Get to know Jen’s professional journey

**This is from the first Mid-Missouri Pelvic Health Newsletter sent in April 2024….

I thought it might be fun for the first newsletter to really introduce myself, share a little about how I got into pelvic health, and the birth of Mid-Missouri Pelvic Health.

My start in physical therapy at Fitzgibbon Hospital

I am a Sweet Springs native and graduate of Sweet Springs High School. I then completed both my undergrad and graduate degrees at Mizzou. In 2013, I graduated with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy and started working at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, MO. I actually started out primarily working in long-term care/skilled nursing rehab with a passion for the geriatric (elderly) and neurological populations (patients who have had strokes, brain injuries, etc). I’ve really always been a nerd, but if you’ve met me, that won’t surprise you!

Our rehab department was wanting to add pelvic floor as a specialty and I was approached by my former boss about attending training. I looked into what the training entailed (internal and external pelvic floor assessment) and immediately said “Absolutely not, that’s weird. Why would anyone want to do that?”.

Ok…I guess pelvic floor therapy isn’t that weird…

Fast forward another year and I had very much changed my answer. I had my daughter, Olivia, in 2015. I did waaaay too much too quickly after having her and had given myself all sorts of pelvic floor issues (including running at 2 weeks postpartum….I know, I know. But I didn’t know any better). I had also transitioned primarily over into outpatient physical therapy (treating patients with low back pain, neck pain, hip pain, as well as after knee surgery, shoulder surgery, etc). It’s amazing how your perspective on something changes when it directly influences your life. I looked into the training of pelvic floor therapy again, and it didn’t seem so weird now that I was experiencing many of the things I would learn how to treat.

In July 2016, I flew to Akron, Ohio and took my first pelvic floor class. I spent 3 days with complete strangers learning about pelvic health diagnoses (urine leakage, prolapse, pelvic pain, etc) and how to complete a pelvic floor muscle assessments (externally AND internally) while laying on conference tables (yes, conference tables).

I will never forget my first lab and how nervous I was. I have used those feelings from that first class to help guide my evaluations to this day. I know that everyone coming in for their first visit is nervous. So I try to think back…what did my lab partner say that helped put me at ease? What did she say or do that maybe didn’t help? I always strive to create a safe, calming environment for my patients.

I flew back to Missouri and immediately starting building the pelvic floor physical therapy program at Fitzgibbon Hospital. Each year, I would attend the next class in the pelvic floor series and slowly build on my knowledge base allowing me to treat more patient populations and more complex presentations. Over the next 3.5 years, my love for pelvic health slowly grew. I will forever be grateful to the Fitzgibbon Rehab Department for starting my pelvic floor therapy journey and the Auxiliary for financially supporting each of those classes.

Physical Therapy of Concordia and Sweet Springs Physical Therapy

In January of 2020, I was ready for a change of scenery and joined Physical Therapy of Concordia (PTC). There, I continued to take additional pelvic floor classes and grew a new pelvic floor PT program. This time around, I got to collaborate with and help mentor other therapists starting their pelvic floor therapy journey. As my pelvic floor caseload grew, it became very clear to me that my passion was in treating the pelvic floor population.

During my time with PTC, we opened a satellite/sister clinic in Sweet Springs where I learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes of running a business (building a website, growing a clinic facebook page, creating marketing material, ordering equipment, insurance reimbursement, etc). I was in Sweet Springs for almost a year and a half. However, due to unforeseen circumstances (if you know, you know…), the Sweet Springs clinic could not stay where it was and merged back with PTC in February of 2023.

I’ve got a dream…

For several years, I had been keeping a secret. I had a dream of having a clinic solely devoted to pelvic floor therapy. A dream that I was often too afraid to admit even to myself. I knew how to be a therapist, but you don’t learn how to be a business owner in physical therapy school. I loved my job and I loved my co-workers, so I always pushed the dream down deep inside. Once the spring/summer of 2023 hit, I kept feeling the pull to explore this dream once again.

I would have excuse after excuse as to why it would never work, but God would always find a way to show me otherwise. Sometimes it was a bible passage encouraging me (“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20). Sometimes it was a patient telling me they wished I was in Sedalia and “I know a place you could go”.

Eventually I started doing more and more research. Once I started to replace emotions and feelings with facts, I realized that it might actually be possible. Scary, but possible. With an immense amount of encouragement from my family, I finally took the leap. I signed a lease and turned in my letter of resignation. On September 18, 2023, Mid-Missouri Pelvic Health was no longer just a dream.

I truly believe that God makes no mistakes! Fitzgibbon opened the door into the world of pelvic health. Physical Therapy of Concordia helped me hone my skills and confidence as a clinician. Sweet Springs Physical Therapy taught me about the business side of things. My family encouraged me to take the risk. And my patients strengthen my love and passion for serving the pelvic floor community every single day.

Thank you

If you made it this far, I applaud you. My goal for this newsletter is to provide updates on the clinic, inform you guys of any upcoming events I may be speaking at, and to share pelvic health info. None of them will be this long again, I promise. :) But I frequently get asked why I got into pelvic health, so it felt like a good place to start.

From my family to yours, have a great day!