Highbar Physical therapy & Health blog

PROVIDENCE, RI, May 10, 2023 – Today, Performance Physical Therapy announced that it has evolved its name to Highbar.

Performance Physical Therapy is long-established in Rhode Island, having opened its first clinic more than 20 years ago. Currently, there areacross Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

For more than 20 years, Performance Physical Therapy has been led by Dr. Michelle Collie PT, DPT, MS, OCS. Dr. Collie is a leader and advocate in the physical therapy industry, working to drive positive change and move the physical therapy industry forward to benefit both patients and clinicians.

‍Why a name change and why now?

“We’ve continued to raise the standard for physical therapy for more than 20 years,” said Dr. Collie. “As we continue to grow and drive positive change for patients and the industry, we’ve made the decision to evolve our name to better reflect our standard of care, our experience, and our approach. We’ve raised the standard and the bar. We are Highbar.”

“We’re at a pivotal time for healthcare consumers, the physical therapy industry, and our organization. Consumers are challenged with chronic pain, and confusion still exists around access to care for musculoskeletal conditions and movement issues. Clinicians are facing challenges—physical therapists are experiencing burnout and new graduates are faced with significant student loan debt. The industry sees challenges with administrative burden and payment models. We are solving for all of that. We’ve been working to solve for that for years.”

Highbar differentiates from other physical therapy practices in a number of ways

• Patients—of all ages—receive one-on-one individualized treatment, with access to specialists in a number of areas including pediatrics, women’s health, and more.
• The focus is on clinical outcomes and patient experience; not on requiring physical therapy clinicians to see as many patients as possible in a day or week, like many other practices.
• As a teaching practice, physical therapists have access to unmatched professional development opportunities, with an in-house, accredited residency and continuing education courses, and clinical mentorship.

What to expect with the transition from Performance Physical Therapy to Highbar

The transition to Highbar has begun at some clinics in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Over the next few months, patients can expect to see all clinics completely transition from Performance Physical Therapy to Highbar.

The locations, teams, and leadership are all the same. “This isn’t a significant change for our patients, our team, or providers in the community who refer their patients to us. We’re still the same organization, same community practice. We’ve just evolved our name,” said Dr. Collie. “And, most importantly, we still have the same purpose: to empower people to feel better, move freely, and live fully.”