Are you ready for everything to go back?
Hi <<First Name>>,
“Are you ready for everything to go back?” a friend asked. “No,” I replied. “I’m not and neither should you.”
Let me preface this by saying this isn’t a statement on public health or political post on our rights as citizens. This is about the opportunities we’ve been offered in this crisis that have opened doors that people never realized needed opening.
I give a live workshop every quarter at Mind the Mat, a local yoga & pilates studio owned by a longtime friend and PT, Megan Brown. I’ve known and worked with Megan since 2001 (we spent 9/11 together working at National Rehabilitation Hospital). Rather than shut doors and wait in mid-March, we both pivoted and have been virtual for over 7 weeks (but who’s counting?). We launched our first virtual Re-Abilitate After Pregnancy Workshop last weekend.
I had nearly 20 eager moms, some with new little infants in their laps, ready, engaged, willing & able to take a 90 break out of their day for some self-care and education. Fortunately for me, my jokes (that I think are funny) still land ok on zoom as they do in person. I still felt the closeness and trust of community when moms gather after the battle, share their stories and prepare their bodies for the next challenge, whether it’s more babies or years of toddler wrangling.
Last night I attended a DC Physical Therapy Association meeting with continuing education component talking about the opioid crisis. I’ve held a DC PT license for almost 20 years and have never been able to attend a meeting because of work or well, lets just say, life! Who in their right mind is going cross a bridge to go back into the city for a meeting that doesn’t involve a good dinner and happy hour? If I’m getting a babysitter it’s going to be for something a bit more fun!
Most major insurances and most recently Medicare are now providing reimbursement for telehealth PT services. We’ve literally been fighting that battle as a profession for years. Poof, in an instant there’s no more reason to fight. In a click of a mouse, I’m also able to become licensed in other states as a part of the Interstate Licensure Compact and be able to serve my patients not living in VA. Why does it take a pandemic to take simple steps to make it easier to care for ourselves and others?
So no, I’m not ready to go all the way back. I want to keep the good things that have come with the chaos, the virtual classes, education, and support for these resources. Even before COVID-19, I had been looking into how to provide more digital resources for people who might need my help, but not able to see me in person for a variety of reasons. If you had a good experience, how you could share a little of that with your cousin in Colorado who just had a baby or your mom in New Jersey who’s trying to decide whether surgery for her prolapse is the right choice for her. How about your nephew in New York who’s 10 and still wetting the bed or your college roommate in Florida who can’t find anyone to help with her return to running after having kids.
This crisis has made the world smaller and us more reliant on each other. Technology has made it even easier to connect when we can’t be in the same room. I hope we continue to hold onto the opportunities to help one another that have come with so much devastation.
What do you want more of? Take this 5 question survey to help choose the topic for my first virtual education program! Share with a friend who could use some help too!
https://forms.gle/jFx2i15sqos3uR1y5
Stay safe!
-C
