‘Great Care Is Good Business’: A Conversation with Mike Horsfield
May 20th, 2024 — The CEO of Rock Valley Physical Therapy, Mike Horsfield, PT, MPT, MBA, shares insights into the core values of Rock Valley and its unwavering commitment to support physical therapy research. His sincerity demonstrates a deep-seated passion for the advancement of the physical therapy profession and the well-being of those it serves.
“Great care is good business,” Mike states, encapsulating Rock Valley’s foundational belief. This philosophy, deeply ingrained in the organization’s ethos, has guided its growth into a network of 64 offices across three states. “We believe that therapist-led organizations deliver the best care to their communities,” he adds. “We just somehow want to believe that when health care providers are making decisions about the health care in and of their communities, that those will be good decisions.”
Rock Valley’s commitment to research is about elevating the entire profession and ensuring the best possible outcomes for its patients. “We have always felt some obligation to contribute to this body of research that substantiates and justifies what we do and comes up with new ways in which we can do it better,” Mike says. Rock Valley Physical Therapy clinics have “always participated in clinical research when it made sense with our local universities. We have a study going on right now with the University of Iowa.” Notably, the research team includes a recipient of past funding from the Foundation.
This commitment to excellence naturally extends beyond the realm of patient care into broader initiatives aimed at advancing the profession. For Rock Valley, this includes a profound sense of responsibility to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. Mike emphasizes the significance of this support, underlining the essential role that research plays, “You can believe something, but you need evidence and science to either back that up, or to change your mind about it.”
The decision to become a Foundation Partner in Research was not merely a strategic move but a reflection of Rock Valley’s core values and vision for the future of physical therapy. Mike highlights how the Foundation plays a crucial role in guiding Rock Valley’s decisions and actions.
“I think every profession feels like they can do everything for everyone. And I think for us, it’s the researchers funded by the Foundation that help us decide what we should do and maybe also what we shouldn’t do,” Mike explains. “What is the lane in which we can provide the greatest value to the world and to the communities we serve? Because this isn’t about us. It’s about
the people we take care of. That’s our co-workers. And that’s in the communities we serve.”
As the conversation drew to a close, one thing became abundantly clear – the heart of physical therapy beats not just in the hands of practitioners but in leaders like Mike, who tirelessly champion the critical role research plays in advancing practice.
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