Seton-ASYMCA Collaboration Serves Patients, Community
By DON COOPER | Photography by YVONNE OVERSTREET and courtesy of SETON MEDICAL CENTER
Having an outpatient physical therapy clinic connected to a community fitness center is a match made in Harker Heights.
It’s a “natural fit,” says Chris Egizio, director of Therapy Services for Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. He is responsible for the hospital’s outpatient clinic that is physically – and philosophically – connected to the Armed Services YMCA.
The project has been a big success for Seton patients and the ASYMCA since it opened in 2016.
Planners for the ASYMCA wanted to have a professional clinic as part of the building. Concurrently, officials at Seton, which opened its Harker Heights hospital in 2012, were looking for ways to serve the community. The two organizations formed a successful, growing partnership that’s unique in Central Texas.
“In terms of being connected with a community fitness center, it is a natural fit,” Egizio says. “We absolutely try to get people moving again and, hopefully, impress upon them and inspire them to continue moving after they are done with their clinical course.
“A YMCA fitness center is not intimidating. It’s certainly not a traditional weightlifting only type gym setting, it’s more of a center with lots of community programs. After physical or occupational therapy is completed, we hope they will become a member of the YMCA and keep going,” Egizio says.
Seton rents about 3,000 feet of space that’s connected to the ASYMCA. There’s a separate entrance with close-in parking for rehab patients. But there’s also direct access to the ASYMCA facility from the clinic.
The clinic offers outpatient services in three rehabilitation disciplines — physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language therapy. The staff includes four physical therapists, one occupational therapist, a speech/language pathologist and a registered dietician.
Egizio, who has a master’s degree in physical therapy from Hardin-Simmons University, also sees patients. “There’s no such thing as a desk jockey in healthcare anymore,” he says. “If you are in a clinical setting and have a clinical degree, you are usually going to have a connection with direct patient care.”
The clinic has a full complement of equipment including treatment tables, parallel bars, and recumbent steppers that are often used for geriatric patients. But one big advantage is access to the YMCA.
The clinic’s equipment works well “when we start patients through their initial course of treatment,” Egizio says.
“When patients continue to progress and improve we absolutely try to transition them, bring their treatment sessions up to the fitness center floor so that we can not only take advantage of all that great equipment in the fitness center and aquatics too, but also to bridge the gap to make patients feel more comfortable in that setting.”
With a Central Texas location and attachment to a YMCA that has “Armed Services” in its name, the Seton outpatient clinic sees a large number of retired veterans. “We love to serve our veterans,” Egizio says. “A lot of those folks, if they are still working, know Seton as a great hospital system and come to us for their rehab needs. Some of those retired military folks suffer from chronic pain. We are probably one of two aquatic facilities in the area. Water therapy pools are great for those with chronic pain.”
The clinic has dedicated times when it uses the YMCA’s pool, which is best for patients as well as ASYMCA members. The clinic has plenty of opportunity to grow, according to Egizio. “We think we have room to grow within this clinic. We could add another therapist or two.”
While the clinic is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., therapists “come in as early as we need to and stay as long as we need,” Egizio says.
“We can definitely see an expansion of our hours if we continue to get busier,” he says. “We’re just kind of scraping the surface with our collaboration with the Armed Services YMCA. There’s probably lots of programs we could add down the road.”
Chris Egizio
Chris Egizio, 45, has been director of therapy services at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights since 2017.
He is a licensed physical therapist and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and Texas Physical Therapy Association. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.
Egizio’s management and clinical practice style uses the “Servant Leader” model. He emphasizes the importance of mutual trust and respect between all members of the healthcare team in order to ultimately deliver an outstanding, sustainable experience for patients and their families.
In addition to his director of therapy services duties, Egizio serves on the SMCHH Leadership Development Institute planning committee and is involved with the Harker Heights Chamber of Commerce.
Egizio and his wife, Brandi, have two daughters, ages 12 and 10. Brandi is a physician assistant in private practice.
Carey Stites
Carey Stites is a registered and licensed dietitian working for Wellstone Health Partners in Harker Heights. She has been a practicing dietitian since 2001 with experience in both outpatient and inpatient medical nutrition therapy and sports nutrition. She is also an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer.
Stites conducts individual outpatient nutrition counseling within the Therapy Services clinic and regularly delivers group presentations (open to both ASYMCA members and non-members) several times per year in the ASYMCA Teaching Kitchen.
Stites promotes health and wellness through presentations, classes, writing and cooking demonstrations all over Texas.
