Business Buzz
By Rich Baehrle
In life, sometimes we are thrown curveballs. What we do with the pitch determines if we are going to strike out or hit a homer. This article is about a dedicated, hard-working doctor of physical therapy, Olivia Wattles.
She was living a good life in Syracuse, N.Y. Olivia was employed at the SUNY (State University of New York) Medical University Hospital in the outpatient neuro department and an adjunct professor of neurology.
Olivia, being a Jersey girl, realized that South Jersey is where she belonged – closer to her family. So she, along with her husband, Cameron, and two children: Juliette, 4; and Howie, 1; pulled up their New York roots and decided that Atlantic County was the perfect spot to raise their family and where she could find a great job in the field that she loved.
She knew the outstanding reputation that the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation had and it seemed to be a perfect fit for her, where her skills would be a great compliment. Everything was so good. She was living her best life in pursuit of treating neurological patients in an outpatient setting.
Just as everything was going so well, in the spring of 2023, Bacharach announced that the renowned rehab institute would be closing forever. It was not only a shock to her, but to the entire region of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties.
The question that Olivia, as well as her patients, had is where would they go for work, and more importantly, go for treatment? The closest outpatient neurological clinic was an hour away in Cherry Hill. It was simply too far to travel for her and her patients.
Her field of neurology requires focused, one-on-one treatment. “Some of the orthopedic clinics say that they provide this service, but it is not the same as what I provide with the specialty care the patients need and deserve,” she said.
She has eight years of experience in treating neurologically impaired patients. She recently received her Neurological Clinical Specialist (NCS) certification.
She knew she did not want to work in an inpatient facility and she did not want to do homecare. All of the other outpatient clinics are ortho, which was not her specialty.
There was only one thing for Olivia and her husband, Cam, to do, and that was to open their own clinic at 329 Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway.
This was out of necessity for her to continue to pursue her passion. She knew there was no turning back. Olivia was going to hit that ball out of the park by addressing the sudden void in the community. Hence, she and her husband opened Fam Rehabilitation (FAM) in Galloway.
It is a therapy clinic specializing in neurological physical therapy. She will eventually provide occupational therapy.
The partnership with Cameron is working well. He handles the office management and business aspects, while Olivia focuses on the treatment aspect. She has also assembled a great team with Denise Graybill, OTR/L, who has been an occupational therapist for 28 years; Marianne (Mare) Sparacia PT/DPT, and Gracie Rowley.
Olivia said, “Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would have my own business. I was happy working for a company and just going home to my family life, but I cannot be happier how the business and patients have grown.”
Olivia’s business is what people encounter when an adverse setback in life occurs. You want somebody with the compassion and the focused, one-on-one attention that Fam Rebab offers.
For neurological treatment find out the difference that Fam Rehab offers.
Call 609-964-7901, find them on Facebook or see Fam Rehabilitation on the web at www.FamRehabilitation.com.
Rich Baehrle, of Berkshire Hathaway Fox and Roach, can be reached at 609-266-6680 or 609-641-0011. Email richardbaehrle@gmail.com or see www.getrichinrealestateSJ.com
