Blood pressure rises. Anxiety increases. Pain escalates. A visit to the doctor can cause subtle, insidious and sometimes tangible reactions. Founded by CEO Dr. Allen R. Jones, PT, DPT, Dominion Physical Therapy & Associates’ (DPT) goal is to provide a home-like atmosphere where patients feel welcomed and relaxed. With a convivial, strong handshake and a broad and genuine smile, Jones — and his staff — confirms patients have come to the right place.
Founded in 1990, DPT has six offices throughout Hampton Roads. Each office offers that same warm, friendly, reassuring comfort evinced in the greeting tendered by Jones and the front office staff. Each associate — Jones doesn’t view his medical staff as employees but as part of his extended family — is fully invested in the success of DPT and its patients.
Every associate, from the receptionist to the therapists, is fully vetted to ensure they exude the same warmth and devotion to patients as Jones and are welcomed fully into what Jones considers family. That care and compassion begins in the front office. Carlene Johnson, Jones’s right hand for nearly 32 years, ensures the front office in Hampton provides a genial welcome, where she supervises daily administrative functions.
The loyalty Jones provides his associates has ensured they remain fully invested in DPT, reducing staff turnover and creating a continuity that reassures patients. In Jones’s words, “Movement is a privilege. Our goal is to ensure our patients leave here with the ability to manage their pain, and in many cases, to be pain-free. Because of our empathy, encouragement and care, we increase the ability to move and uplift our patients so that a terrible day becomes a positive day.”
In particular, that feeling of empathy extends to the children. A trip to the doctor or physical therapist can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Not so at Dominion Pediatric Therapy & Associates. Providing a complete array of pediatric services including, but not limited to, physical and occupational therapy, Jones’s pediatric services are offered in the clinic at Oyster Point as well as in home settings, preschools and play groups.
Pediatric therapist Kristin Slezak began her career volunteering at Dominion Pediatric Therapy, where she has happily practiced pediatric therapy for 22 years. Her devotion to children and their recovery is evidenced by the loyal parents who trust her to care for their children year after year. According to Slezak, “Children feel like they are coming to the therapist’s home.” This relaxed atmosphere and continuity of service provides a feeling of safety for the children — Slezak’s oldest patient is 19 and has visited her clinic since the age of two.
Slezak’s loyalty to Dominion Pediatric Therapy and Jones is not unique among the staff. Many of Jones’s associates have been with him for more than a decade and some for nearly a quarter of a century. Dr. Louise Jefferson, PT, DPT, clinical director of the Denbigh Office, has been with DPT for more than 24 years. Jefferson’s goal is to develop a warm connection with her patients, and she exudes that same warmth, empathy and encouragement as Jones.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Connecticut, Jones graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1987. He has made his home — and his mark — here in Hampton Roads. His community-minded approach to healing has seen him receive several awards including Role Model of the Year by the Virginia Peninsula Chapter of 100 Black Men and appointment to the Virginia State Board of Physical Therapy by then-Governor Terry McAuliffe. Additionally, Jones has served on several boards throughout the community.
An avid reader who enjoys boating and jovial conversation with friends, family and associates, Jones is particularly proud of his family. He likes to say he lives vicariously through their accomplishments, and his family is equally proud of his triumphs and successes. The warmth that envelops the hallways of his clinics is replicated at home where he and his wife are proud to say they are not empty nesters but “open nesters” with their children visiting as their schedules permit.
TO THE POINT:
Dominion Physical Therapy & Associates
Hampton: 304 Marcella Rd., Ste. E, Hampton, VA 23666
Phone: 757-825-9446
Newport News: 729 Thimble Shoals Blvd., Ste. 4C, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 757-873-2932
Contact: Allen Jones, president
Website: www.dompt.com
