A beautiful soul

The other day while sitting at a local mechanic shop, I had the opportunity to witness a beautiful soul. There was an elderly lady waiting for her car as I was and I sat and observed her interaction with others In the waiting area. Her conversation was salted with compliments, encouragement and optimism.
With each news story that was on the TV in the waiting area, she would find the good in each. One customer commented on the high gas prices and her reply was “it is a privilege to drive and gas prices are double what ours are in some countries”. Her response to an Obamacare story was “we are blessed to have quality healthcare in this country” and “clean living has it’s rewards”. She encouraged a young mother with “you are such a gentle and carrying mother”.
She didn’t really notice I was taking all of this in or the influence her actions were having on me and undoubtedly others. When she left, she wished everyone a wonderful holiday season and I couldn’t help but feel she made everyone’s day a little brighter. I felt encouraged to seek out the good in every situation and be more thankful rather than critical. This holiday season, may we all count our blessings and realize that our actions, comments and conversations can have an impact on people’s lives without us even knowing it…. just like that beautiful soul had on mine.
Scott Champagne, PT

Brent Holtgrewe and MVP Sports Enhancement is thrilled to know that we played some part of Krsiten Crowley’s training for the soccer season. Kristen play’s for FSU’s women’s soccer team in the ACC. FSU scored a 1-0 win over Virgina Tech to win the 2013 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship. You can watch Yahoo sports recap here.

One of the most important ways to stay healthy and injury free is to be active. A lot of injuries we see are from weekend warriors or clients doing more than they should from lifting a heavy couch, cutting down a tree, to running a marathon not because these are bad things to do, but because the person decided to be active after 15 years of inactivity sitting on the couch.
We at First Choice believe in practicing what we preach. We believe that it is important for us to stay healthy and be examples for our patients instead of creating a “do as I say not as I do” scenario. Over the past 2 years, we have established a tradition of Tuesday basketball at lunch. On any given Tuesday, one can drive down 390 and see First Choice’s finest playing basketball. This weekly tradition has helped us stay fit and have fun doing it while forming an extracurricular bond between employees that you don’t get at your typical place of employment.
An added bonus is that we have just started the weekly results from the games will be posted on our electronic sign. Typically we play 2-3 games, the first is worth 1 the second worth 1/2 and the third worth 1/4. This scoring system will level the playing field for the older guys who may get tired towards the end of the second and third game making the first game the one to win. We will keep a running tally all year to determine who comes out as the 2013-14 2on2 champion.
So the next time you are driving down 390 on a Tuesday, look for a couple shirtless bandits trying to stay active and young on the First Choice basketball court. What are you doing to stay active?
Brent Holtgrewe, ATC, LAT, PES

Just saying, the Mosley Dolphins Baseball Diamond Club knows how to put together a fundraising golf tournament. First Choice Physical Therapy sponsored a team for the event and we had a great time. Our team consisted of Rob Maddox, Harry Frank, Brent Holtgrewe and Don Cornelius. It was an absolutely beautiful day for golf. After the golfing was done there was lunch, the presentation of the winners of the Longest Drive, Closest to Pin and 1st, Second and Third place teams. Then came the almost never ending drawings for donated door prizes. You could also buy Dolphin Baseball t-shirts.
The golf was on Saturday, November 9, but the fun really began for the Dolphins with an alumni game on Friday night. It sounded like another great time, because as we all mingled before the golf game it was the only thing people were talking about.
I am sure the fundraisers are not over for the Diamond Club. We encourage everyone in the community to do what you can to support these great athletes. They have a goal of getting into the finals at the State championship again this year and they will need our help to get there. Go Dolphins!
They have a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mosley-Dolphins-Baseball/153876621349046

We are proud to announce that we are a Coats for Kids drop-off location! A collection tub has been placed in the lobby of our Lynn Haven office, located at 2300 Jenks Avenue.
Or if you live or work on the beach, you can drop them off at our clinic located at 12234 Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road).
Our office hours are 7 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Close at noon on Friday. We are accepting donations of gently used coats until Dec. 6.

I would love to tell you that my time in Haiti was a good, but the fact is there is still a huge need there. Especially in the area of the children. We did perform our normal mission work which was to educate the Haitian clinicians on new techniques, help do clinic improvements and implement a new telemedicine portal. However, we also like to visit the different orphanages to see if we can help meet some of their needs. It is also nice to just visit with the kids. We went to this one orphanage that would just break your heart in two. Evidently anyone can pick up some kids on the street, take them home and then call themselves an orphanage. That is exactly the scenario with this one orphanage. The problem is that the person running it uses the kids as a way to get food and money. Long story short, our friend, Laura Schick, RN is helping to make sure the kids are fed and money is spent on the children.

It’s a real sad situation in Haiti when it comes to the children. There is an 80 percent unemployment rate because there is no industry or jobs. This leaves families with the difficult task of finding their next meals. Sometimes, for the sake of the child, they have to give them up to an orphanage. Sometimes the children are just abandoned on the streets. Either way there is a continued need for support. I am not a big fan of giving a man a fish. I would rather teach them to fish and provide for themselves. However, the children are innocent bystanders and have no real control over their care. I was glad to have seen what I have seen because it makes me aware of the dire need of the Haitian people and their children. I know that I can’t save them all, but I sure as heck can help save a few. That is really my focus. Just save the ones that I can save and pray for the rest. This reminds me of a scripture in Mathew 25:34-40 NIV

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

You know what the most satisfying part about working at First Choice Physical Therapy is? It is the fact that it seems like everyone I talk to has either been here or knows someone who has been here and they all love us! People come to us because they are hurt and need help. When they leave after the final visit, most of them feel much better and are given a plan to stay better. Couple that with the care that they are given while here and there should be little surprise when I tell someone where I work and they reply, “I love that place!”
The whole team here wants to send out a big “Thank You” to all of you who have chosen us or allowed us to help you. From our Patient Liaison to the Front Desk to Insurance to Therapist to Therapist Assistant to the guy who does the web site…we really appreciate that you love us and we love you back!!
We hope we don’t need to see you soon, but we know you will remember that we are here the next time you do.

Two local physical therapists treat Haitian earthquake victims
By Donna Vavala
Following the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 and left 250,000 dead, 300,000 injured and 1.5 million people homeless, Scott Champagne, a physical therapist with First Choice Physical Therapy, responded to the need for medical personnel to assist with crush injuries, fractures and amputations by volunteering his services.
“My Initial visit was to Fond Parisien, where an orphanage was transformed into a primary surgery/rehabilitation site for the central portion of the country,” said Champagne. “Patients were flown in on military helicopters from Port Au Prince and the surrounding areas to Fond Parisien for surgery and physical therapy. My assignment was to a row of 10 tents labeled ‘unattended minors.’ These were children who lost parents, family members and limbs. It was my responsibility to get these children up and moving, as well as educating them on daily activities to improve their functional mobility. Little did I know it would become a calling. “
Champagne returned to Haiti again in 2011 and 2012 and was joined by Wade Rinehart, PT, DPT, the founder of First Choice Therapy. They started out in a tent with a dirt floor, in Jacmel, and have progressed to a clinic there.
Rinehart and Champagne, who pay their own way for the mission trips, have been focusing on treating patients and providing clinical support and training for Jacmel’s only physical therapist and staff through an organization called Community Coalition for Haiti that raises money to help their citizens receive medical help.
“Now we have a new building and have an orthopedic surgery suite with it,” Rinehart said. “We probably see between 40 and 50 patients a day during the week we’re there. We start at 7 a.m. and work until 6 or 7 p.m., or until there are no more patients.”
Champagne said that, although the Haitian earthquake was three years ago, their work is still vital.
“Ongoing therapist training is essential to the growth and development of this mission as we continue to see injuries/pathologies as a direct or indirect result of the 2010 earthquake,” said Champagne. “My calling is to continue this work and help facilitate the long term sustainability of physical therapy in Jacmel and surrounding areas.”
The trips have been an eye-opener for Rinehart.
“I tried not to go,” he admitted. “But Scott said he really needed my services in starting a clinic. I prayed about it and went down there. That experience changed me. It taught me to appreciate all the blessings I have. Even if you live in your car in the U.S., you’re still better off than living in Haiti. Their day to day (activity) is finding their next meal.
“Medical services are few and far between, and our goal is to teach them how to help themselves” said Rinehart. “We are trying to set up some telemedicine, but the Internet is really poor there.”
After work, there’s no free time. Rinehart and Champagne spend their evenings visiting local orphanages handing out candy and training therapists
This year’s trip to Jacmel is slated for Oct. 19 to 26.
“God’s working in a real way down there,” said Rinehart.
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If anyone would like to donate funds to this effort, Scott has set up an easy way to do so online. Just go tohttp://www.gofundme.com/Physical-Therapy-in-Haiti

It all started with Scott Champagne asking Wade Rinehart to come and assist in a collaborative effort to help Haiti after the earthquake. Wade could not turn his friend’s offer down and went to help out, in what he thought would be a one time trip. What started out as an “one time trip” has grown into a continued ministry. Scott and Wade are preparing for their 6th trip to Haiti to continue work they had previously started. There is a small clinic in Jacmel Haiti that has grown from a ragged dirt floored tent into a full blown Physical Therapy building with two surgical suites for Orthopedic Surgeons. God has placed it in their hearts to do this work so keep them in your prayers.
Scott has gone to www.GoFundMe.com
and established a way for our friends to spread the word about the Haiti clinic and to make donations. The clinic knows how to make good use of their limited funds to help their patients. Look at those wheelchairs!
If you have it in your heart to help, then please go tohttp://www.gofundme.com/Physical-Therapy-in-Haiti or just share this message with your own friends.