Today we’d like to introduce you to Locatelli Rao.
Locatelli, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated from USC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2002 and started my career in a “typical” busy physical therapy clinic where I saw three patients per hour. Less than two years into my career I nearly burnt out, and after interviewing at a few other clinics that wanted to simply plug me into their machines, I started my own practice, Pasadena PT, in 2004.
From 2004 to 2009, I was a 1-man show in a 252-square foot office. During this time, I was able to practice at my leisure and live a balanced life.
In 2009, I became critically ill, and my world came crashing down on me. With the support of my now wife, I was able to continue operating while I brought in my first employee. In 2013 I had the opportunity to lease PPT’s current space. Within two years, we were at full capacity and up to 14 employees.
After waiting for nearly six years, I received a kidney transplant in 2015. During my 90-day quarantine and sabbatical following the transplant, I pondered what kind of practice I wanted to have, and what kind of care I wanted to provide and be associated with. It was then I decided that I wanted to have a clinic that was about the relationship between patient and provider, with no insurances involved. Slowly but sure we terminated our relationships with Worker’s Compensation carriers, attorneys that worked with motor vehicle accidents, and then the private insurances.
As of today, my practice is much less busy than it was, but I am completely satisfied with the care that we are providing and the value that our patients see in what we do and how we do it.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t know if anyone’s ever had a “smooth” road, I think people are either better or less equipped to deal with the things that business/relationships/life throws at you.
When I announced to my staff that we were no longer going to deal with insurance, various members of our staff didn’t share the same vision as I did; most of them left seeking security, which I don’t blame them for.
We also lost a lot of our referrals from our physicians. Some of them were resentful, others simply don’t have the time or desire to explain to their patients why they should go to the PT clinic that doesn’t take their insurance when there are 30 other clinics in town that do.
In the health care field, I’ve also learned that billing companies are really not looking to help you, but rather simply profit off the labors of your work. This was a long and costly lesson that I am happy to have learned and am now through with.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Pasadena Physical Therapy story. Tell us more about the business.
Pasadena PT is a progressive PT clinic that utilizes that most effective approaches to identify problems and create plans of care to address causes (WHYs) and not just symptoms (WHATs).
We offer 1-on-1 care for 1 hour in all our sessions, which is unheard of in the profession. We also offer complimentary 15-minute consults for those who are not sure whether a non-insurance clinic is best for them.
Clinically, all of our PTs are FRC (Functional Range Conditioning) mobility specialists, Functional Range Release practitioners, as well as Movement Links certified clinicians.
I personally will be applying for the Postural Restoration Institute’s “Postural Restoration Certified (PRC)” credential this year, and we all have exposure and training to DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) as well.
While all these acronyms probably don’t mean much to the layperson, for those in the know, these are some of the most powerful and effective methodologies that currently exist.
I am proud of the fact that my staff and myself probably spend more time and money on continuing education in a year than most PTs do in a 5-year span. Our outcomes, reputation, and reviews speak for themselves. Whereas others might be afraid of the “complicated” case, we welcome them.
I am especially proud that we are setting a model for all PTs and healthcare providers to follow, which is to escape for the restraints that insurance companies place on providers and patients in order to maximize their profits.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Due to the structure of Functional Range Systems (FRS), I see the lines between PTs, chiropractors, personal trainers, strength coaches, and massage therapists becoming more blurred. I anticipate this will disrupt the PT education system as I do not believe the schools are providing value in their current curricula, and people will see that there are more cost-effective ways to become helpers of other humans.
I also see PTs becoming more involved as primary points of contact for musculoskeletal problems, as the old model of:
1. Experience (low back pain, for example)
2. See Primary Care Physician
3. Go get x-rays.
4. Take pain meds.
5. (Finally) see Physical Therapist.
Has been proven in studies to be cost-ineffective and clinically ineffective.
Finally, my hope is that more and more PTs become less involved and dependent on insurance companies, as ultimately their motivations do not line up with the patients’ motivations as well as the providers.
Contact Info:
- Address: 95 W. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105 - Website: www.pasadenapt.com and www.drlocrao.com (coming soon)
- Phone: 626-304-0565
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @drlocrao @pasadena_pt
- Facebook: @drlocrao @pasadenaphysicaltherapy
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