For owners of medical practices across the country, the strain of remaining operational while following everchanging COVID-19 safety procedures has taken a toll. And that does not even factor in the financial stress related to keeping the doors open despite a considerable drop in patient visits and income. Dr. Emily Olson of RX PHYSIO knows of these challenges all too well.
“As with most of the businesses both in Peachtree Corners and around the country, my clinic has had to make some changes in terms of what has become our standard practice for day-to-day operations,” Dr. Olson said. “As a healthcare professional, I always saw our protocols as sufficient with sanitizing between patients, etc., but COVID has certainly forced everyone to step up the level of defense provided to patients and workers.”
RX PHYSIO assists patients with numerous physical therapy needs, including injury prevention and rehabilitation, manual therapy, functional fitness, strength training, return to sport, rotator cuff repairs and recovery related to total knee replacements and hip replacements.
“Currently, I continue to mask when treating patients in order to be as respectful as possible of the varying comfort levels expressed by my patients,” she explained. “Every piece of equipment is thoroughly sanitized between patient sessions, and all are asked to sanitize their hands prior to entering the clinic.”
One major alteration to the norm that Dr. Olson has made has been moving the location of her clinic into a shared space within CrossFit Waymaker. Olson saw a drop in patient numbers due to COVID-19, although RX PHYSIO, a newer business in the community, had already been building up their patient numbers when shutdown occurred.
In spite of the hurdles, Dr. Olson remains cheerful and positive about the future. “I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and, while my new location is slightly less central to the center of town, I now have access to a great deal more space and high-quality equipment than I did previously,” she said. “All of this will benefit my patients and that is why I opened my practice in the first place — to get people well and back to what they love.”
Since last winter, Olson has seen a gradual rise in patients willing to come in, especially now that vaccines are more readily available. She differentiates her practice from other physical therapy clinics in that she only sees patients one-on-one, as opposed to in a group setting, which has added an extra level of comfort for many patients.
For more information about RX PHYSIO and Dr. Olson, visit rx-physio.com
