MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Walker Orthotics & Prosthetics
On-the-Job Training A new facility owner learned the ins and outs of his business during the early months of the pandemic
I
F GRANT ESPY HAD seen the
PHOTOS: Walker Orthotics & Prosthetics
future, he might not have bought an O&P practice 13 months ago. But the pandemic in the United States was still a few months away, so Espy and his wife, Kelly Espy, and silent partner, Powell Fulton, took over the reins of Walker Orthotics & Prosthetics in Rome, Georgia, a facility founded in 2002. Espy hailed from the banking arena, but as a resident of Rome, he was familiar with the facility’s owners. “I was ready for change and knew that the previous owner was interested in selling,” Espy says. “It was a good business, fully staffed, and I decided it was the thing to do.” He plans to continue the Walker name for the time being. The facility’s six employees include clinician David Baggett, CPO; two fitters, one of whom is certified in therapeutic shoes; one technician; and two administrative staffers. Espy also plans an important new hire: his wife, Kelly, who is a physical therapist. Walker O&P has four exam rooms, a prosthetic room, and a fabrication lab. The location is ideal, according to Espy, since it is situated near major hospitals and the largest clinic in northwest Georgia. Espy learned a lot about his new business when the coronavirus began spreading and fewer patients visited the office. “The pandemic set us back for six weeks in March and April,” says Espy. “We sent more than half our staff home, including both our admins. I got a lot of my
Walker Orthotics & Prosthetic staff
FACILITY: Walker Orthotics & Prosthetics OWNERS: Grant Espy, Kelly Espy, and Powell Fulton LOCATION: Rome, Georgia HISTORY: 18 years (one year under new ownership)
Grant and Kelly Espy
administrative training that way, sitting in the office by myself for six weeks! I didn’t enjoy it at first, but I got great on-the-job training.” Today, everyone wears masks in the facility, which is regularly scrubbed and disinfected. Patients are screened for COVID-19, and only a limited number of patients are permitted in the lobby. Such precautions have been successful so far, says Espy. Walker O&P’s business divides roughly evenly between orthotics and prosthetics. While clinicians see all types of patients, 90 percent of prosthetic cases are lower limb, often due to diabetes complications. About 70 percent of lower-limb prosthetic patients have below-knee amputations, and 30 percent have lost their limb through or just above the knee. Espy says the facility treated its first patient from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital recently and hopes to expand that portion of its business.
By DEBORAH CONN
According to Espy, he has found many ways to increase his knowledge of successful O&P intervention over the past year. He observes patient care in the facility’s prosthetic room and sits in on lab procedures. “It’s all valuable on-the-job training,” he explains. And his AOPA membership has been helpful: “We signed up to go to the virtual conference. It was very educational for me. Joining AOPA gives me access to classes, clinician webinars, and information on Medicare and Medicaid,” he says. While business is slightly down from 2019 as a result of the pandemic, Espy looks forward to solid growth. Once Kelly Espy comes on board as a physical therapist, patients will be able to access services in one place. Eventually, Espy would love to add another office or two in nearby counties because several current patients drive in from the surrounding community. But for now, he says, “we have to continue to refine our services and make sure this single office is running the way it should.” Espy is pleased with his transition from banking to O&P. “We do have competition in the area, but we are the only locally owned small clinic, and I take pride in that. Like other small businesses, we do focus on service, which means we will see you as many times as you need. We spend an extraordinary amount of time pre- and post-service. I give my cell number to people, and we do 24/7 service to hospitals.” Espy’s favorite part of the business is watching someone move from a wheelchair to walking. “We get emails that we have changed someone’s life,” he says. “It’s so gratifying.” Deborah Conn is a contributing writer to O&P Almanac. Reach her at deborahconn@verizon.net. O&P ALMANAC | JANUARY 2021
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