PEOPLE - PROCESSTECHNOLOGY TRENDS AT UPSTREAM REHABILITATION

WRITTEN BY: GEORGE HOPKIN

PRODUCED BY: TOM VENTURO

Vice President of Information Technology for Upstream Rehabilitation

Jeff Petet on working for a company that wants to help people

Each and every one of us has a different measure of success that we judge ourselves by. For some, it may be the amount of money earned or praise garnered that demonstrates achievement; for others, it may be simply putting a smile on someone’s face.

At health provider Upstream Rehabilitation, though, success is measured by the trust and love patients and their families feel through the healing journey.

Currently, Upstream Rehabilitation is continuing its remarkable expansion across the United States. And though the company uses cutting-edge tech across its broad ecosystem of companies and partners, its technology team appreciates that humans will always be required.

Founded in 2004, Upstream Rehabilitation is a portfolio company of Revelstoke Capital Partners and, with 1,200 locations in 28 states, is the largest provider dedicated to outpatient physical therapy in the United States. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the company provides a comprehensive suite of outpatient and specialised physical therapy services through a network of industry-leading regional brands, including: BenchMark Physical Therapy, Results Physiotherapy, Drayer Physical Therapy, Elite PT, and SERC Physical Therapy.

Between the year of its launch and 2010, Upstream acquired several brands, including Benchmark PT, Preferred Therapy

People process technology trends at Upstream Rehabilitation

Providers and Integrity Rehab Group, building a fully-rounded healthcare service company. It also expanded its services across some of the midwest, southern, and Bible-belt states in the US to serve a vast range of people in need: Oregan, Washington, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas.

In 2018, Upstream completed a merger with Drayer Physical Therapy. The following year saw it open 100 new clinics and acquire an additional 12, while also expanding its services into Iowa.

An additional 54 clinics were opened during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, with three more rounding off the portfolio that same year. In 2021, Upstream expanded further, opening more than 150 new clinics and acquiring Results Physiotherapy, enabling it to be granted the title of largest provider dedicated to outpatient physical therapy in the United States.

Mergers and acquisitions play a crucial role in growth

Jeff Petet is Vice President of Information Technology for Upstream, overseeing the company’s strategic planning, implementation, and management of all IT functions. Before joining Upstream, he led a global software development team, having previously graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.

“I love working in healthcare,” says Petet. “I love working for an industry whose primary aim is to help people achieve optimal health; it really makes a difference. You're not just manufacturing widgets; you're working for a company that is there to help people.”

A high point for Petet’s team arrived, in his words, with the successful merger between Upstream and Drayer Physical Therapy in 2018, shortly after Upstream announced the completion of four partnership acquisitions in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee, expanding its portfolio of physical therapy businesses.

"We evaluate many expansion opportunities every year looking for strategic partners that share our business philosophy and core values," said Dave Van Name, Upstream Founder and Senior Advisor. "Our merger with Drayer Physical Therapy, in addition to our newest partnership acquisitions, provides a tremendous opportunity to combine the strength of these businesses, continue our growth, and advance our goal to become the provider and employer of choice in the industry."

At the time, the combination of Upstream and Drayer created a single network of more than 560 owned-and-managed clinics in 27 states, serving over four million patients annually. “It took us almost two years to complete all the merger activities on the IT side,” says Petet. “But that success was pivotal to ensuring the future growth of Upstream.”

Exceptional care requires highest levels of clinical education

Upstream and its professional development organisation, Upstream Rehab Institute (URI), provide high-quality and innovative

JEFF PETET

TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT OF

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY: WELLNESS SERVICES

LOCATION: TENNESSEE, US

Jeff Petet is a Certified Healthcare CIO and the Vice President of Information Technology for Upstream Rehabilitation, the leading provider of outpatient physical therapy in the United States with over 1200 locations. He is responsible for setting the IT vision for Upstream, including overseeing strategic planning, implementation, and management of all IT functions for the organisation.

Jeff has over 25 years of experience in leadership positions for several organisations in a variety of industries. Jeff has a Bachelor of Science degree