Dr. Andrea Davis, the founder of Davis Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab (Davis PTSR), may be a successful businesswoman, relentless trailblazer and true advocate for women of all ages, but her story exemplifies the importance of being part of a team and working side-by-side to effect positive change. From her days as a young athlete to today as she seeks to advance the use of technology in physical therapy, Dr. Davis celebrates all the others beside her who help make a lasting impact.
The early years
It could be said that Dr. Davis was born to be a mentor. The eldest of seven has been guiding others from a very young age. She says of her early years as an athlete, “My first memory of teaching someone was as co-captain of my college softball team. Along with other teammates, we would make it a point to spend time with the incoming recruits and freshmen to the program.”
Coaching was a natural progression, sharing the love of competition, team and sport with younger women. So what began as the result of playing competitive field hockey, basketball and softball in high school and NCAA Division III in college has become a decades-long commitment to helping others. This drive has brought Dr. Davis to where she is today.
The consummate professional
Once in the working world, her teaching became more formalized as Dr. Davis began mentoring new therapists and became a clinical education coordinator, building a clinical rotation program for PT students. This drive to mentor other young female athletes led her to open Driving Force Softball Strength and Conditioning in 2013 and ultimately transition Driving Force into a strength and conditioning program under Davis Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab.
As the owner, Dr. Davis wears many hats, including oversight of operations and finance, as well as the overall strategic direction and marketing for the practice. This includes her biggest move yet: opening a new state-of-the-art facility that will more than double Davis PTSR’s current space.
In her quest to redefine PT, Dr. Davis challenges the status quo in several ways. Currently, she is working in collaboration with Children’s HealthSM Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Texas on a study centered around the use of technology and data analytics specific to ACL and return to play testing standards.
Dr. Davis is a longtime supporter of the Pat Tillman Foundation and volunteers with the Medford Youth Athletic Association, coaching field hockey, basketball, flag football and other sports. More recently, she became a campus captain advisor for The Hidden Opponent (THO) and launched a Davis PTSR virtual support group, promoting a greater focus on mental health and the risks of depression and anxiety for athletes.
The humble yet confident mentor
Whether training athletes, guiding staff or being a working mom, Dr. Davis takes great pride in being a role model. She admits, “It is an amazing feeling to know that I can be to someone what I lacked in my youth—outside of my mom and aunt. When I was growing up, there were very few strong, athletic women in team-related sports on television, which really changed with Mia Hamm.”
Dr. Davis is a mentor for those entering the PT profession.
“I cannot say enough about Andrea. She’s bold and brave yet kind and compassionate,” says Dr. Antoinette M. Shields, director of clinical operations with Team Davis and mentee. “I watch how patients and peers relate to her easy, down-to-earth manner. Working beside Andrea each day, I am empowered to do more.”
Personally, Dr. Davis has had her own mentors, too—perhaps no one closer than her mom. “Looking back, I wanted to instill the importance of treating people with respect and having empathy for others’ pain,” says Maggie Johnson, who works as the billing manager at Davis PTSR and has the ability to see her teachings in action. “I also have the joy of seeing her at home. She is a parent who talks with her kids, not at them, and positively influences every aspect of their lives.”
Says Davis, “Mentoring is an extremely important part of my life, facilitating growth in someone other than yourself—individuals who can go on to impact others and make a difference too. I am very grateful to continuously have that opportunity.”
Davis Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab
639 Stokes Road, Suite 103, Medford
(609) 451-5404
DavisPTSR.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 10.
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