Tx:Team Company Culture

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Tx:Team prides itself on the culture displayed at every level of the company’s infrastructure. Culture has been and will continue to be the driving force behind creating an environment that allows for success over the course of four decades. “From my standpoint, it’s about creating collegiality,” said Scott Benedict, CEO of Tx:Team. “It’s about creating an environment where people truly enjoy doing what they’re doing.” 

In a recent release of Work Wellbeing data from Indeed, Tx:Team scored 84/100. one of the higher rankings among the top therapy providers. Data was driven by surveys on key topics such as Work/Life Balance, Compensation/Benefits, Job Security/Advancement, Management, and Culture. 

“My first job was in a very large corporate environment, and it was somewhat cutthroat,” said Benedict. “It was competitive. And it was very ‘me centric me first.’ You just didn’t have that feeling that we were all pushing or pulling in the same direction and trying to accomplish a shared vision and a shared goal.” 

While culture is emphasized in a variety of businesses, it’s naturally more tangible in the health care sector.  “We’re in the people business,” said Carroll Nelligan, COO of Tx:Team. “Culture is everything. It’s the foundation of what we believe in and it’s those beliefs in action. It’s something that’s embodied every day by all of our people and how we deliver the best therapy product possible.” 

Tx:Team’s core values include integrity, camaraderie, vision, responsiveness, resilience, teamwork, flexibility, and continuous learning. These values are consistently referred to as the guiding principals behind day-to-day decisions. “You have to be able to look at our values, which are up on the wall, and say, ‘yes, I can see those being lived out every day,’” said Benedict. 

“All of our values are really important, but I believe that teamwork is our most important and it’s in our name,” said Nelligan. “I came from a background that looked at people’s unique perspectives as disciplines, OT, PT and speech, and how we could work together to have our own unique perspective on how patients achieve their goals. Teamwork is everything to our company.” 

Understanding the impact of company culture is paramount to the success of the company, the well-being of our employees, and a key component of Tx:Team that won’t change. 

Sam Benedict is a Tx:Team Intern from Wabash College. Going into his junior year, he holds executive positions in his fraternity, is the Editor in-Chief of the college newspaper, The Bachelor, and is both a Class Representative within the student senate and the chairman of the campus Student Events Committee. After college, Sam plans to either pursue law school or a career in business. 

Meet Spencer Sheridan

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Tx:Team turns 40 in 2023!

Founded in 1983, Tx:Team will celebrate a big anniversary in May, 40 years in business. Because it is such a major milestone, we felt we should celebrate this achievement throughout the year.

Thank you to all Tx:Team associates throughout the decades for his or her part in our success.

Meet Spencer Sheridan, Manager of Finance, and hear his story of his time with Tx:Team!

Tennis Elbow? Golfer’s Elbow? I Don’t Play Sports!

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My doctor diagnosed me with tennis elbow and/or golfer’s elbow, but I don’t play those sports. How is that possible? 

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) are two common injuries associated with the elbow. They are both caused by playing sports or doing repetitive motions (gripping, pulling, grasping, and lifting) with the affected arm. Some common functional activities that could cause these injuries include tennis, golfing, painting, throwing a ball, and heavy lifting.

Over time, these repetitive motions will cause wear and tear of the tendons at the elbow and place strain on the muscles.

What are symptoms that someone may experience that would trigger the problem being tennis elbow? 

With both lateral and medial epicondylitis, the primary symptom is pain at either the lateral or medial elbow. Other common symptoms can include tenderness with palpation to either the forearm extensor or flexor muscle units, aching elbow in the evening, and elbow stiffness in the morning. Sensation deficits are not associated with either of these injuries and is an entirely different injury.

How are these injuries treated?  

A majority of these injuries are treated conservatively. Doctors can prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication along with a steroid injection to the painful area(s). Doctors can also refer a patient to see an occupational or physical therapist to have symptoms addressed.

An occupational therapist or a physical therapist will work with each patient to develop a personalized treatment plan that includes:

  • stretching
  • manual therapy techniques
  • education
  • home exercises
  • activity modification
  • strength training
  • custom orthosis

Are there risk factors for one person to get more than another?

Yes, there are certain activities that can exacerbate symptoms. Those activities include anything that leads to overuse of the forearm extensor and flexors (heavy repetition, poor posture, forceful grasp, etc.).

The incidence for lateral and medial epicondylitis is greatest between 35-55 years old (men and women are affected equally). If an individual is younger than 35 and experiencing symptoms, a screen should be completed for additional causes.

Can you prevent tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow?

There is no way to prevent lateral or medial epicondylitis, but there are ways to decrease your chances of having this injury. Those ways include having proper posture, avoiding repetitive motions, avoiding forceful grasping.

If you suspect Tennis Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow or any problem with your arm, find a Physical or Occupational Therapist in your area to start the program you need to get back to the activities you enjoy.

 

Joshua Eppinger, MOT, OTR/L received his Bachelor of Arts in Human Performance & Health and his Master of Occupational Therapy from West Virginia University.  Joshua’s professional interests are Orthopedics and Hand Therapy. He has experience and training in the evaluation and treatment of post-surgical and non-surgical diagnoses. Josh’s experience includes a variety of conditions pertaining to the hand and upper extremities including  fractures, dislocations, sprains, torn ligaments, Tennis Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow, as well as multiple other diagnoses of the hand, wrist, arm, and shoulder.

Physical Therapy & Wound Care

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Wounds affect more than one million people every year. A wound or skin injury can occur due to an accident, injury, surgery, a burn, circulation problems, diabetes, or spending too much time in one position (not moving enough). Physical Therapists can help people not only prevent wounds, but they can also help heal wounds by providing advanced wound-care treatments and prescribing specific exercises and activities. Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement.

What is a wound?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a wound is defined as an injury to living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or other impact, typically one in which the skin is cut or broken. It is advised that people should address any wound as soon as possible to lessen the potential for infection.

How can a Physical Therapist help?

A physical therapist will conduct a full evaluation which includes measuring the wound area and inspecting the surrounding skin. A patient’s range of motion, mobility, and strength also will be assessed, as these can contribute to the wound problem, and may assist in the healing process. Your physical therapist may also perform specific testing related to circulation and sensation. Your therapist will then design an individualized care plan based on your needs.

Common treatment approaches can include:

  • Measurement and documentation of the wound characteristics
  • Cleaning of the wound
  • Debridement (removal) of any dead tissue
  • Selection and application of wound dressing
  • Application of compression if necessary
  • Education of the patient, caregivers and/or family members regarding wound care and dressing changes

Who would benefit from physical therapy wound care?

Physical therapy wound care is for patients who have open wounds as a result of pressure, vascular insufficiency, trauma, surgery, and/or diabetes. The most common wounds that are treated by wound care physical therapist are:

  • Necrotic wounds
  • Stage III, IV or unstageable pressure ulcers
  • Diabetic wounds
  • Chronic wounds
  • Venous and/or arterial wounds
  • Extremity wounds with edema
  • Non-healing surgical wounds

How long will physical therapy wound care take?

All wounds heal at different rates and the duration of therapy will be based on the patient’s individual needs. Depending on the type of wound and amount of care needed, the patient may be seen as often as one-three times a week by a physical therapist. The duration of treatment can vary from one-several months. The wound care physical therapist will make adaptations as treatment progresses to maximize wound recovery.