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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2021)
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 Zadow marks 20 years of helping Sisters heal By Carol Statton Correspondent In January of 2001, a new shingle was hung outside a small office space located behind the dental practice of Dr. Mark Francis. Zadow Physical Therapy was offi- cially open for business and Greg Zadow was looking for- ward to bringing his special- ized manual therapy skills to the community of Sisters. What started as a one-man operation with limited hours grew to include another part- time therapist, billing spe- cialist and eventually a front office assistant. In those early days, Zadow couldn9t have imagined what would evolve into what is now Green Ridge Physical Therapy & Wellness. Originally born and raised in South Australia, Zadow came to Washington State in 1992 to further his train- ing in a very specialized form of manual therapy. His plan was to be in the United States for two years and then return home to build his own practice. Best laid plans can and will be redesigned when love comes into the picture, and that is exactly what hap- pened. Zadow met the love of his life, Kim Williams, and quickly realized that his future was here in America. Marriage, a growing family of his own, and a successful private practice in Seattle made life very fulfilling; however, the desire to leave the big city and relocate to a small town community even- tually became their focus. With his stepchildren mov- ing into adulthood and two younger daughters at a for- mative age, it was time to explore their options. As a competitive cyclist, Zadow had enjoyed many opportunities to travel with his family through a vari- ety of small towns in the Northwest and Arizona. Seeking sunshine, four sea- sons, less traffic and a tight- knit community for their next chapter of life, they identified a list of potential spots 4 and Central Oregon was their pri- mary target. Although Bend seemed like it could be a good fit, the town of Sisters quickly stood out as exactly what they were looking for. Everything fell into place, property was secured and the Zadows began to build their new home. As their home neared completion, they secured a clinic location and it was just a matter of time before this new life would begin for Greg, Kim, and their family. Zadow began his Sisters practice while still com- muting each week to his original clinic in Redmond, Washington. Spending part of each week going between Washington and Oregon was a necessary and exhausting commitment to a financially viable transition. For two years, Zadow caught 5 a.m. flights to Seattle on Tuesdays, working 12- to 14-hour days and then returning late on Thursday evenings. Mondays and Fridays were his <Sisters= clinic days and it wasn9t long before word spread that there was a new physical therapist in town offering a different and effective type of physical therapy treatment. After spending over a year being a sole practitioner, Zadow was approached by another new transplant to the Sisters community. Marlene Dumas, also a physical therapist focused on manual therapy, had recently relo- cated from Orange County, California, and was exploring options for part-time work. The fit seemed perfect and Dumas joined the practice. The evolution had begun. Over the years, the prac- tice grew, and required larger office space. In that original location, the clinic expanded from leasing one space to eventually needing three. From there a move was made into a new and again larger space in Pine Meadow Village. At that time, the staff had increased to include three physical therapists and two PHOTO PROVIDED Greg Zadow found a home for himself, his family, and his practice in Sisters — 20 years ago this month. massage therapists. After a short time, the Zadows made a decision to build the new clinic they had grown to require and with that move came a new name to symbol- ize what they had become. Green Ridge Physical Therapy & Wellness was still a privately owned prac- tice, however it encompassed much more. Their new clinic would provide room for five to six physical therapists, See ZADOW on page 31