Physical therapists exercise their acumen

Physical therapists thrive in downtown Warren.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Owners of Doeberling-Muccio Physical Therapy Inc. say they have an abiding commitment to the independent practice of their profession and to downtown Warren, where they've opened a new building.
"Unless we go belly-up, the only way they're going to get us to leave Warren is by carrying us out," said James Doeberling, physical therapist and president. "We contemplated going to the suburbs, but our heart is in Warren," where the company has built up a clientele, he added.
Doeberling and Joseph Muccio, physical therapist and company vice president, bought a vacant lot from the city and built and opened a $500,000 headquarters building downtown in May. "Every step of the way, the city helped us out," Doeberling said.
The single-story 3,100-square-foot brick building was built at 320 E. Market St. with the help of a low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration loan. The architect was Muccio's brother, John.
To their knowledge, Doeberling and Muccio said, theirs is the first building to be built in downtown Warren in a decade.
Word of mouth
They are relying on their reputation to succeed. "We're not beholden to a hospital or a doctor or anyone else for referrals" of patients, said Doeberling.
"The key is that we're independent," and not institutionally affiliated, added Muccio. "We are not beholden to anyone, so we can treat the way we feel best without outside influence."
For example, no institutional management can force the independent practitioners to increase the number of patients treated per hour to maximize billings, they said.
Even when they are ready to retire in 10 to 15 years, Muccio said, the two would like to make sure they pass on their company to independent practitioners -- and not to a conglomerate or chain.
Independent physical therapy "is the cornerstone of our whole profession," Muccio said. "Our profession will only survive if independent physical therapy practices survive."
Doeberling said the company's patient census in Warren has nearly doubled with the opening of the new building, which has its own parking lot.
"This is a gold mine for us because we're on a corner lot. We're centrally located. We've got good parking. It's very accessible for a lot of patients," Muccio said.
The company has a staff of 17, which comprises six physical therapists, four physical therapy assistants and seven office personnel. Besides the Warren location, the company has offices in Kinsman, Niles and Austintown.
When it opened the new Warren building, it brought two new full-time jobs and one part-time job to downtown and may add one or two more full-time jobs here in the next year, Muccio said.
Growing business
The company built downtown after it outgrew its rented quarters on West Market Street, Doeberling said.
The owners decided that renovating a building to suit their operations would be too expensive, Muccio said.
After 12 years as physical therapy director at St. Joseph Health Center, Doeberling established the company in October 1990 at the West Market Street location. Muccio, who had been director of physical therapy for 18 years at the former Warren General Hospital, joined the company in January 2001.
The new Warren building is 21/2 times as large as the former Warren location and provides "more spacious rooms and more gym area, and we can do more with the patient," Muccio said.
It also allows the owners enough space to conduct seminars that couldn't be accommodated in the old quarters, he said.
For example, Doeberling and Muccio, both spine specialists, will be instructing a continuing education seminar for physicians titled "The Lumbar Spine: Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment" on Nov. 16 in their new Warren office. The seminar is being co-sponsored by the Ohio State Medical Association.
Areas of strength
"Jim and I are very strong in spinal problems. We have some therapists that are very strong in shoulders and knees, athletic injuries and ankle injuries," and women's health problems, Muccio said.
"We would like to continue in that direction, having therapists coming into the company and allowing certain therapists to develop their strong points in an environment that doesn't push them to treat all kinds of patients on a time schedule," in assembly line fashion, he added.
milliken@vindy.com