Total healing. That’s the goal of Travis Bartelink, owner of OPTI, Orthopedic Physical Therapy Institute, in Modesto; something that the physical therapist and his staff strive to help every patient achieve.
“I initially worked in another clinic in Modesto but opened my own practice in 2014, going on six years now for our clinic,” Bartelink said of the 4028 Dale Road, Suite 101 office.
They are also expanding, getting ready to open a second location at Oakdale and Sylvan in Modesto.
A graduate of Escalon High School, Bartelink went on to four years of undergraduate work at UOP in Stockton to get his bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine and earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2008 from Azusa Pacific. He also is a board-certified sports therapist, the only one in this region.
An athlete at Escalon during his high school years, a basketball injury during his senior season required Bartelink to undergo physical therapy. He rated that experience as “very poor” and said it helped steer him in that direction for his own career, wanting to provide better physical therapy than he received.
He also knew he wanted to “stay involved in sports” even after school and helping keep athletes in optimum playing condition is one of the areas he covers in his practice. Bartelink has also served as the team trainer for the Escalon High School varsity football team – this year’s Division 4-A state champions – the past few seasons.
“Physical therapy got me back to sports but it’s only a small part of what we do,” Bartelink explained.
At OPTI, they also focus on pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, back and neck injuries, pain, work injuries, balance and fall prevention, orthopedic injuries, the sports rehabilitation and injury prevention, and have a wellness and gym program.
“A typical day would fluctuate on the patients we have,” Bartelink explained.
One patient might need assistance with rehabilitation following knee replacement surgery, another might benefit the most in the gym program, working with medicine balls to increase core strength and balance.
“We spend time with each and every one of our patients, we are the ones doing the hands-on work,” Bartelink said of himself, fellow physical therapist Tyler Finfrock and physical therapy assistant Dominic Valponi.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do,” Bartelink added of his entire staff, thanking them for their hard work and support. “I am seriously blessed with an awesome staff. People really enjoy coming to our clinic because of our staff and our team.”
Making sure they take time with each patient often limits the number of people they can see in a day, but Bartelink said the quality of care will always take precedence over the quantity of patients.
Also on the staff at the Dale Road clinic are Laura Mansfield, who runs the front office, and three aides, Christian Limas, Kelcie Camba and Chandler White.
The clinic utilizes “evidence-based treatment,” Bartelink explained, “to restore and maximize function” for all clients.
“Our mission is to provide treatment in a personal and professional environment focused on improving our patients’ optimal function.”
Patient education is also a key component, the physical therapist said, as he and his team believe providing clients with knowledge will help them both learn how to take better care of themselves and achieve their own individual goals.
As the only board-certified sports therapist locally, Bartelink has worked with athletes from multiple schools, highlighting both injury prevention and working to rehabilitate athletes from injury to get them back on the field or court. He often has found the athletes asking to ‘shadow’ him following completion of their course of treatment, as it sparked an interest in the physical therapy field for them.
Bartelink – who coached JV baseball at Escalon High School from 2009 to 2013, said he has enjoyed working with athletes from not only his alma mater but around the region.
“Getting back with the school (Escalon) I think has been a mutually beneficial relationship for all involved,” he added, noting that his older brother Nate serves as the EHS varsity basketball coach and the school’s Athletic Director.
Family, in fact, is the main reason the physical therapist came back to the area to establish his business.
“All my family is here and that’s a big thing for me, to be close to family because they helped me get where I am,” Bartelink said.
He admitted the “least favorite” part of his job is the amount of paperwork that comes along with it.
“The whole business aspect of it is the hardest, the actual running the practice, the documentation,” Bartelink said. “If I could just treat patients all day; that by far is the favorite thing I do. I love talking to people, working with people all day.”
Bartelink said that most of their marketing has come via word of mouth, as patients are referred to them and, in turn, tell other people about OPTI and the experience they had.
“We have developed a good relationship with local physicians and patients alike,” Bartelink said. “The reputation of our clinic has preceded itself … we are very blessed.”
Hours for OPTI are Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays 7 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call 209-312-9739 or visit www.optiphysicaltherapy.com.
