Daniel Seidler featured on NYC radio station
Posted by Physical Therapist on Thu, Oct 06, 2011 @ 01:42 PM
On August 1st, 2011, WSPT’s Executive Director and founder, Daniel Seidler, appeared on “Healthy Wealthy & Smart” with host Karen Litzy. Karen’s goal is to highlight great Physical Therapists from all over the world and to educate the public, and other medical professionals, on what it is physical therapists actually do. The program revealed how and why WSPT stands apart in the Physical Therapy field.
Click below to listen!!!!!
The main focus of the interview was all of the community outreach programs Danny has initiated at WSPT. Danny has worked very hard to get to know the population of the Bronx: the medical conditions that affect the residents, and what causes those specific issues to be prevalent. He acknowledges there is a general lack of education concerning a lot of preventable conditions. Utilizing the supportive medical community at Hutchinson Metro Center, WSPT organized five doctors from all different specialties to host a Diabetes seminar for 125 attendees from the area. The attendees greatly benefited from the array of medical knowledge that covered the effects of diabetes from all angles; WSPT contributed information on diabetic neuropathy, a condition that can cause weakness, pain, tingling, and loss of feeling in feet, hands, and other parts of the body.
BronxFit is also a very carefully designed program to help address the beginner’s anxiety as they kick off a healthy lifestyle. BronxFit came about as a way to help discharged patients transition their physical therapy regimens into real life. A lot of patients were expressing to Danny that they were uncomfortable joining a gym where they were not familiar with the equipment or the staff. At WSPT, it has always been a goal to create a family environment for patients. By joining BronxFit, members have full access to the gym, including the Hydroworks pool, a supervised exercise program, weekly meetings with a personal trainer and nutritional counselor. Participants learn the basics about fitness and nutrition; this is not a weight loss program, but a lifestyle change.
WSPT is heavily involved with the Arthritis Foundation. The Arthritis Foundation reached out to WSPT, knowing it had such close ties to the community, a community that is largely affected by arthritis. WSPT and it’s staff have participated in the Arthritis Foundation’s NYC Walkathon for the past three years, where they distributed information on local resources for those suffering from arthritis, as well as encouraging those in attendance to come join WSPT’s other efforts, such as year-round fundraising and educational workshops.
The South Bronx United Soccer Club, as well as other local sports teams, have become a part of WSPT’s growing family. WSPT treats players and coaches Pro-Bono, going to the schools to teach about sports conditioning, as well as treating players in the office should they suffer an injury. In fact, one member of the South Bronx United Soccer Club is even volunteering at WSPT – an example of how WSPT has helped cultivate a dedicated community.
Monthly, Danny will do educational seminars for senior citizens through Regional Aid for Interim Needs, (R.A.I.N.). He will go out to a facility and talk to a generation that did not benefit from the emergent resources of preventive care. Each session addresses one specific body part, like the knee, and how one might avoid injury, or how to best rehabilitate after an injury.
According to Karen Litzy, WSPT has not lost sight of the bigger picture. So often, Physical Therapists focus on the patient’s short-term recovery. Danny’s vision, the inspiration behind his departure from Einstein Hospital and the impetus to begin his own practice, was to change a patients well-being altogether. Danny does not believe the care of a patient should end after physical therapy has been completed. He believes it is a therapist’s duty to truly change that patient’s life. By offering programs such as BronxFit, hosting educational Seminars, Danny is transforming the very definition of Physical Therapy.
Jeni. P