It was the perfect surprise.
“Not a clue,” said Chelsey Ferguson, PT, DPT, Clinic Manager/Savanna, Il., when asked if she knew before the announcement if she was Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s 2024 Christmas Tie recipient.
Ferguson claimed the prestigious honor at the recent Rock Valley Christmas Party, held at the gorgeous Stern Center (Rock Island, Il.)
“I honestly forgot about the Christmas Tie until (2022 recipient) Wendy (Bloomhuff), PT, DPT, OCS, CSMT, TPS, announced for (2023 recipient) Jordan (DeNeve), Regional Manager, PT, DPT, OCS, to come up to present,’’ Ferguson added.
It was not until DeNeve – after asking all past Christmas Tie recipients in attendance to stand – began sharing her thoughts on Ferguson – did the thought that such a special honor might be coming her way.
“Hopefully, I am not the only one that feels this way, but when people are up talking about someone, we all think “hey, that sounds like me,” but the more they talk, we realize it’s about someone else,” Ferguson said. “The more Jordan was talking; I was trying to convince myself she was not talking about me. I was in shock. I have seen the other people that have won it since I have been here, and did not think that it was a possibility. I am beyond grateful and humbled. There are so many people that I look up to on the back of the tie and I am pretty amazed I can add my name to that list.’’
The Rock Valley Christmas Tie first became known when Steve Layer, company founder received it as a gift from a patient from Moline, Il. Verna Trevor was so taken with Layer’s care and compassion, that she surprised him – during the holiday season — with a red, Christmas-themed tie.
Layer wore the tie for a couple of years and received a bevy of compliments from staff and patients alike.
Layer then decided he would pass along the tie to the Rock Valley staffer that best exemplified the values and standards of Rock Valley in and away from company clinics. The ceremony was held at the annual Christmas party. Greg Blaske, PT, FAAOMPT, Rock Valley’s longest tenured therapist, was the first person outside Layer to receive the Rock Valley Christmas Tie.
The passing of the Christmas Tie continues to this day.
“The perfect choice,” DeNeve said of Ferguson. “She absolutely bleeds Rock Valley blue. She is hard-working, loyal, and selfless. She is the kind of therapist you want to send your family to. She is the kind of supervisor you want your best friend to work for. She started in a location that was a bit of a drive, but that really needed some help. While there, this rockstar quickly grew a devout following and meaningful practice.’’
DeNeve said Ferguson has done magnificent work leading the Savanna clinic.
“The opportunity arose to move home and take over managing the clinic close to her hometown three years ago,” DeNeve said. “In that location, she has taken a smaller clinic with a shrinking population and grown remarkably amongst a plethora of variables and potential adversity. And while that is cool, what makes her this year’s recipient is not the what, but the how. She accomplished all of that, while consistently looking for ways to develop and enrich those around her. She created an environment where people love to come to work, and patients send everyone they know to experience. She is the first one you think of when you are in a bind and need a little help. She is the first one to volunteer and always with a smile and presence that makes you feel at ease.’’
A Mount Carroll, Il. native, Ferguson joined the Rock Valley family in 2016.
“When I was interviewing for PT jobs, Rock Valley just had a different feel,” Ferguson said. “The more I have learned over my career, I have come to determine how amazing Rock Valley is and how lucky I am to be a part of it. Being therapist-owned and patient-centered are such important aspects of an organization and would not want to work anywhere else. I am so thankful for Jordan and everything that she has done for me. I look up to her more than she will ever know and so honored that she chose me for this.’’
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller