When Ken Guzzardo and Jeff Sallade opened 3 Dimensional Physical Therapy 13 years ago, they wanted to create the type of place where they would want to work and where they’d want their own families to go for physical therapy.
3DPT co-founder, Ken Guzzardo, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, is board-certified in sports and orthopedics, with a background in both medicine and sports. Growing up playing baseball with a mother who worked as a nurse, Guzzardo loves how physical therapy combines his experiences with a desire to help others.
“Something where I could move, where I could help people get back to movement, and where I could be part of the medical field really resonated with me. And really making sure that the patient is listened to and taken care of,” he says. “I got to see that nursing perspective of healthcare from my mom, as well as the collaboration from working with different departments and that collaborative healthcare model.”
Today, 3DPT’s commitments include spending the necessary time and care with each patient by not scheduling more than two patients per hour, working to ensure patients do not have to wait for appointments and can work with the same therapist at each visit.
“We have received tremendously positive feedback that patients appreciate that type of one-to-one care. We also provide transparent billing, and most of all, we promise to always provide the best customer service and care to every person that walks through our doors, at any one of our locations,” says Guzzardo.
3DPT’s goal is to focus on being outstanding in three areas: Quality of treatment, superior customer service and having a deep-rooted involvement in the community. Keeping those things and their core values – Community, Honesty/Integrity, Accountability, Stepping Up and Commitment to Excellence – top of mind has helped guide every decision from who they hire to how they deliver a great patient experience. Community is at the top of the list when it comes to core values.
“We want to actively bring value to our communities and support our towns, neighbors, and organizations, including local sports teams.” says Guzzardo. “We love taking part in events, so you will probably run into us at local festivals, Little League games, parades and just about anything in the community because we truly care about being involved and making a positive impact.”
Guzzardo’s children have carried on his legacy of participating in youth sports in Medford, where he also helps out as a coach. The physical therapists at 3DPT are encouraged to get out into the community. This includes partnerships with local businesses and participation in area events as well as hosting them. Guzzardo shares that his partner, Jeff Sallade is preparing to host a 5k race this fall in which the proceeds will go to support St. Christopher’s Hospital Food Pantry in honor of a 3DPT employee and friend who passed away from cancer in 2022.
3DPT also provides sponsorships, donations and resources like concussion testing and education, injury prevention workshops with local teams and collaboration with local athletic trainers.
“Especially in youth sports, there are athletic trainers, coaches and parents involved. The important part is making sure that we're part of that collaborative process, [and] that all those voices are helping that athlete get back to what they're trying to get back to. What matters most is making sure what is best for the athlete,” Guzzardo explains.
To further encourage area youth to reach their goals, 3DPT also offers a scholarship program each year to high school seniors interested in pursuing physical therapy as a career.
“Thirteen years ago, we had 1 scholarship recipient. This past year, there were 13 among all of our clinics,” Guzzardo says.
The physical therapists at 3 Dimensional Physical Therapy are trained in a range of areas that allow a patient to be matched with someone who knows the exact mechanics of their preferred sport and the path to recovery. Some are specialized in throwing for sports like baseball and lacrosse, while others are concentrated on running, on impact sports like football and even on performing arts. A few of the therapists have athletic training backgrounds and have gone to volunteer as elite-level trainers at Olympic training centers in Colorado Springs and Lake Placid, New York—a testament to the team’s full immersion in the craft of healing, prevention and exceeding standards.
“We try to stay true to the things that we’re good at. I treat a lot of baseball; that's what I do the most of and then there's things my partners and the other therapists here do. It's understanding the demands and the needs of the sport, and then being able to build a program based around that,” Guzzardo describes. “I could build a dance program, but I never danced, so it's a matter of finding that therapist and making sure that we're building the treatment program around the demands of what that athlete needs. There's room to add more flexibility training versus strength training, etc. It’s making sure that the training we're doing matches the demands of your sport.”
Not only does 3DPT provide a breadth of services to assist with the expectations of any physical activity, but it also caters to all ages. Similar to the specializations in different types of movement, some of the therapists are especially skilled in working in pediatrics or with patients aged 65 and up. They are cognizant of different communication needs such as, for instance, how to best encourage a young child to cooperate with the physical therapy.
“Everything is curated to meet the unique needs of each patient because there is not a standard set of exercises or stretches for everyone. Physical therapy is not a one-size-fits-all type of care. People aren't here because their knee hurts, they're here because they can't lift their grandchildren. It's really understanding why the person's there, not just from a ‘Where does it hurt?’ perspective. Understanding the ‘why’ helps us make sure that we're catering that program exactly to why that person is in front of us, giving us their time for us to help them,” Guzzardo says.
Provided alongside healthcare and support is stellar customer service that continuously surpasses expectations to inspire comprehensive wellness. That extends to the company culture among employees; they’re chosen as talented physical therapists, but also as knowledgeable community members who are trusted to take the reins with their expertise.
“We have 11 locations, 10 in South Jersey and one in Philly. Every location is owned by my partner and I, and then there's a therapist in that office who is also an owner of that office. That's another belief we have in [regard to] community, where the person who is running that office is the owner of that office. So, that's where we want to really make sure of that quality. Typically, those partners live in the town that their office is in,” Guzzardo says. “We look at community as not just the community outside, but also the community within current walls. We’re making sure that we're all kind of looking out for each other, taking care of each other, as well as taking care of the community.”
3D Physical Therapy
Medford
(609) 714-3378
3DPT.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 15, Issue 1.
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