A letter to Referring providers

Dear providers,

Thank you for visiting this page. I want to take a moment to share more about my goals for our patients and community with you.

First of all, thank you for considering physical therapy services when it comes to meeting your patients’ pain and movement needs. Encouraging a low-cost, non-invasive, holistic treatment option is a smart idea. Physical therapists are uniquely positioned providers in the healthcare field. We are movement and musculoskeletal experts with a doctoral-level education. We have direct access to patients without a referral (10 treatments or a 21 days in the State of Michigan) or for injury prevention and fitness promotion. This level of expertise and ease of access make us a service able to address existing impairments and pain, but also a strong ally in prevention if early access is available.

Another benefit of physical therapy clinicians is that they typically spend more time with patients compared to other disciplines (typically 45-60 minutes at a time per session). This gives us the opportunity to build strong rapport, gain a deep understanding of our patients, and bend ears with education. In addition to movement and exercise, it falls under our scope of practice to assess and encourage other preventative healthy behaviors such as proper diet, sleep hygiene, smoking cessation, and mental health management. We know each of these areas play a role in pain as well as a person’s overall state of health. I highlight this to let you know that as providers we have overlapping goals and your physical therapist is a strong ally.

As healthcare providers, we are aware that we work within a system which boasts the highest healthcare spending in the world and mediocre outcomes. I strive to join other clinicians in improving this standard by acting as an advocate for patients (versus insurance companies), preventative medicine, the role of the physical therapist provider, and the healthcare profession at large. I hope to teach and encourage people how to move and care for their bodies at whatever stage of life so they may spend less time in the healthcare system and more time doing what is meaningful to them.

I hope to be a valued partner in your ability to meet your patients’ needs as well as your goals for providing excellent care. Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss a patient or collaborate.

Sincerely,

Aubrey Jabour, PT, DPT