Physical therapist leads with understanding

Written by Zoe Walsh, zwalsh@iuhealth.org, for IU Health's Metro Region

Jamie Smith (pictured second to right in first photo), a physical therapist at IU Health North Hospital, has always wanted to be in the healthcare field. Her mother worked as a nurse, and her grandparents took Smith along to physical therapy appointments as a child.

“My grandparents watched us and took us along to appointments. Physical therapy was the fun place to be. They had all the cool toys, so that kind of drew me to it initially,” she says.

Smith later had a neck injury in high school that once again drew her into the physical therapy world. When starting school for physical therapy, she was drawn to a pelvic health specialty due to her mother.

“I got drawn to the pelvic health realm because my mom worked in a gynecologist's office. Most of her career, she taught childbirth education, and had a lot of overlap with physical therapy, pain management strategies and referrals to therapists. So, she really encouraged me to learn more about pelvic health, and I've done that most of my career,” Smith explains.

Smith first joined the IU Health North team three and a half years ago. As a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health, she helps patients treat and manage a variety of conditions including incontinence, gastrointestinal dysfunction and even postpartum recovery.

This past summer, Smith was promoted to be a team lead in the Outpatient Rehabilitation department (team pictured in first photo). She helps the team to coordinate with physicians, provides logistical support and solves any problems that might arise. As a team lead, Smith feels a close connection with the others in the department. "We really are a family. We support each other through the ups and downs of everyday life and support each other as clinicians. We problem solve for any patients we have that might have a more unique presentation of symptoms. That's really my favorite part, being with my coworkers,” she says.

Treating patients, however, is a case close to Smith’s heart.

“The most rewarding part is getting to see people improve with their quality of life. We get patients coming in where we make such a dramatic change in their quality of life and their ability to function and do the things they want to do,” she explains.

Smith wants patients and others to know that getting help should never be embarrassing.

“I just want people to know that there's options, that they don't have to be embarrassed to seek care for their pelvic floor. It's a central part of our body, and we need to take care of it as well as any other part of our body, whether it's our shoulder, knee or neck,” she says.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. At IU Health North, the physical therapy team is proud to offer expert, compassionate care across a wide range of specialties. Along with pelvic health services, the team also offers oncology rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, orthopedic rehabilitation, aging and related services, pediatric therapy and acute care services.

To learn more, visit: https://iuhealth.org/find-loca....