Patrick N. – "Competitive"

This is Patrick’s story. A former competitive skier, he’s had his share of injuries. One incident left his back tweaked pretty bad, which required physical therapy. After seeing the results and its capacity to restore function, Patrick was inspired to pursue a career in physical therapy.

His father, a physician for the University of Michigan, helped shape his interest in healthcare early on, and physical therapy proved to be the best fit. Patrick began his career working as a clinician in outpatient orthopedics. Later, he became the Physical Therapy Manager at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. During this time, his aging parents needed home healthcare, which sparked a new interest in how he could use his skills to help others. Realizing he could make a difference in a patient’s quality of life in a home setting motivated him to make a change. 

In 2009, Patrick made the decision to transition to home health physical therapy. After working in the industry for six years, Patrick was recruited by Interim HealthCare in Boulder, CO to be their Therapy Manager. In this role, he oversees all of their physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as their social workers.

For Patrick, one of the biggest draws to home healthcare was the ability to analyze a patient’s whole situation—physical, medical and environmental—to determine the best way to restore their functionality. Seeing the full picture enables him to provide the best possible care and ensure their patients receive optimal results.

The most fulfilling part of his job is the positive feedback he receives from patients and caregivers about the difference they’ve made through the therapy provided. “It’s really rewarding to hear how our team has directly impacted their ability to function at home,” said Patrick.

Interim HealthCare’s leadership has been very supportive as well. Patrick appreciates the autonomy he has to manage and lead the therapy staff. And, when he offers ideas that would add value to their business and increase the quality of care delivered, they are open and receptive. For example, when Patrick approached the leadership about offering physical therapy dry needling to their patients at home, they supported the idea. In 2016, their office became the first Medicare-certified home healthcare agency in the state of Colorado to offer dry needling. Patrick was also able to take the necessary courses to get certified and he is now treating patients at home with that modality.

Patrick’s competitive spirit, both on and off the slopes, has served him well. As a home healthcare agency, Medicare compares Interim HealthCare to other agencies on a local, state and national level. “I like to think of us as competing against other agencies and know that we provide the best home health therapy of any agency in our area. It’s a great goal to have,” said Patrick. He reflects on one patient who was hunched over in pain for years and had been very depressed. Patrick performed dry needling physical therapy with electrical stimulation on him for the first time. Afterwards, the man stood straight up without pain—it was truly phenomenal. Seeing these kind of results and being able to increase a person’s quality of life through the care he provides is what motivates him every day. It’s clear to see, Patrick is made for this!