Samaritan Healthcare | The Samaritan | Spring 2018

Is physical therapy right for you? A physician’s referral may not be required for outpatient services at Samaritan Physical Therapy. To set up an appointment, ask about insurance or learn more about our services, call 793-9605 . n Rewarding volunteer exper ience prepares El i Perez for a future in medi c ine Eli Perez enjoys being active and involved in his community. He graduated from Washington State University in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. His next step was applying to medical school. Gaining additional experience in healthcare was just what this ambitious future doctor wanted while he awaited admission to medical school, so he looked into volunteer opportunities at Samaritan. He applied, went through orientation, and since July 2017, Perez has been volunteering in different departments. “I volunteer as a patient support ambassador in medical-surgical, as well as in the advanced care unit,” says Perez. “As a patient support ambas- sador, I check on patients and help them with anything they might need, such as getting them a snack or blankets, or even just talking with them. When a person is in an unfamiliar medical setting, it often helps to have someone to talk to who can put them at ease.” Perez chose to volunteer locally to stay more closely involved with his Moses Lake community. He appreciates that his volunteer experience at Samaritan gives him an opportunity to help oth- ers in his chosen career while also allowing him to meet people from various backgrounds. “Samaritan is an excellent facility staffed with great people,” says Perez. “I’m happy to be able to contribute as a volunteer in such a high-quality, community-owned healthcare environment.” For more information about volun- teering or to apply, call 793-9724 or visit samaritanhealthcare.com/ about-us/volunteer . I am Samaritan. All of us. For each of you. Every time. Eli Perez, Samaritan Healthcare volunteer Phys i cal therapy Active treatments, patient-centered approach Samaritan Healthcare’s physical therapy department strives to treat all patients with courtesy, compassion, and respect. We know your time is valuable, so each visit is tailored to fit your needs. Our patients appreciate our unique, patient-centered approach to providing services. You will have an active role in your treatment, along with the opportunity to provide input to your care plan along the way. DRIVEN BY RESULTS FOR EFFECTIVE TREATMENT Through a partnership with Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes (FOTO), we con- tinually examine the results achieved by our physical therapy patients.This ongo- ing evaluation process allows us to measure rehabilitation outcomes and provide more effective treatment. As a result of FOTO evaluations, our physical therapy department has received FOTO’s “Outcomes Excellence Award” every year since joining FOTO in 2014. STRIVING FOR EDUCATION AND INDEPENDENCE The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diag- nosis and Therapy (MDT) is another type of training our physical therapists participate in.Through a specific diagnosis process, the MDT method evaluates a patient’s therapy needs and is specifically focused on achiev- ing patient education and independence. “Both FOTO and the MDT approach are what set us apart from other clinics in the region,” says Eric Olson, director of physical therapy at Samaritan. “We are willing to put our outcomes up against the gold standard because we want to provide the best care possible.” Above all, our goal is to provide safe, efficient, effective care. “Consider physical therapy as your first opportunity for care when you need treatment,” says Olson. “When patients can receive therapy first, the results and outcomes are much more preferable to waiting until it becomes too painful or even chronic.” Spring 2018 3