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October 2020
When you read about Kaitlyn (Katie) Parrotte's career, you'll find that she has taken the road less traveled during her PT career and worked in a variety of diverse PT specialties. After many years working as a manual therapist Kaitlyn took a course in pelvic floor which lead her to a wonderful career move, into pelvic floor dysfunctions where she currently works today as a
Clinic Director of Pelvic Health
Take a few minutes and get to know this month's member spotlight with us! Enjoy the Q&A with Kaitlyn below.
How long have you been a member of NYPTA?
11 years (since I was a PT student)
What do you enjoy most about NYPTA?
I most value and enjoy the community that has been created within the NYPTA. With how fast-paced and hectic the world can be, it is comforting to know there is a group of people who I can not only rely on for support, but who will challenge me to critically think and consider various points of view. This helps me to be a more effective clinician and leader, so I best serve my patients, my staff, and the Association. The friendships I have made through my time as a member of this Chapter are some of the most meaningful relationships I have developed in my lifetime, and that is something I will be eternally grateful for.
Tell us a little about your background, and how your path led you to where you are today.
I have long pondered this question, and I think it is challenging for me to describe my “path” because I do not feel I have had a very clear cut path. I have not been working to achieve a certain goal since a young age, nor did I carefully plan out the steps I had to take to get where I am today. To me a path implies directionality and an end result, whereas I would describe my process as a journey, with many destinations, some unexpected, and changes in terrain.
I grew up in rural Upstate New York on a small horse farm and was always interested in sciences and the arts. I eventually went to Ithaca College where I majored in PT and double minored in music and theater. While I grew up in a small town, my love of music and theater led to my desire to live in a big city where there were events and shows on a nightly basis. That, in combination with the fact that I had some close friends living in NYC already, is how I ended up here.
I moved to NYC without a job, so I ended up taking a job in outpatient orthopedics – an area I never saw myself working while in PT school – as there were far more openings. I found I enjoyed the diagnostic challenges and puzzles that presented in a community outpatient clinic, so I continued working in this area. Soon after I started practicing my friend asked me to take a manual therapy course with her, and to my surprise, I realized how much more confident I became as a clinician when I began working more with my hands. Thus, I continued taking coursework, and several years later I earned a manual therapy certification, as well as my OCS.
After practicing for a few years, and slowly preparing myself to sit for two certification examinations, I began seeing some patients with low back or pelvic girdle pain, for whom the standard interventions I had learned did not seem to be fully resolving their musculoskeletal symptoms. This made me consider what other areas of the region I might be neglecting, which brought me to the pelvic floor.
I took my first pelvic floor course about 5 years ago, and was fascinated by the content; after taking this course, I knew I wanted to specialize on pelvic floor dysfunctions – again, something I never thought I would focus on when
I was in PT school.
Are you seeing a theme? I thought I had a set trajectory when I was a PT student, but looking back, my clinical career has been filled with unexpected turns. I think this is because I remained open to learning new things, adapting, and growing. I cannot say I was always happy with my job, but I continued to learn new skills and network as I gained more experience, which eventually led me to become a Clinic Director with my current company.
Honestly, about the only thing professionally that I did always see myself doing was being an active member of the APTA and NYPTA. I was involved as a PT student, and as soon as my work schedule allowed me to attend meetings, I attended
my first GNY District meeting.
At that meeting the Chair announced the District was looking for a new Legislative Liaison so I approached her afterwards and was given the role. All it took was showing up and putting my name forward (along with some good timing), and that started my journey with the NYPTA/APTA. I am now the Chapter Director/Chair for GNY, and the Chair of the Judicial/Reference Committee, as well as Chair of the Governance Committee for the Academy of Pelvic Health PT. It was not always easy, and I certainly faced my fair share of rejections and disappointments, but I have been fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful mentors and friends who encourage me, push me, and help me grow.
What’s the most rewarding part about your work and what are some challenges?
As a pelvic health provider, I am often struck by how many patients have been dealing with bowel or urinary incontinence, or pelvic pain for years because they had not been to a provider who understood these issues as having a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. I love that I can educate these patients and give them tools to help themselves take control of their lives and achieve the goals that are most meaningful to them. While I greatly enjoy working with this patient population, it can be challenging because these patients often come to me after struggling with symptoms for years, so we often having to work through impairments not only in the pelvic floor, but in the lumbar spine, pelvic girdle, hips, and any number of other areas. Thus, prioritizing impairments and finding how the puzzle pieces fit together can be a challenge, but one that makes my job more fun!
What is a typical day like for you?
While the pandemic and shut down have changed my routine some, I tend to start treating between 7:00 and 8:00 am, and finish treating around 5:00-6:00 pm. Then on many evenings, I stay at work (or when indoor dining was allowed, I would often go to a coffee shop) to finish notes, catch up on emails, and work on any other projects I might have, until my volunteer meetings start. If I do not have a meeting to attend, I go to practice and workout with my weightlifting team. Typically, I when I arrive home, my brain turns off as being done for the day, and I relax for a few hours and organize/prep for the next day.
Who is one of your role models and why?
It is difficult for me to name one person as a role model. There are many people, including friends, historical figures, and present-day politicians who have qualities I admire and wish to emulate, and others that I do not. Whenever I see a quality in someone that I think is positive or negative, I tend to explore it to better understand how it developed and how it might impact that individual or others around them. In general, I gravitate toward people who are intelligent and strong leaders that blaze the trail for others.
What advice would you give NYPTA members who are new to the profession and want to make a difference?
I think the first step is to show up and volunteer. The easiest way to get involved is to attend a District meeting or reach out to a member of your District’s Chairperson. Many Districts, including my own, have committees and plan various events throughout the year, so having fresh ideas and more hands is always welcome!
It is important to have your own energy and ideas; however, I think it is also very important for emerging leaders to be open to feedback and growth. While I have certainly had to ignore the naysayers and push through my own self doubt at various times in my personal and professional life, I would not be where I am if I did not find people in my life who mentor and push me. That “push” is not always comfortable or easy, but if you are open to it, it can greatly expand your capabilities.
How do you make time to volunteer and be active in groups you’re involved with?
Time management! I am not going to deny that my schedule can get a bit hectic, but I have learned to manage my time through using a physical calendar. I find that handwriting my meetings and due dates helps me to organize and remember them - but that is just a method that works for me. Also, I have found that establishing deadlines and leaving every meeting with an action list has helped me to prioritize tasks and projects.
What else would you like your fellow NYPTA Members to know about you? (Feel free to tell us a little about yourself here, whatever you’re comfortable sharing – family, hobbies, pets, fun facts about you, etc.)
I double minored in music and theater in undergrad because I have had a passion for classical music, opera, and musical theater for as long as I can remember. Also, I am currently working on a Masters in Epidemiology at Columbia University.
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