Meet Stephanie Wakeman of OneStep

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Wakeman.  

Hi Stephanie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story has many twists and turns! My path towards a doctorate in physical therapy was long and winding, involving a career change and several college admissions! Right out of high school, I started at a community college and transferred to the University of Michigan to study microbiology. During the summers throughout my college years, I interned as a research assistant and worked on a project to develop a drug for colorectal cancer. After a couple of years of working in this industry, I realized I wanted to spend more time with people and less time in a lab, so I decided to return to grad school for a degree in physical therapy. I’ve always had a passion for science, medicine, and exercise, so this field seemed like a perfect fit for me. 

My physical therapy career slowly evolved as I balanced family life and raising children, all while my husband and I moved several times. Each new experience fueled a hunger to elevate my level of expertise and incorporate new evidence, linking lifestyles and mind-body connections to health. I’ve always been intrigued by new technologies in medicine and longed to find ways to incorporate this knowledge into physical therapy. Luckily, after a couple of years of seeking out new ways to practice and networking with a variety of professionals, I landed my first job position in telehealth. That opportunity connected me with OneStep, and I’m thrilled to have an active role in marrying innovation with best practices in healthcare. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been anything but smooth. There were many detours and road bumps along the way. However, when we go off the beaten path, we find ourselves in places we didn’t expect, which opens up a whole new world. Sometimes those new worlds are in harmony with our passions, and sometimes they aren’t, but it’s a learning experience either way. 

The healthcare field has many challenges, especially in an area of the profession where the full value of what you can do is not recognized by healthcare itself, payors, regulators, or the general public. Sometimes these challenges seem insurmountable, but the flip side of that coin is that it forces you to innovate, and that is where meaningful change can happen. The founders of OneStep are brilliant innovators bringing needed change. 

Physical therapy is not just for postoperative or post-injury impairments. Physical therapists are primary providers for neuromusculoskeletal care. We can provide direction on everything from improving fitness levels to aging gracefully with independence. Life is an athletic event for all of us, and we need a certain level of cardiorespiratory fitness to do everything from household chores to competitive sports. Physical therapists have the level of education to address multiple medical problems and collaborate with physicians and other health care providers to improve one’s ability to live a high-quality life. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about OneStep?
OneStep is an app-based digital physical therapy service. OneStep has the remarkable ability to analyze your walking pattern or gait in just 45 seconds with a smartphone in your pocket. Gait is considered a “sixth vital sign” because it is a “window into your future health.” We also use gait as an objective measure for one’s recovery from lower limb injuries and surgeries. At OneStep, we value the expertise of our clinicians, who are all doctors of physical therapy, that are committed to evidence-based care to help people achieve their goals. Unlike a lot of digital health services that rely on algorithms to determine your course of care, OneStep uses science to analyze data, but the clinician will personalize one’s care episode by utilizing a whole-body approach to recovery. We specialize in orthopedic, neurological, and geriatric physical therapy. Our unique gait analysis and exercise prescription set us apart from other digital therapy services. All the elements one needs for their recovery journey from start to finish are in a user-friendly app, complete with real people to support one through the process. 

We are very proud of our customer service and visually appealing app. We are committed to excellence during every step of the process making healthcare easy, barrier-free, and dare I say enjoyable! 

Many digital health companies rely on health coaches, who are not licensed professionals, to perform the day-to-day interactions with patients. OneStep recognizes the value and knowledge that a licensed physical therapist cannot be replaced with a coach. Therefore, all patient health is in the hands of a professional from start to finish. OneStep’s vision is to empower the patient to be in charge of their own care. We provide the tools, knowledge, and empathy to assist patients to heal themselves. We follow patients along the recovery journey to help them overcome the hurdles and celebrate the success of meeting their goals. Some telehealth companies rely solely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to decide when and how to progress a patient’s rehabilitation. At OneStep, we believe the human factor is irreplaceable, and patients can feel good knowing that a highly trained licensed practitioner is involved throughout their full episode of care. 

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Most states allow direct access to a physical therapist without a doctor’s referral. The next time you experience back pain, joint or muscle pain, consider seeking physical therapy. A good physical therapist will recognize if the problem requires a referral elsewhere and will collaborate with other healthcare providers to ensure patients get the appropriate plan of care. Oftentimes, people are not aware that a physical therapist is qualified to assess and treat a mild acute injury. Seeking a physical therapist first can eliminate an extra trip to the doctor or urgent care center, saving patients time and money. 

The next time you wake up with a stiff neck or sore back, or you twist an ankle playing with your kids, consider reaching out to a physical therapist for consultation on the next steps. A physical therapist will know if the condition is something that needs urgent attention by a physician or if it can be addressed with self-management, guided by their expertise in the musculoskeletal system. 

Pricing:

• We offer very affordable plans: The Plus Plan is $35/month and is perfect if you’ve finished your course of care but want a bit more. It includes a personal recovery plan, around-the-clock chat with your assigned licensed physical therapist, and real-time feedback with personalized progress reports.
• The Premium Plan is $95/month and offers everything included in the Plus Plan, but with unlimited one-on-one meetings with your assigned physical therapist, outcome reports for you and your provider, live group sessions with other patients, and more! You can check out OneStep for more information.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.onestep.co

Image Credits
OneStep