Happy at Work – Page 12 – Fukuji & Lum Physical Therapy

January 14, 2016 By Mark Yanai

Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I wrote my last blog! With the holiday season and a busy clinical schedule, I put the blog on the back burner for November and December. Now that it’s the beginning of a new year, I can reflect on what happened in 2015 and look forward to setting new goals for 2016.

Looking back at 2015, it was so rewarding to see how much our company accomplished this past year. Growth of our clinics has been abundant, as several of our programs have increased in size.

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The Aquatic Therapy Program has expanded to five days a week with over 40 hours of pool time available to treat patients. Under the direction of Rachel Hyland, P.T., it has become one of the largest providers in the state for aquatic physical therapy.

Our newest therapy service that we offer is Mobile Therapy, which just started servicing the Windward community in 2015. Joy Yanai, D.P.T., director of this unique program, provides clinical services to patients in their own home. We expect 2016 to be a busy year for this valuable program, as physicians are becoming more aware of the benefits that their patients with special requirements can have from mobile therapy.

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This past year, the Performance Plus Program (PPP) had the highest enrollment in its short history. Many former patients are finding the need for continued care under the direction of a skilled therapist to meet personal goals for their health and well-being.

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The PPP program is currently available at our W.O.R.C. and Honolulu Clinic, but we are looking to expand this special program to all of our locations in 2016.

The W.O.R.C. clinic continues to grow with the addition of Nicole Sato, M.O.T., the first Occupational Therapist that F&L has hired. Nicole primarily works with patients in our Work Hardening Program, which is an integral component of the Worker’s Compensation Program offered at W.O.R.C.

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For the past two years,The Honolulu Clinic has been located at the Kuakini Medical Plaza under the leadership of Art Lum, PT. We will soon be moving to the Kuakini Physician Tower later this month. As the only private outpatient physical therapy clinic at the Tower, we look forward to this tremendous opportunity and hope the new location will be a boon to our organization.

Every year F&L brings young PT students to grow in their profession by participating in the Northeastern University (NEU) Cooperative Program. In 2015, we brought in a total of five students, Teagan Ferguson, Sarah Agustin, Cody Gilliss, Victoria Ruvolo, and Connor Pokorney. They each spent six months working in our clinics and pool, assisting our clinical staff in treating patients. For 2016, we look to expand the program with more students throughout the year, starting with five new co-ops headed our way this month. Check back in my blog as we introduce each one and follow their journey.

As we continued to grow in size and maturity throughout 2015, our values-based culture remained the focal point of the company and determined every aspect and decision made by the organization.

We always found time to celebrate our culture with many annual events and special activities, including a company retreat, Free Car Wash, Family Fun Day, Spring Break Fun, Arthritis Walk, PT Month and Halloween Party.

2015 culminated with our annual Holiday Gathering which was held at Dave & Buster’s. Lots of food, fun and gratitude were shared by all. We not only gathered to share Christmas cheer but also to commemorate our 20th anniversary. And then to top it all off, the staff surprised me with a special presentation honoring my ten-year anniversary with the organization.

I’m hopeful that 2015 was a big stepping-stone to a great 2016. There are many things on the agenda for next year and I’m excited about the challenges that this year will bring. Look for more in my upcoming blog.

Mark's Blog

October 24, 2015 By Mark Yanai

Family Fun Day at the Beach

F&L Summer Fun

F&L celebrated the end of summer with a “Family Fun Day” at Honeymoon Beach located on Hickam Air Force Base. The company shut down production for an entire day so that staff members and their families could gather together on a private beach for some summer fun. We pride ourselves on putting family values at the top of our list of priorities and this was a great example of our company commitment to the staff.

Very few locals know of Honeymoon Beach. It was created in the 1960s when the U.S. Air Force created an ocean recreational complex on the shore of Hickam A.F.B. Completed in 1965, it included a small beach harbor and two beaches which were excavated out of surrounding coral flats. Sand was brought in from other military installations on Oahu and constructed through a self-help program with the assistance of Hickam’s civil engineers and Kaneohe marines.

Use of the beach is restricted to active and retired military personnel, their dependents and guests. It was given it’s name because it is separate from Hickam Beach Park and isolated in a cove. It’s unique in that it is adjacent to the airport runway and commercial planes pass by frequently on their way to the takeoff runway.

Our Culture Club, volunteer staff members from each of our clinics who take on the role of nurturing our company values, organized this year’s first annual Family Fun Day. The club wanted to create an annual event that would give staff members and their families the opportunity to come together as one big ohana.

Honeymoon beach made for a perfect venue as the F&L ohana was able to enjoy, relax and fellowship with one another. It was a beautiful day, filled with good food, lots of sun and fun beach games. Hopefully, Family Fun Day will be an event that we can all look forward to attending each year.

Here are some of the special moments captured at the beach.

Happy at Work

September 9, 2015 By Mark Yanai

My Morning Routine: Listening to My Heart

What’s HRV and why should I care?

I’ve written about my morning routine in previous blogs and why it’s important to my wellbeing and me. Meditation and breathing exercises are key components of that routine and so is a movement practice that sets the tone of my day. But how do I know that this routine is effective? I did quite a bit of research to find some way to quantify my day-to-day improvement since I knew that using just my “gut feeling” wasn’t enough. Having a scientific background led me to look at measuring my heart rate, blood pressure and sleep cycles and I concluded that the best measurement of effectiveness was to look at Heart Rate Variability (HRV).

I first heard of HRV while listening to Ben Greenfield’s fitness podcast. He spoke about it often and wrote about it in his book, Beyond Training. He even has his own app to use for an iPhone. Unfortunately, I’m more of a Android guy and needed to look elsewhere. After an extensive search and multiple trials, I found one that I’ve used for the past year: Elite HRV.

So what is HRV? According to Elite HRV’s website, “Basic Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the measured changes of the time intervals between successive heart beats. Unlike Heart Rate (HR) that averages the number of heart beats per minute, HRV looks much closer at the small fluctuations of the heart that occur in response to internal and external events. “

For those of you with the propeller hats, there’s a more scientific explanation. This one is from Polar.com:

Heart rate varies with every heartbeat. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation of beat to beat intervals, also known as R-R intervals. Electrocardiogram (ECG) is the electric signal originating from heart. The most distinct feature of the ECG is the QRS complex, which consists of the Q, R and S waves and originates from the electrical activation of the heart ventricles. Figure 1 illustrates the variation of time between R-R intervals.

HRV indicates the fluctuations of heart rate around an average heart rate. An average heart rate of 60 beats per minute (bpm) does not mean that the interval between successive heartbeats would be exactly 1.0 sec., instead they may fluctuate/vary from 0.5 sec up to 2.0 sec.

HRV is affected by aerobic fitness. HRV of a well-conditioned heart is generally large at rest. Other factors that affect HRV are age, genetics, body position, time of day, and health status. During exercise, HRV decreases as heart rate and exercise intensity increase. HRV also decreases during periods of mental stress. HRV is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Parasympathetic activity decreases heart rate and increases HRV, whereas sympathetic activity increases heart rate and decreases HRV.

If you didn’t quite comprehend what was stated above, don’t worry. The takeaway is that HRV measures the balance of your nervous system. It lets you know if you’re more in the “fight or flight” or “rest and relaxation” mode. By measuring my HRV daily, I’m able to know if my morning routine, physical training, and sleep are being optimized.

Without fail, my readings have given me instant feedback about how my body is reacting. After hard training days, my HRV is usually lower and it gives me an idea about how I’m going to attack the day. It also gives me excellent feedback on when I’m over-reaching or over-training. It was interesting that after last month’s Spartan Race, my morning readings reflected the effects on my HRV:

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My HRV the morning of the race:

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My HRV the following morning:

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Due to the information and knowledge that I’ve gained by measuring HRV, I decided to use it as a tool for treating patients. For our Work Hardening patients, we’ve collected six months of measurements to track the effectiveness of the program as well as looking for trends in patients. It’s been interesting to note that patients who’ve come in with low readings often struggle with the program and exhibit weak cardiovascular systems. I believe monitoring HRV during our patient exercise routines will become an integral part of their therapy treatment program and in the future, I hope to be involved with a medical model that is specific to patients in this capacity.

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If you are interested in monitoring your HRV, you’ll need a heart rate monitor. I’ve tried several and so far we’ve had the best results with Polar’s H7. Also, there are several apps that are compatible with the Polar H7 (and other bluetooth HR monitors) and can be easily found on the internet. We use the Elite HRV app (compatible with Google Play and App Store devices) and you can download it here. Start by taking a reading as soon as you wake up and then several more during your exercise routine. If you have any questions regarding this topic, feel free to email me or stop by our WORC site.

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Mark's Blog

August 31, 2015 By Mark Yanai

Finding Teagan: A New Home

Teagan Ferguson’s Co-Op Experience

When I think about Teagan, I get a little misty eyed. I first interviewed her for a co-op position a year before she arrived on Oahu. She was very quiet and reserved. Honestly, I was concerned that she wasn’t ready for the experience of being so far from home so I recommended that she apply again the following year. She ended up traveling to Hawaii with her family and visited our facilities. She contacted me and again expressed her desire to join us. Her determination to join us was evident and I offered her the position gladly.

Throughout Teagan’s six-month employment with us, her skills, along with her confidence, grew immensely as she worked closely with our patients and staff therapists. What amazed me the most about Teagan, was her ability to adapt. Due to multiple unexpected changes, she was asked to deal with changes to her schedule, including moving locations, and working with different programs. She definitely displayed a level of maturity that impressed us all and became one of our most versatile, multi-skilled clinicians that patients embraced as their own.

Here’s what she wrote about that experience.

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I’ve traveled my whole life and never lived anywhere very long. I’m honestly not one to jump at a chance to travel more, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to revisit the place where I was born. After my co-op with Fukuji and Lum I was really glad I had taken the trip to work with them. F &L is truly a family, one that includes the patients that we cared for. I was able to work at Lower Atherton’s Outpatient Clinic and in Aquatic Therapy at the pool.

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With the F&L family I was able to solidify my skills in the outpatient clinic and learn a lot about clinical decisions from Jamie, whom I worked closely with. It was great to see things from her perspective as a newer PT and learn some tips along the way.

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Down at the pool I had the ever-amazing Rachael Hyland to guide my learning. She helped me grow from a nervous student to someone who was ready to take on clinical education with confidence.

It was amazing to see how much could be done in an aquatic setting, from ROM to conditioning and balance, and how creative the field could be. I was grateful that I could have such a positive experience in the field I’d like to specialize into.
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The things I’ve learned as a co-op student aren’t the only things I’m thankful for either. Everyone shared their part of Hawaii, whether it was food from our lovely patients, Colleen opening her doors to house us or Ryan and Talon showing us the social life. The staff went out of their way to really make this a wonderful experience for all of us.
Being back in classes definitely isn’t the same as being on an island but after this experience I’m much more motivated and have valuable insight. I look forward to a chance to return to Oahu and hopefully make it a more permanent accommodation.
Mahalo,
Teagan Ferguson

Happy at Work Uncategorized

August 24, 2015 By Mark Yanai

We Are Spartans!

F&L Conquers the Spartan Race

On Saturday, August 15th, F&L’s team entry into the Spartan Race Hawaii completed the Sprint category for the first time. Five brave souls joined over 3000 participants to complete in the two day long event held at Kuuloa Ranch on the northeastern side of Oahu.

The second annual race was spread across 4,000 acres on the working cattle ranch. It began early Saturday morning and consisted of three different courses: the Sprint, the Super, and the Beast. Each race increases in distance and number of obstacles. Obstacles included rope and wall climbs, sandbag carries, monkey nets, spear throws, and tire drags. Click here to see a list of the various obstacles.

The Sprint is the shortest of the races, usually a little more than 3 miles and includes about 20 obstacles. The Super is roughly 8 miles and 25+ obstacles and the Beast 13+ miles and 30+ obstacles. Should some crazy souls feel like they could complete all three of the races, they would become a member of the Spartan TRIFECTA Tribe.

The F&L team consisted of myself, Jamie Ford, Joy Yanai, Ross Suyemura, and Stacey Hertzog. We trained hard for the past two months to prepare for both the distance of running on hills and attacking the expected signature obstacles. We knew that interval training combined with practice on various obstacle components of carrying, climbing and pulling would help us conquer the course. We even practiced the spear throw!

The race turned out to be exactly what we expected. Running through the changes in elevation and attacking each obstacle were physically and mentally challenging. Rain throughout the week provided for an extremely humid Saturday and running through the open fields definitely required a strong cardiovascular effort. There were a few racers who cramped up.

The obstacles that proved to be most difficult were the ones that required the most practice: the rope climb, spear throw, and the monkey bars. Each of us was able to complete every obstacle but we also were subject to the dreaded burpees.

Burpees are a full body exercise where you transition from a horizontal position laying flat, face down in a push up position to a vertical position with hands over head and feet off the ground. Not sure who decided that failing a Spartan obstacle requires 30 burpees but they definitely created a strong motivator to avoid failure! Burpees challenge your entire body and stress your cardiovascular system. For Spartans there are no fails, just burpees.

The Spartan Race turned out to be an awesome experience despite the burpees. It was fun running through streams and rolling in the mud. There were parts of the race that mess with your head and conjure fear of failure but ultimately they bring feelings of accomplishment when completed. It was helpful to have teammates that would motivate you to keep up and support you when the humidity and hills challenged you. It was a great community to be around and the beauty of Kuuloa Ranch is often breath taking.

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F&L did have one Trifecta entry: Talon Tengan. Talon competed in the Spartan Race held in March at Aloha Stadium and completed the Super and the Beast at Kuuloa Ranch. His experience in the previous race was one of the main reasons why I entered the race. I will lean heavily on his experience for next year, as we will enter a team to compete in the Super AND the Beast!

Congratulations to all the finishers of the Spartan Race and good luck to all the qualifiers who will compete in the World Championship in Lake Tahoe in October! Hope to see all of you at the next race in Hawaii!

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Mark's Blog

August 24, 2015 By Mark Yanai

The NEU Experience @ WORC by: Cody Gilliss

Cody Gilliss arrived in Hawaii early in January 2015 and began his 6 month Co-operative experience at F&L’s Windward Occupational Rehab Center (WORC). I had interviewed Cody four months prior and knew that he would be a great fit for the unique setting that WORC has to offer. After returning to Boston a month ago, Cody took some time to reflect on his experience and share it with us.

Having the opportunity to work at Fukuji & Lum Physical Therapy was a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I can’t thank everyone at F&L enough for my 6 months in paradise. It’s sad to believe my short time with F&L is already over and I’m back in Boston, but Hawai’i, the memories, and the friends I made along the way will be with me for years to come.

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Being my first real move from home, I was worried how I would fit in with the culture, the people, and everyone I was working with. Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to work with some of the best people I’ve ever met – and had the opportunity to work with so many amazing patients. Thank you all for making my move to Hawai’i truly a breeze.

Prior to this work experience, I knew I wanted to experience something different than what I would get at home in Boston. I was greeted by a crew of talented and passionate forward-thinkers that really revolutionize and break the mold of the physical therapy practice. The WORC clinic uses a lot of cutting-edge and exciting new methods to rehabilitate their patients, and it was a pleasure to be a student learning from everyone there.

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Every day I knew that I would learn something new, or have a new book sitting at my desk. The amount of knowledge and insight I have gained through everyone at F&L is amazing and I am very grateful. Mark emphasized to me that it’s important to forever be a student, and now I realize how true that really is. I learned you should always strive to be better, to learn more, and to be responsible for your own education.

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Working at F&L under Mark, David, Stacy, Jessie, Lisa and Ross taught me so much about how to be a great physical therapist and a great healthcare provider. They work so hard to put the patient’s health and wellbeing first, and it’s something I look forward to providing for my patients in my professional future down the road.

Every patient that walked through the door seemed to be a part of the F&L family, and it was a blessing to be a part of that family, or Ohana, while I was there. I now definitely understand what it means to practice physical therapy “with aloha”, and it’s something I will bring back here to the mainland!

Sports Day at WORC

Speaking of things I want to bring back to the mainland, there are so many things I want to bring back here. First and most important – my favorite Hawaiian snack… Foodland’s very own, Spicy Ahi Poke. I’m currently looking around the local fish markets to recreate it on my own. Thank you again to Jessie and Lisa for the extra furikake and poke-mix! It will be put to good use, I promise!!!

Cody’s Homemade Spicy Ahi Bowl

There isn’t a day I spend without thinking about my experience in Hawai’i and how it has made me a better person. The people, the ocean, the weather, the culture, and the Aloha spirit – It’s a time in my life I’ll never forget and it’s something I’ll take forward with me every day. Thank you all again for making it so special. I can’t wait for the day I can come back to Kaneohe, hopefully this time for much longer.

Aloha,
Cody

Happy at Work

August 11, 2015 By Mark Yanai

Sarah: My Co-op Experience At F&L

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Sarah Agustin is a student of Northeastern University and recently returned to Boston after spending the last six months working at our Aquatic and Honolulu locations. She is the first Co-op student originally from Hawaii. Sarah wrote about her Co-op experience at F&L:

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Being born and raised on the Island of Oahu, I had an amazing opportunity to return to the islands and work as a co-op student at Fukuji and Lum Physical Therapy. Fukuji and Lum is unique in many ways as they stand by their mission statement “ to deliver fun, happiness and compassion in serving our patients and community”. While being apart of the F & L Ohana for the past 6 months I was exposed to various settings such as: Outpatient Clinic, Aquatic Therapy, and Work Hardening Plus Program.

I had the opportunity to work at the Kuakini Clinics in Honolulu and Aquatic Therapy Program in Kaneohe, each with an amazing staff. As a student and employee I was challenged daily to work closely with patients and to better my clinical decision making skills. From observing many initial evaluations with our staff members, to assisting patients with therapeutic exercises, I can say that I have learned a tremendous amount that I know will help me become a great future physical therapist. Working closely with Art Lum, I was introduced to NAIOMT (North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy) where I was able to see first-hand some of the manual techniques and how to apply it to therapy. F & L offered many in-services to their employees to learn about new and developing fields such as Graston and Gameready. F & L also valued and stressed a personal physical fitness program. Early morning work outs challenged the staff but at the same time, it kept the staff in top physical condition. The entire staff at F & L was open and willing to share all of their specialized knowledge with me. They answered the many questions that I had and in returned challenged me with connecting the classroom knowledge with our daily work routine. F & L Staff went above and beyond during this Co-op experience to make this entire process an amazing learning experience.

Even though I was born and raised in the islands, I took advantage of being home with family and friends and exploring more of what the island has to offer. I went on many new hikes though out the islands over the past 6 months such as Kalalau on Kauai, Halawa Valley on Molokai and Waipio Valley on the Big Island. Each of the hikes was an experience that I will never forget. Being away from home for the past year in Boston, I definitely missed my local grindz, so of course I dived right into all of the local foods that the islands had to offer and made sure I ate enough to last me the next 2 years in Boston.

Working at F&L has made a tremendous impact on my career. It was hard to leave such an amazing staff and company and I look forward to see what the company has for the future.

Aloha,

Sarah Agustin

Happy at Work

July 28, 2015 By Mark Yanai

Meet the NE(U)w Co-Ops Part 2

Aloha & Welcome Connor!

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Connor Pokorney is one of two new co-ops from Northeastern University that will be with us for the next six months. He joins Victoria Ruvolo as the newest members of the family. We asked Conner to tell us a little about himself and why he is interested in the physical therapy field.

What school did you attend in high school and what’s your current college?
I graduated from Nashoba Regional High School, in Bolton, MA and am currently attending Northeastern University.

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What drew you to physical therapy?
I have always been interested in the medical professions and was originally drawn to physical therapy by its connection to athletics. I also enjoy the aspect of helping others help themselves to recover and get back to performing their day-to-day tasks and participating in whatever they are passionate about.

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Why did you want to do your co-op in Hawaii?
I wanted to come to Hawaii to experience a culture and environment different from that of New England. I loved where I grew up, but was eager to see what else the world has to offer. Living in Hawaii allows me to do things that I love like hiking, kayaking, and golfing in a new environment, while also trying new foods, and embracing the diverse cultures here.

What has been your experience like so far?
My experience has been incredible, so far. I’ve already been to several beaches and been hiking and kayaking. I got to enjoy the 4th of July at Kailua Beach and have tried lots of new foods.

What’s the strangest thing that you’ve eaten since arriving?
I tried paiai at the farmer’s market.

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What is on your to do list while here?
While in Hawaii I hope to attend a luau, watch a surf competition on the North Shore, go rock climbing, try surfing, snorkeling, and stand up paddle boarding.

What are your outside interests?
My biggest interests outdoors are rock climbing and backpacking, but I also really enjoy kayaking and canoeing.

What kind of therapist do you hope to be?
I hope to be a therapist that can motivate patients and instill a sense of positivity during their rehab. I want patients to be able to rely on themselves as much as they can rely on me to get them better.

Who is your greatest influence in your life?
The greatest influence in my life has been my grandmother. She has worked as a physical therapist her entire career and has traveled the world, visiting all seven continents. Hearing stories about her work and the gifts she brings back from across the world has inspired me to both study physical therapy and to travel; the two reasons why I am co-oping here at Fukuji & Lum.

Happy at Work

July 20, 2015 By Mark Yanai

Meet the NE(U)w Co-Ops! Part One

For the past 7 years, F&L has been in partnership with Northeastern University’s Physical Therapy Cooperative Education Program. Twice a year our organization accepts outstanding NU physical therapy students as full-time employees and gives them the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in an outpatient orthopedic clinical setting. These students primarily assist our highly qualified physical therapists with outpatient care at our clinic locations in Honolulu and Windward Oahu, including the outdoor heated pool at the Kokokahi YWCA. The journey to Hawaii will offer students tremendous life-changing experiences as they strive to balance work, play and new discoveries during their 6-month employment.

This semester brings us two new co-ops, Victoria and Connor. This week we introduce Victoria Ruvolo.

What school did you attend in high school and what’s your current college?
I attended Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, NY, and I am now a student at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

What drew you to physical therapy?
I am drawn to physical therapy because I love being active and helping people. I also really like the variety of settings and ways that PT can be used to treat people.

Why did you want to do your co-op in Hawaii?
I wanted to do my co-op in Hawaii because Fukuji & Lum is a great clinic where I will have a lot of opportunities to learn and gain experience as a physical therapy student. I also love traveling and trying new things, so Hawaii seemed like the perfect choice!
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What has been your experience like so far?
My experience has been awesome! I’ve been hiking, gone to the beach a lot, and done some exploring around the Windward side and Ala Moana. I’ve already learned so much and had a great time working at the clinic.

What’s the strangest thing that you’ve eaten since arriving?
It’s probably a tie between purple potatoes and Poi (I’m still not really sure what it is).

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What is on your to do list while here?
I definitely want to take some surfing lessons, do lots of exploring, and get a nice tan!

What are your outside interests?
I love to run, stay active, and just hang out with friends.

What kind of therapist do you hope to be?
I hope to be a therapist who is very knowledgeable, caring, and well-rounded. I want my patients to be able to trust and relate to me.

Who is your greatest influence in your life?
My greatest influence is my family, for always pushing me to try new things and do the best I can.

Please give Victoria a warm Aloha when you see her at the pool or the Kaneohe clinic.

Happy at Work

July 16, 2015 By Mark Yanai

The NEU Contribution

“The secret to living is giving.” – Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

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It’s that time again! Every six months we say Aloha and goodbye to the Northeastern University (NEU) Co-Ops that have been with us as part of our affiliation with their school. F&L is now in our eighth year with its partnership with Northeastern University’s Physical Therapy Cooperative Education Program.

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Our company accepts NEU physical therapy students as full-time employees and gives them the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in an outpatient orthopedic clinical setting. They primarily assist our highly qualified physical therapists with outpatient care at our clinic locations in Honolulu and Windward Oahu, including the outdoor heated pool at the Kokokahi YWCA. The journey to Hawaii offers NEU students tremendous life-changing experiences as they strive to balance work, play and new discoveries during their six-month employment.

Our most recent Co-ops, Cody, Sarah and Teagan, were with us from January to June and were an integral part of our team. Cody spent most of his time at WORC and was an outstanding contributor in working with injured workers. He also was an integral part of the Performance Plus Program in training our F&L membership base in a personal training. Cody proved to be a quick learner and developed skills in instructing patients with tools such as sandbags, kettlebells, and suspension trainers.

Teagan spent her time in the Aquatics program and with our private care patients at Lower Atherton. She definitely found a love for the pool and demonstrated the unique ability to work with the wide diversity of patients that are a part of Aquatics. She expressed to me that she may have found a career path with her time spent at Kokokahi.

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Sarah was our first homegrown Co-op student, having graduated from Iolani Schools. She was our utility Co-op bouncing from the Windward side at the pool and our Kailua clinic to working exclusively at our Kuakini clinics. The Co-op experience is valuable for students who haven’t experienced the islands so this was the first time that we had someone who was with us primarily for the clinical experience. Look forward to reading about her experience, as well as the others, in an upcoming blog.

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F&L’s relationship with NEU’s co-op program is unique. F&L’s commitment to the physical therapy profession is one reason why we dedicate our time and resources to this relationship. Each staff member is responsible to contribute to the growth and learning of the co-ops so that the profession continues to expand to higher levels. This responsibility is not listed on anyone’s job description but it is a large part of our culture and values. There is no richer emotion in life than the sense that something you have said or done has somehow enhanced someone’s life. We recognize our staff’s contribution to the NEU program as well as the how these young professionals enhance our lives in such a short time.

We wish the three students our best wishes and thank them for their hard work and dedication. We hope that our paths cross again and that one day we employ them again.

We greet our new co-ops, Connor and Victoria (look for more about them in my next blog).

Happy at Work