Jeanette Hill is a part-time physical therapist at M Street. During the rest of the workweek, she works with infants in the NICU. She brings a unique perspective seeing physical therapy in both worlds.
"I have a different approach to doing in-home therapy versus a clinical setting. I like both environments. In the hospital, a lot of my caseload is children who are critically ill. When you work in Early Intervention as an in-home physical therapist, you see the other end of it. Yes, some babies are really sick, but then you see them thriving in their home environment.”
At M Street, we offer early intervention therapy, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech. Through in-home treatment, our therapists help children grow and flourish in a comfortable, familiar environment.
Jeanette’s Story
When Jeanette joined M Street about 6 years ago, she was happy for the opportunity to do physical therapy in a home environment. She continues to work part-time in the hospital setting as well as part-time for M Street, where she enjoys the balance.
Jeanette’s journey to PT began as a freshman in high school. While sledding, she broke her collar bone and dislocated her shoulder. As an avid athlete and tennis player, she didn’t want to derail her activity. After undergoing three surgeries, she had to engage in a lot of physical therapy to keep her body in shape.
"By my junior year in high school, I was pretty solid about what I wanted to do. While I fell into PT by accident, I knew I'd found my calling. When I went to college, I thought about going into sports medicine or orthopedics, but once I worked on the sidelines, I began to feel terrified I'd chosen the wrong profession. After an opportunity to work in pediatrics, my fear was gone. I fell in love with it immediately. I loved working with kids and their families. It is the perfect dynamic for me."
Jeanette balances her time between caring for her two young children (including T-ball, dance lessons, swimming, and other sports) with work in pediatric physical therapy.
"In the hospital, it's definitely an intense career. I've worked with very ill babies, and emotions are running high. I like the intensity, but it takes a huge toll on you emotionally, which is why I love working on in-home physical therapy with M Street. You get to see the other side of the patients' journey."
“Many families in the hospital have children who are critically ill, so we tread very lightly. They are very stressed and looking for guidance. It's very uncertain, and you must navigate a fine line. But then with early intervention and in-home physical therapy, families are feeling much more stable. They want to learn from you, and they’re open to discussion. While the situations are totally different, I find there’s a lot of opportunity in both settings.”
"In the hospital, it's definitely an intense career. I've worked with very ill babies, and emotions are running high. I like the intensity, but it takes a huge toll on you emotionally, which is why I love working on in-home physical therapy with M Street. You get to see the other side of the patients' journey."
The Advantages of In-Home Therapy
Jeanette loves working with kids in the home, forming relationships with families, and helping them find ways to work with their children. She's even been able to follow some of the babies from the hospital to the home environment.
"It's really cool. It's such a difference from being in the stressful hospital environment to seeing families in their own homes. It's rewarding to see a baby and their family through a difficult time, and then to see them on a healthy track. Often in the hospital, parents are occupied with getting their child well, but in the home, we get to see them physically progress and develop.”
One approach to physical therapy Jeanette loves is getting kids outdoors as much as possible.
"If the weather is warm, I often take kids outside, and I really love it. We may go to the yard or go with families to a nearby playground. It's fun to see the children out and about in their community. We use the playground or yard toys to work on different goals. We incorporate so much into therapy. The added benefit of taking kids outside is they often get to strengthen their social ties as well. It's fun to see them socialize and connect with their peers, having age-appropriate interactions."
M Street therapists often work with families to find time and therapy activities they can easily incorporate into their day-to-day routine. This may mean using items the family has on hand, involving siblings in the therapy, or simply using the child’s toys as part of the therapeutic “play.”
The advantage of in-home therapy is that parents can continue to replicate the therapeutic techniques throughout the week, in-between sessions. This continual approach to PT allows kids to progress quickly and comfortably. It makes therapy part of their life.
Parents find this approach is also convenient and empowering. With M Street therapists as their guide, they’re able to find accessible therapeutic approaches. Not only does this strengthen the parent-child bond, but it allows parents to feel confident to continue positive interactions with their child beyond therapy.
Working with Jeanette at M Street
“I enjoy everyone I work with. One aspect I love about M Street is all the education, meeting, and support. Even though in-home therapists are often scattered in their own areas, working on their individual cases, the culture at M Street is very collaborative. I love the emphasis on getting together, talking, and communicating online. I feel very supported as a clinician."
Jeanette reports her transition to working at M Street was seamless.
“I enjoy everyone I work with. One aspect I love about M Street is all the education, meeting, and support. Even though in-home therapists are often scattered in their own areas, working on their individual cases, the culture at M Street is very collaborative. I love the emphasis on getting together, talking, and communicating online. I feel very supported as a clinician."
Families are also able to stay in regular contact with their therapist during the week. This support helps parents know if they’re taking the right approach with an activity and helps answer any questions that arise during the week.
"The communication and collaboration are something really unique to M Street, and it's a great aspect I really like. I feel like it really benefits the clinicians, families, and, most importantly, our patients."
"I work hard to stay current on all the changes in the medical field. Our monthly meetings at M Street really help, because we discuss different topics. We may explore articles from a journal or the latest research on a topic. This is especially helpful when I get a child with a diagnosis that I'm less familiar with. I feel like I can talk to my fellow therapists who are familiar with it and figure out the best plan of care. While I see a lot of different cases in the hospital, many of the diagnoses are different than what we see in the home.”
“Working in both settings is a great balance. I love M Street because of the support, as well as the opportunity to see kids thriving in their home settings. It’s so rewarding to see patients do well and progress forward to the next milestone.”
