Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Gardener.
Kimberly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started as an occupational therapist in 2012 with an emphasis in pediatrics. Overtime, I was able to secure certifications and specializations in sensory integration, feeding and eating, autism and related diagnoses, executive functioning, listening therapies, and handwriting skills. I had worked my way up the company to be its director, and when the time came for the previous owner to relocate and sell her practice, it was an ideal opportunity to purchase and build off of what she had started.
I assumed ownership in 2014 after only 2 years of practicing, and built the practice from a 3 practitioner business, into a 31 person outpatient and multi-disciplinary setting. We were able to add a variety of programs such as physical and speech therapies, feeding therapies, socialization skills groups, music therapy groups, handwriting camps, and expand our client base with the addition of insurance contracts and community partnerships. As we grew, our stake in the community also grew and we became one of the top occupational therapy clinics in Los Angeles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ownership will always have its ups and downs and the business has changed as the needs of the community have changed. When COVID hit the community, we were lucky enough to be considered an essential business and could continue to offer services to our families when all other extra curriculars, and school based programs had closed. We did see a large drop in participation at this time as families were learning to navigate new norms and we were all doing our best to socially distance. This had altered the course of the clinic as it had allowed us to manage remotely and improve our overall business operations during periods of down time. Once things reopened, we saw large shifts in work life balance and it created new norms for office culture and office life. Not to mention, the large inflation and cost of living shifts that impacted small businesses all over the country. Due to these unforseen events, we had struggled to maintain contracts with some of our payers and needed to be able to provide high quality services and not overwhelm staff with clients. We therefore had to change some of our policies and renegotiate contracts in order to adapt to the changing economic climate.
We’ve been impressed with Therapy Place 4 Kids, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a private, outpatient and multi-disciplinary facility specializing in pediatric occupational, physical, and speech therapies. We service a variety of individuals all over West Los Angeles and adjacent communities with the bulk of our clients ranging from ages 18 mo – 8 years with diagnoses such as autism, feeding and eating difficulties, fine and gross motor delays, developmental delays, cognitive disabilities, socialization challenges, executive functioning and emotional regulation challenges, expressive and receptive language delays, articulation delays, orthopedic conditions, and much much more.
Given we have all three disciplines under one roof, we are able to provide a whole service facility to families and can increase the level of collaboration between clinicians to ensure a team approach to care. Our clinic culture and family based approach sets us apart from other providers in the community as well as our emphasis on mentorship to ensure the best clinical outcomes for our families.
What are your plans for the future?
In the future, we hope to be able to expand our offerings and services to in-home care, additional groups and camps, and 1-2 other locations around Los Angeles.
Pricing:
- In-network with Blue Shield of CA
- In-network with UCLA HMO Plans
- In-network with Westside Regional Center
- Full scale billing team to assist with authorizations and out of network billing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tp4k.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapyplace4kids
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therapyplace4kids
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/therapy-place-4-kids-santa-monica?osq=therapy+place+4+kids
