Harmony Physical Therapy: A PERFECT BALANCE

Andrea Miller was born and raised in Fleetwood, PA. She attended Penn State Berks for her undergrad in kinesiology and business, then Temple University for her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT). She started her career as an aide in a local private physical therapy clinic. After graduation, she spent some time in long term care, then returned back to private practice as a physical therapist (PT). Actively involved with the community, Andrea helps her sister-in-law with pediatric tennis clinics (Conquer Your Court) and her husband with tennis and pickleball tournaments. In addition to enjoying new foods and breweries, Andrea and her husband admit to being “coffee addicts” and are always looking to try fun new places. At home, they have two cats and two rescue dogs that keep them busy and bring lots of joy. Andrea also enjoys reading and traveling (she recently completed a trip to Costa Rica). W2W Magazine Editorial Committee member Monica Rush talked with Andrea about her new venture, Harmony Physical Therapy.

What drew you to the field of physical therapy?

I think deep down I have always been destined to be a PT. I can still remember my mom, who is a COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) at Penn State Health St. Joseph, taking me into the old hospital and letting me “help” get things ready in the department before taking me to pre-school in the morning! I remember being so intrigued by all of the equipment and loving that my mom and her colleagues got to help people every day. My mom also found a picture that I drew when I was seven years old and it literally said “If I was a physical therapist, I would help people.” I loved the idea of being able to help people live their best life!

How did you come up with the name of your new business?

My husband had a big part in this, as initially I was thinking “Balanced,” or “Empowered” PT. However, he made a great suggestion for something easier to “roll off the tongue”: “Harmony.” It also reflects something that I truly believe in, that things should function in perfect harmony. My goal is to offer services that blend in with my patients’ lives that can ease their stress of being able to work PT into it. It was also an appropriate name due to sharing a space with a chiropractor and massage therapist; our hope is to work together in perfect “harmony,” to best serve our patients.

Can you explain how your physical therapy business is different than the “traditional model”?

The most diversifying aspect of my practice is that I am going to be cash-based (cash, credit card, HSA, check), which means I will not be credentialing with insurance. Over my years in practice, I see how insurance tends to dictate care, and unfortunately, it tends to mean that you have to see more patients in a day and you have much less time to spend with your patient. I feel strongly that in order for a patient to improve, they need to have more one-on-one time with their therapist. This allows for the therapist to truly get to know the patient and understand what and how they are feeling and how I can best serve them. I can figure out much faster what motivates that

Continued on page 18 patient and tackle their biggest goal. I get to be your own PT – you don’t have to worry about being passed around to other personnel. This can also drastically reduce the amount of time for your recovery, injury/surgery-dependent, of course. I will be available more readily via email, texting and calling, more so than your traditional practices. I am also looking to be able to travel locally for patients who either do not feel comfortable leaving their home or just literally don’t have the time to drive to me!

Is there an “aha” moment or experience that defines who you are?

I have to say that opening up my own practice has been the “aha” moment for me. I did not have the confidence or belief in myself that I could make it happen, but when my dad basically gave the advice to not look back in life and regret what you did NOT try – it was a no brainer – you will never know unless you try. And no matter how anything turns out, I can never look back and regret learning all of these new skills, becoming more independent and meeting incredible people along the way.

What is the best advice you have received?

“Take a leap of faith” and “go for it; you don’t want to look back in life and regret not trying.”

Learn more about Harmony Physical Therapy by emailing HarmonyPT23@gmail.com. 2

By Monica Rush, MHSA, MSN, RN, CHWC Director of Rehabilitation, Downtown Campus and Healthy Community Initiative Penn State Health St. Joseph

What advice do you have for women who are considering starting their own business?

My best piece of advice is to take opportunities presented to you seriously and don’t immediately brush them off and say “no” – even if they initially sound overwhelming or scary. Ask tons of questions to those who are already doing what you are considering getting into. Reflect on what would make you happy and bring you the most fulfillment in life. Believe in yourself and your abilities – the world is your oyster. In a nutshell; “take that leap of faith,” as this has already been one of the most empowering and exciting journeys of my life and I can’t wait to see what’s to come!

How can women support each other in such big endeavors? One of the best ways to support each other is to give each other advice and be willing to help step-by-step. When I was first offered to open my own business, I didn’t even know where to start. I ended up reaching out to a wonderful friend, Sam, from PT school, who took over two hours out of her day to walk me through every detail, and she continues to help me to this day. She wanted to “pay it forward,” and now this is something that I will also do if anybody needs me. She could have easily viewed me as competition, but instead, she saw it as an opportunity to better our profession and lift another woman up in this crazy world.

How do you stay grounded?

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I have found that running has been the best way for me to stay both physically and mentally grounded at this time. I also find that if I am stressed or worried, which is totally normal with starting any new endeavor, that journaling about those fears is helpful, as I can get them out of my head and then tackle them one-by-one. Support from family and friends has also been huge during this time.

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