Jared Bridges, CPT, CSMS - clinic director, srd program director, student athlete performance coach
Jared and Hannah celebrated Bridges Therapy Group's grand opening in January of 2019. Jared’s first career, though, was in ministry. After graduating from Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Ministry, he joined the staff of a multi-site church where he had already been volunteering. During his years on staff with the church, he led a variety of ministry teams, over-seas mission efforts, and would travel on behalf of a church planting organization to help train and support church planters.“When church ministry was my full-time job, Hannah and I were always building and leading teams together. She’s always worked as a PT, but we would team up in ministry work whenever possible. I think we make a great team. After moving to Fayetteville in 2014, we spent nearly 4 years having entirely separate work lives. That was new to us. When we started dreaming about opening our own therapy clinic, I was excited at the thought of working together with her again. This time around, my work contributions help extend a platform for her gifts and abilities. She’s a talented therapist, I'm her biggest fan, and we both love kids. So, starting this clinic to serve the families of Northwest Arkansas has been a very fulfilling chapter in our story.”
Jared has always loved people and sports. Knowing there’s an ever-growing need for programs that assist student athletes, he and Hannah decided to develop Sport Recovery and Development Programs. Their SRD team includes physical therapists, an athletic trainer, and personal fitness trainers. They work collaboratively to develop individualized programs for each athlete, focusing on body mechanics and athletic performance.
About his role, Jared had this to say, “I enjoy creating processes that allow for efficent and organized operations. I love training student athletes. What's most fulfilling to me, though, is assembling a team of skilled, knowledgable people who are passionate about what they do while remaining others-focused. It creates a fun environment! And while our work feels like we’re living a dream, it also serves student athletes to help them with their dream of being the best, healthiest athletes they can be.”
HANNAH R. BRIDGES, PT, DPT - PHYSICAL THERAPIST, OWNER
Hannah grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2004. Since then, she’s accumulated 15 years of experience providing a variety of pediatric physical therapy services, including evaluations, treatment, home programming, orthotics, and equipment fittings.“One of the experiences I’ve enjoyed most throughout my career as a therapist was the opportunity to be a team member of the Neonatal Graduate Program with Northwest Health at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital. It was so rewarding! I enjoyed collaborating with neonatologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and dietitians. Working closely with them as a team provided unique, comprehensive care for at-risk infants and valuable support for their families.”
Hannah is a big believer in early intervention for children with special needs. She adds, “Therapy can totally change the way life is experienced by a child and that child’s family. The sooner a need in a child can be addressed, the sooner the life of that child is improved.”
Families that have experienced Hannah’s therapy services describe her as knowledgeable, energetic, warm, and fun. “We’re here to serve people. And if our job is serving the needs of other people, then let’s be relational. Let’s have fun when we can. Our team will work hard to provide valuable services. But more than that, we’re blessed by the families that find us! Thanks to the families that walk through our doors, it’s easy to remember the purpose behind what we do every day. We love the kids we work with and we celebrate when they hit their goals.”