MEMBER

SPOTLIGHT

Meryle Richman PT, DPT, MS, CST, C-IAYT

Self-Employed; Healing Therapy Yoga, PC

August 2022

Meryle Richman is a long-time APTA New York member is a great leader in the profession. Meryle is a reformed 'workaholic' who is finding her way in "free retirement"!

Read more about Meryle’s passion for physical therapy and her background below!

How Long have you been a member of APTA New York?

I've been a member for almost 50 years.

What brough you to PT? Share your journey with us.

I have always enjoyed helping older people, especially my grandmother. While attending Hunter College pre-med, I read about Physical Therapy. Before deciding if I was going to switch my major, I went to Mt Sinai Hospital in New York, to visit the rehabilitation department. Upon graduating from Hunter College in 1973, as the third graduating class from the program, I was uncertain about the type of patients I wanted to work with. I chose to take a job at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. This provided me the opportunity to do rotations in an Acute/Rehabilitation setting. After three years I chose to do Home Care at Maimonides Hospital and became a Director of the Home Care Agency. Once I moved to Westchester, New York, I was fortunate to realize at that time I could be flexible with my career, by working part-time doing Home Care and raise a family. My experience with Home Care at that time provided me with the opportunity to create my next path in my journey as a business entrepreneur. In 1983 I rented space and opened my first physical therapy practice inside Club Fit Jefferson Valley, Westchester, New York. In 1986 I opened my second physical therapy practice inside Club Fit Briarcliff. During the next thirty-two years I was able to grow and operate Physical Therapy at Briarcliff and Jefferson Valley, PC. with an excellent staff, an Assistant Director in each facility, experienced physical therapists, as well as have a student affiliation program with several Physical Therapy schools. At the same time, I continued to grow professionally, and developed manual skills, especially with myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and integrated traditional physical therapy with “complementary techniques.” I treated patients from various sport injuries, neurological conditions, chronic pain, and Fibromyalgia.

What is a typical day like for you?

Until I sold my practice, Physical Therapy at Briarcliff and Jefferson Valley, PC which I owned and worked at for thirty-two years. I was a “workaholic”. Now that it is seven years later, I continue to work in “free-retirement.” A typical day is still structured: I wake up at 5 AM and begin my day with a daily meditation, followed by gentle stretching, core exercises; and a gentle yoga practice. I also do a daily cardio routine. Depending on the day this can vary from hiking, walking or bicycle riding; and a strengthening exercise routine, three times weekly. I continue to treat patients privately in their home (twice a week) and I also teach a weekly free community “Gentle Therapeutic Yoga” class.

What was the exact moment you decided to join the PT profession?

When I was introduced to a patient learning to walk with his below-knee prosthesis, I was also fascinated by listening to the patient explain to me about having “phantom pain” and that he still felt his toes. When he took his prosthesis off, and showed me his residual limb, he explained and demonstrated to me what he had to do to decrease his discomfort by massaging and wrapping his limb. I knew at that moment,…this was what I wanted to do! To help patients to the best of my ability.

What is the biggest challenge of your profession?

One of the biggest challenges I have found in the profession of physical therapy is having been a business owner and working with managed care. In the journal of PT Magazine of Physical Therapy, July 1995 issue, page 42, I was interviewed along with five other physical therapists, “Managing Under Managed Care”. Even at that time, when capitated arrangements were negotiated with insurance companies and joining physical therapy networks, the profitability was significantly reduced. I was quoted saying, “ I must be better than the next guy to get referrals, which is why I ‘m constantly marketing my practice to physicians and the public. I have also worked to stay competitive by reducing overhead. Despite all this, my practice still felt the pinch of managed care.” I continued to operate my practice, Physical Therapy at Briarcliff & Jefferson Valley, PC, until I sold it in 2015.

What is the most rewarding part of your profession?

The most rewarding part of being a Physical Therapist is a patient saying, “Thank you” and to see how their life has improved based on minimizing or no longer having pain and to improve function.

What’s the most important trend you see in the industry?

With the challenges from the pandemic for the past three and one-half years, reduced reimbursement, and managed care, it is important to be knowledgeable with technology, HIPAA compliant telehealth, social media, having a cash-based business, and to think “out of the box”. By continuing to integrate complementary therapies and wellness into the scope of our practice, I have continued to treat the “whole-person” to achieve optimal health.

Who is one of your role models and why?

In 2018, I met Marlysa Sullivan, PT, DPT, C-IAYT, who was one of my instructors at the Integrative Therapeutic Yoga program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She has also been a professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health in the Master of Science Yoga Therapy program, as well as Emory University where she has taught the integration of yoga into physical therapy practice. She has also written “Understanding Yoga Therapy,” and in editing “Yoga and Science in Pain Care.” Currently she is doing research and developing programs working with Veterans with PTSD, at the VA Hospital in Virginia. Marlysa has “Bridged the Gap,” with physical therapy and yoga therapy with her medical knowledge, skills as a physical therapist, and to be able to teach the qualities of “equanimity, contentment and joy” for health and healing. Through her teaching I have been able to cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness through the practice of self - care, compassion, and stillness. This knowledge has further allowed me to practice and use these tools not only on myself, but to help others to “feel the softening and release of tension within the fascial system/connective tissue of the body, minimize pain, and to promote healing.” By learning to change behavior, cultivate detachment and build resilience for oneself, I have found that these evidenced-based tools have helped me to meet the challenges and changes that are occurring in the world and to live a healthier lifestyle.

What are 3 fun facts about you?

1. I enjoy teaching a weekly therapeutic yoga class as a free community service. This allows me to be fully present with clients and share my passion in helping individuals with chronic pain and/or in recovering from chronic injuries, to feel better about themselves. Having a good laugh with them certainly helps as well!

2. I enjoy going for walks, hiking, and riding my bike either with my husband, friends or by myself. The pandemic has made it particularly challenging and has limited my husband and myself from traveling and doing bicycle trips in Europe for the past 4 years. However, with the tools I have learned, particularly from Yoga Therapy, I have practiced being in the moment with nature and to appreciate the beauty in my surroundings, and to specially find “joy and contentment” within myself.

3. Spending time with my family and grandchildren. While my husband and I test ourselves for Covid, we do fly, and mostly drive nine hundred miles by car each way, several times a year to see our children who live in Chicago. The joy and bliss are sharing special moments with your family and in watching your grandchildren grow up.

What do you love most about being part of APTA New York?

1. I stay updated with business and legal matters with the profession from on-line reading of the journals and have attended continuing educational courses. This has been a wonderful way to obtain continuing educational credits, especially during the pandemic and not attending courses in person.

2. I was honored to be the recipient of the New York Public Relations Award which was presented to me at the New York Convention in 2008 by Mary Gannon, a former president of the NY Chapter of the APTA. In the Official Newsletter of the New York Physical Therapy Association, Inc, Empire State Physical Therapy, May/June 2008, the article stated, “This award has been presented twice since its inception, in 1996. The criteria for the award reads as follows: “The recipient of the award shall have fostered public awareness of the profession of physical therapy through utilization of the media, community activities, special events, or promotion of physical therapy month”.

What would you tell someone who is interested in joining APTA New York?

1. I am proud to have been a member of the APTA for almost 50 years. The organization works hard to support and be an advocate for our profession. This has been especially helpful as a business owner and to see how the organization has been helpful with reimbursement rates for Medicare and Workmen’s Compensation.

2. I found it extremely helpful to go to yearly Private Practice Section meetings. I took courses on business management, how to decide which Electronic Medical Record System to purchase and how to have an exit plan for my business. I particularly liked meeting the private practice owners from different states and to learn innovative ideas for growing my business.

3. During the time I was in private practice I found the APTA extremely helpful for marketing information. This included:

(a) With October as Physical Therapy month, I would have “fun” activities to promote in my practice with patients and staff; promote Physical Therapy Month by being on a local Radio Station and frame posters to hang in each of my physical therapy practices

(b) Being able to obtain brochures and material from the APTA for Career Day in the High Schools

(c) Develop a “Fall Prevention Program” and to be able to present the material at community centers for seniors

(d) Able to obtain information to write articles and blogs from the material provided on the APTA website library

(e) There are wonderful benefits to being a “lifetime member, once you are a member either for 30 years or reach the age of sixty-five, the yearly membership rates are reduced and there are no New York Chapter dues. In addition, I have received complimentary magazines by mail and on-line for Research, Sports Physical Therapy, Orthopedics, Aquatic Therapy, and Pelvic Health.

Would you or do you know someone who should be a Member Spotlight? Click here to submit!