Why choose Dr. Zacharko and Osteopractic Physical Therapy of the Carolinas (OPTC)?
OPTC is committed to changing the way people think when they have an injury or pain. Dr. Zacharko is highly trained with countless hours of additional, specialized training in the field of manual therapy. He is an expert in and one of the most experienced clinicians in the Southeast in performing Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling. He has the distinction of being one of the first clinicians in NC or SC to obtain a certification in both and the expertise to perform these specialized treatments.
Commonly, when someone thinks of physical therapy, they think of somewhere that they must go because their doctor asked them to and where they will be asked to do a list of exercises, be stretched and maybe have ice or a hot pack put on them. We hope to change this perception at OPTC. First off, you do not need to be told or referred by your physician to be seen by Dr. Z. Secondly, you will not be asked to do a series of exhaustive exercises with the expectation that if you continue to do them religiously over the next several weeks that you might feel a little bit better. Lastly, you will not be asked to continue to receive treatment if you are not improving. Dr. Zacharko is confident that through his evaluative skills, hands-on treatments techniques and therapeutic exercise, you will be feeling better and on the road to recovery in just a few visits.
Why should I pay out of pocket with OPTC when the therapy clinic down the road will take my insurance?
It comes down providing something different for patients that expect something different. More time and personalized attention will be spent with you delivering highly specialized, superior services. Having at least an hour, one-on-one with a knowledgeable and capable doctor of physical therapy for every session is a rare thing, and is attractive to those patients who put a high priority on high-level performance and fast results. These types of patients are smart and soon realize that after they factor the copay that they would typically pay at another (insurance-based) PT clinic and compare the services received at both, the out-of-pocket payment at OPTC comes at a supremely higher value. This is especially true when results are faster and length of treatment is shorter as is typically the case.
Most of the prospective patients who are willing to pay out-of-pocket are quite different than those who would only go where they can use their insurance. In essence, OPTC is targeting a very different patient and market than insurance-based PT clinics. There is definitely some crossover, but for the most part, patients that are truly invested in getting better will gladly pay out-of-pocket when they find value in the services they received. Dr. Zacharko employs techniques that will make a difference each treatment session and the patient will be able to acknowledge this.
Why OPTC vs. other orthopaedic physical therapy?
Dr. Zacharko has set up his practice with the patient in mind. Choosing not to accept insurance and use a direct pay system, he is able to use his time and energy to treat his patients. Having worked in several insurance based practices, Dr. Zacharko has seen the time and resources that it takes to chase down insurance reimbursement’s for treatments, money wasted on claims denied and on employees hired specifically to handle the insurance hassle. Most insurance-based PT practices are struggling to maintain profit margins with decreased reimbursements while trying to maintain quality of patient care. The fact is, most practices do sacrifice patient care in the favor of paying the bills (they have to or they wouldn't be around long!). This is no fault of their own, it’s just the product of the landscape of the medical system today. OPTC can offer you, the patient, personalized and private care without sacrificing any of the quality. When you remove the red tape and headaches of the insurance and Medicare system, you get to focus on helping people at a greater value for the patient and the clinician.
Isn’t all “physical therapy” the same?
Whether you have had physical therapy in the past or not, rest assured that no two therapists or clinics are alike. Most of the public (and still many physicians) just aren't aware of how educated and highly trained some PT's are. Therapists are now graduating after 7-8 year programs from accredited universities with doctoral level degrees. This means they have obtained the highest level of education available. After passing a stringent, national licensing exam, therapists are able to work in a wide array of settings from hospitals and nursing homes to private outpatient clinics and professional sports franchises. This is the precise reason that no two therapists are alike. Physical therapy is such a broad profession that once the therapist starts down his or her selected path, their expertise becomes focused in the setting that they are practicing in. As is the case in most professional settings, ones level of expertise is acquired mostly based on the continuing education and experiences that come after graduation. This means that the therapist that you might have seen in the nursing home taking care of your aging parent isn't the same therapist that is working with your favorite athlete to get back on the field before the playoffs. Dr. Zacharko has worked exclusively in the outpatient setting, diagnosing and treating orthopaedic and neuromuscular pathology in patients from 6 to 96 years old. This has included both sedentary and active patients from weekend warriors to professional athletes. He has worked tirelessly to expand his knowledge and skill set through countless hours of continuing education, professional conferences and specialty certifications that far surpass his years.