Menu
Tish Kennedy Long, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Clinical Specialist
Tish Kennedy understood early in her career that building trust with patients was key to her ability to help them recover.
As a clinical specialist and Dr. of Physical Therapy, she works closely with Sentara Medical Group providers and the walk-in clinic team to provide patients with immediate physical therapy care for things like:
An experience in her first clinical rotation solidified Tish’s decision to become a physical therapist.
“I was seeing a patient in his 40s who had sprained his ankle jumping off a truck,” she recalls. “He was hurting and couldn’t walk without pain. I remember him looking at me, and his eyes said he wasn’t sure this young girl in front of him could make a difference.”
Tish knew that an ankle sprain wasn’t just a painful inconvenience for this patient. He was a laborer, homeless and living in shelters, and wouldn’t be able to return to work until he was able to be on his feet. Over time, Tish earned his trust through compassionate and skilled treatment and was able to help him reach his goal of walking without pain.
“On his last day he gave me a big hug and said thank you. Moments like that are what drive and inspire me,” Tish says.
Tish acknowledges that COVID-19 changed how healthcare is delivered, including physical therapy. She and others at the clinic have shifted to more telehealth appointments and even offered a Facebook Live session to the community to talk about the dangers of inactivity that can occur while working from home. As we continue to learn about the long-term effects of COVID in patients, she emphasizes that individual assessments and personalized care plans are even more important.
“I love that Sentara has embraced physical therapists as direct providers,” Tish says. “I also think it’s wonderful that we’ve opened a walk-in clinic that makes physical therapy even more accessible within our neighborhoods and communities.”
Tish Kennedy Long, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Clinical Specialist
Tish Kennedy understood early in her career that building trust with patients was key to her ability to help them recover.
As a clinical specialist and Dr. of Physical Therapy, she works closely with Sentara Medical Group providers and the walk-in clinic team to provide patients with immediate physical therapy care for things like:
An experience in her first clinical rotation solidified Tish’s decision to become a physical therapist.
“I was seeing a patient in his 40s who had sprained his ankle jumping off a truck,” she recalls. “He was hurting and couldn’t walk without pain. I remember him looking at me, and his eyes said he wasn’t sure this young girl in front of him could make a difference.”
Tish knew that an ankle sprain wasn’t just a painful inconvenience for this patient. He was a laborer, homeless and living in shelters, and wouldn’t be able to return to work until he was able to be on his feet. Over time, Tish earned his trust through compassionate and skilled treatment and was able to help him reach his goal of walking without pain.
“On his last day he gave me a big hug and said thank you. Moments like that are what drive and inspire me,” Tish says.
The Sentara Healthcare team is nearly 30,000 people strong, all working with a unified objective to create an environment of health and healing for our patients. Join us today.
Sentara is recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety and is strategically focused on innovation and creating an extraordinary health care experience for our patients and members.