12 years ago, my ego was way bigger than it is now.

I was so ‘proud’ of my growing skillset as a sought after manual physical therapist,
My clinical decision-making and diagnostic skills, and
My growing reputation in the local and not-so-local community.
I thought I was a big deal;
An expert.

If you asked me, the me of 12 years ago,
If I could do my work over the computer,
With only audio and video access to a patient,
Me and my big, fat ego would have said,
‘Hell no – there is no possible way for someone to receive quality care and
Progress to the level I can provide if they are not in the room with me, my brain, hands, and fancy diagnostic skills…’

Boy, would I have been wrong.

And yet, I would also have been right.

The me of 12 years ago didn’t have the capacity I currently hold.
Nor did the you of 12 years ago hold the wisdom, growth, and awareness that you also now possess.

Three years into a career vs
Stepping through my 14th year of clinical practice,
Growth and development are woven into the very nature of one’s ‘practice.’

Any one person, whether they busted their tail with hyper-focus, post-doctoral education, nearly a decade’s worth of mentorship, and continual forging of their craft – or even with less effort – I would only hope that their skillset would continue to develop over the course of a decade’s worth of clinical practice.

While there are certain conditions that are better served from in-person clinical care,
I have worked extremely hard at transitioning this craft to such a form that it is successfully delivered remotely.

I studied language, communication, levels of consciousness, courses in leadership and coaching.
I invested in endless reading, consulting, and coursework regarding education and how people learn.

Teaching, communication, and learning about each person that I work with have risen to the forefront of the strongest tools I use. If people continue to experience ‘being talked at,’ having ‘medical jargon’ continually thrown at them, change can not happen for them. Though ‘rapport,’ learning and communication styles are mentioned in graduate level education, the continual barrage patients endure of being talked at with every medical visit clearly demonstrates the lack in actual development of such skills.

I have learned that the mutual respect of each person as a colleague empowers the moment, allowing them to receive the care in a manner that is translated not only to be understood, but enacted and implemented on their end, as they remotely learn how to create change and care for themselves. No longer is there this hierarchical separation of clinician and patient. Transformative care happens when I teach people how to do this with me and then on their own.

When words and teaching are all you have to provide that care and education, fueled by respect, they best be on point.

Leaving the traditional clinic setting in 2018 was built off of this clinical skill and respect. First, in the community, free of insurance limitations, health system inefficiencies, and business practices that restricted the quality of care I provide, with growing remote coaching beyond the local crowd.

Remote work has created tension between how I work in-person with a patient, with all of the clinical skills available, and the creativity to learn, assess, and provide care in this new situation. Challenge is the only way we can truly learn and grow; learning new ways to use the tools and skills we have, often forging new ways in order to adapt and succeed.

Two years later, our favorite global pandemic took up residence, and changed the game for everyone. And many of us (unknowingly) were ready for that change, continuing to provide care for people in a safe, distanced manner.

The reach of clientele grew beyond just niche runners looking to sustain that 2nd half of their careers, working to ensure longevity and joy.

Many folks with considerable pains and limitations were also finding their way back to me, paying out-of-pocket because they were both tired of bouncing around the health system and looking for quality care and relief with their safety and distancing among top priority.

They were not interested in the gamble to help one aspect of their health at the risk of life and other aspects of their health.

And they were finding the next steps, care, and health they were searching for.

Some traditional providers pivoted in response to the need for a pandemic response, many still sought ways to bend the narrative of the situation to fit the model of care they were used to, refusing to grow and change with the needs of patients.

Marketing this business has been revealing; as many providers perceive my stance and approach to healthcare as a critique, judgement, and rejection of the way they practice.

To be clear: We are not in opposition or competition.

Of course there are needs for much of our current healthcare system.

The Process simply adds to it.

There should be more options than waiting for illness and injury to access care,
Simpler, more streamlined ways to access care and navigate the business side of healthcare,
And more healthcare delivery driven by the quality of care vs the size and profit for the c-suite and investors.

With that,

Though the reach of the remote care I provide far surpasses my expectations,

There are certain situations that clearly warrant in-person, one-on-one care.
We need to let go of the practitioner’s ego that can not admit their own limitations.
It is not an exposure of weakness or incompetency.
That would be assuming that it is a game and you are playing to win, be the best –
At the expense of real people’s health, livelihoods.
We are working together to create better health.

There are situations, on the outset, where I learn that a person’s situation would best be served by in-person care instead of through our remote appointment.

There are times when I start down the trail,
Lay down some foundational change,
And then need to defer to a local provider that I have no association with,
For that person to have things looked at that I can not do remotely.

And sometimes that person receives the next steps in their health and are able to resume full life activity.

Other times, they come back to me for continued progress and resolution.

It is a symbiotic team.
Not competition of ego.

Health, empowerment, and progress are the mission,
Not self-serving, affirmations of a group, ego, or projected public persona.

Many companies have gone back to the way it was done before –

Because it either:
Affords the opportunity for their employees to work and
Patients to receive care (which is wonderful),
Or
Because it is easier to work to keep things as the same, familiar way,

The Process is focused on just that – the continual growth, change, and expansion that we are all looking to participate with, and grow within.

As I move forward, I look to continue to grow and adapt what I can do,
To what people need,
And the world around me.

I am growing and changing to offer again my services to more than just the small niche I started with, back to those folks that are continuing to stay safe, are looking for better care, and optimizing their investment in their health.

© Dr Adam Fujita