Performance Optimal Health

We're excited to announce two new members of our mental performance team, Sarah Sutin and Zachary Hojnacki! Sarah Sutin, MS, CMPC, is a mental performance consultant who works with individual athletes, teams, coaches, and parents. She works with all levels from competitive youth, to collegiate and professional athletes. She has made an impression as one of the first mental performance consultants working with the United Soccer League. Zachary Hojnacki, MS, Ph.D., is a mental performance consultant who specializes in incorporating mindfulness and anxiety management strategies into high performance athletic environments. Zac has over five years of private mental performance coaching experience working with individual athletes and teams and he currently serves as an adjunct professor of psychology at Iona University, and currently teaches child and adolescent psychology.

After the boom in usage of weight loss inhibitors last year by the likes of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and more, it's time to take a step back and look at how these new medications have changed our healthcare landscape. Personal Trainer Brendan Copley, MBA, ATC, LAT, CSCS, PPSC and Nutritionist Ashley Jerry, MS, tackle the important questions of who should be taking these GLP-1 Agonist medications, concerns to watch out for, what to think about when coming and off the medication, and finally, what other healthy habits should be incorporated into the process to ensure clients stay healthy and achieve the results they were looking for. Listen to the latest episode of Optimal Health Uncovered here, or wherever you get your podcasts! https://lnkd.in/eSkgXa6f

We are excited to announce we have recently welcomed two new physical therapists to our team! Please meet Kayleigh McComb, DPT, and Pam Sbarra, DPT, both joining our Greenwich location. Both Pam and Kayleigh have been active parts of their communities, volunteering for Abilis or providing injury prevention screens for young athletes, so we are grateful to have added two kind and incredibly talented individuals to our team.

We're excited to announce that we have new members of our women's health team! Physical therapist Madeline Mazoue and personal trainer Stephanie Soete recently received their Pregnancy and Postpartum Performance and Fitness Specialist certifications, and massage therapists Clare Wilson, Anne Triano, Deirdre Otto, and Angela Leite obtained Prenatal Massage certifications. We aim to continue to expand our women's health offerings across specialties and locations to best support our clients across their lifespans. You can learn more about women's health at Performance here: https://lnkd.in/eQhhbbMp

We've got some exciting news about some of our physical therapists! Our Hamden Site Lead, Renee Lascarides, is officially a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist; this is a certification only 6% of physical therapists have and we are proud to say Renee is now part of that highly-specialized cohort. Jonathon M. is now a Certified Special Populations Specialist and Board Certified Geriatric Specialist — of which there are only 4,000 in the U.S., an impressive feat. Congratulations, Renee and Jon!

We are excited to announce the next step in Performance's evolution! Experience a 10,000 sq. ft space featuring the same experts and premium facilities, with an integrated membership model designed to help you define your optimal health. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eEY7edvJ #membership #gym #club #optimalhealth #fitnessclub

We are pleased to announce that Performance Optimal Health's Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program is now accepting residents! We are excited for our team to provide professional development and support for new residents. Huge thank you to Britt Gunsser, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS for spearheading this effort, along with Elisa L. for all of her support throughout the process. More to come!

In our latest episode of Optimal Health Uncovered, host and physical therapist Michael Beecher, PT, DPT, is joined by fellow physical therapist and TPI certified golf expert Michael Semancik, PT, DPT, OCS, TPI-M2, and John Schmoll, director of junior golf at Burning Tree Country Club, who has decades of experience working with golfers of all ages and helping them improve their golf game. The trio share their perspective across all ages, explaining why Titleist Performance Institute golf screens are essential to establish a baseline and pave the path forward for the most efficient golf swing possible. The screen includes mobility and stability tests, as well as an in-depth look at biomechanics and swing inefficiencies. They also explain a team approach to the golfer is key — assembling a team of golf trainers, golf pros, physical therapists, mental performance consultants, and nutritionists will set the golfer up for success across all aspects of health and performance. Listen to Optimal Health Uncovered wherever you get your podcasts!

As healthcare providers and wellness specialists, one of our core values is being Teachers and Scholars. One of the ways we actively promote continued education is through monthly Grand Rounds, in which we often collaborate with other healthcare professionals. Today, we held two GRs: the first was for personal trainers, led by Carter Bushway and Nicholas DiMeglio on the topic of creating fitness programming and incorporating progressions. In our second GR, Dr. Eliana Cardozo, DO, FAAPMR, CAQSM from ONS joined our physical therapy team to present on ultrasound-guided procedures and interventional spine and sports medicine. We want to thank everyone who participated, especially Dr. Cardozo for joining us to lend her expertise!

We're excited to present part one of our Women & Wellness series on our podcast, Optimal Health Uncovered. Host Michael Beecher sat down with pelvic floor physical therapist Danielle Pasquale PT, DPT and nutritionist Koren Bradshaw to discuss why setting yourself up for success as early as possible is crucial, and why those early years matter so much. They dive into bone health during adolescence and young adulthood, emphasizing a balanced approach to eating and body positivity to prevent future issues. Transitioning into the realm of childbirth, they share insights on the significance of pre/postnatal fitness, safe nutrition practices, and pre/postpartum pelvic health. In part two, we will explore the later years, including perimenopause and menopause, and how to achieve longevity. Listen to our latest episode of Optimal Health Uncovered wherever you get your podcasts! #womenshealth #pelvicfloor #pregnancycare #nutrition #prenatalcare #postnatalcare #childbirth #lactationsupport