Launched in March by founder and physical therapist Samantha Navins, PT, DPT, CEAS, Industrial Health Partners is transforming how local employers approach workplace health and employee performance. The company offers onsite physical therapy and ergonomic solutions that reduce company spending on workplace compensation claims and empower employees to feel their best on and off the job. 

Navins got her start in industrial physical therapy working for a Utah-based company. When she moved back to Wisconsin six years ago, she realized that there was a gap in the local market.  

“I really like to push boundaries and figure out what we can do to better healthcare…” said Navins. “I realized that there wasn’t something out there in Milwaukee the way that I wanted it to be, and I like to be creative so I thought I might as well just do it on my own.”  

Industrial Health Partners provides three main services: onsite physical therapy, ergonomic training and job task analysis as well as virtual injury consultation. 

“The most common things that I see are really the repetitive overuse injuries,” said Navins. “When someone goes to lift something heavy, they know they’re going to lift something heavy, so they think smart. They know that they may have had body mechanics training and things before in order to protect themselves. But when it’s this light, repetitive motion, they don’t think about it. And where our injuries tend to happen is when we’re not being cognizant of our movement and when we’re just kind of rushing through things.” 

A common repetitive overuse injury is a sprain. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data shows that the current estimated direct cost an employer would have to pay to manage a sprain is $30,487. In this scenario, employers could save thousands of dollars by using the services provided by Industrial Health Partners. 

Navins analyzes a company’s injury rates and employee volume. Based on this data, she will recommend a certain number of hours per week for onsite services. Navins has seen a positive impact of this work firsthand. Before launching Industrial Health Partners, she provided industrial physical therapy services to a company for two years. In that time, she saved the company over $900,000 in combined direct and indirect costs.  

However, saving money is only a small part of why companies should consider onsite services. Navins emphasized the importance of accessibility. 

During her time in Utah, Navins worked as an industrial physical therapist within a food manufacturing facility. She recalled one employee who was working 12-hour shifts just months away from delivering a child.  

“She didn’t have the time. She also didn’t have the financial means or the transportation resources to stop work and go to different appointments, like physical therapy,” said Navins. “She was working on her feet all day long to support her family.” 

The employee met with Navins once a week onsite instead. Navins helped alleviate some of the employee’s back and foot pain through various physical therapy exercises.  

“The workforce is changing. As people are getting older, as younger generations are coming in, people really need musculoskeletal support to help them feel better,” said Navins. “Giving people that direct access to care so that they feel better not only at work, but at home, I think is a really great way just to change the workforce in general.”  

As Navins looks to the future of Industrial Health Partners, she is energized by two goals.  

She hopes to work at a corporate consulting level, partnering directly with parent companies and then extending this care to all subsidiary companies. Navins would also like to welcome other physical therapists to the team to help with onsite programming.  

To learn more about Industrial Health Partners, visit https://industrialhealthpartners.com/