LIFE AT BURGER

It’s often hard to be the new element in an established environment, and most especially in the work field. When you find yourself inserted into unfamiliar surroundings, with protocols and rules of engagement that are foreign to you but are accepted by everyone else as the norm, it’s tough not to feel overwhelmed or out of place. In the past, I’ve had the unfortunate personal experience of being the square peg in the round hole of office life – your coworkers are too busy to answer your questions; your managers give you a handshake and a printed handout, and consider that “training”; and the intimidating office machinery deliberately jams, breaks, or makes terrifying noises any time you try to use it because it knows you are new and, therefore, weak. Yes, I’ve been there, and I’ll admit that when I put in my resume for a position with Burger that I didn’t have any particular hope that things would be any different here. I can honestly say without qualification that I have never been so glad to be wrong. Burger’s corporate office has a little tradition of celebrating the birthdays of the workers there by having a monthly gathering in honor of those who hit a yearly milestone that month. My first day of training happened to fall on one of these “party days.” I found myself in the unique position of being plucked up from the computer and hustled into a conference room full of eager people, all of who greeted me with smiles and insisted that I would need to eat all three varieties of the cake that was spread across the table. I was then urged to take a chair, and accepted curious questions about myself – not about what I could offer the company professionally, not about how my training was coming along, but about me as a person. I sang along to “happy birthday” with the President and founder of the company, who shook my hand afterwards with a smile and welcomed me to the team. It was personal and simple, but it was a moment that showed me just what sort of company Burger chooses to be. From the moment I first walked in for my interview until now, I have never once felt anything but warmth and welcome from the staff here at Burger. It is rare to walk into an office where every person you meet shows not only genuine friendliness towards you, but also a willingness to help you out in any way they can. Yet this is exactly what I have found at both the corporate and clinic level. We are very much a team here, one that operates on principles of respect, trust, approachability, and in every person bringing the best of themselves to the table. Even more importantly for me, the therapists here don’t see their clients as a dollar sign, or as one more stop on the assembly line of their caseload; they see them as individuals. I have seen them cheer when a patient triumphs, and encourage when a patient struggles; they offer understanding and compassion to a degree that impresses me daily. They become sincerely involved with the patient’s families, offering advice when they are frustrated and support when they feel overwhelmed. Burger Rehabilitation Systems Inc. may be a large corporation, but there is nothing cold or remote about it. Burger is a business, and a successful one, but it is also a family. With Burger’s help, I have vastly broadened my professional skill set, come to know the value of being part of a dedicated team, and most importantly, learned what it means to become truly involved with the patients you serve. I consider myself the luckiest of people, to know I can come to work and go home at the end of my day feeling like I am part of something that truly makes a positive difference.

I am fairly still new to Burger and just wanted to share an incident that happened recently that I thought was wow. The other day I had misplaced several patients’ intake forms and could not find them for the life of me. I was frantic because without those intake sheets we have no information on the patient. So I told Cyndy my supervisor and she stopped what she was doing to help my locate them. While we were trying to find them, several of the other gals stopped what they were doing also and helped look for them. So I was really impressed with team effort that the next day I brought them a bunch of Kisses and Thanked them all for taking time out of there very busy schedule to help me out. In the end Maria found them for me, I had accidentally filled them away.

I began employment here in August, 2001. Prior to taking the position with Burger, I asked other health care professionals and some community members, what is Burger's reputation? Without exception, I received all positive comments, like "known for giving quality patient care." After I started working here, I realized that it's taken me a long time, but I found my perfect job! Not only do I enjoy the people I work with across the entire Company, but I love the culture and the atmosphere...of openness, creativity, and recognition for new ideas and good work! I would like to say, Thanks to all of the Burger staff who makes my job perfect!

Burger Rehabilitation Systems, Inc. is a company that offers good employment relations and benefits. The company helps enhance your career to its full potential, broadens and improves your craft as a therapist through continued education and learning and provides an enjoyable worksite for one to come to work every day. Also, what I like most is the SNF Staffing department. Whenever you get a planned vacation/time-off, you don't have to worry about coverage. They are always there to provide each SNF facility with staffing needs. I don’t have any regrets switching full-time with Burger Rehab.

I am happy to hear that this company is so concerned with the well being of each employee whether from I as an aide to Carol. I hope that my input can help improve our website. The interactions that I have encountered with patients have been positive, in light of the fact that they come to us in need of our help because they're in pain. I try to stay upbeat even when talking to a patient who is unhappy only because I don't want to be an addition to their misery. The employee's that I have interacted with have all been great, I think that they appreciate my help as their aide and they remind me of that. I think it is awesome that the company is a family owned company, family is important to me and I hope to have a business in the future that involves my family as well that is as successful as Burger. Honestly think it is awesome to work here I am very grateful for my position here I am learning a lot, I am able to ask the therapists questions about why they did what they did and how and it just inspires me I cannot wait to become a therapist I enjoy coming to work every day even at 7:00 am! I do wish we could wear jeans, however I understand we need to maintain a certain level of professionalism, and we are all representing Burger, but I own more jeans than not. Our administrators are extremely helpful as I am learning the ropes here they have been a tremendous help and very, very kind in the process. The doctors I have encountered are extremely efficient as well one doctor actually walks over his signed plan of care sheets which I feel is awesome. I hope that my input is able to help, anyway that I can do my part helps me feel like an asset to the company rather than just an employee, I am sorry that this is all I have in my short time here. God bless.

FIRST, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK! ....OUR TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS HAVE A PATIENT FOLLOWING WHO HAVE ACTUALLY STATED THEY ENJOY COMING HERE BECAUSE OF THEIR POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THEIR THERAPY AND WORKING THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM WITH DAVID AND DAWN....WE ROCK AT BURGER PHYSICAL THERAPY, GRASS VALLEY! We have patients exit from their physical therapy program, with David or Dawn, stating to me, how happy they are that they finally found someone who gave them relief from their pain!...our professionals who sincerely showed an interest and compassion in their case and gave them a program that really works! One of our 50's plus patients, Barb, stated that David' gave her one simple neck exercise that has finally given her relief of her neck pain, which she has had for years.....such a simple exercise....she just wished she had known this years earlier! She is one of our many happy patients who have returned with a new diagnosis and is currently being treated for here. As Barb completed her treatment today, Barb spoke to a new patient in our waiting room (also an acquaintance of hers) "Oh, you'll love working with David"" David's professional demeanor, education, engineering of each patient's program, s and sincere patience with all cases never wavers. Dawn's positive attitude and knowledge, plus her energy and expertise have been a great asset, too! We are now seeing spouses of patients, and "return" past patients with second or third time treatment here, different diagnosis, because David's expertise is spreading through our community. Dr. Gabriel Soto is now consistently sending a flow of patients, thanks to David's marketing efforts, and the consistent positive patient feedback to the physicians... WELCOME TO OUR TEAM: DAVID, DAWN AND NEVA! THIS IS BURGER, GRASS VALLEY! BY THE WAY, WE HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE KINGS GAME, TOO! THIS IS A FUN COMPANY TO WORK FOR AND THE TRAINING AS AN AIDE HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL CHANGE. DAVID IS A VERY GOOD INSTRUCTOR!

I have worked at Burger Physical Therapy for 7 years. I started as a single mom of a 6 month old doing front office work. I had the idea that I would like to be a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA). Shortly before I was hired I stated work on my prerequisites for the PTA program. It was hard work juggling work, school, and my son, but my love for anatomy and physiology fueled my desire to persevere. My managers were all great about working around my school schedule. I was soon offered a position as an aide. I loved it! I knew for sure that I had picked the right career, and that I would be one of the lucky few who loves the job they go to every day. I worked as a floating aide all during my 4 years of school and had the opportunity to work at all but two of our clinics. I learned so much from everybody, and got to experience firsthand what I was learning at school as well as observe different treatment styles. I believe this early experience has helped to make me a well rounded and knowledgeable PTA. I have had the opportunity to enjoy working with wonderful colleagues who truly believe in our mission statement: to make a positive difference. When I graduated I had the opportunity to apply to many different companies. I wanted to stay at Burger, largely due to the dedication I had observed to our mission statement. I have had few reasons in the four years, since I became a PTA, to regret my decision. I feel blessed to be a part of helping so many patients, who leave our facilities relived of pain and armed with the knowledge to keep them pain free and healthy. I hope to spend a long career making a positive difference.

People often ask me why Burger? Having spent the bulk of my 10 plus years in physical therapy working in short term assignments throughout California, I have had an opportunity to work with hundreds of therapist and dozens of clinics. Many companies have asked me to consider working full time for them, and I usually decline. Not because I don't think they are great people or great clinicians, but because they lack one or more of the key pillars which great rehabilitation companies are founded on and are unwilling to make changes to build that championship TEAM. I call it "The Code". Burger has it, I felt it from the first day I stepped in the door. This is the invisible code which holds teams together under pressure, and makes great rehabilitation teams achieve success in the face of any challenge. Service, Integrity, Transparency and Expertise. Burger has all four. Although I have not had an opportunity to work with every staff member at Burger yet, I can usually tell within a few days, whether this code is present. Sure, every team, has it's good and bad days, but In general from where I sit, Burger has built an exceptional TEAM, no one person, more important than the next, all focused on a common goal based on service, integrity, transparency and expertise. That's why; I was honored to join the Burger TEAM in April 2009.

YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY While obtaining an 85 year old male patient’s history, questions were asked pertaining to his past level of function.He explained that just two or three weeks prior to his falling injury he was out on the tennis court competing against members of his tennis club.Taken by surprise, I commented on how unusual it was to hear someone at his age capable of this level of activity. He responded by telling me how much he enjoyed the sport, and that tennis dated back to biblical days.“I wasn’t aware of that…how do you know this?” I inquired.“Check the Old Testament “he said with a little spark in his eye…”You’ll find that Moses served in Pharaoh’s court”….After brief discussion, we agreed that there was no “love” there!

How Burger has influenced my professional education and continued enjoyment of my career as a physical therapist. After being hired, Burger gave me a thorough understanding of my job requirements, assigned to me a mentor {for any?’s} and a building {skilled nursing facility]. Shortly after, I was asked to be a treating rehab coordinator and to assist with the case loads of two more buildings. Burger assisted my competency in many ways. I attended rehab coordinator meetings that had an agenda. H.R., billing, scheduling, management, out-patient clinic supervisors, snf supervisors, home health and hospital supervisors and the rehab coordinators would give in-services on our special knowledge. These meetings really assisted my management skills and problem resolutions. When PPs came along multiple in depth in-services were given as well as written guidelines to insure we understood how the system worked, how to manage and educate our facilities. We were also instructed in Medicare billing, forms [700,701] and how to write an appeal. We were encouraged to share this information with administrators, DON’s, and admissions at facility meetings and how it impacted their specific and future caseload. Being a treating rehab coordinator gave me a better understanding of my patients, staff needs, and patients progress basically control. Since Burger has multiple contracts I was asked to travel and assist in multiple buildings [SNF's,Hospitals, HomeHealth and Out- patient clinic's] in Northern California. This further added to my professional growth. I became comfortable in walking in a building and finding who and where and what I should be doing. Scheduling personnel were key in assisting me during these multiple site days. Once I was asked to assist at a Pacific Grove and a Monterey facility that were undergoing transitions. Concerns were that our documentation would be misfiled or lost. Because Burger has always emphasized "daily" documentation vs. "catch up" documentation my task was able to be accomplished {even though I was in the facilities basement while my husband and son were enjoying looking out at Monterey Bay]. The bottom line is over the years Burger has allowed and enabled me to do what I enjoy most- working with, treating and improving patient’s abilities and lives.