The 2020 Practice of the Year Award from the ASCEND Conference
SPEAR Physical Therapy has been named the top Physical Therapy Practice in the nation for the second time! The Ascend Practice of the Year Award is the only honor in all of outpatient rehab therapy that recognizes practices that have achieved exceptional business results. The award is bestowed on an organization that has shown growth in business, whether that’s growing the organization, implementing an innovative new product or service, or advancing the rehab therapy profession in general. It is safe to say SPEAR has achieved all of the above.
This year has not come without its fair share of struggles. The whole world was affected by the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic. It especially hit hard in the New York City metro area; a once bustling metropolis was now quiet, still and without the vibrancy that made it special. With thousands of New Yorkers falling ill, SPEAR especially felt a call to duty to continue helping New Yorkers to continue their treatment and keep themselves in good health. With in-person appointments a less viable option at the beginning of the pandemic, the company implemented a virtual service, SPEAR Live, to offer video sessions to our patients. The name of the game remained the same: to make sure patients were still receiving the care they needed, and stayed on track with their treatment plan so they could continue getting better. SPEAR’s diverse team of passionate and caring PTs and OTs are the secret sauce of the company: each talented team member strives to not only help their individual patients reach their personal goals, but also to uplift and support one another. They share a common goal to provide top-quality care, because they understand the importance of their work.
Physical therapy has been proven to be an important branch of the healthcare world. Research has shown that using physical therapy as a first management strategy actually resulted in 72% fewer costs within the first year. It is also a more holistic option for treatment, allowing many patients to choose physical therapy before resulting to medications that may have unpleasant side effects or may not be needed at all. Additionally, the patients who received physical therapy first were less likely to receive surgery and injections, and they made fewer specialists and emergency department visits within a year of primary consultation. SPEAR serves as a beacon of hope for those experiencing chronic pain and/or loss of physical and mobile activity—it’s not a coincidence that their motto is centered around bringing New Yorkers “back to life”.
SPEAR has been in the business of getting patients back to their best selves for 20 years. Founded by Dan Rootenberg and Dave Endres, the two native New Yorkers began the NYC startup practice to help reach more people who needed treatment. The practice was aptly named Sports Performance Enhancement and Rehabilitation (S.P.E.A.R.), and today, 20 years later, that practice has given growth opportunities to hundreds of therapists, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in time and money to the NYC community, and has helped 250,000 New Yorkers Back to Life.
2016: Dan accepts the Practice of the Year Award from the American Physical Therapy Association
SPEAR has been the recipient of several awards: in 2016, SPEAR was named the Nation’s Top Physical Therapy Practice as the recipient of the Jayne L. Snyder Practice of the Year Award. SPEAR’s CEO and CO-founder, Dan Rootenberg, has also been nominated for the Entrepreneur of the Year award by Ernst & Young LLP, considered the world’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs, and recognizing those entrepreneurial leaders who are excelling in overcoming adversity, financial performance, societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company, innovation, and talent management. SPEAR has also made the Inc. 5000 list six times in a row, a triumph only 3% of companies ever accomplish. SPEAR has also been named one of the top two PT Practices in the Nation to work for, particularly for the personal growth, culture, and team orientation built into the values and mission of the company as a whole.
With an average of nearly 5 star reviews on Yelp, Google and Facebook, the patient is the most important part of the puzzle. The list of 20 clinics spread throughout Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Westchester offers a local option for nearly any New Yorker. This was intentionally planned for—with many patients suffering from physical ailments, SPEAR wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone to enter a clinic and start on their journey towards better health. With future plans to continue expanding, SPEAR continues to strive to be an accessible option for anyone in need of treatment, whether it’s a seasoned athlete or a regular person looking to gain more mobility. SPEAR continues on their mission to reach as many people as possible and continuing to bring New Yorkers back to life, because they understand that Life Can’t Wait.