SUMMIT Celebrates 15

The community is invited to the celebration on July 31 from 5 to 8 p.m.

For college friends Sean Cox and Bret McGuire and their wives, Kim Cox and Anissa McGuire, life revolves around family, faith, community and a business partnership. The two men are the co-owners of SUMMIT Physical Therapy, which will celebrate its 15th year in business this summer.

Sean and Bret met in physical therapy school, where they both earned degrees at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.  

Kim and Anissa met at Oklahoma State University. “We were sorority sisters,” Kim says. Anissa also attended physical therapy school with Sean and Bret. “They graduated together and all got jobs at St. John’s right out of school. I was also working in Tulsa.

Later, Sean was offered an opportunity to be the manager of the outpatient physical therapy department at the local hospital in Guyman, OK, his hometown. After a few years of living in Guyman, “Bret encouraged us to move to Rogers County,” says Kim. The Coxes felt it was a good time in their life to move back and be closer to Kim’s family in Bartlesville.

Fast forward to 1999, when the couples decided to take a leap of faith and open their own outpatient physical therapy clinic. “Kim was pregnant with her second child and I had just had my second child,” Anissa says, “but our families decided the time was right for us to go out on our own.” Bret adds, “I always wanted to own a company where I could surround myself with top notch people in a community where we could be an integral part of its life, not only professionally but also civically. It’s been a dream come true to do just that in my hometown.”
Sean, Bret, and Anissa had been working in their profession in different areas of the community, but deciding to give up a steady paycheck while beginning their families required faith. “We saw a need for additional rehabilitation services here in Rogers County,” Sean states. “We wanted to offer services that people were driving to Tulsa for and keep them closer to home.”
SUMMIT Physical Therapy was birthed in a 4,200-square-foot former movie theater located in the Ne-Mar Center.  When the rehab clinic opened on August 9, 1999, ten staff members served four outpatients that day. Today, the business has grown into three locations in Claremore, Catoosa and Pryor with 64 employees. SUMMIT also provides therapy in 13 schools in northeastern Oklahoma.

One of the services setting the business apart at the beginning was extended hours for working people to receive physical therapy before or after work, even if they commuted to Tulsa. “One of the most rewarding things about my profession is working with people who have had injury, surgery, or pain limitation and are doubtful of their ability to return to normal activity, sport, or work, and then do so after the therapy/rehab process,” states Sean Cox. Sean goes on to say, “It was exciting to be the first outpatient therapy provider to bring warm water pool therapy to Claremore. Aquatic therapy is beneficial to patients who are limited by pain or have difficulty bearing weight in an upright position, and is soothing on arthritic joints.” SUMMIT is still the only outpatient clinic in Rogers County providing aquatic rehab therapy.

Before constructing their current state-of-the-art, 10,500-square-foot facility on Blue Starr Drive in Claremore, SUMMIT relocated next to Reasor’s in the former Mega Movies building, where they renovated the 6,200-square-feet building to accommodate their growing business. In 2004, they also opened a pediatric facility on Sioux Street. Now, all of their rehab services are under one roof, allowing both pediatric and adult outpatients to take advantage of the aquatic pool.
SUMMIT will celebrate its 15-year anniversary on July 31 with a carnival-like atmosphere in the parking lot from 5 to 8 p.m. Snow cones, popcorn, cake, face painting, food trucks, music, freebies and (weather permitting) an inflatable slide in front of the pediatric clinic will be offered to everyone in the community to help them celebrate. “We’ll also be drawing for some great prizes,” says Marketing Director Delayna Trease. “We hope everyone, including former patients, will come out and help us celebrate.”

For more information, contact

SUMMIT Physical Therapy

1071 W. Blue Starr Dr., Ste. 105

Claremore, OK 74017

(918) 342-3800

www.ptsummit.com