New therapist settles in

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
In October of last year, physical therapist and Oregon native Jenna Stone started working for Weston County Health Services in the physical therapy department. 
According to a press release from WCHS, Stone grew up in Coquille, Oregon. Her involvement with physical therapy began when she was just a child, after a bad accident kindled her passion for physical therapy. 
Stone broke her femur bone when she was run over, she said, and due to the extent of the injury, she was in a full body cast for several months. She then needed to go through intensive physical therapy to recover and regain her strength after the injury. 
However, Stone didn’t always know that she would pursue a career in physical therapy. She knew she wanted to do something in the medical field, but when she started undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, she wanted to be a heart surgeon. 
After a while, she realized that wasn’t the route she wanted to take, she said, so she explored other areas of the medical field and shadowed different medical personnel. After she and her mom discussed the impact that physical therapy had on their lives after Stone’s accident, she decided to look into that field. 
“I just started shadowing PT’s (physical therapists), and it was just kind of the perfect fit,” Stone said. 
Stone got her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in May 2020. 
“While going to school in Utah, she interned at several different places, gaining a wide range of knowledge from Hand and Orthopedic Specialists in Bountiful, Intermountain Medical Center in Provo, Pediatrics Intermountain Medical Center in Saint George, and TOSH Outpatient Neuro in Salt Lake City,” the press release states. 
After passing her boards, Stone said, she started her job search and applied at numerous places. One place she applied to in Utah couldn’t bring her in for an interview because of the number of experienced physical therapists seeking jobs there, but they gave her information on other jobs available, which is how she learned about Newcastle.
One thing that attracted Stone to physical therapy is the personal aspect of it. It’s important to really get to know her patients, she said, and “tailor” their treatment to their unique needs and goals. 
“Being able to sit down and get to know my patients is by far my favorite aspect of my job,” Stone said. 
Stone’s future hopes and plans include working in a pediatric clinic. One of her rotations in school was at a pediatric clinic, she said, and she loved working with the kids. She loved helping children with everything from developmental issues they were born with to accidents. 
“Kids are just so resilient and so incredible,” Stone said, noting that it was rewarding to find ways to help children and work with their parents at the same time. 
Stone said she is excited to continue getting to know the community and explore the area, and she’s also looking forward to helping the people of Newcastle with their various physical therapy needs.