BVPTS began in March of 1990 when Barbara McCumber opened up a small office at 1035 Providence Road in Whitinsville after working for the local hospital physical therapy department. There, she grew from 1 suite to 2 and finally to 3 as both her clientele and staff grew. In the late 1990s, managed care hit the health sector and caused a significant change in the reimbursement model of private practice, she was forced to downsize. The office was moved into a smaller space shared with Dr. Robert Bajema, MD, a local, beloved primary care physician at 57 Church Street. It was there that Eric Connolly joined the staff in 2002, and the following year, he became vice president and Barbara’s business partner.
The business was moved back to Providence Road in 2004, but now at 1001 Providence Road. BVPTS remained there for 8 years gradually out growing that space. In 2012, the decision was made to triple the size of the clinic to 3,330 sq ft and move into the newly refurbished Linwood Mill. With the increase in space, we were able to add our Wellness Program to the offer more than just Physical Therapy, allowing patients to continue to work out on our equipment after they were done with typical Physical Therapy. In 2014, we bid Barbara adieu, as she happily rode off into the sunset of retirement.
In 2015, we began our Aquatic Physical Therapy program in conjunction with the Whitin Community Center, and the addition of Marcia Witkus. We were experiencing record numbers of patients coming to us for their Physical Therapy needs and to meet the demand, Dr. Meaghan Young and Dr. Matthew Styf joined the staff in 2015 and 2016 respectively. To accommodate the growth, we expanded the office to include the suite next door and moved our Wellness Gym to its “own side”, giving us more space for patient care. In 2017, Laurie Brenner brought her 20+ years of Physical Therapy experience to our staff. In the summer of 2019, Dr. Jen Steere came on board, and in the fall, Dr. Jessica Sorge joined the team, adding Dry Needling to a service we offer. Dr. Mitch Goldman joined the team in 2021 and started our On Base U program, and Dr. Allie Tupaj elected to stay with us after her successful clinical rotation with us. In 2023, David Gordon arrived on the scene, bringing with him over 2 decades of experience, only to be matched by Wendy Hodge starting in 2024 bringing her talents gained from 25 years of experience all over the county. We are looking forward to continuing to help the residents of the Blackstone Valley to reach their goals in 2024 and beyond!
Blackstone Valley Physical Therapy Services, Inc. will provide patients with a positive rehabilitation/training experience as we assist them in addressing their limitations, and help them in reaching their long-term goals. Therapists will focus on efficacy and evidence-based interventions, and the entire staff will focus on making the patient’s experience positive.
