All Star Physical Therapy Expands To Aid Many

All Star Physical Therapy Expands to Aid More

Aaron Atkins, PT, DPT, (right) director of the All Star Physical Therapy location at 25136 Hancock Avenue, Suite D, location in Murrieta, assists strength training with Christian Madgay.

by Diane A. Rhodes

Shane Gibson photos

When Bill Atkins opened his first physical therapy clinic in 1984, he was eager to serve Temecula residents with their needs in overcoming injuries, recovering from surgeries and more, he said.

“I outgrew my initial facility and moved several times and added several facilities,” he said. “I added two partners, John Waite PT and Greg Smith PT, who greatly assisted in our expansion.”

Since partnering with occupational therapist Paul DiMeglio at All Star Physical Therapy in 2015, they have opened many facilities that have provided solutions for patients in several communities. There are currently almost 30 All Star locations.

Atkins, 66, said the most common reason patients seek help is for musculoskeletal injuries such as low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain or knee pain from injury or for post-surgery rehabilitation.

“We also see patients for balance problems, general weakness and deconditioning problems, fall prevention and TMJ disorders,” he said. “More recently we have acquired a therapist with expertise in pelvic floor dysfunction. We have specialists in hand therapy who are occupational therapists as well as speech therapists.”

Although most of the patients who go to All Star are from physician referrals, California is a direct access state which allows many patients to self-refer and be covered by insurance such as Medicare and private insurance. “HMO referrals come by physicians and require authorization; we also take workers compensation patients,” Atkins said. “We are fortunate to be contracted with almost every insurance carrier in The All Star Physical Therapy team at the new Murrieta location. our area.” Atkins said Waite has been in Murrieta continuously since 1989 and his son Aaron Atkins PT, worked under Waite for several years. Aaron is now director of the newest All Star office on Hancock Avenue in Murrieta. His other son, Andrew Atkins PT, runs their largest office in Temecula on Highway 79. “I feel our newest office in the Hancock location will be very exceptional with an outdoor turf field, plus the ability to treat all forms of physical therapy with a focus on sports medicine, women’s health and pelvic floor dysfunction and pain, hand therapy and balance disorders,” Bill Atkins, of Fallbrook, said. Collectively, more than 350 employees see a wide variety of patients in need of physical therapy. He said that while many of the

therapists have been with All Star for a long time, the business is constantly adding to the team as they grow.

“The biggest challenge of a large company is knowing all the people who work with All Star and being able to connect with them in a personal way,” Atkins said. “We have a mission statement and values that give us a common core belief but knowing everyone in a more personal way is difficult. Technology and virtual meetings have helped connect us, but nothing is as good as a one-on-one meeting.”

During pandemic-related shutdowns, All Star was deemed an essential service. Although they had to scale back significantly, they were able to keep all the offices open with a limited staff.

“While the initial threat of COVID is mostly over, it still causes some disruption in business,” Atkins said. “We learned a lot during that time and I feel we are a stronger company because of all we went through together.”

He explained that physical therapists are certified by the state of California, and at a minimum, they are very highly trained and have to pass a state board exam to become a doctor of physical therapy.

“Physical therapists are also required to take continuing education every year to stay current in the science and practice of physical therapy,” he said.

Atkins is a physical therapist, orthopedic certified specialist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist, who decided on his career choice in 1976. In college, he majored in biology and physical education. Although he excelled academically, he had not decided on a profession until he discovered physical therapy.

“I was looking at a magazine and saw injured people and rehabilitation and said that was for me. I really believe it was a direction that God put in my mind,” he said. “I initially worked as a physical therapist at Fallbrook Hospital in 1981. While I was in physical therapy school, I worked in different hospitals and worked one summer for the Los Angeles Rams football team.”

Nowadays, Atkins is primarily an administrator, serving as the CEO of All Star Physical Therapy. He still sees patients one day a week but spends most of his time managing and building the business.

“We are heavily involved in student education and training for multiple universities in Southern California,” Atkins said. “Mentoring and clinical advancement of the newest members of our profession is also very important and a focus of our company and the profession as a whole. Physical therapy is an expanding part of the medical model as it is very efficient and a low-cost alternative to opioids and surgery.”

He said All Star’s extensive student program is focused on continuing education and learning for physical therapists as well as occupational therapists and speech pathologists.

“I truly love what I do as I have always been in awe of the function of the human body and the way we are wonderfully made by our Creator,” Atkins said. “Anything that can be done to heal, strengthen, improve or restore these bodies is always very fulfilling. I also love the way that learning never stops in our profession and the way we organize and build our business.”

For more information, call 951-200-3620 or visit http://www.allstarphysicaltherapy.net.

Christian Madgay does strength training at the new All Star Physical Therapy location in Murrieta.

Cheyenne Spencer Atkins, PT, DPT, doctor at All Star Physical Therapy, works with patients at the new Murrieta location.

Matthew Medina, DPT student at All Star Physical Therapy, works with a patient at the new Murrieta location.