Livonia Franklin grad passionate about healing injured patients
Pryde Athletics Physical Therapy physical therapist Vanita Koepke is pictured inside the businesss recently opened Northville facility
The world can never have enough healers with the passion of Vanita Koepke, a 2005 graduate of Livonia Franklin whose life-long love of athletics has guided her to a fulfilling career as a physical therapist for Pryde Athletics & Physical Therapy.
Surrounded by free weights state-of-the-art physical rehab equipment inside Pryde’s new facility at 17783 Haggerty Road (Unit B), Koepke recently talked about the love she has for her job, in which no two days (or patients) are alike.
“Helping people rehabilitate from their injuries is in my blood,” said Koepke, who played soccer, tennis and ran at Franklin. “There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone who has suffered an injury — no matter how severe — regain their independence and return to as normal of life as they had pre-injury.”
A graduate of Wayne State University, Koepke joined Pryde earlier this year following a successful career as a physical therapist for Corewell Health.
Pryde & Joy
“I love working at Pryde because this place just has a different vibe,” said Koepke. “From my first day on the job, I’ve loved the environment (Pryde CEO) Ivan (Ankwatsa) has created here. The collaboration between the physical therapists, strength-and-conditioning coaches and personal-training experts is so collaborative. I love the teamwork here.”
Koepke assists everyone from young athletes who suffered minor to significant injuries that sidelined them at least temporarily, to patients who have suffered neurological-focused setbacks that leave them with a goal to simply walk again with a cane.
“I love all my patients, which is why I’m here,” she said. “Every patient, every day, is different, which is why we are constantly learning more about treatments and procedures.”
Inspiring anecdote
When asked for an anecdote that reflects the intangible rewards she reaps from working as a physical therapist, Koepke talked about George, who went from experiencing hip pain to being restricted to a wheelchair.
“He has had multiple surgeries and procedures and his affected leg,” she explained. “George comes in here twice a week ready to work, ready to get better.
“His goal is to be able to move on from a walker and be able to walk comfortably with a cane. Just witnessing patients like George’s determination is very inspiring.”
Ankwatsa said Koepke has all the attributes necessary to be an effective physical therapist.
“Vanita is well-educated in physical therapy and she never wants to stop learning,” he said. “She’s knowledgeable about her profession and she truly cares about her patients’ rehabilitation. What more could you want in a PT?”
She loves her hometown
Koepke has fond memories of growing up in Livonia.
“What I love the most about Franklin is the community’s grit and work ethic,” she said. “I was able to learn from great teachers and coaches, a lot of whom had something to do with the success I’m experiencing now in the field of physical therapy.”
Koepke embraced a career in PT after job shadowing a therapist post-college.
“The first thing I learned from that was the diversity of treatments and rehabilitation,” Koepke said. “Every patient is different, so we have to be creative to come with a game plan that best fits their needs.
Collaboration the key
“That’s where the collaboration with my colleagues comes into play because we’ll sit down and talk about different ways to treat everyone who comes in here.”
Koepke’s husband, Michael, is also a physical therapist. The couple reside in Farmington Hills.
Ed Wright can be reachedat 734-664-4756 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
