Doriean Broady, 28
Doctor of physical therapy ’17
Physical therapist & owner, Optimal Home Rehab (Philadelphia)
Just a year out of graduate school, Doriean Broady started Optimal Home Rehab, an in-home, outpatient-therapy business to fill a glaring gap she noticed while working as a physical therapist: Many older patients, particularly in communities of color, fail to continue therapy in outpatient settings once in-home care ends because of the inconvenience, especially around transportation. At first, her mobile concierge practice was a side gig, but when the pandemic hit and Broady was furloughed last year from her physical therapy work at an agency, she took a chance, leaving her job to focus fulltime on Optimal. Now, the Medicare-certified private practice is flourishing, in large part because COVID-19 concerns have made folks reluctant to attend in-person therapy that involves waiting rooms and therapists working with multiple patients. Plus, who wouldn’t prefer the convenience of in-home therapy and one-on-one sessions? The team of eight, which includes occupational and speech therapists in addition to physical therapists, has grown to about 40 clients in Philadelphia and has a waitlist. Broady has designs to take her practice statewide and to develop brick-and-mortar geriatric wellness centers. Outside of work, she mentors high school students interested in healthcare through the College of Physicians educational outreach program for low-income, under-represented youth.
In her own words…
My Greatest Accomplishment: I’m proud of building a team of dynamic therapists to help fulfill my purpose of helping aging adults maximize their independence and functional status. I hope to continue to inspire future entrepreneurs to use their gifts and not let fear or doubt stop them from doing what they love.
How Drexel Helped Me: Drexel was pivotal in solidifying my career path as a physical therapist and a leader in the field. The connections I made at Drexel continue to help me grow my practice and give back to future physical therapists.
What Success Looks Like to Me: Success for me is being able to manage and grow my private practice and also be able to build a healthy family with my husband. My goal for the business is to be able to provide skilled rehabilitation services to aging adults throughout all of Pennsylvania.
How the Past Year Has Influenced Me: COVID-19 brought a lot of growth and demand for our services but presented a lot of restrictions on how we can safely deliver our services. The pandemic forced me to become innovative and creative to ensure the safety of our clients and therapists.
My Top Post-Pandemic Plan: I recently married my husband Reedi in a small, intimate ceremony September 2020. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to have a honeymoon, so I would love to be able to go to Bali once it’s safe to travel and vacation.