COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on many Illawarra businesses. But BaiMed is not one of them.
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Since the start of the coronavirus crisis the physiotherapy business has grown 20 per cent.
During the last eight months BaiMed has employed 15 new permanent staff and is now recruiting five to six more.
Founder Michael Baines said he can't get new people fast enough.
"Since March we have put on two exercise physiologists, four physios and three permanent admin staff. And our aged care team has grown from zero to six."
BaiMed now has clinics in Nowra, Wollongong, Kiama, Figtree and Woonona and its aged care team visits two aged care homes in Figtree and one in Berry.
Mr Baines said the increase in business was a trend being seen in the industry. Many other practices are telling him they too are super busy.
He said 2020 had certainly not been a year of business as usual. He believed the increase in business was flowing from the uncertainty people were feeling with COVID-19.
"I think when people are fearful pain flourishes," he said.
"Traditionally BaiMed has been viewed as a sports clinic but we have grown in this era with no sport on."
Traditionally BaiMed has been viewed as a sports clinic but we have grown in this era with no sport on.
- Michael Baines
Mr Baines is seeing many new trends this year. Among them is more flexibility around bookings at more convenient times.
He said the Woonona clinic had always needed to work longer hours to cater for the Sydney commuters. But during COVID many clients had been working from home and were now able to make appointments earlier.
Mr Baines said when NSW went into lockdown BaiMed closed its doors for five weeks. But he didn't need to stand anyone down because he introduced Telehealth.
One of the reasons he needs more people now is that colleague Dan Lawson is about to go into camp with the NSW State of Origin team for six weeks. And Mr Baines himself is doing two weeks' work with the women's team.
"Dan is also going back to fulltime with the Dragons next year so we are recruiting to replace him," he said.
"We are at the stage now where we will fund the quarantine for physios in Victoria to move to the South Coast so they can come and work for us."
Mr Baines said positions he was trying to fill included physios, occupational therapists, speech therapists and exercise physiologists.
"And for the allied health providers out there we are looking to grow our aged care, community, NDIS and sport teams. And we are looking for another full time paediatric physio to join our kids team as well."
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