December 2020 - PTA Focus

 
Snehal (Soni) A. Bapat, LPTA, BS

As I jot down the details of my career as a PTA, I am realizing how lucky I have been to find a profession that I thoroughly enjoy. I graduated with my AS degree in PT from Delaware Tech CC in 1997. I started at Blue Hen Physical Therapy, a privately owned outpatient PT company with two locations in Delaware. This is where I developed my hands-on skills with musculoskeletal techniques under the supervision of three PTs.

In 2000, my mom in India passed away. I tried dealing with her sudden death by immersing myself into work, but my heart wasn’t into it and my father needed me in Mumbai, India. So, I quit my job and moved in with him for a few months. It ended up being 10 months, but I took this time off to grow personally and professionally.

I enrolled in a 8 month long yoga teachers training course (yoga TTC) at The Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz under the tutelage of Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra and Mrs. Hansaji Yogendra. We had rigorous all day training not only in physical yoga poses, but also yoga philosophy. I credit this program for helping me build my resiliency muscle. The yoga philosophy helped me understand that “change is the only constant in life.” The death of my mother was a change; I didn’t have to like it, but it was useless to fight it.

Yoga philosophy also taught me to be mindful about my attachment to things, people and emotions. These attachments are what causes pain when we lose them. I often use these teachings in my practice as a PTA when patients are having a tough time dealing with the loss of functional independence. I gently guide them to realize that they are just changing the way they are doing things to regain independence using tools and techniques they learn in therapy. The loss is temporary.

Pranayama (breath control) has been another wonderful tool in my professional skill set. I use it often with my Cardio-Pulmonary compromised patients. I teach them how to strategize using their abdominal muscles, to take those deep breaths, while relaxing their shoulders and torso. When the strategy clicks and they become self aware about the correct breathing strategies, it’s a beautiful thing to see and feel.

By the time I graduated from the yoga TTC in 2001, I felt emotionally and physically ready to return to the workforce and my father was also ready. I landed a job with Rehab Affiliates in Radnor, PA. They were a part of Jefferson Health System (JHS) at that time. Since then, Rehab Affiliates has gone through a couple name changes and now we are a part of Main Line Health (MLH) system in suburban Philadelphia. I took advantage of the tuition reimbursement benefits at JHS and earned my BS in Allied Health -  taking courses at nights, weekends, or online at Widener University.

My first job with Rehab Affiliates (RA) was as a Travel PTA. I used to fill in at four acute care hospitals, one Acute Rehab hospital, several SNF rehabs and outpatient locations that RA staffed. This was a great learning experience for me. I loved learning from all the disciplines that I got to work next to everyday. I decided to settle down in a staff position at Bryn Mawr Hospital, followed by staff position at Lankenau Hospital. Then, I decided to go back to being a Travel PTA in 2006.

All this time, in every setting I worked in, we had always referred patients to Homecare Therapy when they were ready to return home. The Homecare setting was a bit of an enigma to me and not an option for me yet (because PTAs needed direct PT supervision onsite in PA). As soon as I could, I applied and got my Indirect Supervision License in PA. That same day I asked my manager if the Homecare Division of MLH had any PTAs - they didn’t. She talked to the powers that be in Homecare and offered my services as a Travel PTA in Homecare (to try it out).

I’m proud to say that I was the first PTA in MLH Homecare and Hospice. I helped the PT managers create the PT/PTA protocols for Homecare in compliance with Medicare regulations and PT/PTA licensing regulations. Eventually, they created a full time position for a PTA in Homecare and I took it. After a successful start with me, MLH Homecare & Hospice hired several other skilled PTAs. Subsequently, I applied and got the Homecare Therapy coordinator position in the corporate office. A Bachelor's degree was one of the requirements for this position. I'm glad I earned it few years back.

My role was to facilitate timely Starts of Care, help with staffing issues and coverage and provide clinical support to non-clinical office staff when needed. In 2013, I was blessed with a miracle baby boy. I needed the flexibility in my work schedule that a homecare clinician has, so I stepped down from my role as coordinator and became a field clinician again.

In homecare, I enjoy helping patients achieve their individualized goals to regain functional independence. I also enjoy my autonomy. It’s not always easy, but no rewarding profession is. It's been especially challenging during the pandemic, but I wouldn’t be doing anything different. I love helping people feel better, stronger, and improve the quality of their lives.