Category: Community

Spear is expanding further into the Upper West Side: introducing our newest clinic on 92nd St!

Located at 2465 Broadway between 91st and 92nd Street, our newest location is now open and accepting appointments, providing a new opportunity to reach even more New Yorkers! Spear’s Upper West Side – 92nd St clinic was created out of a need to serve our community. This brand new location allows us to allocate more appointments and reach more patients in need of the best therapy around!

Spacious and modern, this new space has everything our clinicians need to continue providing the best physical and occupational therapy in town. With many shopping and restaurant options nearby, including Trader Joe’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and The Mermaid In, and just a short walk from Central Park, it’s a perfect addition to the neighborhood!

Alyssa Reyes, PT, DPT is the Clinical Director of Spear’s Upper West Side – W 92nd St clinic. Her passion for the profession stems from receiving an overwhelmingly positive experience in rehab for a rotator cuff injury in high school. She has experience in outpatient sports and orthopedics, outpatient neurology and geriatrics, pediatrics, inpatient acute care, and inpatient acute rehabilitation settings. Alyssa’s overall goal is to make a lasting impact on NYC’s community by helping patients to regain function and increase their self-confidence.

UWS – 92nd St is now accepting appointment requests! You can do so right here online or by calling us at 646-829-2299!

We’re excited to announce the opening of our newest clinic in Brooklyn — Williamsburg!

This brand new clinic marks Spear’s 23rd location, and its third in Brooklyn! The first clinic in Williamsburg, the space was created with your comfort in mind. It features ample space, new machines, spacious treatment areas, and locker room changing areas. Conveniently located by the L and G trains, Williamsburg is a community rich in history that has become one of the trendiest residential areas in the city, boasting incredible coffee shops, restaurants, a Whole Foods, Apple store, Equinox, Alo Yoga, Warby Parker, and more!

Nicole Surach, PT, DPT, SFMA, is the Clinical Director of Spear Brooklyn – Williamsburg. Previously the Clinical Director of Spear’s Brooklyn Heights –St. George Hotel clinic, she has helped to build a team of passionate clinicians and helped hundreds of New Yorkers to keep moving. Nicole is committed to her patient’s success. She strives to not only have her patients make full recoveries but also to prevent future injuries.

Brooklyn — Williamsburg is now accepting appointment requests! You can do so right here online or by calling us at 646-829-2295!

The lights of Times Square are no longer dimmed— Broadway is back! After a year-and-a-half long shutdown that saw the closing of New York City’s famed Theatre District, the Spear team celebrated the return of Broadway, arts, and culture to the city, serendipitously coinciding with the grand opening launch of our Times Square – Center for Performing Arts clinic, with a grand night of emotional stories, celebratory hugs, epic performances, exciting productions, and of course, much love.

Situated right in the heart of Broadway, our Times Square clinic was born from a desire to provide a special space specifically for dancers and performers, an innovative idea brought forth by the location’s Clinical Director, Ninia Agustin, PT, DPT, during her very beginnings at Spear.

Growing up performing and competing as a dancer, Ninia has held a long-time love for the art of movement, evolving into a passion for helping performing artists rehabilitate and treat their bodies. Ninia was clear on her vision: bridging the world of dance with the science of physical therapy, her two passions, to create a space that catered to the physical needs of performers. Today, that dream is alive and well.

Spear’s Times Square clinic is a location created with the performer in mind. Our clinic works hand-in-hand with other like-minded organizations such as Mt. Sinai’s Samuel J. Friedman Health Center, a medical care provider that is focused on the particular healthcare needs of the entertainment and performing arts community, and The Actors Fund, a national human services organization created to meet the needs of our entertainment community. Together, we’ve formed an amazing support group for artists.

When the pandemic closed the city, Broadway, and our Times Square clinic down in March of 2020, just weeks after our opening, it was an unexpected and difficult time for everyone. This clinic was thoughtfully planned to serve as the premier location for performing artists and creatives to receive the therapy treatment they need. The vision suddenly seemed shaky, and the team struggled to find their footing.

Last month, with Broadway re-opening, we were given an opportunity to celebrate our team and their dedication to the artists who were finally getting back on stage. To commemorate such a momentous return, we created a truly magical night to honor the return of the culture, love, excitement, and emotion that art awakens for us all. We gathered together to celebrate in style with live performances, most notably from Scott Sussman, Spear patient, former Broadway actor, and Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in Singing Voice Rehabilitation. He wowed us by performing “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story and “Help is On the Way” by David Friedman, a beautiful track about maintaining faith through hard times, much like what we experienced right here in the city.

The return of Broadway marks a massive win for the performing arts community as a whole.

Over the last few weeks, our incredible Spear team members, with the addition of some special guests, joined together in creating our mini-documentary above. Serving much emotion and heart, it is our love letter to the city, an homage to the arts, culture, and performing arts of the city we adore so much.

The evening was a celebration, as well as a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve walked together. CEO and Co-founder Dan Rootenberg shared his deep appreciation for the dedication the team has. “Everybody is passionate about the arts, and that’s what it’s about,” Dan shared. “If you love what you’re doing and are passionate about what you’re doing, you know it’s sure to work.”

Ninia also acknowledged the trials, tribulations, and triumphs the team faced together. Thanking her teammates by name, she graciously recognized the efforts of every single Spear member, from the Front Desk Care Coordinators to the Therapy Technicians and Physical Therapists, for turning a vision into reality. “Five years ago, I said I wanted to build a niche practice working with dancers,” Ninia shared. “This is my background, this is my passion, and I would love to do it—and here we are.” Today, the clinic sees all kinds of performers, from Broadway actors, to dancers, to musicians. The Times Square team, who are all performers, artists, musicians, and dancers themselves, are a group of truly passionate members dedicated to what they do. The closeness to the craft really allows them to connect more with our performing patients, creating a truly special bond.

With large red scissors in hand, Ninia stood with the rest of the team, standing tall in support, as they cut the ribbon to mark the “grand opening” of the clinic. The joy and elation in the room was electric. As Dan said: “the lights are back on Broadway, and it’s very special.” We cannot wait to continue living our vision, and keep New Yorkers moving.

At Spear, we are always looking for ways to share our knowledge and expertise—that’s why we created our career workshop, From Classroom to Clinician: The Final Lesson!

Our Classroom to Clinician workshop is an amazing opportunity for physical therapy and occupational therapy students to learn about how to transition into their full-fledged careers. Last Saturday’s event was the first we held in-person since the pandemic. Hosted at our gorgeous, newly built Grand Central clinic, the workshop was a perfect opportunity for students to meet with our talented team members for mentorship and networking opportunities. A virtual live-streaming option was also available for those who weren’t nearby or able to attend in-person, ensuring all students were able to participate no matter the circumstance!

The workshop featured various helpful components to assist participants in this transitional period of their careers. One helpful component of the event was our resume building workshop, where each student received a one-on-one resume coaching session with one of our hiring managers. Gaining insight from clinicians already in the field provided an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to learn the best practices for landing that first job after graduation.

Our leaders also held an interview session, providing best tips on how to nail the interview portions of job searching. Working directly with the leadership team, and opening the floor for questions and inquiries, provided the participants with real-life advice and information easily applicable in their near-future application processes.

Thank you to all of our participants for attending! We’re elated to have the opportunity to provide students with the resources, connections, and information they need to be fully prepared for their shift from student to clinical career.

Missed the event? Keep a lookout—our spring session date will be public soon! You can sign up to be notified when the event goes live by visiting our Eventbrite page, and by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn!

The ‘Why’ Behind Our Change:

From Spear CEO & Co-founder, Dan Rootenberg

“It is our belief that we are not put on this earth to simply be who we are. We are here to evolve, develop, self-actualize.” – Dan Rootenberg

I wrote these words when we unveiled our new logo in 2016. That logo served us well these last five years, as we were named the nation’s top physical therapy practice, not just once, but twice. Those accolades are special, and the fact that the industry recognized the unique strength of our team will always be a point of pride. However, I feel something even more important taking hold in my consciousness now. Since that time, the world has changed, the city has changed, and I found myself changing as well in how I think and lead.

As we lived through the pandemic together, I felt a deep and acute sense of empathy for the uncertainty and anxiety that many of our team members were feeling. For the first time, we became a safety net for our team, both by keeping our clinics open throughout that challenging time and by being there for one another and our community in a time of need.

My fuel for leadership changed from “hustle” to “love.” While in my heart, I will always be that kid from Brooklyn who leads with drive and grit, I believe this new evolution focusing on synergy and what brings us together as human beings should now be reflected in our company image.

This summer in Tokyo, I witnessed another phenomenon of humanity. With COVID depriving fans from witnessing, in person, the most elite athletes on the globe competing, the winning of world records and gold medals played out in the absence of the typical fanfare. People depended on their teams and even on their competitors—neighbors in the Olympic village from other countries—to celebrate the medals that were brought home. I stood in awe, with tears in my eyes, the first time I saw this happen as Team Ireland sang and chanted, forming a procession, as the team’s first medal-winner walked through the gauntlet to get home to their building which we shared. To me, this was humanity at its best, and the synergy of people supporting each other, rising above challenging conditions. Spear’s new logo hopes to embody this new feeling of Synergy, Community, and Love.

To learn more about the new logo and what it stands for, please read on.

-Dan Rootenberg, Spear CEO & Co-founder

The Details Behind The Logo:

From the Spear Marketing and Communications Team

Above: A collage of photos that inspired our new look.

With a focus on the synergy that keeps us moving and helps support our communities, we realized it was time for an update.

Above: A timeline of Spear’s logo evolution.

The new synergy mark combines with a bolder wordmark that no longer includes the words “PHYSICAL THERAPY.” This is because we are more than just a physical therapy company; we are an active part of our community, we are your fellow neighbors and friends, and we are here to build relationships that motivate and inspire those around us.

Above: The final 2021 Spear logo with its Synergy mark.

The deep, dark purple in the wordmark is called Aubergine, and it represents transformation and power. The burnt orange color in the mark is called Carmine, and it represents heart, love, compassion, and (shared) determination.

We look forward to this logo becoming a new, iconic symbol of belonging and unity in our communities.

Let’s keep moving, New York.