Tulsa Bone & Joint congratulates two of our amazing physical therapists, Libby Boone and Bethany Koss, on a decade of service!
A lot can happen in a decade of time.. In 2013 twerk was added to Webster’s Dictionary, ObamaCare was implemented into healthcare, the Harlem Shake was the trend of the year, taking selfies became a rage, and Beyonce reunited Destiny’s Child for the Super Bowl halftime performance. Here at Tulsa Bone & Joint in 2013, Physical Therapy was located in two awkward tiny wings of what was once the Platinum Gym and on the 3rd floor of the South building. In that time, Bethany and Libby have worked in three different buildings — physically moving the entire clinic twice (once in a thunderstorm).
A number of things haven’t changed … both Bethany and Libby have been vital to building the foundation of our department. Their dedication to the profession and the care they provide our patients are unmatched. They are dependable, they are consistent, and they never complain.
Bethany Koss’ Story
After high school, Bethany was unsure of a career path and ended up following her sister to beauty school, where she
became a licensed cosmetologist in 1998. After 4 years in the field, she decided she wanted to go into physical therapy. She began working part time and completed prerequisites at TCC. In 2008, she graduated from OUHSC-Tulsa with her Masters of Physical Therapy. Upon graduation, she began her career at Redbud PT and worked there for nearly 5 years before coming to Tulsa Bone & Joint.
During her decade at Tulsa Bone & Joint, Bethany has treated 3,430 patients, obtained certifications in ASTYM, dry needling, BFR and sportsmetrics. She is also one of the physical therapy providers for Tulsa Ballet.
Three things Bethany has enjoyed most at TBJ in the last 10 years are her co-workers, the types of patients she gets to work with and the relationships she has built with our physicians.
Bethany enjoys being an advocate for her patients and having some of their situations changed by being a voice for them. She loves her job and the ability it provides for her to help her patients get back to things they want to do.
In the next 10 years, she wants to be able to hone her skills for treating shoulders, specifically overhead athletes, and she wants to become the go-to therapist for individuals with these injuries.
Bethany is a friend to all, a quiet leader and an ideal employee that has helped lay the foundation of culture for our clinic.
Libby Boone’s Story
Libby graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy in 1996. She began her career with Patient Health Care Corporation, which was an independent local company. She worked in various settings while there, including outpatient PT, hospital based PT, and home health.
Libby then took a job with Professional PT, owned by our very own Helen Pratt (now Tulsa Bone & Joint Midtown PT). She worked there for the next 12 years. This is where she started to develop her knowledge and skills in working with spine patients. She attended several CE courses taught by people like Dr. Shirley Sahrmann and Dr. Stanley Paris and attended courses through IAOM-US. Libby also performed work screens, FCE tests, and did some company consulting.
While working at Helen’s clinic, Libby became mom to twins Max and Emma. She wanted more time at home with her young kids, and left Professional PT to pursue a job at Core Physical Therapy, which was owned by a group of physician and chiropractor friends. She worked here part time for 2 years, which allowed her the flexibility to both work and be present with her kids. This is where she first became interested in pursuing scoliosis training. She began self study of the Schroth method to improve her ability to treat these patients, developing the skills needed to treat varying types and stages of scoliosis.
After leaving Core PT, Libby found herself at Tulsa Bone and Joint, where she has spent the last 10 years. During her time here, she has seen 2,284 patients and treated a variety of orthopedic and sometimes non orthopedic problems. She has become Dr. Clark’s right hand woman when it comes to treating spine patients and is the scoliosis guru.
Libby has stuck with TBJ through 6 location changes over the years, changes in leadership, and through a global pandemic. She enjoys the patients she gets to treat and working alongside a group of clinicians that care more about the patient than the metrics. She enjoys the benefit of having access to the doctor’s notes and the ease of communication with them if needed.
Libby is a fantastic physical therapist, and we are so lucky to have her as a part of our team. If you want to see Libby, be prepared to wait at least 2 weeks to find an open spot on her schedule. She has patients that she has seen for years, even some that have followed her from other clinics. She provides excellent patient care and brings a wealth of knowledge to every patient she treats.
When not at work, you can find Libby on the soccer field cheering on her two favorite players, traveling the world thanks to her husband Mark’s work, volunteering with various organizations through her kids’ activities, or throwing the tennis ball with her favorite fur child, Cooper.
By Britney Else, DO
National Girls and Women in Sports Day was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness participation for all girls and women.
Athletics, sports, and its community have had a profound impact on my life, career, health and future. At age of 4, I started t-ball and have continued to participate in athletics to this day. I was fortunate enough to be a collegiate athlete and varsity in two sports as a freshman. In the beginning, I found it hard, as my parents and uncle were my coaches, and I often wasn’t always a starter or got much play time. I later learned that they did not want to have a bias towards me. However, I have come to appreciate that restraint from my coaches as I learned about teamwork and belonging.
Sports has helped shape me into the mom, physician, and woman I am today. I learned about hard work on and off the court or field, which likely helped prepare me for medical school and the rigors of medical residency. I learned that my academic performance in high school and college could affect my ability to play, so I took school very seriously as well. I also learned a sense of accomplishment and pride when being chosen for scholarship, or all-state, or after winning a big game.
Athletics also steered my career into sports medicine, and it is a perfect fit for me to be able to treat athletes and return them to the sports they love. Most importantly, I feel sports and athletics has had the most profound impact on my health. I enjoy staying healthy through exercise and sports. I now enjoy coaching my young daughters in their early years of sports. I would like to share some benefits that sports can have for women of all ages.
8 Benefits for Girls and Women Who Participate in Sports:
- Increased mental and physical well-being
- Increased sense of belonging
- Increased academic performance
- Increased sense of self, accomplishment, and pride
- Increased work ethic, responsibility, and accountability
- Increased bone and muscle mass, in turn decreasing risk of osteoporosis
- Improved balance and coordination
- Decreased risk of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease and some cancers
National Girls and Women in Sports Day originally began as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women’s sports. Hyman died of Marfan’s Syndrome in 1986 while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, the day has evolved into an acknowledgement of the past and recognition of current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.
Tulsa Bone and Joint’s Union Pines Surgery Center is the first non-hospital environment in the state to offer Mako SmartRobotics™. This advancement in joint replacement surgery improves the way total knee and partial knee replacements are performed by helping surgeons know more and cut less.
Tulsa Bone & Joint’s Union Pines Surgery Center is the first ambulatory surgery center in Oklahoma to offer this state-of-the-art technology. Several of the surgeons will utilize the technology, which includes CT-based planning and insightful data analytics in order to provide patients with an optimal joint replacement experience. The first two knee replacements using the technology were performed at Union Pines on Jan. 5.
“We are proud to be the first surgery center in our area to offer this highly advanced robotic technology,” said Dr. J. Scott Reid. “At Tulsa Bone and Joint, we strive to provide our patients access to cutting-edge technology. Our ultimate goal is to improve the patient experience at Tulsa Bone and Joint and Union Pines Surgery Center, and we believe this technology helps us achieve this goal.”
At Union Pines, patients can benefit from all of Tulsa Bone and Joint’s surgical expertise in a comfortable, outpatient setting. Joint replacements performed at Union Pines help patients avoid the hospital setting and are available at a lower cost than hospitals.
Patient Deborah Zombro with Dr. J. Scott Reid. Deborah was one of the first patients whose knee replacement involved the new Mako Robotics technology at Union Pines Surgery Center.
Dr. J. Scott Reid demonstrates the Mako technology.
At Tulsa Bone & Joint, our physical therapists can help minimize your back and neck pain with a customized treatment plan based on:
- Stretching and strengthening, which will help manage pain and accelerate tissue healing
- Proper posture and ergonomic principles to preserve the spine
- Apply passive modalities if needed: ice, heat, ultrasound, traction, electrical stimulation
- Education, to decrease the likelihood of future injuries
The physical therapists at Tulsa Bone & Joint Associates have advanced education and training for many common and not-so-common orthopedic conditions. Request an appointment online or call (918) 392-1482 today to schedule your appointment at our main campus in our Tulsa, Midtown Tulsa, Bartlesville, Owasso, or Sand Springs.
Kally Owen recently joined Tulsa Bone & Joint as a physical therapist on our main campus.
Kally holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and a minor in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. She earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Oklahoma.
“I love treating all orthopedic conditions and have added training in pelvic floor physical therapy, which allows me to treat my patients in a holistic manner in hopes of improving their functional abilities and adding value and meaning to their lives,” Kally says.
Outside of work, Kally enjoys spending time with her husband, Garrett, and their, dog, Woody, along with our family and friends.
“I am a ‘farmer’s daughter’ originally from Northwest Oklahoma and enjoy all things outdoors,” Kally says. “We love living in Tulsa and typically spend our free time trying out new attractions and restaurants that make us even more proud to call Tulsa our home.”
We’re so glad you’re on our team, Kally!
