and how many hours a day/week? When do you perform management tasks, answer emails, and market your business? My average day begins with breakfast and spending some time with my family before going to work. I am usually in the office by 7:00 a.m. and get through emails first thing in the morning. As I have changed roles from clinical practice into management, I no longer treat patients and my days are spent in business development, goal setting for growth and expansion, building business relationships, and weekly meetings with my partners and our team to ensure goals are met. In addition to my business obligations, I am also an appointed member and the chairman of the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board.
What is your essential business philosophy? My philosophy is to have fun and work with a purpose. It is imperative that our team understands and believes in our core values and the vision of Moreau Physical Therapy. Our belief is to inspire others to live a happier, healthier lifestyle to live their greatest life.
What are some of your best, worst, and toughest decisions? The toughest and best decision that I have made is to focus on administration and my role as chief executive officer (CEO) instead of my clinical practice. By focusing on my role in the organization to expand and promote our services, we are better able to provide care to more patients and have a greater effect on the well-being of the communities we serve. Our company and my personal life have improved dramatically with my focusing in this way.
How do you motivate your employees? We motivate our employees by respecting their roles, providing professional development, and recognizing those employees who provide outstanding service. We encourage all of our employees to participate and have a voice in making our company better.
How do you stay ahead of the competition? We constantly are looking for ways to expand our practice and continue growing to better serve our communities as the leaders in health and wellness. With the changing health care environment, we have evolved by offering multiple specialties including aquatic therapy, pediatric therapy, durable medical equipment (DME), wellness, fitness, weight loss, occupational health, and preventative services to provide a continuum of care. Change is inevitable, and we are constantly seeking opportunities within the changing marketplace to ensure we are providing the services that fit the needs of our customers. As for staying ahead of our competition, I have learned that nothing positive can come from worrying about competition as we can only control the services that we deliver. Our biggest competition is ourself, and each week we ask how we can perform better and what can we learn from our experiences.
What are the best learning experience/s (mistakes) since inception of your practice? As we have evolved, there have been many mistakes that have led to great learning experiences. One of the most difficult transitions has been establishing consistency in communication with our growing team. I have learned that having consistent communication and implementing systems of communication with our team improves morale and creativity as we progress into the future.
What are the benefits of Private Practice Section (PPS) membership to your practice? PPS has offered insights into what successful practice owners are doing across the country and has provided outstanding opportunities to become friends with and learn from these very talented people. There is no doubt that PPS and its membership are leaders who are thinking outside the box to guide physical therapy into the future and continue to offer our very valuable services to the public.
What is your life motto? I actually have two mottos: “Think Different” and “Enjoy the Moment.” In business, I challenge myself not to be content with doing something a certain way just because that is the way it has always been done. In all of my life, I try to enjoy the moment for what it is as sometimes a moment in time is where the most joy or learning can occur. If we do not pause to enjoy where we are, who knows what great things we will miss.
What worries you about the future of private practice/what you are optimistic about? I am optimistic that physical therapists will continue to play a significant and expanding role in health care as we are the experts in functional mobility and nonsurgical neuro-musculoskeletal care. We offer a cost-effective, evidence-based approach to patient care. As patients become more concerned with their health care and costs, we are the professionals able to assist patients with staying well and active, with improving their overall function, and with avoiding and preventing more invasive and costly health care.
What are new opportunities you plan to pursue in the next year? Our plan for this year is to continue to develop and grow our team, providing excellence in customer service and outcomes. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of our customers and expand our services outside of the traditional therapy services. We are also planning to work toward starting a foundation to give back to those in need of financial assistance with their health care.