At September’s Ascend Conference, SPEAR was named the 2020 Ascend Practice of the Year by WebPT—and now, the official press release of the award is here!

In the announcement, our CEO and Co-founder Dan Rootenberg gave his thoughts about receiving the award:

“To be recognized as the Ascend Practice of the Year is an incredible honor, and one that is especially meaningful after the challenging year we — along with so many of our colleagues — have had. By staying true to our community, our core values, our therapists and our patients, we were able to rapidly innovate our services and take calculated risks that have propelled us through the COVID-19 storm. This recognition is extremely meaningful to the entire SPEAR team and will fuel our continued efforts to expand our impact and improve the world’s healthcare system.”

Dan Rootenberg, PT, DPT, CSCS, CEO & Co-founder of SPEAR, discusses why the award is so meaningful to him and the entire SPEAR team.

Also in the release, Web PT states the reason SPEAR won the award:

“SPEAR was selected as 2020’s Practice of the Year for the team’s ability to incorporate new technologies and strategies that kept their practice afloat throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.”

2020 was an incredibly tough year for many companies. What helped us flourish was our dedication to helping our community and our ability to adapt swiftly to change. Together, we were able to weather the storm, and are ready for anything else that may come our way. Thank you for the official recognition, WebPT!

We’ve made some BIG changes here at SPEAR…literally!  We’re excited to announce the expansion of SPEAR Physical Therapy’s 70 Pine St clinic! One of our premier locations in the Financial District, this beautiful and modern gym space is now safer and offering more availability for our patients to book treatment!

This new extra space with an open gym concept offers ample space, so you can move about freely as you work through your exercises and treatment plan. The space also allows for easy separation, keeping everyone safe and secure during this transition from the COVID pandemic. The gym is a beautifully lit space, with plenty of windows for natural light and an entire spread of  brand new machines and equipment, making your experience at SPEAR even more pleasant.

Located on the first floor, and now with a new store front/sidewalk entry located right on Pearl Street, its quick and easy to come into the clinic.

Most notably, however, is the convenience: more space means more availability! Our often-booked clinic is now able to accommodate more appointments than ever before, so you can get the treatment you need sooner!

Conveniently located in the Financial District near the 2,3,4,5,A,C,J and Z subway lines, near the Brooklyn Bridge and right off the FDR Drive, it’s easy to get to with local transportation or by driving. Situated comfortably near many NYC attractions, including Pier 15, the Charging Bull statue, the Seaport District, it’s a perfect and convenient location for your physical therapy needs.

Whether you’re looking for treatment for a specific concern or simply looking to improve your athletic performance, our expert team of therapists will work with you for the best personalized treatment plan. W e can conveniently schedule around your availability and work with you one-on-one for a personalized plan to treat your specific needs.

It’s time you achieve your goals and get back to life!

Meet Josh

Joshua Rieders, PT, DPT, CSCS is the Clinical Director at SPEAR 70 Pine. Josh is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Josh’s clinical experience includes orthopedics, sports rehabilitation, acute rehabilitation, and adult neurological rehabilitation. Josh focuses on manual therapy techniques and neuromuscular reeducation to maximize translation to functional movement patterns.During his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, cooking, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.

This week, our CEO and Co-founder, Dan Rootenberg, spoke heartfelt words to our entire team about the historic current events happening in the world around us, and SPEAR’s position against racism.

More importantly, he outlined the following action items:

On behalf of the company, (1) Dan has joined the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity and Inclusion; (2) SPEAR offered paid time off to our team members this week so they can take action in their own way: to protest, meditate, donate time to the movement, or any other way they may deem fit; and (3) SPEAR announced it is forming a Racial Justice  committee to advise us on our path forward with regards to these critical issues.

To provide our entire community with SPEAR’s point of view and commitment, below is the original letter Dan sent to the SPEAR team on Tuesday:

Team,

We find ourselves in the midst of a pivotal moment in our history, one that has evoked strong feelings of understandable sadness, anxiety, and anger. We must not let this moment go unrecognized or unaddressed.

Our country has witnessed a deplorable act of racism and brutality. We speak out loudly against what has transpired. Our hearts ached watching the senseless murder of a gentleman named George Floyd at the hands of blatant police brutality in Minnesota.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Emotions are raw and anger is justifiable.

At SPEAR, there is no place for racism of any kind. We do not tolerate discrimination, hatred, or violence in our workplace or in our society.

It is important for everyone at SPEAR to remember what our company stands for.

We stand in solidarity with the black community in fighting racial injustice and inequality.

We are a company that has always stood for inclusion and ascension, for striving to be better than we were yesterday, and most importantly valuing empathy for others regardless of race, color, religion, ethnicity, who they love or to whom they pray.

Since this is a day of action, SPEAR is committing to the following:

On behalf of our company, I will be signing a pledge called CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion. Our leadership team discussed this morning what it means and we will be pledging the following:

• Reinforce that SPEAR is a trusting workplace where we can have complex sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion.
• Implement unconscious bias education.
• Share best practices (and what doesn’t work) with our sister companies that have taken the same pledge.
• Create a vision for a strategic inclusion plan.

We are living in uncertain and unsettling times. We must stand up for what we believe in and support what is right.

I call for doing so with open hearts, open minds, and doing our part in the hope for change.

Sincerely,
Dan

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, we strive to always look through the lens of what is best for the safety of our patients and team members. To ensure we are keeping up with the latest news and protocols set by the experts and the CDC, we’ve implemented many different new procedures and safety precautions.

Clinic hours & operations will be open during our usual normal hours—for more information, take a look at our locations page to find the clinic nearest you.

Here is a more in-depth look at our current practices:

Safer In-Clinic Procedures

We are taking proper precautions necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone within the clinic. To do so, we are implementing extra pre-screening precautions. This includes temperature readings of all staff and patients, installation of sneeze guards at front desks, automation of paperwork/payment to limit contact, and frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all areas, both by our team and a professional cleaning crew. Patients will be asked to complete a phone screen prior to entering the clinic.

Staff/Patient Protection

Employees will continue to follow stringent sanitation and personal hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing, and consistent disinfecting of equipment and treatment tables. All staff members will be provided Personal Protective Equipment, including masks and gloves, to be worn at all times. We will be distributing masks, free of charge, to any patients who may not have any on hand.

Telehealth/Home Care Visits

For those looking to stay at home, SPEAR LIVE, our virtual, online, physical and occupational therapy service, is 100% covered by most insurance plans. We also offer SPEAR On-Call, where our therapists travel to the patients’ houses, apartments, offices, or hotels.

Our goal with these services is to offer safe and effective care for all individuals, regardless of their comfort levels with traveling. SPEAR LIVE and SPEAR On-Call allow us to continue to treat those who need physical care but are unable to leave their homes. Availability is limited—please reach out to us directly for more information.

One requirement of our in-clinic safety standards is that everyone wears a mask. If patients do not have their own, we will gladly provide one for them, free of charge.

As we learn more information about the situation at hand, we will continue to adapt and evolve to meet the demands and needs of safety.

Announcing the opening of our newest clinic, Park Slope—Union Street!

We at SPEAR have maintained an optimistic outlook about the future and what it holds. The reason our people get up in the morning every day to do what they do is for one purpose—to help others get back to life. We stand committed to this promise. This new clinic serves as an opportunity for more patients to receive the care they need, and as a beacon of hope for a bright future ahead for all of us.

Our second location in Brooklyn, this brand new space is located in the beautiful Park Slope neighborhood, and nearby many MTA lines, including the 2, 3, B, Q, and R trains.

Austin Afshar, Clinical Director of Park Slope – Union Street

Our newest Brooklyn clinic will be led by Austin Afshar, PT, DPT, CSCS, former clinical director of our Murray Hill – E 34th Street location. Austin has treated an extremely diverse population, including post-operative and sports-related injuries as well as neurological disorders. He has treated patients with neurological disorders ranging from cerebral vascular accidents, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, as well as treated patients in the intensive care unit.

Austin believes in treating his patients through evidence based practice, as well as through the utilization of education, manual therapy and therapeutic exercises. He hopes to help his patients obtain the best quality of life possible through improving their strength and functional mobility, allowing them to stay active and to continue to pursue the life they desire through meeting their personal goals.

With most insurance companies covering up to 100% of telehealth costs, and SPEAR’s in-network relationship will all major insurance providers, including Aetna, receiving the treatment you need is easier than ever.

Ready to schedule an appointment? Call us at 646-841-1402 or Request an Appointment Online!