February 2023 PULSE

DID YOU TRY YOUR BEST?

This has been an interesting lesson for me over the last several years. Some of our experiences raising Blake seemed to encourage the idea that e ort can be completely separated from outcome. As long as you give it your best, the results shouldn’t bother you.

I believe that working hard to attain goals and overcome challenges is important. I also believe that falling short can be a great learning experience. I agree that the outcome of a given e ort shouldn’t de ne you, and you can’t get too crazy about it. I am not sure if it’s nature or nurture, however, e ort and outcome seem to be the two ways we often measure ourselves.

I think some of the current approaches are intended to take the pressure o the kids, and that makes sense. I am just not sure how well it works sometimes.

Blake played soccer for a few years when he was younger, and every parent and coach was instructed to disregard the score in any game. These were developmental matches, and it was our job to encourage the kids to play well and not worry about it. Several years earlier, the league adopted the policy of not keeping score.

The games were great! Every child played, and there wasn’t a scoreboard in site. Parents and coaches could be heard supporting the players for the sideline. No one talked about the score. I remember a conversation with Blake after a particularly one-sided game.

“Well son, did you give it your best out there?” He simply said, “Yeah, Dad.” We walked along in silence for a while headed for the parking lot. His head hung low. “I think your team played a little better this week. I heard more communication and saw some good passes,” I o ered. “I guess that was good,” he responded. After he was settled into his car seat, I knew I had to go there. “The score doesn’t matter Blake.” We caught eyes in the rearview mirror. “It’s a good thing,” he said, “because they beat us 12-2.”

Fast forward to sixth grade. Blake attends a good school and seems to enjoy it. He hasn’t had letter grades until this year. The school’s focus is “to develop character, knowledge and creativity....”

Sandra and I have never pushed him academically. We encourage him and speak of our expectations that he will work hard. The message has always been, “You can accomplish whatever you are willing to work for. You’ve got this.”

Holiday Food Drive

A few months ago, he came home with his rst report card. His lowest grade was an A- and he achieved “high honors.” We celebrated with a big dinner at Ichiro, his favorite restaurant. The conversation that night followed a general pattern that we have adopted: “Are you proud of yourself? Did you give it your best?”

We shared our feelings about his success. Overall, it was a great night lled with pride and laughter.

A few weeks ago, I came home from work and Blake was upset. He told me, “I bombed my math test. I got an 84!”

At that point I had to tell him about my sophomore year in college, when I had to explain to my parents what a “W” meant on a report card. I explained to Blake, as I had to my parents, that a “W” indicated that I withdrew from my Physics class. I needed a miracle on the nal to pass, and that wasn’t in the cards.

My parents raised us a little di erently. They always pushed us in school. “Do your best,” was always the message. What was also crystal clear was that I was paying for college myself if I came home with another “W.”

Blake seemed to enjoy the idea of me being on the other end of a disciplinary conversation. I went on to tell him that an 84 was a respectable grade. “You have the rest of the marking period to bring that grade up. Put the work in and you’ll be ne.”

He lightened up a little, and the conversation moved on. I felt pretty good that the situation was under control and wasn’t hung up on the outcome of a “bombed” test.

Later that night as he was getting ready for bed, I hugged him and asked, “Are you good?”

He smiled, and said, “Yeah Dad, I’m good. I just might not get into a good college.”

Thanks, Alan

This holiday season, PTSMC collected food, toys, coats and cash for local communities.

Our patients and sta were so generous!

The extended PTSMC community donated 2705 food items, 150 toys, 335 coats and $168 for those in need in CT.

Add all “items” together... We exceeded our 3,000 goal!

IN THIS ISSUE

Clinician’s Corner by Liza Peressini, Danbury Physical Therapist

Osteoarthritis Patients

Upcoming Doc Talk on February 9th

HR Buzz

Vacation Requests

Vacation Accrual & Balance

401(k) Updates

Refer Your Friends to PTSMC

Employee Spotlight

Shelby Pocius, Employer Services Specialist

Money Beat: Financial Moves for the New Year

By Jim Hungerford

DEI: Celebrating Black History Month

By Marilex Santiago

Employee Engagement & DEI Calendar

Race to the Weekend Wheels 5k

StriveHub Fab 5

“The people who are employed there is the reason for my score. From the kind and thoughtful people at the front desk, to the excellent assistants, and all the way up to the main man Steve Platt, everyone at PTSMC is knowledgeable, kind, and willing to listen to what I have to say.” -

Guilford

“The ENTIRE sta is extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and determined for me to be successful! The work done with me pre-surgery was extremely bene cial in that my quads were strong enough to support the really di cult work after surgery! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!”

- New Milford

“Shradha Rana has been super helpful, designing my PT in a way that's tailored to what I need and am capable of. She considered my injury holistically in a way that I hadn't experienced any healthcare provider do before, and I'm very grateful for this experience.”

- Lock Street

3,000 Goal

“Laura (Nicklis) is great with teens and pain management. She takes the time to talk to them and massage and work the muscle instead of solely giving exercises as some PT places do. Both are important in my opinion.” - Avon

“My therapist (Mario Paredes) is very knowledgeable and professional, and he really makes me work. So my sciatica has gone away, and now I'm gaining strength to keep it from recurring.” -

Orange

CLINICIAN’S CORNER

Osteoarthritis Patients

By: Liza Peressini, PT, DPT Physical Therapist at PTSMC Danbury

Since I began treating, I have seen many patients enter the clinic complaining of joint pain. Arthropathy and other joint-related pain generators signi cantly impact an individual’s health, function, and quality of life. Many of our patients seek out pain relief from their primary care physician (PCP) or orthopedic doctors with the hope they can provide a cure or referral avenue. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common diagnosis seen in our clinics, most commonly at the knee and hip joints.1 It is the most common form of arthritis and a ects over 32.5 million US adults, females greater than males. Comorbidities include age greater than 50, obesity, overuse, previous injury, trauma, and/or genetics.2 The limitations are signi cant and can lead to years of pain and decreased function. Imaging has been found to increase awareness of these patients’ degenerative changes and may accelerate the surgical process, especially when the term “bone-on-bone” is used. Injections do not provide patients with long-term symptom relief and do not change the integrity of the joint.

In early stages of the disease, physical therapy can be used to assist with improving function, reducing pain, and allowing the patient to perform their daily tasks without needing surgery. This becomes more complicated when treating patients in later stages of OA. Insurance contracts and policies are other factors to consider as they vary patient to patient. They essentially determine the number of visits patients can receive, making it di cult to treat patients with OA e ectively. Fitzgerald et al. de ned ‘booster’ sessions as, “a periodic follow-up appointment occurring several weeks/months following a course of supervised therapy.”3 This concept has now been studied with several attempts to demonstrate the bene ts of conservative medicine for OA. When looking at several studies, research varies amongst treatment approaches and results, however, ‘booster’ sessions do show some promise in our practice.

Pisters et al. investigated behavioral graded activity (BGA) and whether the treatment had longer e ects than usual exercise therapy (UC, for “usual care”) in patients with OA – knee or hip. BGA is a treatment that integrates the concepts of conditioning with exercise in ‘booster’ sessions. The UC group was treated according to the Dutch PT guidelines for hip and/or knee OA. The BGA group consisted of an individualized program of the patient’s most problematic activities that were increased in a timely manner along the treatment timeline and based on progress. The UC recommended general guidelines, advice, exercise therapy, and coping mechanism for complaints. The long-term follow-up of ve years was a single-blind cluster randomized trial comparing the two groups. There was a maximum of 18 sessions within a 12-week period, then an additional seven sessions for the BGA group, or ‘booster’ sessions, for re-examination, motivation, and repetition and understanding of treatment. After the 18 sessions, patients were advised on a home exercise program to adhere to. The primary outcome measures were the (Western Ontario and McMaster osteoarthritis index) WOMAC and patient global assessment (PGA) with a secondary of MACTAR questionnaire. These measurements were obtained at baseline, 3, 9, 15, and 60 months. The results found that both groups improved long-term outcomes without any signi cant di erences between treatment groups for patients with OA at the knee or hip. The BGA hip group was found to required less joint replacement surgeries than the UC group in the long-term. When looking deeper into the study, the BGA group demonstrates superiority favoring all outcome measures for short-term (three months) and mid-long-term (nine months) outcomes, however, the lack of power led to the results being statistically insigni cant. The study demonstrates within-group di erences but no di erences between groups in any outcome measures at the long-term outcomes (60 months).1

In New Zealand, Abbott et al. evaluated the clinical e ectiveness of manual therapy and/or exercise along with routine care for patients with OA of the hip or knee using a 2x2 factorial RCT. The 206 participants were allocated into four groups, with the primary outcome being change in WOMAC after one year and secondary being physical performance tests. Each participant in the three intervention groups attended seven treatment sessions within nine weeks that lasted about 50 minutes with an additional two “booster” sessions at week 16. The manual therapy group targeted joint and soft tissue impairments tailored to each patient individually; the exercise group underwent a multi-modal approach including stretching, aerobic, strength, and neuromuscular control training; the manual therapy and exercise group had a combination of both treatments; and the usual care group received routine care from the general practitioner. The groups were assessed at baseline, nine weeks, six months, and one year. The results found that manual therapy had greater bene ts than exercise, however, both provided a greater bene t than usual care. The combination of manual therapy and exercise did not result in superior outcomes. Although there was a lack of statistical signi cance in this study, the CI scores for the WOMAC surpassed the MCID, leading researchers and other clinicians to believe there are clinical di erences in manual therapy and exercise over usual care alone.4

Both studies demonstrate improvements in pain and function in all groups, however, some groups demonstrated better progress. Pisters et al.1 found bene t for both the BGA and the UC groups, but no di erence when comparing the groups. The bene ts in the short-term and short-long-term outcomes found in the BGA group may lead to reduction in long-term pain and functional outcomes, prolonging the need for surgical intervention in patients with knee or hip OA. The study also found that 35% of UC and 28% of BGA groups adhered to their home exercise program, which could also lead to increase pain and need for surgical intervention. Abbott et al.4 found no statistically signi cant di erences between groups at any assessment, however, the results found clinical important di erences in baseline to end scores on the WOMAC. Clinicians can then infer manual therapy and exercise can provide better treatment than usual care alone in the long-term e ect.

The take-aways from this “corner” are:

1. The idea of ‘booster’ sessions can allow patients to come for hands-on treatment for a bout of time before sending them to perform the treatments at home.

2. These results demonstrate the bene t of ‘booster’ sessions as a possible treatment approach for your patients complaining of OA-related symptoms.

3. Manual therapy and exercise are both better than usual care in providing patients pain relief and functional improvements with knee or hip OA.

4. Patient education on adhering to their home exercise program can prolong the need for surgical interventions.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2010.05.008

2. Osteoarthritis (Oa) | arthritis | cdc. (2020, August 4). https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm

3. Fitzgerald, G. K., Fritz, J. M., Childs, J. D., Brennan, G. P., Talisa, V., Gil, A. B., Neilson, B. D., & Abbott, J. H. (2016). Exercise, manual therapy, and use of booster sessions in physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A multi-center, factorial randomized clinical trial. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 24(8), 1340–1349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2016.03.001

4. Abbott JH, Robertson MC, Chapple C, et al. Manual therapy, exercise therapy, or both, in addition to usual care, for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a randomized controlled trial. 1: clinical e ectiveness. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2013;21(4):525-34.

1. Pisters, M. F., Veenhof, C., Schellevis, F. G., De Bakker, D. H., & Dekker, J. (2010). Long-term e ectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: A randomized controlled trial comparing two di erent physical therapy interventions. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 18(8), 1019–1026.

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE

Upcoming Courses

INTERNAL COURSES SPONSORED COURSES

Upper Extremity

February 25, 2023

Location: PTSMC Wallingford

8:30am - 12:30pm

Instructor: Russ Woodman

DOCS Requirement

Myopain Dry Needling DN-3: Advanced May 19-21, 2023

Location: QU North Haven Campus

UPCOMING JOURNAL CLUB AND CASE DICUSSION DATES

All meetings are 12:00- 1:00 pm on TEAMS.

Case Discussion dates:

02/07 Upper focus

03/07 Upper focus

04/04 Spine focus

Club dates:

Email Mallory Mason at ConEd@ptsmc.com for all sign ups or questions. All course attendance must be approved by Partner/Director.

Examination and Treatment of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

Instructed by PTSMC experts: Michelle Kijweski, MPT, cert. MDT and Rebecca Petrosino, PT, MHS, OCS, COMT, CMTPT

Open to all PTSMC clinicians

April 22, 2023

8:30 am - 3:00 pm (includes lunch break)

Hosted at PTSMC Wallingford

First Day of School!

The next class of PTSMC’s Orthopaedic Residency Program started their year-long program on January 10th.

Congratulations and good luck!

Pictured from left to right:

Danielle Dunn, Program Director

Brittany Kearney, Westbrook PT

Briana Boulerice, Waterbury PT

Elena Masiello, Wallingford PT

STUDENT PROGRAM UPDATE

Calling all Rock Star CIs! Juliann will be reaching out to all CIs who have hosted ve or

Click HERE for the full 2023 CD & JC schedule. Email Channing.Harwood@ptsmc.com to be added to the meeting group.

UPCOMING DOC TALK

IN-PERSON EVENT!

Graft Choice in ACL Reconstruction

Thursday, February 9th @ 7pm PTSMC West Hartford

Dr. Cli ord G. Rios, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Rios is board certi ed in orthopedic surgery and has obtained additional subspecialty board certi cation in sports medicine. He is team physician for Trinity College Athletics, as well as Avon, Hall, and Conard High Schools in West Hartford. He specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery, as well as fracture care. Particular interests include complex knee ligament reconstruction, meniscus and cartilage repair and restoration, as well as treatment of rotator cu disease and instability of the shoulder. Since joining Orthopedic Associates of Hartford, Dr. Rios has performed thousands of arthroscopic and other sports medicine procedures.

RSVP to Janet.Tarasuk@PTSMC.com by Monday, February 6th. This presentation will also be recorded.

Continuing education opportunities list

https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/dl/RCnzB8GqVU/Clinical_Excellence_List_of_Courses.xlsx_

Use the link above for a list of PTSMC Internal, PTSMC Sponsored, and External course opportunities. Please reach out to Mallory Mason via coned@ptsmc.com if you have any questions. APTA & CTAPTA included!

HUMAN RESOURCES

VACATION REQUESTS

Employees may submit a vacation request at any time during the year. However, the submission and approval deadline for June, July and August requests is as follows:

Submission Deadline Director Approval Deadline

March 15th March 25th

The approval considerations for prime-time vacation requests are as follows:

• Time available

• Seniority

• Length of time requested (preference given to extended time vs. one day)

• Appropriate sta ng levels maintained

Requests for prime-time vacation submitted after the March 15th deadline will be reviewed upon receipt based on the approval considerations listed above and previously approved time o .

Submitting Vacation Requests through ADP

Click on Request Time O under the My Time O tab on the home page:

401(K) UPDATES

Employees who would like to make a change to their 401(k) biweekly contributions for the 2nd quarter of 2023 must complete the request by Friday, March 17th to be e ective with the 2nd quarter payroll. It only takes 3 quick steps to change your contributions.

• Login https://myplan.johnhancock.com/login

• Click on Manage and Contributions

• Your current Before Tax and/or Roth contributions will be displayed. Click on the arrows to adjust your percentage then click continue at the bottom of the page.

• Sandra Boccialetti will be noti ed of the change, and it will be e ective with the April 5th payroll.

REFER YOUR FRIENDS TO PTSMC!

Once your request has been approved or denied you will receive an email and your request can be viewed in your time o tab. Your approved vacation request will automatically be posted to your timesheet and you will not need to enter the vacation time when it occurs.

VACATION ACCRUAL & BALANCE

Vacation time is accrued per pay period and must be used within your anniversary year. Any unused vacation time will be lost after your anniversary date.

During the year you can view your vacation balance for a future date. Change the “Balances as of” date to a future date and click Show Balances:

Big shout out and THANK YOU to the following employees whose referrals and hosting of students lead to the addition of 17 employees to the PTSMC family in 2022!

Rob Bass

Jenna Bou ard

Haley Boulanger

Roy Colter

Paul Dinwoodie

Logan Edwards

Victoria Feinstein

Becky Sauve

Erik Schmitt

Vlad Smolgovskiy

Michael Sousa

Janet Tarasuk

Stephanie Weyrauch

Referring a colleague or friend is a great way to keep the PTSMC family growing with awesome people like you! We’re pleased to announce that we have formally expanded the Referral Bonus policy to include the following positions:

Emily

Derek

Kenneth

Open Enrollment is from February 2nd - February 16th in ADP, for bene ts e ective March 1, 2023. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sandra Boccialetti or Nicole Dorosh.

Lauralee

Sibahle

Thomas Ayers, New Haven PT Aide

Emma Betances, Simsbury PT Aide

Heidi Bridge, Westbrook Physical Therapist Assistant

Nikea Dako, New Haven PT Aide

Amanda Kell, Middletown Physical Therapist

Katelyn Harrington, New Haven PT Aide

Mariah Rasmussen, Westbrook Physical Therapist Assistant

Piper Salva, Southbury PT Aide

Julia Swett, Westbrook PT Aide Anna Scortichini, Wallingford PT Aide

Christine Alvarez, Southbury PT Aide

Clegg, East Hampton PT Aide

Horowitz, Simsbury PT Aide

Markwat, Essex PT Aide Geneva Oldham, Lock Street PT Aide

Pelletier, Southbury PT Aide

Sibiya, Essex PT Aide

Employee Spot light

Shelby Pocius, MS, ATC, CEAS III, ITAT, PES, NASE-CSS PTSMC’s Employer Services Specialist

Get To Know Shelby

Shelby grew up in the tiny town of Chaplin, CT, where she says, “Cow tipping was a legitimate thing!” She is 1 of 4 girls, and her childhood consisted of playing sports all the time. She received her Athletic Training degree from Spring eld College where she started out as a track and eld athlete. Shelby was a sprinter, high jumper, and long jumper. After her freshman year, she realized that running was not going to be her profession and dove into the AT program. Shelby is still a runner, although she’s traded sprinting for long distance running; it’s become her “me time” where she can still outrun the kids (for the moment).

Shelby rst worked as an ATC at a public HS in Holyoke MA, then spent nine years at Cheshire Academy. There, she grew as an ATC while also working with QU’s ATC program as an adjunct professor and preceptor for students. In 2014, Shelby obtained her Master’s in Human Performance and Injury Preventions. During this time she had her two girls, Aubrey (7 soon) and Harper (4).

Once Shelby became pregnant with her son, Jackson (18 months), she decided it was time for a change. She was working six days a week at the school and doing some “employer services-like” consulting on the side. When faced with a schedule change to night shift for a consulting contract, she decided it was time to search for a new job with more work-life balance. Rather than sticking with schools, Shelby began searching for what she called “industrial positions.”

Shelby’s sister was the one who found the Employer Services posting at PTSMC! She remembers her sister saying: “I have no idea what Employer Services means, but they have been a Top Workplace for 10 years, and there’s this Mike guy [who the position reports to] whose background is an ATC!”

And that Mike (Durand) guy eventually interviewed her �� After her interview, Shelby knew PTSMC was the place for her. She told her husband Matt, “Everything about this company is something I want to be a part of.” She felt that this role would challenge her as an ATC and support her being a mom. She’s now thrilled to be a part of the PTSMC family and is proud to lead Employer Services.

Shelby and her family now live in Bolton, CT. Outside of work, she personally loves to garden. Their family is also looking to get chickens in the spring! As a family they are constantly outside, always active and exploring the outdoors. They have two beagles that love to escape, because their nature is to run and hunt. They are constantly tracking them down, but the kids see it as going on an adventure to nd the dogs. Little do the kids know... their next great adventure will be Disney World! They are planning to take the kids at the end of summer, and what an amazing time they will have seeing all the princesses and Lightening McQueen!

Employer Services Program

PTSMC’s Employer Services program is growing! Led by Shelby Pocius, Employer Services Specialist, and Ryan Balavender, Director of Facilities, PTSMC recently secured two new Employer Services contracts: City Line Distributors and Kamatics Corporation. City Line is New England’s #1 independent full-service food distributor. Kamatics provides self-lubricating bearings and engineered products for aerospace, defense, marine, and industrial applications around the world. Shelby has facilitated the growth of Employer Services by providing excellent care and building relationships with all clients, while pursuing new opportunities. These additions bring PTSMC’s client list to a total of ve organizations covering over 40 hours a week of contracted and consulting services. The three other companies PTSMC currently provides Employer Services to are the CT State Police, Dyno Nobel Inc, and Manchester Ambulance.

The goal of PTSMC’s Employer Services is to help organizations prevent and treat workplace injuries, resulting in a healthier workplace with fewer recordable injuries and missed workdays. This provides signi cant cost savings for the organization, and a safer work environment for sta . Some highlighted services below are examples of the focus for Shelby and PTSMC’s clients:

1. Ergonomic Assessment & Analysis

• Provide ergonomic training and recommendations for workstation design, work practice, and preventative exercise programs.

• Analysis for safer, more comfortable workspaces

2. OSHA First Aid

• This includes heat, ice, massage, active rest, and protection. By providing fast on-site care, PTSMC can address and treat minor injuries before they become recordable injuries.

3. Active Rehabilitation Treatments

• Comprehensive onsite injury care providing services for minor strains to major post-operative rehabilitation.

4. Injury Prevention Services

• Proper stretching and body mechanics training to address speci c demands of client’s jobs to prevent injury.

If you are interested in learning more about Employer Services, please reach out to Shelby!

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

Channing Harwood 1 Plainville Mei Syriac 1 Putnam

Lauren Randall 1 Wallingford

Tom Harney 2 Putnam

Serena Trinh 2 Wallingford

Zoe Trotta 2 Wallingford Lucas Morris 3 Guilford

Sam McMullen 3 Southington

Emiley Wilson 5 Guilford

Jen Bastos 5 Naugatuck

Mariah Rasmussen 8 Westbrook

Kelley Cahill 9 Essex

Pete Catuccio 9 Watertown

Kaitlyn Murray 9 Windsor

Kirsten Reaves 11 Admin

Emma Montero 12 Fair eld

Kayla Sturges 14 Southbury

Russ Woodman 17 New Haven

Jonathan Rodriguez 17 Wethers eld

Aalyiah Henry 18 Naugatuck

Cindy Mazzarella 18 Watertown

Kelsey Matthews 19 Plainville

Laila Temraoui 20 Admin

Lauren Doyle 21 Wallingford Aarohi Patel 22 Avon

Destinee Boyd 25 Admin

Cameron Walton 25 Danielson

Chase Cole 25 Glastonbury

Sean Doenias 26 Newington

Sibahle Sibiya 27 Essex

Jake Courtman 27 Guilford

Olivia Brunelle 27 New Haven

Mark Bagdasarian 27 Newington

JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES

Renee Corsillo Patient Services Danbury Coordinator

Garrett Ludden Patient Care Plainville Coordinator

Chris Patrick Physical Therapist Shelton

Natalie Pedane PT Aide Southbury

Dylan Carneiro Content Coordinator Admin

Amy Placeres Patient Services Waterbury Coordinator

CONGRATULATIONS TO DONNA BARIBAULT

Promoted to Senior Veri cation Coordinator

Donna Baribault joined PTSMC in 2004. She started part time in our Waterbury clinic as a Patient Services Coordinator, and then transferred to Watertown where she spent 12 years working with Partner Pete Catuccio as a Patient Services Coordinator and then a Patient Services Administrator. In 2017, Donna joined the remote Veri cation team. To state that Donna has institutional knowledge is an understatement!

As the leader of the veri cation team, Donna will focus on ensuring the team has the most current insurance policy information for veri cation, she will manage the distribution of work and consistently nd ways to improve e ciency, and help others increase their knowledge. Donna is a trainer at heart. She loves hearing, “Okay, now I get it!”

Donna also commented that, “At this very early and crazy stage in this journey I have immensely enjoyed the one-on-one and small group interactions with my team, the PSCs and PSAs, and the front desk trainers, Stevie (Fell) and Michael (Sousa).”

Donna loves to have fun times with friends and family – especially milestone celebrations! She is an avid reader, a gift from here mom from birth; she reads anytime, anywhere, anything ~ For pleasure, to increase knowledge and to experience things through another’s eyes.

Financial Moves for the New Year

By Jim Hungerford, CPA Director of Accounting and Finance

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to organize and review your nances. Many of us have experienced changes through the previous year, and now is a great time to get our nancial house in order in preparation for the coming year.

Check your Bene ciaries: Have you had a child? Have you gotten married or divorced? You should check that your bene ciary designations are correct. This includes brokerage accounts, bank accounts, insurance policies, and other investments, including 401(k) accounts. 401(k) accounts require your spouse to be the 100% primary bene ciary. Please update if applicable. If you do not want your spouse to be the 100% bene ciary, there are forms to ll out. Remember to also check your will to make sure that it re ects any new changes in your life. Reach out to Sandra Boccialetti for help.

Daycare Expenses: Did you know you can pay for daycare expenses with pre-tax dollars? PTSMC o ers a pre-tax dependent care account where you can pay for up to $5,000 of daycare expenses. If you would like to consider this option, contact Sandra Bocialetti.

College Savings: Now is a great time to consider college savings for your child or grandchild if you haven’t started already. Connecticut o ers a 529 college savings plan called the CHET, where you make contributions on behalf of your child or grandchild. You get a state tax deduction for the contributions, and all earnings within the account are tax-free and the monies, when withdrawn for college expenses, are tax free.

Pay Down Debt: Plan to make a dent in debt in 2023. This can be as simple as planning to pay an extra $50 on a credit card balance. Or, put an extra $100 or more towards principal on a car loan or your mortgage to save potentially thousands in interest.

Review Home, Auto, and Umbrella Insurance: With home values increasing and construction costs going up, your dwelling coverage may be insu cient. You also may not have enough liability insurance on your homeowners or auto insurance policy. You should also have an Umbrella Insurance policy, which provides additional liability protection at a small cost. Have your insurance agent or nancial planner review it to see if they nd any areas that need to be addressed. If you haven’t shopped your insurance in a few years, it may be time in 2023 to do a gut check on your current insurance costs/coverages.

Start an Emergency Fund: An emergency fund is invaluable. The true bene t of such a fund is its ability to help you avoid more debt. An emergency fund lets you pay for emergencies that life throws your way. Experts agree you should have 3-6 months of monthly expenses stored away in a savings account for unexpected emergencies.

Increase Contributions to our 401(k): If you are contributing to the PTSMC 401(k) plan, consider increasing your contribution for 2023. The contribution limits have increased substantially for 2023. Even a small increase from each paycheck will make a big impact when you retire. If you do not contribute, consider starting now! Reach out to Mallory Mason if you need assistance updating your 401(k) contributions.

Make or increase your HSA contribution: If you are part of PTSMC’s health plan, consider contributing to your HSA to cover out of pocket medical costs. These contributions are free from federal, state and FICA taxes (a rare triple bene t!), and the 2023 contribution limits have been increased. Reach out to Sandra Boccialetti if you need assistance updating your 401(k) contributions.

Review your budget: Review what worked and adjust what didn't. Don't have a budget? Consider starting one. Categories can include rent/mortgage, food, utilities, groceries, meals out etc. Before you can save more you need a good idea as to where your money is going each month.

Update your W-4 forms: You may need to add a dependent. You also may want to consider how much is being withheld. You may have received a large refund last year. Adjusting your withholding to take out less for taxes will let you use that money now instead of Uncle Sam earning interest on your money.

Request your Free Annual Credit Report: Getting your credit report can help protect your credit history from mistakes, errors, or signs of identity theft. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows you to receive a free credit report annually from each of the three national credit reporting companies – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Celebrating Black History Month

By Marilex Santiago, DEI Leader & Administrative Coordinator

Black History Month is an important time to recognize, remember, and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals of African and African American descent that have pushed boundaries, broken down barriers and in uenced the development of our nation. The integral contributions from Black Americans that have evolved the eld of Physical Therapy have often been overlooked in American History. In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to highlight a physical therapist whose contributions made physical therapy what it is today.

Theodore “Ted” Corbitt, PT, MPT, was an Olympian, army veteran, professor, and clinician with a career spanning over 40 years. Ted was truly a master clinician and was one of the most in uential voices of the PT profession. Ted was one of the rst physical therapists to teach connective tissue massage, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, progressive resistance exercise, and applied kinesiology, as he studied directly with those who founded the techniques.

Ted also fought in World War II and upon his return became the rst African American Olympic marathon runner to represent the United States. Beyond all his incredible achievements, Ted was known for being an incredible human being, friend, teacher, and mentor. “His range of expertness in therapeutic exercise approaches is extraordinary and he masters not only the theoretical bases but becomes an outstanding demonstrate of the technique” – A Testimonial written in 1989 by Arthur J. Nelson, Ph.D., PT

PTSMC Happenings!

Groton enjoyed a sta outing that included dinner and an escape room. If you can't tell from their "V for Victory" signs, they were successful in escaping!

Naugatuck celebrated the holidays together! They celebrated New Year’s in the clinic and enjoyed a Christmas dinner at the Train Station in Naugatuck.

Congratulations to Mickie Picheco on her retirement after 8 years as Patient Services Administrator for Southbury. She started as Patient Services Coordinator when PT for Life rst opened. Southbury threw her a party to celebrate. She left behind a cardboard cutout of herself so the team can always remember to ask themselves, “What would Mickie do?” Zoom in on the right photo to check it out!

Saturday April 29, 2023

Race starts at 9am Click

Windsor & Weekend Wheels are teaming up to celebrate their 10 year anniversaries by hosting the inaugural Race to the Weekend Wheels 5k Run & Walk. Proceeds will be donated to children in need within the Windsor community.

Mallory Mason, Director of Culture & Engagement, got engaged to Chris Izmirlian on December 28th.

Nicole Skirkanich, Human Resources Coordinator, married Dylan Dorosh on December 31st.