October is National Physical Therapy month, so I thought I would take the opportunity to spotlight two physical therapists and a physical therapist assistant who work in our school. I did a Q&A with each therapist to discover what they enjoyed most about being a physical therapist, some of the challenges they faced and to learn about some of their favorite memories working at Barber National Institute.

Marsha Nevinsky working with a student at BNI.

Marsha Nevinsky, a therapist with us for the past 25 years, has focused on children with low incidence special needs. She works daily on seating, walking, and therapeutic positioning technology to bring movement opportunities to all of our students. She finds it most fulfilling to interact directly with the students, see their progress and join in all of their successes. Some of her greatest challenges include matching technology to the child’s skills, securing funding for the technology, generating documentation and waiting for delivery of equipment. Marsha loves working at our school because she is part of an amazing team. She and her coworkers’ dedication day in and day out to helping children reach for the stars is the real success story.

Chris Gross working with a student at BNI.

Chris Gross has been a therapist with us since 2007. She finds that celebrating the successes, both small and large, of the students the most rewarding. Knowing that she helped contribute to their success is what keeps her going. Every day presents a new challenge. One of the greatest barriers is communication and finding a way to “connect” with some of the students so that therapy is something they look forward to rather than resent. She believes that our school is a great place to work and her coworkers are some of the best around. She is especially grateful for her mentor, Martha Nevinsky, the students, and learning experiences she has gained.

Vincent Massella, Physical Therapy Assistant at BNI

The newest member of our team, Vincent Massella, joined us three months ago as a physical therapist assistant. He enjoys working with the students on their functional movements and seeing the excitement on their faces when they have overcome a challenge. One of the most rewarding aspects of his job is seeing the quality of life improvements.

On behalf of the hundreds of children and their families who have benefited from your expertise, I extend my thanks. We are so fortunate to have you as part of the Barber National Institute family.

To learn more about physical therapy and its impact on people of all ages and abilities to reduce pain, improve mobility and stay active and fit throughout life, please visit the American Physical Therapy Association.