In a March 2021 interview with Stu News, Mary Kate Saunders, owner of Mary Kate Saunders Physical Therapy, said, “I’ve never had a day when I didn’t want to come to work. I wish I could find something that I love as much as working.”
That something could very well be retirement. After four decades as a physical therapist – 23 of them as owner of Mary Kate Saunders Physical Therapy – Saunders is retiring and handing over the keys to new owners. Before starting her own practice in 2002 on the corner of Glenneyre and Cress streets, Saunders worked as an independent contractor for Laguna Beach Physical Therapy. In March 2020, she moved her practice to the present location.
Taking over the helm from Saunders are Dr. David Enfinger and Dr. Patrick Le in their new practice – MobilityRX Physical Therapy.
Enfinger and Le bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them. Dr. Enfinger earned both his Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California, one of the nation’s top-ranked physical therapy programs. He is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, fellowship trained in musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging and Certified in TPI golf screening.
Dr. Le brings a strong background in post-surgical rehab, strength and conditioning and athletic recovery. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from the University of St. Augustine in 2023. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in clinical movement science from California State University, Fullerton. His educational background has prepared him to deliver evidence-based physical therapy for a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.
Together they provide personalized one-on-one care focused on movement, strength and long-term wellness. Soon, they will be hiring a female physical therapist to join their team.
“They started in March,” Saunders said. “It’s been a great transition. Working for me for the past six months, they’ve seen how we treat and interaction with patients – how we hug. We have such an interesting and loving rapport with our patients.”
Saunder’s practice offers one-on-one treatment, so patients are only seeing a therapist, not an aide, and this is what she wanted to continue with the new owners. “It’s the quality of care and being seen by a therapist. I feel very blessed to have found people who wanted to do it the way that we have done it for so long,” she said.
In addition to Saunders, the women who populated this unique practice were Office Manager Lisa Gallas (who has been with Saunders for 17 years and will continue with the new practice) and Physical Therapist Mimi Bialek along with Physical Therapy Assistant Cindy Maul, who have already moved on. “In March, Cindy retired and then Mimi followed suit,” Saunders said.
Gallas is an extraordinary asset that, in this case, will come along with the practice. She knows everyone by name and is usually the instigator of the previously mentioned “hugs.” “Lisa will offer wonderful continuity,” Saunders said.
Why sell now? The time was right, Saunders said. “I looked at a couple different options for selling and nothing ever really panned out. A friend in town said she knew a young PT, a really good one, and thought I might be interested in talking to him because he was interested in buying the practice.” Although others had offered to buy the practice, everything just fell into place with Enfinger and Le. “It was divine intervention,” she said.
It will continue to be a “hands-on” clinic, working with a variety of diagnoses for pain, tendonitis, spine injuries, sciatica and radiculopathies, sports-related injuries, headaches, sports, performance training, pre- and post-surgical rehab, muscle strains and sprains and dislocations (to name a few). During treatment, they use patient education, manual therapy, individualized exercise programs and modalities.
“The reason I went into PT was that I wanted to go to medical school, originally, but I come from a family of seven children, and my parents would pay for four years of college for each of us and anything beyond that I would have to pay for myself,” Saunders explained in a previous interview. “One of my brothers was four years older and in medical school, and he had to join the military to pay for it…he discouraged me from going that route. I found PT instead and have never been sorry about the decision!”
Saunders will officially retire on October 16 and won’t be wasting any time starting a new chapter in her life. She and her husband Kirk, an architect in town (who is also retiring), will be embarking on another phase in life, launched by traveling to Vermont, Copenhagen, Spain and France (where they have a home).
However, Saunders admitted that although she’s retiring from her practice, she isn’t finished with physical therapy – maybe it could be teaching a class or some other endeavor. “I will always be involved somehow,” she said.
MobilityRX Physical Therapy is located at 906 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach, and is open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 949.494.2046, or email info@mobility-rx.com, or go to https://www.mobility-rx.com/.