We are so grateful to be open again only 2 months after having to temporarily close our doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time we were fortunate to be able to stay in contact with many of our patients via “tele-rehab”. Our clients welcomed us into their homes, and via secured video-conference calls were were able to help many people with their ongoing injuries, and some that crept up while being in isolation.
We sincerely would like to thank everyone who supported us during this time with their kind words and assistance in getting the online program up and going. We will continue this program to assist people who have to be in isolation, who don’t feel secure leaving their house due to compromised immune systems, or those that are in BC, but can’t get into our clinic due to work demands. We are here for you!
As of May 19th, we re-opened our doors once again (how many times do you have to start up a new business in one year!?!) to our amazing community, with a few new changes to ensure both staff and patients are safe during the ongoing pandemic crisis. We were very lucky to be a part of a Canadian National Clinic Owners group on facebook, which allowed us to problem solve the many issues facing healthcare clinic owners in re-opening a space into a safe and practical environment. It was so amazing to see how effective a group of like minded people can be. Thank you so much for your assistance and reassurance!
We would also like to thank some of the local/BC groups who put in time/effort/product to help make our opening not only possible, but a success:
–Okanagan Spirits Distillery for providing our clinic (and many other businesses around Kelowna) with in-demand Sanitizer. In my opinion, they should be Kelowna Business of the Year Winner…NO MATTER WHAT.
–Making A. Mends – A Vancouver Alteration shop that graciously supplied us with the coolest fitted face mask that are repurposed from denim and other fabrics. Thank you.
–Jeremy Brown of Rattlesnake Films. Thank you for making your Rattle Snake Clips to ease ear load from surgical masks on your 3D printer. For both us, and many other healthcare worker in BC. I can’t imagine how much time and money you have personally invested, expecting nothing in return (maybe a smile behind a mask). People… if you like the Avengers movies (and many others), thank him…he does AMAZING work. I look forward to seeing all his future work!!
-and finally CASTANET.NET– thank you so much for featuring us as we returned to in-clinic treatments May 19th. I am very proud that you are showcasing local businesses and how much work we are doing to ride the crazy COVID-19 wave, and all come out healthy on the other side.
Here is a link to the full article and video, featuring Joel, one of our owners:
And here is the full written text from reporter, Laura Brookes.:
NEW NORMAL FOR PHYSIO CLINIC
For many businesses, opening up with all the new cleaning and social distancing measures in place to guard against COVID-19 isn’t an easy task.
But for hands-on services like physiotherapy when a large part of your day is touching people, it’s an even greater challenge.
Physiotherapy clinic MotionWorx, located in downtown Kelowna, opened its doors just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and soon had to switch to online appointments, says owner and sport physiotherapist Joel Kryczka.
“We have always prided ourselves on providing education and empowering our patients, but now we had to think outside the box to not only assess patients remotely, but also strengthen/stretch and correct movement patterns without the ability to physically guide them.
“It really takes an online meeting to a new level when you have to ask people to get down on their home floors or go up and down the stairs to help them out. There have been more than a fair share of funny moments (dropped cameras, dogs participating), which have been hidden gems despite some of the mental and physical struggles that we witness in our patients’ lives. It’s an honour to have people allow you into their homes and lives…I had one patient play her guitar for me, and we talked about ergonomics of playing with a shoulder injury!”
In mid-May, the clinic attempted what felt like “opening the business for the third time,” complying with regulations to ensure adequate social distancing and protection for both staff and customers against risk of COVID-19 infection.
“Most people are absolutely happy that we’re doing everything we can to make sure they’re safe. You get the odd person that’s reluctant to go to the extremes, but I always pitch it as we’re just practicing and making sure that if there is a problem, we’re not playing catch up at that point. It’s better to be on top of it. Being safe rather than sorry is really what it comes down to.”
New measures in place at the clinic include walking arrows to direct patients, patients waiting outside until they are called into the clinic for their scheduled appointment time, wearing masks inside, plexiglass at reception and a rigorous hand washing routine before any physiotherapy takes place.
The clinic is also keeping track of who comes in and out of the space to ensure they have information on hand in case of a future outbreak, and they’ve even put special artwork from local artists up on the walls to make the space feel less “clinical”, says Kryczka.
“Now that we’re open, the tricky part is to try and have a situation where we want to be welcoming, we want to be warm, compassionate but still do what we can to stay safe … and so it’s been really neat to find that blend between the two. We’ve really noticed that people feel welcome and not overwhelmed by some of the disinfecting and sterility measures that we implement so people are safe, but it also doesn’t feel like a hospital.”
He says the greatest part of this experience has been the way the community has come together on both a local and national scale.
“Physio clinics and chiro clinics and massage clinics, as much as we’re part of a community we’ve never really had to come together to try to solve a problem on this scale, and so there’s clinic owners across Canada that have been on a closed Facebook forum and discussing every issue, in terms of how do we address patient needs, what’s the best thing to disinfect and what are the best sources for PPE and all these kind of things.”
Locally, they’re very thankful to have sourced hand sanitizer from Okanagan Spirits, and a Vancouver company which provided them with repurposed masks for staff, and patients who can’t afford or access masks.
Online physiotherapy services will remain open for people who are immunocompromised or don’t feel comfortable to visit the clinic.