“I don’t blame the patient,” said Black,who hasseen patients not run their full,recommended course of treatment.“People are suffering and in great need of quality care and unable to pay for it themselves.”
   Additionally, Black has seen many of hercolleagues in physical therapy private practices shut their doors because they are no longer able to continue providing a high quality of care and accept the ever-lessening reimbursements from many insurance companies.
   The pain persists with her, as well. At Annie Black PT, the care is personal. She knows her patients’ stories and knows that many will regress if not afforded appropriate time for rehabilitation. With more than 30 years ofexperience as a physical therapist and a master’s degreefrom Stanford University, Black has had exposure to a verywide variety of conditions.She and her staff offer specialized care for sport injuries and orthopedic,geriatric, athletic, post-surgical and neurological disorders. In addition, they offer small group fitness classes, free fitness classes for seniors and specialized care for those suffering from urinary incontinence and pelvic pain disorders.
   Black is not ready to give up doing what she loves. Far from it.
   “I care too much about what I do to let the insurance companiesdestroy ourprofession.I am evercommitted to providing quality, personalized care and improving patients’ lives,” Black said. “Nothing will prevent me from achieving these goals.”