Taking on this new role as Student Outreach Coordinator for Therapy has taken me to new adventures and the latest led me to National Harbor, MD for the annual APTA conference. Erika Swertzic, Account Manager for Maryland, joined me on this trip and together we met some great people and took in some great sights.
The APTA conference kicked off with a PT day on Capitol Hill, where those in the field rallied before meeting with congressional representatives. Not wanting to be left out, we started our journey successfully navigating the metro system to reach the National Mall. Although the sun threatened to give us both heat stroke, the awe-inspiring images of our nation’s capital were surreal and literally took our breath away. To walk the same paths and to see the same sights that our country’s leaders and visionaries have seen is an experience beyond written words. We ended our tour with a great Italian dinner at Filomena’s (thank you Justin M.) and a small adventure at the metro train stop. All I’m going to say is that if you ever are in a sticky situation, posing back-to-back Charlie’s Angels style does the trick. Enough said.
During the conference, we took the opportunity to see what was new in the PT world. Several vendors utilized a combination of lasers and Wii-like video games to promote core strength in patients while also having fun. New devices used for flexibility could be found everywhere but it was our “booth” neighbor, Vinny, who took the award for being the most adamant (and demonstrative) in showing everyone the importance of a good stretch.
Erika and I met some really fantastic people who represented their career with so much passion that it wasn’t hard to imagine the great care they give to their patients. Several of the people that stopped by our booth were bright-eyed students ready to take on the next leg of their adventure, while others were seasoned pros who shared some valuable insight. Each day, we were greeted by someone new who wanted to say hello and thank Aureus for either helping them in some way. Erika had clients who came by to thank her personally and continued to come back throughout our stay to visit and introduce her to other potential clients and/or members of their staff. I had students who had connected with me on LinkedIn stop by to say hello and even one from my info session held at Creighton. Other companies may say they form great relationships, but from what we gathered, Aureus Medical definitely walks the walk.
Overall, the APTA conference was a success and we gained some working knowledge to help us be better at what we do. The next national conference, the Student Conclave, will be held on October 21-22 in Minneapolis, MN. Aureus Medical will be making our first appearance at a Student Conclave in a while, so we will keep you posted on the highlights from that event and future ones.
Sun Hui (Sunny) Snook graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Truman State University and received a Master’s in Human Services from Bellevue University. She has been in the healthcare staffing field for 11 years, first working with nurses before moving to a nationwide work strategies consultant where her key responsibilities were to coach staffers and hospital managers on effective staffing. In 2009, Sunny started with Aureus Medical as an Account Manager in the Rehab Therapy division, working with both clients and prospective employees. Most recently, she moved to Student Outreach Coordinator. Prior to working in healthcare staffing, she served as an addictions therapist and residential treatment coordinator for five years.
Sunny Snook / 800.456.5857 ext 6578 / ssnook@aureusmedical.com / Facebook / LinkedIn