Health Care Professionals Return To Their Roots To Set Up Shop
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Who says you can’t go home again?
Some of the area’s newest health-care providers aren’t new at all; they’re area residents who, after school, went to work in other parts of the country. And, after a while, decided to come back home, bringing high-quality care with them.
After finishing chiropractic school in the Atlanta area, Karen Miller began to practice there. It was a great experience, she says, but eventually the desire to be near family and other considerations brought her to Johnstown, where she opened Back to Health Chiropractic Center in May 2007.
“I wanted to be closer to my roots, “ Miller says. “I’m from Gloversville, but I had worked as an engineering designer in Florida for several years before going back to school. I’ve been gone 26 yeas, so it’s nice to be back.”
The legendary Atlanta traffic has made her very grateful to be able to get across town in five minutes, and the ease with which she’s made professional ties in the community also has been beneficial.
“Things are going nicely and growing the way I want them to,” Miller says of her business. “This has been a nice place to start fresh, and I feel like my services are needed here as well. I feel very confident about running a business here, and it’s very rewarding helping people to feel better.”
Things are much the same for Brad Dunlap, who opened Dunlap Chiropractic in February 2006 after completing his professional training. When he was looking at returning to the region, he contacted the Fulton County Economic Development Corp. and was pleased at how quickly things fell into place.
“They were building a new facility for the Crossroads Incubator, and I was able to get a suite there,” Dunlap says. “It’s been a great place to practice.”
From his Johnstown office, he sees people throughout the area and says that being able to give back to his community has been one of the greatest rewards he’s reaped so far.
“This area really is underserved in this field, and so it’s been really great. It’s nice to be in a small community where people trust and depend on you. I’m really enjoying it.”
Brad’s wife, Tamara, has opened a thriving dental practice in Johnstown. Together with two sons, they make their home in Broadalbin.
Area residents also benefit from the services of Matthew Goodemote, who opened what is now Community Physical Therapy & Wellness four years ago. The facility offers everything from a heat therapy pool and specific types of massage all the way to nutrition consultants, a gym facility and a wide array of classes and workshops. Next up will be a variety of programs to address workers’ compensation issues, including a room devoted to work conditioning and other specific treatments and programs.
“My family lives in the area, and every time I came back I saw the need for my kind of training,” says Goodemote, who is schooled in the McKenzie Method. “And we’ve gone from three to 30 employees, and will be adding more, so it’s been a tremendous success.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Wes Aldridge
