October 2023 PULSE

OCTOBER 2023

PTSMC FALL & WINTER TRADITIONS competitive layer drives challengers even more to get active.

Traditions are part of what drives a company’s culture and community. At PTSMC, beginning in the fall through the end of the year, some of my favorite PTSMC traditions occur. PTSMC has been fortunate to have added many new staff members this year, therefore, I wanted to introduce, describe, and remind everyone of these great traditions.

The details and sign-up information are on page 7.

IN THIS ISSUE Clinician’s Corner by Xavier Gibson, Naugatuck Physical Therapist Motivational Interviewing with Pain Neuroscience Education

Ugly Sweater Contest Celebrating the winter holidays, clinics once again compete for bragging rights! Throughout December, clinics pick a day to dress in festive fashion and ugly sweaters. Pictures of Pumpkin Decorating Contest 2024 PTSMC Sponsored Courses Survey each clinic in their celebratory attire are posted on PTSMC’s Perhaps PTSMC’s most spirited inter-office competition, this year’s famed Facebook, and similar to the pumpkin contest, the entry Pumpkin Decorating Contest will have 32 pumpkins going head-to-head!

Employee Spotlight: Debra Philcox that receives the most engagements (likes, comments, For many, many years now, each office receives a pumpkin, with the Naugatuck PSC opportunity to decorate and enter it into the contest. The winning pumpkin shares) is declared the winner. Check out last year's winner, Wallingford, who was thinking “inside the box” to win in will be the entry that receives the most votes in our survey and Techy Tips: Recognizing Phishing Emails engagements on PTSMC’s Facebook page (likes, comments, shares, etc.). The 2023! It's always so fun to see staff’s creativity and “fashion sense.” creativity over the years continues to amaze me. From carved or painted

By David Lawrence pumpkins to full out staged scenes with the pumpkin as the main character, it just keeps getting better! I can’t wait to see the wild ideas this year. Will Fall Management Meeting DEI: Communicating Effectively Annually, PTSMC’s partners and directors gather for a day and a half meeting. in the Workplace the Middletown clinic repeat as champions? See more details on page 8.

The purpose of the meeting is to bring some of the great minds of the

By Marilex Santiago organization together to present, educate, discuss, debate and exchange ideas PTMSC’s Holiday Food Drive Through the generosity of our people and patients, PTSMC has hosted many on a multitude of topics affecting PTSMC. The secondary purpose, and the one Pumpkin Decorating Contest & I value as much, if not more than the work, is the chance to be social, have successful annual Holiday Food Drives, supporting people and families Holiday Food Drive some fun and build the team that leads PTSMC. Some topics on the agenda across Connecticut. This tradition has been around for 15 years and has this fall include planning for PTSMC, EMR platforms, addressing topics evolved beyond food. I have seen clinics collect donations for their communities in the form of coat drives, toy drives, cash and hygiene items. I identified in the Energage survey including burnout, pay and benefits, believe this evolution has been a positive one. As all clinics are unique, so is Revenue Cycle Management, and incentive programs. their support for their local communities. We all stand behind the common I always look forward to this time of year. It’s a time that both at home and at “The care that you show with patients really goal of improving people’s lives, and this is one small way we can do that shows that we are not just a number. We are together. Information on preparing for your location’s Food Drive can also be work, people are joining together for bigger purposes. Traditions foster that sense of belonging and I encourage you all to lean into these PTSMC traditions. people with a need to be there, and you are found on page 8.

Getting competitive, supporting our local communities, and collaborating are happy to help us with our recovery.” - Danielson ways to make ourselves and our teams better. Essentially improving the #GetMoving- Fall Edition quality of people’s lives. Thanks for participating, supporting and continuing “Staff is professional knowing how to give me #GetMoving began 8 years ago. It is a challenge where participants get the best treatment. Adjusting exercises as PTSMC traditions. active to reach goals with the support of other employees along the way. needed. Caring, friendly, and always with me to There is now a #GetMoving every fall and every spring. What began as a keep my time productive.” - Southbury personal endeavor has since become a mix of team and personal challenges. As always, thanks for all you do.

This October’s challenge will be all about teamwork. Coworkers will pair up “Every therapist is focused on their client's and hold each other accountable to reaching goals. The motto, “Teamwork individual issues, and therapy is tailored to Makes the Dream Work” is one I can get behind! I can’t wait to see how this Alan getting clients to quickly return to normal activities. My assigned therapist, Alyson Whelan, was terrific at assessing my therapy Patient Trends needs and executing a rigorous program for improvement.” -Essex

StriveHub Fab 5

Before Photos of PTSMC Bristol

Bristol is scheduled to open on November 1st under the leadership of Partner Matt Baronowski. Here are some before photos. Stay tuned for completed photos to see the progress and final look of the new clinic!

“I’m grateful for the unexpected immediate response of my body that can only be explained by the therapists’ expertise in knowing what needs to be done. It totally changed my opinion of the PT field altogether. I continue to be impressed over what exercises the staff, in particular Meghan (Blanusa), come up with to specifically work on gait and balance. The efficacy within this PT plan, has begun to help me believe I will heal even stronger than prior to this terrible trauma.” - Naugatuck “It has been only 2 weeks, and I‘ve seen great improvement in my condition. My therapist Cody (Morrissey) has been amazing. I’m incredibly happy with the results thus far.”

- East Hampton

CLINICIAN’S CORNER Motivational Interviewing with Pain Neuroscience Education By: Xavier Gibson, PT, DPT Physical Therapist at PTSMC Naugatuck It is estimated that about 20% of people are affected by and are living with chronic pain. In physical therapy, chronic pain patients make up a significant portion of our caseload, whether they be affected by osteoarthritis or have a chronic pain diagnosis such as fibromyalgia. Many providers choose to educate their patients on their pain, especially in circumstances where chronic pain may have given rise to central sensitization. Explaining nervous system rewiring, the role of cortisol in stress, rumination, negative self-talk, and allostatic load (wear and tear on our bodies from cumulative burden of chronic stress and life events) can be challenging when bringing this information to the level of our patients. This is where pain neuroscience education (PNE) can be useful.

PNE is a strategy to get our patients thinking differently about their pain and how they view it. It is important to get across that the relationship of tissue damage and pain is not 1-to-1, and that the experience of pain is not solely due to the presence of pathology. A commonly accepted framework of pain is the biopsychosocial model which notes pain as multifactorial and impacted by biological, psychological, sociological, and behavioral factors. In other words, yes nociception and pathology can contribute to pain, but so does sleep, diet, exercise, stress, genetics, and even someone’s mood. As people, we learn from past experiences, both the good and the bad. Fear-avoidant behavior and pain catastrophizing are typically evoked by fear or a perceived threat to ourselves and our bodies from previous experiences. “If I bend this way or pick up this object from the floor, I’m surely going to be in pain.” This thought process may easily transition a person from pain-catastrophizing mindsets to demonstrating fear-avoidant behavior leading to further disuse, weakness, and disability.

Research by Siddall et al. (2022) found that in patients with chronic pain, PNE when combined with exercise better assists in decreasing fear avoidance, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, and pain when compared to exercise alone.

Specifically, by decreasing the threat value of pain, one can decrease brain activity in regions associated with pain, therefore improving pain thresholds during exercise.

Motivational interviewing (MI) may be a helpful way in which a clinician can assist their patients in reframing their pain experience at a pace comfortable for them. Two key components to motivational interviewing are a therapeutic relationship and increasing cognitive dissonance for the patient’s current state.

The therapeutic relationship is one that can elicit the patient’s thoughts by use of open-ended questions, empathy, reflecting back to the patient, and eliciting change talk. Cognitive dissonance can be thought of as the phenomena when an individual's thoughts and beliefs no longer align with their experiences. In building cognitive dissonance in our chronic pain population, we can reframe prior pain experiencers as well as the role exercise, diet, and movement have in truly being “medicine.”

There is no one proper way to provide PNE nor utilize motivational interviewing in the context of physical therapy. Like any skill, it takes practice to improve upon. Here are a few example dialogues which contain elements of PNE and MI: “How have the exercises been going at home; do you feel they are helping you move better?”

“Mr. Jones, how’s the bike feeling? You look excellent. Remember the first day we met? It’s awesome how you can see just how the exercises have helped loosen up your knee, lubricate the joint, and make you feel better.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t sleep too well last night, and you’re 100% right, poor sleep can affect your pain. When we sleep, our body heals itself from within, helping rid our system from stress hormones which have a role in increasing our pain intensity.”

“I heard you say earlier that walking would flare-up your back pain, yet over the past few weeks you have been able to perform x, y, z in clinic, even walk on the treadmill without too much discomfort. Why do you think that is?”

Being responsive to the dialogue our patients share allows for them to be an active part of the conversation instead of a passive recipient of PNE. Providing the patient with open-ended, and at times leading questions, can frame the conversation greatly for the benefit of our patients. Behavior change starts with patient buy-in, and with buy-in increases the likelihood that positive outcomes are reached.

References:

Ordonez-Mora LT, Morales-Osorio MA, Rosero ID. Effectiveness of interventions based on pain neuroscience education on pain and psychosocial variables for osteoarthritis: A systematic review. Internal journal of environmental research and public health. 2022; 19(5).

Porter S (editor). Psychologically informed physiotherapy. London: Elsevier 2017. ISB 978-0-7020-6817-1.

Gold PW. The organization of the stress system and its dysregulation in depressive illness. Mol Psychiatry. 2015;20(1): 32-47.

Mauss D, Li J, Schmidt B, Angerer P, Jarczok MN. Measuring allostatic load in the workforce: a systematic review. Ind Health. 2015;53 (1): 5-20.

Suvarna B, Suvarna A, Phillips R, Juster RP, McDermott B, Sarnyai Z. Health risk behaviors and allostatic load: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108: 694-711.

Brinjikji W, Luetmer PH. Comstock B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4): 811-816.

Siddall B, Ram A, Jones MD, Booth J. Perriman D, Summers SJ. Short-term impact of combining pain neuroscience education with exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain. 2022; 163(1):e20-e30.

Brinjiki W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015; 36(4): 811-816 Nijs J, Wijma AJ, Willaert W, et al. Integrating motivational interviewing in pain neuroscience education for people with chronic pain: a practical guide for clinicians. Physical therapy. 2020;100(5):846-859. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaa021

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE Upcoming Courses

2024 PTSMC Sponsored Courses Survey

INTERNAL COURSES Cervicothoracic (DOCS) October 14, 2023 Intructed by Danielle Dunn

Click HERE for the full description of the upcoming course:

https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/dl/KxtTDaeeIf

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

CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES LIST

Click HERE for full list of Internal, Sponsored and External con-ed opportunities. https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/dl/RCnzB8GqVU/Clinical_Excellence_List_of_Courses.xlsx_

UPCOMING JOURNAL CLUB AND CASE DICUSSION DATES All meeting are 12:00-1:00 pm on TEAMS.

The Clinical Excellence Team is preparing the schedule of clinical continuing education courses for 2024. YOUR direct input is needed to help decide what courses to "Sponsored" next year.

What is a PTSMC Sponsored Course? It is a course that PTSMC brings in-house for our clinicians, instructed by an outside company or internal expert.

The courses for next year will be chosen based on survey responses, so we encourage all clinicians to participate!

Please review the course options and descriptions linked: https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/dl/gQUvfaFRtu. Page 1 of the survey also re-lists these descriptions.

Then on page 2, please list your TOP 5 in RANK ORDER. The survey will close on October 10th. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PTSMC2024Courses

Upcoming CD dates: 10/10, 11/7, none in December Upcoming JC dates: 10/24, 11/28, none in Decemeber Click HERE for the full 2023 schedule.

Email Meghan.Blanusa@ptsmc.com to be added to the meeting invites.

STUDENT PROGRAM UPDATE

Happy October from the Student Program!

Grace Moore from Springfield College will be working with Mike McGowan in Windsor.

Suhani Patel from St. Joseph’s University will be working with Erik Schmitt in Westbrook.

Calling all recent DOCS grads! Be on the lookout for CI info sessions beginning next month – these brief FAQ sessions are great at preparing you to take your first student! Questions?

Please reach out to Juliann.Chacko@ptsmc.com

2023 CT APTA Annual Conference October 21, 2023 Quinnipiac University-North Haven Campus When completing registration, utilize the following Promo Code at check out to receive the $20.00 off corporate discount: PTSMC2023 See conference details here: https://www.ctpt.org/About-Us/2023-Annual-Conference/

HUMAN HUMANRESOURCES RESOURCES

CURRENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES

NEW EMPLOYEES

Lauren Alicea Wallingford PT Aide

Juan Alvarez Orange PT Aide

Devon Blizzard Waterbury PT Aide

Stephanie Capito Fairfield PT Aide

Athletic Trainer Essex

Jen Hill Authorization Representative

Physical Therapist Danbury Fairfield Groton Guilford New Haven New London Windsor Patient Services Coordinator Avon Westbrook Patient Care Coordinator Bristol

Molly Mayenschein Anna Montgomery Andrea Pezzimenti Christina Poulsen Virtual Patient Southington PT Aide Fairfield PT Aide Danielson PT Aide Services Coordinator

Adam Rosenblatt Westbrook Physical Therapist

Jillian Spindel Zoe Stenger Fairfield Patient Wethersfield PT Aide Care Coordinator

Sara Sullivan Westbrook Athletic Trainer

Liam Vander Wyk Lock Street PT Aide

Tara White Avon PT Aide

Nicole Richards Simsbury PT Aide

NOT PICTURED: Grayson Dull, Groton PT Aide Sue Glenn, Groton PT Aide Nicholas Leiva, Guilford PT Aide Arthur Pappas, Naugatuck PT Aide Lauren Passaglia, Fairfield PT Aide Lorena Mendez, Verification Representative Dylan Monaghan, Westbrook PT Aide Samantha Ann Morin, Groton PT Aide Erika Ngan, Wallingford PT Aide Julia Turski, New Haven PT Aide Haley Walters, Wallingford PT Aide

Practice Liaison Admin Authorization Representative Admin PT Aide Avon Branford Danbury Danielson East Hampton Essex Fairfield Groton Guilford Naugatuck New Haven New Milford Newington Plainville Putnam Simsbury Southbury Southington Westbrook Windsor

Check www.PTSMC.com/job-openings for our most up-to-date postings, and feel free to share! Call Karen or email at Karen.Havlicek@ptsmc.com if you are interested in a position.

Employee

Spot light

By Mallory Mason, Director of Culture & Engagement

Debra Philcox, Naugatuck Patient Services Coordinator In August 2020, PTSMC Naugatuck gained one of the most spirited, positive, sparkly staff members: Debra Philcox. From her glittery sneakers to her ability to make anyone smile and laugh, Debra has a way of engaging with people that leaves them feeling better. As Naugatuck’s PSC she goes all out when it comes to creating an environment full of joy.

Beginning with Ms. Betty Bones... Betty Bones is a skeleton who Debra dresses up every month with a new theme. In September, she donned a back-to-school outfit, complete with a Naugatuck Soccer shirt. She will soon be changing into her Halloween costume.

Furthermore, Debra always decorates the clinic. For example, in the winter she decorates with snowmen everywhere to coordinate with their food drive box. She’s always at the top of her game!

Creating a great environment for people is just the beginning of what Debra brings to the table. She comes from a background in healthcare. Prior to joining the PT world, she worked for BCBS and an insurance brokerage group. She then worked as part of the front desk staff at a different PT company. At this job, Debra worked with Becky Sauve (Naugatuck, Physical Therapist) for 11 years. Making worlds even smaller, Debra worked for Temple and had met Christine Hill (Senior Referral Coordinator- YHP) and Grace Burke (Customer Service Representative- YHP) before either of them came to PTSMC! We all know 2020 started out with a bang... the PT clinic where Debra worked decided to close. Becky (who was now working for PTSMC) and Debra had stayed connected. Around the same time, the Naugatuck PSC position opened up, and Becky immediately told Debra to put her resume in! With another offer already on the table, Debra was a bit hesitant, but hearing from her trusted friend that this was the place to be, she met with Partner Joe Caliguiri. An hour after leaving the clinic, Debra joined the PTSMC family.

She reflects on how when she started, she never got to see anyone’s faces beneath their masks. Not fun for a people person. She was thrilled the moment the masks came off and said it was like seeing all new people! She loves her role as a PSC because of the amount she gets to be in front of people and patients. She gives a shout out to Alison Pearce, Kristen Forster, and Donna Baribault who helped her and answered any questions when she started.

Beyond people, there are many things Debra loves. For starters her family- her husband, two sons, and her now daughter-in-law who she’s so happy to share all the girly and sparkly things with. Gone are the days of being a soccer mom, the PTA Chairman, and fundraising for the kids’ school, but Debra spends her time now on other passions. Number one being country music. With the kids grown up, Debra, her husband and her son go to Wildwood each year for all four days of the Barefoot Country Music festival. What’s even better- there are theme nights RIGHT up her alley. She loves to plan out all her outfits!

Debra also loves roller coasters and amusement parks. She likes to venture to Six Flags New England and Great Adventure and occasionally Lake Compounce. Always on the move, Debra loves to participate in PTSMC’s #GetMoving challenges. She and her husband get moving together by walking in the late evenings, sometimes in the dark with their head lamps.

When Debra was asked to be the monthly Spotlight she was amazed! She shared her excitement with her best friend right away. Her friend wanted to make sure everyone understands how kind and caring Debra is by sharing their story. Her best friend is in a wheelchair, and Debra calls her every morning to pep her up with positivity and motivation. They often go to the mall together (of course Debra loves to shop). In every area of her life, Debra cares deeply about putting people first and improving other’s lives- PTSMC is lucky to have her!

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS Stephen Delaney Sam Guay Zara Ahmed Dylan Monaghan Ashley Molina Veronica Rondinelli Hayley Wilson Becky Passante Alex Gauthier Stephany Rozsa Payton Polsonetti Jackie Skirkanich Bailey Edgren Miranda Jasienowski Alisha Mohamed Nathan Biega Walker Lenz Jacob Hurlbert Cindi Theriault Fred Havlicek Stephanie Santos Cait Ayotte Bridget Bognanno Kate Riotte Jackie Fernandez Alyson Whelan Noah Rattet Bernie Lapaan Ryan Alexander Logan Edwards Jade Flanagan Sam Zhu Meghan Blanusa Caty Mulligan

1 1 2 2 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 11 11 12 13 14 15 17 20 21 21 21 21 22 23 24 26 28 29

Orange West Hartford New Haven Westbrook Middletown Wethersfield Guilford Guilford Essex West Hartford East Hampton Westbrook Simsbury Groton Admin Avon New London Westbrook Southington New Haven Watertown New London Guilford Middletown Danbury Essex Guilford Wethersfield New Haven Windsor Orange New Haven Naugatuck Admin

OCTOBER ANNIVERSARIES Savannah Vartabedian PT Aide Michele Shelbrack Massage Therapist Jeff Lo Physical Therapist Morgan Goff PT Aide Jules Pera Patient Services Coordinator Nicole Stellato Patient Services Coordinator Bailey Edgren PT Aide Shyanne Metzger PT Aide

Windsor Plainville Westbrook East Hampton Guilford

Nicole Dorosh

Admin

Zack Currie Andrew Perazella

Human Resources Coordinator Assistant Director Physical Therapist

Southbury Simsbury Putnam

Guilford New Haven

Congratulations TO ALEXA MEDOR on her Promotion to Patient services coordinator!

Congratulations TO Kirsten Reaves on her Promotion to Credentialing & Payer Coordinator!

Alexa started at PTSMC Naugatuck as a PT Aide in September of 2022, but quickly found her way to helping at the front desk. Alexa enjoys working at PTSMC because of the fun environment and how nice everyone is in the clinic. She’s always enjoyed helping people feel better, which leaves no surprise that her favorite part of the PSC position is interacting with patients and asking about their day!

In 2019, Kirsten Reaves got married and moved from Florida to New York where she started a position very similar to PTSMC’s Patient Services Coordinator role. Soon after, Kirsten and her husband moved from New York to Danbury.

Through a friend who was an employee at PTSMC, she found out PTSMC was opening in Danbury, just minutes from their apartment.

TECHY TIPS Recognizing Phishing Emails

By David Lawrence, Director of Information Technology Phishing emails are becoming increasingly more common. Often we get an email that looks legitimate, but actually, it’s an email that’s looking to get more information from the recipient. This information is usually financially related, whether it involves transfering money or asking the recipient to go to the store to purchase a gift card to then be reimbursed. Keep in mind that if anyone is asking for money transfers via email, ALWAYS have your guard up.

To recognize such emails, look in the “From” field of the email and check the actual email address. We want to validate who’s actually sending us an email. Some scammers try to mask the email by placing a name that we all recognize in order to get an immediate response, “Alan Balavender” for example. After checking the email address, if you’re still unsure, please forward the email directly to the ticket system for further evaluation by IT.

Here’s an example of a fake email:

Kirsten says she will never forget meeting Karen Havlicek (Senior HR Coordinator) and Josh McAdams (Danbury partner) at Starbucks. Josh was not hard to miss as he was decked out in all pink! He explained that it was a PTSMC-wide spirit day to dress in pink. Shortly after accepting the PSC position in Danbury, two things happened: 1) Kirsten found out she was expecting and 2) the COVID-19 pandemic sent everyone into lockdown.

Kirsten definitely had some concerns about working in clinic while pregnant with all the unknowns. However, she knew the PTSMC opportunity was one she did not want to pass up. When Danbury opened their doors in June 2020, Kirsten joined PTSMC. She is so glad she said yes.

In 2021, Kirsten made a major decision to go back to school full-time, while working full-time and having an infant at home. To her credit, she has been working hard to complete her bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and business.

In 2022, the opportunity to join the Authorization team was posted.

Although reluctant to leave Danbury as the staff and patients had become family, she again knew this was an opportunity for her to continue her career at PTSMC and to be remote. She really enjoyed learning about the importance of authorizations from Christine Raffone (Senior Authorization Coordinator) and the rest of the authorization team.

In June 2023, when the opportunity for the Credentialing & Payer Coordinator position opened, Kirsten recognized this as the next step for professional growth and the perfect opportunity to put her education to use. Kirsten will be completing her degree in December 2023! Kirsten loves PTSMC, the people she works with and the Mission, and PT for Life culture. Kristen is thrilled to stay with PTSMC and that she was able to find a way to continue to grow here.

Everything is all falling into place for Kirsten. She is so excited to continue to support PTSMC and grow professionally in her new role.

Kirsten conveyed, “I am so grateful for the opportunities PTSMC has provided me!”

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

DEI

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

CommunicatING effectively in the workplace

By Marilex Santiago, DEI Lead & Administrative Coordinator In today's diverse work environments, the ability to communicate openly, especially when addressing tough topics or conflicts, is invaluable. Open communication fosters understanding, collaboration, and innovation, ultimately leading to a positive and successful work experience for everyone involved. Here are some tips for healthy, open communication.

1. Active Listening: When dealing with tough topics or conflicts, it's essential to listen attentively to what others have to say without interrupting or jumping to conclusions. Allow them to express their thoughts and feelings fully. Asking open-ended questions can lead to deeper understanding and promote a sense of collaboration and fairness. This shows respect and leads to a better understanding of their perspective.

Engagement & Wellness Calendar Email wellness@ptsmc.com to subscribe to the Employee Engagement & DEI Calendar.

OCTOBER Monthly Awareness: National PT Month!

Fall/Winter Gear Store: October 16-26 #GetMoving Challenge: Starts October 30 Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Voting October 26-31

NOVEMBER Monthly Awareness: Military Family Appreciation Month PTSMC Holiday Food Drives: November & December #GetMoving Challenge: Ends November 30

DECEMBER PTSMC Holiday Food Drives: November & December Ugly Sweater Contest: December 1-22

FINANCIAL WELLNESS WEBINARS PTSMC is hosting Financial Wellness Webinars led by Connecticut Wealth Management. The first is October 31st, from 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM. The topic of discussion will be based on YOUR FEEDBACK!

2. Choose the Right Time and Place: Timing and location matter when discussing sensitive issues. Select a private, neutral setting where both parties can feel comfortable and focused. Timing is crucial - avoid discussing sensitive topics when emotions are running high.

Finances can be incredibly stressful, and our mental health is directly affected by our “financial wellbeing.” How we feel about money often impacts the decisions we make in life and can affect our overall wellbeing. Learning about financial topics is one way to help you feel more in control of your finances. This webinar is the perfect opportunity to learn and ask questions.

3. Use "I" Statements: When addressing concerns or conflicts, use "I" statements to express your feelings and perspective. For example, say, "I felt overwhelmed when..." instead of "You always make me feel overwhelmed when...." Using “I" statements promotes personal responsibility and prevents blame.

Fill out this survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XYXMN7G) to let us know what topics you’d like to learn about. That way we can bring the most popular areas of interest to the webinars.

4. Be Constructive: Keep the conversation focused on finding solutions rather than dwelling on the problem. Offer constructive suggestions and be open to compromise. The goal is to resolve the issue and move forward positively.

5. Nonverbal Communication: Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. Nonverbal cues can convey as much, if not more, information than words. Maintaining an open and welcoming posture can help set a positive tone for the conversation.

6. Empathy and Understanding: Put yourself in the other person's shoes.

Understand that they may have their own perspective and feelings about the situation. Demonstrating empathy can help diffuse tension and build rapport.

7. Follow Up: After a conversation, make sure to follow up on any agreements or action items. Regular check-ins can help ensure that both parties are committed to resolving the issue and moving forward positively.

8. Learn from Each Interaction: Each tough conversation or conflict presents an opportunity for growth and improvement. Take the lessons learned from past experiences and apply them to future interactions.

Open communication in the workplace is a necessity. Effective communication can prevent misunderstandings, improve relationships, and drive productivity.

By utilizing these tips, we can create a workplace where open communication creates happy and successful teams. Remember, it's not about avoiding tough conversations... it’s about conducting them with tact and respect for the benefit of all involved.

Up for any topics? Please still submit your feedback, then use this QR Code to RSVP.

Fall 2023 #GetMoving Challenge There’s no better way to stick to daily activity than with a dream team(mate), because we all know...

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!

The PTSMC #GetMoving challenge is back from October 30th –November 30th.

Team up with a coworker to reach the following goals together.

Participation Goal: Get active for 30 min a day for 27 of the 32 days and earn #GetMoving swag. Both teammates must complete their own 30 minutes a day to achieve this goal.

Competition Goal: The top 3 pairs will receive a $50.00 gift card (for each teammate) to a grocery store of your choosing!

SLACK: This challenge will be run through Slack (back by popular request). Each team will post in the challenge channel once a day confirming and sharing their activity.

Sign-up: Email Mallory Mason at wellness@ptsmc.com and CC your teammate.

You will be invited join the PTSMC #GetMoving Slack workspace and corresponding channels before the challenge start date.

Grab your accountability partner and #GetMoving!

PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST The PTSMC Pumpkin Decorating Contest is back in action this October! With 32 pumpkins going head-to-head, it’s sure to be another year of wild creativity and close competition. Here’s what you need to know about his annual contest:

🎃 A pumpkin will be brought to each clinic between October 16 -18. 🎃 Your clinic will decorate, carve, and/or paint to create the “best pumpkin” and put it on display in the clinic. 🎃 A picture of your clinic’s pumpkin must be submitted via upload link by October 25. 🎃 Votes are placed through a survey, as well as counted through social media engagement. This means, any Like, Love, Comment or Sharing of your clinic’s pumpkin photo on Facebook, will count as a vote. 🎃 Patients, staff, friends, and family are all welcome and encouraged to vote for the “best pumpkin” between October 26 – 31. 🎃 The WINNER will be announced November 1.

The winning clinic will be rewarded with a staff lunch!

Need some inspiration or a refresher on the competition? Check out last year’s entries in this Facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.530870025715187&type=3

Shoutout to last year’s winner- Middletown!

Questions can be emailed to Mallory Mason at Mallory.Mason@ptsmc.com.

Holiday Food Drive

The annual Holiday Food Drive is a special tradition at PTSMC. President Alan Balavender started this initiative to give back to and serve our local communities in need. Through the generosity of our people and patients, last year alone, PTSMC collected 3,000 items to donate across Connecticut.

Since this tradition began, clinics have also expanded beyond food and have collected items for local organizations with other needs such as coats, toys, cash and hygiene products.

These donations come from patients, employees, friends and family- anyone and everyone who are to be able to share and contribute.

For 2023, PTSMC is setting the goal to donate 3,200 items!

How can your clinic start preparing?

1. Designate a Food Drive Leader.

2. Choose the local group your clinic will be donating to.

3. Choose a time frame for collection.

This can be any time from now through the first week of January. It’s best to contact your donation site to see when items are most needed and base your collection on their needs and delivery dates.

4. Once decided, the designated leader needs to complete this survey with donation information: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PTSMC-holiday-drive-2023 Colored flyers will be made specific to each clinic’s collection. They will be mailed to clinics as soon as possible once the details have been submitted so they can be posted in the Welcome Center and around the clinic.

5. Once it’s time to start collecting set up a collections box. Lots of clinics like to decorate around their box with a theme related to Fall, Winter or the holidays.

Email or call Mallory Mason Mallory.Mason@ptsmc.com with any questions.

PTSMC Happenings!

UPCOMING PTSMC

EVENTS

!

OCTOBER October 1 October 5

Groton celebrated the beginning of the school year and “Year 16” of the clinic.

October 21

Lock Street celebrated the end of summer with their last Summer Spirit Day: Animal Day (left) and a staff outing on the Pedal Cruise.

October 21 October 21

LMDP met with featured guest speakers sitting from left to right: Kristen Forster, Steve Platt, and Karen Havlicek.

Plainville & Southington Apple Harvest Festival Putnam & Danielson QVCC Talk “Learning in Retirement” Putnam & Danielson Tackle the Trail Half Marathon Plainville Plainville Pumpkinfest Human Resources CTAPTA Conference

Are you participating in an event?

Reach out to Emily.Fillion@ptsmc.com Nick Almonte, Shelton Partner, and Heather Feiner, Practice Liaison, attended the Chamber of Commerce event SchmoozaPalooze to network with other business and community members.

Admin hosted a surprise bridal shower for Marilex Santiago, DEI Lead & Administrative Coordinator. The same day, Admin celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a lunch of traditional food. Marilex’s mother cooked Puerto Rican food, and Sue Hungerford (Jim Hungerford’s wife) made Ecuadorian empanadas.

SIMSBURY RAISING FUNDS FOR HEALING MEALS

On Sept 16-17 PTSMC Guilford hosted the Institute of Clinical Excellence's (ICE) Modern Management of the Older Adult for PTSMC clinicians.

Did you miss the September monthly video?

PTSMC Simsbury is running Hartford Marathon races on October 14th and raising money for Healing Meals, an organization that prepares and delivers delicious, organic meals for families dealing with a serious health crisis. Please consider donating ornsigning up to run or walk with the Charity 5K "Nourish With Love" Team! Scan the QR code for more information.

2023 Hartford Marathon President Alan Balavender shared “The State of PTSMC” including information about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading.

PTSMC HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations to the following PT Aide who completed the SIPTA (Skills Introduction for PT Aides) Program:

Congratulations to Mario Paredes, Orange PT, who achieved his Modern Management of the Older Adult Certification (Cert-MMOA) from ICE (pictured with two instructors).

Jack O’Donnell, Watertown

Social Media

CATCH UP

BLOG POST

NATIONAL PT MONTH Stephanie Santos, Watertown Physical Therapist got engaged.

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PT MONTH!

October is National PT Month! The marketing team is planning campaign to promote the benefits of physical therapy and how great PTSMC is. Thank you to all the clinicians who sent in videos saying why they love being a physical therapist.

Bryan O’Neill, New Milford Partner, and his wife Devon welcomed Bradley O’Neill on September 7th.

Cait Ayotte, New London Physical Therapist, got married this summer.

Here’s how you can help promote National PT Month: • Follow PTSMC and interact with our posts- a like goes a long way • Send content (Do you have a patient who loves PTSMC? Snap a quick photo or video of them with their PT.)

Follow PTSMC on social!