Simon Hargus owns and operates First Settlement Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy company with 48 clinics and 300 employees across OH and WV. Since taking over his family’s company in 2014, Simon has quadrupled its size with zero debt/backing. Simon has his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Ohio University and a Master’s Business Administration with an emphasis on Healthcare Administration from Western Governors University. He is married with two children and resides in Parkersburg, WV. He is active in federal advocacy and frequently gives guest lectures at Ohio University’s PT school.
Personal statement: I’m a second-generation PT. The profession and patient care have been dinner conversation in my family my entire life. I think the profession has a lot of opportunity to show we are MSK experts and are essential to saving downstream costs in all settings. However, I think there are many potential headwinds, including declining reimbursement rates, workforce deficits, term and title protection for the profession, and our general ability to have a seat at the table when dealing with payers and regulatory bodies. I want to bring the concerns of West Virginia PT practitioners and educators to the APTA. I also want to be more forward in expecting APTA to deliver objective results.
