By Emery Styron
news@corridorbusiness.com
“Outwork them if you can’t outsmart them.”
That’s a bit of wisdom Mark Kaufman learned growing up in the southeast Iowa farm town of Olds, “around a lot of people with a strong work ethic.” The same builders and farmers instilled the idea that “nothing is given to you so you better get after it.”
His mentors can’t say he hasn’t taken their advice. Starting with a one-employee, downtown Chicago office in 1991, Mr. Kaufman has built a chain of 380 physical therapy clinics, spreading Athletico’s familiar blue and white logo across 10 states.
After graduation from WACO High School in 1982, Mr. Kaufman enrolled at the University of Iowa to prepare for a teaching and coaching career. A prep athlete with a love for college sports, he switched gears after learning that athletic training was a major. “I had no idea,” he recalls.
He worked with all Hawkeye teams – the 1985-86 Rose Bowl trip was a high point – en route to a bachelor’s degree. He then added a masters in exercise and sports science at the University of Arizona in 1988, and finished his schooling with a physical therapy degree at Northwestern the following year.
Surprising growth
After two years at a PT clinic right out of Northwestern, Mr. Kaufman hung up his first Athletico shingle.
“I hired an office coordinator and off we went. I had no idea we were going to grow as much as we have,” he said.
Athletico grew organically, mainly in the Chicago area, for the first 20 years, reaching 90-100 outpatient centers and about 1,500 employees. At that point, we made a “decision to be one of the bigger boys to control our destiny,” he said.
The 2014 acquisition of Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers added 230 locations and 2,500 employees, dramatically changing the company. Athletico’s growth strategy was pushed ahead three to five years overnight and Mr. Kaufman adapted to a new role.
Some 25 Iowa locations, including several in the Corridor, were a part of the deal. Mr. Kaufman enjoyed expanding Athletico to his home turf.
“We’re making a case for why we deserve the business,” Mr. Kaufman said. “You’ve got great health systems and physician groups. We add value to that. Being an Iowan, I am very proud to be part of the discussion.”
Focusing on outcomes
In 2011, Athletico became the first in its market to measure patient outcomes and satisfaction and compare results with providers across the country. This is done via a third-party system, Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes (FOTO).
“We want our patients to receive the highest level of service. FOTO is just one example of that,” Mr. Kaufman explains.
Other examples of high service standards include scheduling new evaluations within 24-48 hours of first patient contact and appointments early mornings, late evenings and on Saturdays. Emphasis on core values – patient satisfaction, accountability, continuous improvement and teamwork – helped land Athletico the No. 1 spot on the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list in 2013.
The company employs more than 1,500 clinicians, 400 affiliates and 350 athletic trainers, and has relationships with Chicago sports teams, including the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.
Evolving holistically
Despite increasing reliance on technology, the paperwork load for PTs has grown tremendously in Mr. Kaufman’s career. Athletico enables PTs to “do what they do well,” rather than spend time filling out forms and setting up websites, he said.
He sees a more holistic approach to PT evolving. “Health care is looking at the overall body, not just the injury,” he said. “We now look at how physical therapy affects your mind, body and spirit, how it affects all your life.”
Many clinics offer special services like yoga instruction, massage and personal training to address issues such as vertigo, women’s health and incontinence.
The field is also becoming more “evidence-based,” requiring more specialized training and longer programs. That’s not ideal for students, but “great PTs are coming out every year,” Mr. Kaufman said. Athletico aims to hire the top 10 percent of PTs available.
Mr. Kaufman praises his team for Athletico’s success and makes sure to give back to institutions that have helped him along the way. He and his wife established the Mark and Mary Ann Kaufman Enrichment Fund, an endowment for the Northwestern University Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences.
Athletico seeks “more growth, more scale,” he said, “but we’re not trying to double or triple overnight.” Acquisitions will be “companies that fit in every way.”
Evaluating new technology is another challenge. “There’s all kinds of things from virtual reality to other things that will allow us to better do our jobs,” Mr. Kaufman said. “You have to be smart about what is truly appropriate.”
