About Us

Fatima Hakeem PT

SUMMARY

I have worked in women's health for over 28 years and have successfully implemented and grown two such service lines "from scratch".  

My focus as a manager is on developing teams with a common goal and facilitating the professional development of my team members. I enjoy the challenge of setting up new practices.   I teach seminars in a variety of settings and speak at national conferences sponsored by the APTA, Section on Women's Health and other companies.   I consult with hospital-based practices and private clinics seeking to develop women's health programs or enhance their customer service and marketing.

WORK HISTORY

7/99 - date
Director, Fitness & Therapy Center, Woman's Hospital of Texas Houston.

Established and grew this niche physical therapy program.   Scope of services includes management of incontinence and pelvic pain syndromes, back pain and other orthopedic dysfunctions in pregnancy and post partum; fibromyalgia, lymphedema management and rehabilitation after breast surgery.   Patient and physician satisfaction scores in physical therapy are 98%; employee satisfaction scores are 4.71/5 amongst the top 1% in the hospital.   Productivity targets have been met and exceeded.  

I have developed marketing tools, patient education materials; written and implemented Standards of Practice to meet regulatory requirements.   I am now focused on outcomes oriented documentation tools to streamline the service and ensure success in this managed care environment.

Modified the face of the existing Fitness Center towards becoming a "medical fitness facility" specializing in women's health.   These cash based programs are thriving and include Mother Baby Exercise Classes (aerobics and yoga), prenatal Yoga.   Massage therapy services focus on infant and pregnancy massage and recently on inpatient/bedside massage which is proving profitable.   Personal training/ Pilates training for the childbearing year is another unique and successful niche. The Fitness Center has shown a 50% increase in profitability as a result of these new services/programs.

Administrative responsibilities include fiscal management, marketing, business development, congruence with CMS regulations, human resource management, educating physicians, nurses and other ancillary staff.

My challenge has been to sell these services to physicians and patients - take the obscure idea of a facility that has women's health physical therapy, health promotion and wellness services for women and make it a reality.

TEACHING AND CONSULTING

Ongoing

In the past year I have taught seminars on marketing and customer service. I serve as a guest lecturer at Texas Women's University.

I host and teach a seminar at my home each year (Bed and Breakfast seminars) on Starting Up/Growing your Women's Physical Therapy Practice.

I consult at Hospitals, private clinics in a variety of ways.   Training, development of services and related materials, start-up, short and long term business planning for a comprehensive women's program.

8/90 - 2/99
Manager of Physical Therapy, Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA

Established and grew this unique physical therapy service for women.   The program included inpatient, outpatient, educational and wellness programs for women.   Developed and integrated "OB Back School" and postpartum "Backs, Bellies and Bottoms" into the Hospital's menu of childbearing classes for expectant mothers.

Developed several multidisciplinary booklets and audio visual aids for patient education. These include OB Back School, Bottom Line on Kegels, Recovering After Abdominal Surgery, Breast Surgery Rehab, After Baby Comes (postpartum). These can be viewed at the website www.womans.com .   These products are being sold nationwide           

1981 - 1990
Association of Physical Therapy Services, Baton Rouge.

Owned this private practice for 10 years.   Included office based private practice, contracted services to a rural Hospital and home health agency.   Sold the practice to specialize in Women's health.

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

•  Currently elected to serve as Secretary of the Section on Women's Health (SOWH), APTA, 2001-2006.   This is an Executive Board member position. Won national award for unique programs for recruitment and retention of members/volunteers.

•  Elected to be Public Relations Chairman SOWH 1991-1994.   Publications won national awards every year.

•  Contributing writer to Gynecological Manual for Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorders (wrote three chapters) published by the SOWH.   This is the manual that is being sold by our national association to its members as a resource for evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions.

•  Contributing writer (2 chapters) to women's health physical therapy text- book to be published in 2005.   Topics are Start up and marketing and Billing and Reimbursement.

•  Contributing editor/writer of several women's health education brochures published by the APTA and the Section on Women's Health.

•  Cover Feature Story on women's health and physical therapy in PT Magazine, September 1996 and June 2000.   Cover story Texas Medical Center News 12/00.   Featured in several other articles in ADVANCE for physical therapists and other newspapers.

•  Wrote 250-page manual THE BUSINESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY which is being well received by clinicians looking to start or enhance their women's health practice.

•  Wrote the home study module for the Section on Women's Health 2/01 MARKETING INTERVENTIONS WITH POSITIVE OUTCOMES.

•  Developed documentation tools for high volume women's health diagnoses including Incontinence, Chronic Pelvic Pain and OB Back Pain, 7/00.

•  Wrote Pelvic Floor Policies and Procedures Manual 2/99 and updated 1/02 to meet JCAHO guidelines.

•  Wrote Inpatient Standards of Care for Ob/gyn diagnoses in 2/99 and updated 4/02 to meet JCAHO guidelines.   All of these products are being sold nationally.

•  Leader - Physician Satisfaction Team 2002-2003, Woman's Hospital of Texas, Houston.

•  DDI trained facilitator 5/2002 (trainer for leadership development)

•  Targeted Selection Trainer 1/03 (for employee recruitment and retention)

CONTINUING EDUCATION (partial list) 2003-2004

•  Adult Bowel Dysfunction; Pediatric Bowel and Bladder Dysfunction

•  Pelvic Floor Intermediate- chronic pelvic pain, bowel dysfunctions.

•  Physical Therapy Combined Sections Meeting each year.

•  Customer Service

•  Billing and Coding for Medicare and women's health.

•  Healthcare Marketing

•  Private Practice Section Conference 2004

PERSONAL

Married, two children ages 23 and 18. My son is in medical school and my daughter is at UT Austin. Enjoy traveling to quiet, scenic places, watching grizzly bears and whales, and reading, cooking for and planning parties and entertaining.

Riaz Hakeem MBA

Instrumentation Engineer worked 20 years in the Nuclear Industry. Recieved his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Houston 1979. Currently works in Investing.