Many people associate the idea of medical professionals making housecalls with “the olden days” when a white-haired doctor with a weathered black bag would show up in the middle of the night to minister to a sick child. Today, with most physicians either providing telemedicine or COVID-safe office visits to their patients, concierge medicine is all but a memory. It only seems to exist on “Royal Pains,” a popular USA television series that featured a concierge medical practice based in the Hamptons, catering to an ultra-rich clientele.
However, the pandemic has created a need for concierge physical therapists to bridge a gap in care for people unable or reluctant to go back to traditional physical therapy offices. Physical therapists help treat injuries, provide post-surgery care and empower patients with specific movement challenges that arise from aging, overuse or injury. Doctor of Physical Therapy Bryan Munoz aims to do just that, with his new mobile concierge PT practice, BR3 Health & Performance.
Munoz studied at Northeastern University in Boston and then moved back to Teaneck and began his professional focus in orthopedics. He has worked in multiple private practices and treats an array of conditions that include rotator-cuff repairs, knee injuries, low back pain and neck strains.
“Prior to the pandemic, I used to see clients in an office setting but the world changed this year and I needed to reinvent myself to serve my community. BR3 Health & Performance L.L.C. launched in October 2020 to address the health, wellness, physical therapy and sports performance needs of Bergen County,” Munoz told The Jewish Link.
“Our mission at BR3 is to empower people with the resilience they need to perform daily life activities without feeling restricted by pain or injury. We have a specific three-phase approach to ensure success: restore, resilience and reinvent. The best part is we bring the services to you,” he said.
“There’s a lot of things we can’t control right now, and it’s easy to become complacent and take it easy. But we can try to improve, stay active and take charge of our health,” he added.
Munoz said he and his team take all the CDC/COVID-safe precautions necessary, and “the client will let us know where they are most comfortable—at home, in their workplace or a nearby park.” BR3 brings the equipment to the client for a fully customized therapy session.
Munoz said it was his view that virtual physical therapy sessions make it very difficult to replicate the same one-on-one office experience, replete with the accountability of regular sessions, that people look for in their healthcare providers.
He said concierge physical therapy is a new opportunity. “During the initial lockdown, I decided to purchase exercise equipment to set up my own personal gym space at home and as time went on an idea came to mind. Why not bring the doctor’s office and gym space to peoples’ homes? From that moment on I started the process to launch my mobile concierge business.”
“I want to meet the individual’s needs without restrictions from insurance and help people to be a better version of themselves. That is why I am not contracted with insurance, with the exception of Medicare,” he said, though his PT receipts can be submitted to insurance, often for the same level of reimbursement as a traditional PT visit.
“I wanted to get back to what healthcare is about and that is assisting people to fulfill their potential. In the state of New Jersey, there is direct access, which allows physical therapists to see patients directly without a referral. I want people to have the necessary tools to feel resilient to participate in the activities that they love doing without feeling limited by pain or injury,” Munoz said.
Munoz added that in a busy PT clinic, one may receive a part of the therapist’s attention, but at a cash-based clinic like BR3 Health & Performance, Munoz and his team are able to give people full attention (60 minutes of undivided attention). “The cash-based model can save you time because you reduce commute time during your busy schedule, get results faster and possibly save … money in the long run especially with those high deductibles,” he explained.
Interested to learn more? Visit BR3’s website at www.br3healthandperformance.com. Follow Bryan on Facebook for health and wellness tips and tricks @Br3healthandperform.
By Elizabeth Kratz
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