John Jones, PT, MS
John Jones, PT, MS, is the managing partner of Blue Hills Sports and Spine Rehabilitation of Plymouth, Massachusetts. He can be reached at jjones@bluehillspt.com.
Practice location: Blue Hills Sports & Spine Rehabilitation of Plymouth in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Practice specifics: I began working in private practice in early 2007 and launched the opening of my own office in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on June 1, 2009. I started as a sole practitioner with just one front office employee, and my team steadily grew to what now consists of eight dedicated members. I remain in partnership with the private practice that I began with in 2007 and additional locations exist in Weymouth, Braintree, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Most influential book/person/event that enhanced your professional career: I was lucky enough to land an internship at the Healthsouth Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. As an aspiring sports medicine physical therapist, this afforded me the opportunity to observe surgery and attend lectures by the esteemed Dr. James Andrews. This experience allowed me to be directly involved in the post-operative treatment of professional athletes from the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). My experience in Birmingham qualified me to be chosen as a post-graduate sports medicine intern with the New England Patriots. Both were amazing learning experiences and being involved with the daily operations of an NFL training room was a lifelong dream fulfilled. Both have propelled my career as a PT.
Little known fact about you: My desire to become a physical therapist stemmed from the mentoring of my childhood babysitter. Sean was 10 years my senior, and when I was a teenager applying to college, he helped me see the optimism as a future health care provider.
Describe the flow of your average day: I continue to treat patients 8-9 hours per day and generally treat 5 days per week. As our staff has expanded, I have started to set-aside 6-10 hours per week for administrative tasks and business development. I always strive to adjust my schedule based on patients’ scheduling needs and staff vacation requests. Keeping up with email is like fighting a never-ending battle. Each day, I try my best to make my facility a better environment for employees and a jovial atmosphere for all patients.
Describe your essential business philosophy: Building team morale is essential for the success of any physical therapy clinic. I recognize the only way to elevate our reputation as one of the best physical therapy providers is to not only surround myself with the best clinicians, but also staff members who are committed to providing top-notch customer service to every patient that either calls or walks through the door. We ensure that our treatment philosophy is shared by the whole clinical team so that each patient gets the same experience regardless of who they see on any given day.
Best/worst/toughest decisions: Last year, our entire clinical team was certified in Graston IASTM. The cost of the instruments and the tuition for the course was pricey, so sending the whole staff was a commitment. However, the skills we learned allowed us to improve our brand of valuable treatment offered to a vast patient population. The referrals we have received as a direct result of being certified has made that decision a great one. The toughest decision I battle with every day is whether or not to expand and open a second location.
How did you get your start in private practice? I was basically recruited to leave a middle management position with a hospital outpatient group and join a very new private practice that was in an initial growth phase. At that time in my life, it was a good time to take a risk, and I wanted to learn how to be an owner instead of a manager. I took the risk and received unbelievable mentorship, which allowed me to branch off and open my own practice in partnership with the original facility. My professional growth has allowed me to never look back with any regrets.
The best learning experience/s (mistakes) since inception of your practice: Being a clinician has always come natural to me and marketing our brand has progressively improved each year in practice. Without a doubt my best learning experience has been and continues to be how to effectively oversee the business end of the front office. Insurance regulations have continued to tighten and as our volume has grown, overseeing the accounts receivable has almost required a full-time commitment and a PhD.
Life motto: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Muhammad Ali
What worries you about the future of private practice/what are you optimistic about: My biggest worries will always be the outside factors that I can’t control. Government-imposed policies and even stricter insurance regulations continue to force clinicians to do more and more work for less and less. This has the potential to negatively affect the quantity and quality of time we spend with our patients if we allow it to. The emergence of accountable care organizations and larger hospital groups looking to expand their footprints could mean that being the best isn’t always going to be good enough. I must always remain optimistic!