New physical therapist Emily Herndon opens her doors in Plains

Even though Emily Herndon is originally from a town called Boring, Ore. her life has been anything but as her schooling and work has taken her from Oregon to Kentucky to California and finally now to Plains.

Herndon is the new owner and physical therapist for Plains Physical Therapy on Hubbard Street. She started looking into buying the practice in June and had her official first working day on Tuesday Sept. 2.

"It has just been a whirlwind," Herndon said.

Herndon went to Murray State University in Murray, Ky. for her undergraduate work and then went to the University of Montana to get her graduate degree in 2006.

After graduation Herndon left Montana for California to work for Bones Physical Therapy, a small private practice in a tiny town right outside of Yosemite. She said it was a great experience for her to work there for the two-and-a-half years that she did. But after all that time away from Joel Carlson, the man who became her husband in June, she decided to come back.

"He was great about letting me get some fantastic work experience in California, but it was really difficult to be away from him for all that time," she said.

Carlson works for the University of Montana and because of his job he and Herndon live in Missoula.

Since Plains Physical Therapy was open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it was easier for Herdon to commute to Plains than have her husband commute to Missoula six or seven days a week.

"I'm excited to work in a small community," Herndon said. "I feel like I get better connections with my patients this way."

She said she is excited to be working in an area and offering needed services to the Plains community. "I'm really glad to offer needed services to the area," she said.

Herndon said that the support she has received from members of the community as well as past employers has really helped her to be able to have her own business.

"I'm leaning on a lot of people who have done this before and I'm learning lots with their help," she said.

She said that so far the biggest challenge she has faced is making sure that she has everything she needs in the office. "Something as simple as moving a thing of sticky notes and putting things where it is easy for me has probably been the biggest obstacle," she said. "Just making sure I have everything and everything is where I need it."

She said another challenge she has faced is learning how things are run on the business side of thing. "Running a business is new to me, but I'm learning quickly," she said. "I know the physical therapy aspect, but actually operating a business has been a different experience."

Herndon said that everyone she works with in the office has been wonderful and extremely helpful.

"It has just been great," she said. "Everyone I've encountered has been great."

She said that she has worked with the Printery to get business cards and has dealt with the school's athletic department about physical therapy for athletes and that those encounters have been awesome.

Herndon said that Joyce Dougen, who was the previous owner of the practice has been phenomenally helpful in every aspect as has been Kathy Miller.

"Joyce is just a wonderful help," Herndon said. "I know that I can use her for every thing I need and she'd be willing to help me in any possible way that she could."

She said that she has always wanted to buy a practice and the timing just seemed right to do it now.

"I don't have someone telling me what to do," she said. "I know what my parameters are, so I can immediately tell a patient something without having to check with a higher up."

While the timing was right and it was something she wanted, it wasn't a completely easy road.

"I still have student loans," Herndon said. "So securing a loan to purchase the business was not an easy task."

She said she received a lot of help through the Missoula Community Development Center.

"They helped me get a lot of stuff started," she said. "They were very helpful especially with the financial stuff and with helping me design my business plan."