Meet Mallory Mark

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mallory Mark and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mallory, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Oftentimes, people don’t associate a breast cancer diagnosis with physical therapy despite the multitude of functional limitations that are experienced at various points along their survivorship journey. In fact, only ~20% of survivors are referred for specialized rehabilitation despite up to 90% of patients experiencing some functional issues that would be amenable to rehabilitation. These patients experience issues that fall well within a physical therapists scope of practice, including but not limited to range of motion and strength loss, swelling, scar tissue, balance impairments, pain and many others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began my physical therapy career in Pittsburgh, PA working in inpatient rehabilitation. I had some exposure to the oncology population while working here. Shortly after moving to Atlanta, I found the place I now call home, TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation. I quickly fell in love with the oncology population and was elated to have found my niche as a clinician. There is such an unmet need for this population and I feel so grateful to be able to play a small role in their survivorship journey. Working with the oncology population certainly comes with its highs and lows and I am so thankful to have an amazing group of co workers to celebrate the good times and share in sorrows.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta has no shortage of fine dining! Our ideal weekend includes a coffee shop that is pup friendly so our Golden Retriever, Winston, is able to join us. We love to start at Dancing Goats Coffee shop at Ponce City Market, walk along the beltline and then finish up with a biscuit from Bomb Biscuits. For some more outdoor fun, you cant go wrong with a hike along the beautiful Chattahoochee river or head up to North Georgia if the mountains are more your thing! For dinner, we absolutely love visiting one of Atlanta’s Mexican food joints- Verde taqueria, Taqueria Del Sol or Bar Taco.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My professional career would not be where it is today without the unending support of TurningPoint’s founder, Jill Binkley. As a result of her own breast cancer journey, she created a place of hope and healing that has touched the lives of so many over the past 20 years. She fostered my growth in a very supportive environment, yet always challenged me to critically think and achieve more than I thought possible. She encouraged me to obtain my board specialist certification in oncologic physical therapy and promoted me to my current position as Clinical Director. I model my own leadership approach off of hers and strive to meet my patient’s with the same amount of empathy and compassion that she brought to the clinic every day.

Website: https://myturningpoint.org/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-breast-cancer-rehabilitation/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfVaeb0GOoLzInKsydnpSg