At River East Physiotherapy, one of our strongest values is teamwork - we just couldn't provide a great patient experience without working well as a team.  Our physiotherapists and massage therapists depend heavily on our "support staff," meaning our:

• Physiotherapy Assistants,
• Receptionists,
• Administrative Physiotherapy Assistants, and
• Clinic Manager.  

Our support staff are responsible for a huge part of our patients' experience.  For instance, they answer phones, they are the first to greet patients as they arrive, they make sure patients' paperwork is completed so therapists have the information they need, they direct bill to patients' insurance (a super complicated task), and they make sure our clinic is clean, safe and welcoming.  

Given the importance of support staff to our clinic, we have partnered with the Medical Office Assistant (MOA) program at Robertson College.  This program provides some of the more advanced skills required to work in a clinic like ours.  

Recently, Clinic Owner Andrea Grant did an interview with Robertson College about our clinic's experience hosting a Robertson College MOA practicum student.  Here's an excerpt:

Robertson College (RC): Hi Andrea, thanks for taking the time to chat today! Can you start off by telling me a little bit about yourself and your practice? How did you gain an interest in physiotherapy and how does your work motivate you?

Andrea Grant (AG): I’m a registered physiotherapist, a Certified Management Consultant and am the Director and owner of River East Physiotherapy and Sports Fitness Clinics. Currently, I focus on the management and leadership side of my clinics. That includes managing therapists and administrative staff, continuously improving the patient experience and creating growth opportunities for the team. All my day-to-day work is aimed at supporting the therapists on my team so they can focus on providing an excellent patient experience.

It sounds cliché, but I became interested in physiotherapy because I wanted to have a meaningful impact in the world. As physiotherapists, we have a tangible impact on our patients’ lives. Patient after patient, we can see how individuals get better and thrive because of our work. I find that really satisfying and motivating.

RC: Our MOA program can lead students along various career pathways within the healthcare field. What roles and responsibilities do they have at your practice? 

AG: At our practice, they do a little bit of everything!  They’ll be onboarded and trained in almost everything full-time Administrative Assistants do, but more focus is placed on tasks we need the most help with. Our MOAs focus on reception and administrative work, including greeting clients, taking payment, booking appointments and handling health insurance.  They also lend support to physiotherapy assistants in the back of the clinic.  This back-up work can include hosting patients to their rooms, cleaning rooms, doing laundry and applying and removing heat and ice.

Read the full interview HERE.

Interested in a career at River East Physiotherapy?  Check out our current Job Postings!