Meet Dr Nicholas Vernola | Owner of Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr Nicholas Vernola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr Nicholas, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had worked as a physical therapy pelvic floor and sports medicine specialist in three states, and many more physical therapy clinics, prior to opening my clinic. I developed a strong background in physical therapy specializing in pelvic health and sports medicine. All the places I worked the clinics came off as being oriented to appeasing the clinicians instead of the clientele. The people who were trusting their health, something innately sensitive, with the clinicians around me came off as impersonal and cold in the approach.

I wanted to create my own physical therapy healthcare model where the patrons receive care that surpassed industry standard in a light hearted atmosphere. At Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC people can feel like they are working with a long time family friend, with whom they can share a laugh with, all while being provided care that is innovative and surpasses the industry standard.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To become a men/women’s/trans pelvic health specialist in my field, as a male physical therapist, I had to pay extra (up to $2k per course) per course. I was a broke grad student when I first took interest and thus had to find odd jobs to afford myself the courses between physical therapy classes.

Clinical rotations were no easier. There were a lot of great men/women’s/trans pelvic health opportunities for students at clinics affiliated with a number of big name hospitals and universities in New York such as NYU. They advertised only accepting female clinicians so I had to make my own opportunities by sending out business letters to hospitals and clinics in NY to shadow between my course work and clinical rotations.

I went to Connecticut to work for the only pelvic floor physical therapist I could find who would accept a male clinician. I got used to help find research studies for a book he published (I am uncredited). Eventually I found out from the front desk he instructed the support staff not to put any pelvic floor cases on my schedule. I wound up taking late shift hours so I could be in the clinic when my boss left and would take time to read his text books and coursework he had written for another Pelvic Physical Therapy institution. I was getting no practical practice at this point so I would take his plastic pelvic floor model that he used when traveling to teach courses, set it up in an exam room, and would practice my assessments and treatments as if it were a real patient.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting from out of town, I would take them to Sweet Melisa’s in Decatur for breakfast, walk stone mountain to build up our appetite for lunch while getting a great view of nature and then unobstructed view of the three Atlanta sky lines from the peek. Then we would drive back to Decatur, ride MARTA to Busy Bee Cafe for some nationally ranked southern friend chicken then train it back for a tasty beer at one of my favorite local breweries in Decatur, Inner Voice Brewing (conveniently located only a few feet from my clinic in Decatur, Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I had a difficult time getting into my specialization (pelvic floor physical therapy) as a male physical therapist. Darla Cathcart who made it possible for me to take my first course and Bridget Littrell who has been my friend since I took my first specialty course.

Website: PhysicalTherapyATL.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantaphysicaltherapy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nicholas-vernola-jr-pt-dpt-sdn-capp-pelvic-0181a690/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PT_Atlanta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhysicalTherapyATL

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPs_B-naoor7N639Evq8jXg

Image Credits
JLL Productions