When Marty and Sue Canavan opened the doors of Achieve Physical Therapy and Aquatic Therapy almost seven years ago, they brought with them their medical knowledge as well as a unique ability to treat patients each in their own way: one mentally and one physically.

Marty, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy and 22 years of experience, contributed the practical knowledge and expertise. His wife, Sue, who has background in medical bookkeeping and office management—and the added knowledge of raising three kids – offered her meticulous office expertise and personality to make every patient feel welcome.

“Sue may not get my name right and call me by one of her kids’ names, but I find that endearing,” said Maria Cooper, a patient at Achieve. “That means I’ve either been here too long or I’ve grown into part of the family.”

Cooper started coming to Achieve due to knee trouble. She eventually had knee-replacement surgery on both knees and it took Marty’s experience to rehabilitate her legs.

“I remember when I had the first leg done Marty said, ‘I’m going to press down on your knee and you can curse if you like because it’s going to hurt,’” Cooper said. “I was so terrified, but if he didn’t do what he did then I wouldn’t have been able to get where I am.”

Cooper said that while sometimes physical therapy has been difficult, she enjoyed the time with the people she has met at Achieve.

“It’s the whole atmosphere of being here and the people that work here; they actually care about what they do,” Cooper said.

Sue said initially she had only planned to work at Achieve temporarily until they could find a suitable office manager, but she enjoys her time at work and getting to know people.

“I needed someone at the front desk that knew what I did; it made sense to have her there,” Marty said. “She’s a great asset to the practice. She’s very efficient at what she does as an office manager, and she kind of keeps me sane throughout the day.”

Sue’s efficiency and expertise made her a good choice for the job but it’s her caring attitude that has made the practice feel more familial, according to patients.

“It’s like home here to me,” said Tammi Brown, an Achieve patient. “I’ve made a lot of good friends and they’re just really great people here.”
Brown has been going to Achieve for four years. She said her best friend’s sister-in-law told her about Achieve, and she suggests them to anyone she knows who needs physical therapy.

“The biggest difficulty you have in your own business is letting people know you’re here and what you do,” Sue Canavan said. “Word-of-mouth is probably one of our biggest assets.”

Brown and Cooper’s praises are not uncommon at Achieve, and a plate of cookies or goodies is a common way for patients to show their appreciation.

“Marty’s got an excellent reputation, and my goal is that when people come through that door they’re comfortable. They feel welcome and to alleviate some of their stress about coming to (physical therapy).”

Unlike seeing a doctor for the common ailment, physical therapy is something that usually requires multiple visits and sessions. Marty said Achieve’s one-on-one patient care helps reduce the number of sessions for many patients.

“A lot of the patients who come here are repeat patients that we’ve actually become friends with as well,” Sue said.

According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 60 percent of physical therapists in 2008 worked in hospitals or for other health practitioners; very few venture out into private practice.

Sue said their philosophy is different than most physical therapy practices, and that is what she attributes for their success.

“A lot of places you go to, money is the first thing they think about. That’s the last thing on our minds here,” Sue said. “Really our goal is to make people feel better and to be successful so that they can have a functional, good quality of life.”

Marty and Sue address Achieve’s patients each in their own way, whether with physical therapy or old-fashioned hospitality, but they both add to the overall heath of their patients.

“I think people sense that we do care about them, and having a family run business and atmosphere is really beneficial in healing as well,” Sue said. “A lot of times I have people tell me they come here for mental therapy as well.”