Adam Banks is the CEO of NY Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy. He is the driving force behind the development and growth of one of New York’s premier providers of physical therapy services. Adam bases his business practices on treating all patients with kindness and respect and catering specifically to their needs, and it is this patient-focused philosophy that has resulted in the success of NY SportsMed..
Together with long-time friends, Dr. Michael Neely and Luke Bongiorno, Adam conceptualized a one-stop shop for orthopedic medicine. The motivated and dynamic group created a place of healing and fitness that caters to patients with varying orthopedic needs. Adam tapped into his business acumen and dedication to excellence to create a thriving patient-focused environment. He developed the mission of NY SportsMed with a solid purpose - creating an exceptional patient experience.
As NY SportsMed has grown, Adam has maintained his commitment to the practice’s continued success as the Chief of Operations. He continually strives to direct the company towards achieving its patient-centered mission and improving the patient experience. He ensures that day-to-day operations run smoothly and that patient care excellence is maintained. He believes in delivering the best medicine in the best facilities, and works hard to achieve this successful combination of high quality care. His focus on the business aspects of the practice allow the medical and orthopedic staff to focus on healing patients.
Adam is also committed to the advancement of the field of physical therapy as a whole, through an emphasis on education. To that end, he developed the PT Project. The PT Project is dedicated to elevating the educational standards of the profession, advancing research, promoting excellence in practice, educating the public, and embracing the highest ethics and standards among PT professionals.
In addition to Adam’s professional pursuits, he also enjoys competing in marathons and is a volunteer with The Trevor Project. At the Trevor Project, Adam created and chairs a very successful Young Professionals Council.
CEO As Patient
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NY Sports Med’s CEO Knows First-Hand What It’s Like To Be a Patient
On May 17, 2009, I was in a bicycle accident during a 100 Mile bike ride. I was travelling at 23 miles per hour at the time and the fall was incredibly painful. I was taken by ambulance to a local ER – the MRI showed that I had broken my pelvis in two places. The ensuing road to recovery was difficult - both physically and mentally.
The day after my trip to the ER, I was seen by Dr. Neely, who then referred me to a surgeon to get a second opinion. After conferring with the doctors, I was told I would not need surgery as long as I didn’t bear any weight on my leg for 4 to 6 weeks.
Several doctors warned me about Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which is the formation of a blood clot, usually in the lower leg, and explained what the symptoms were and what I should do if I suspected that I had a clot. DVT is a common side effect with trauma like mine.
Unfortunately, a few days later, I developed calf pain, but due to the strong pain medications I was taking, I wasn’t in a clear enough state of mind to act appropriately. Instead of remembering what I was told by the doctors, I got a deep tissue massage on my calf to try to relieve the pain.
Vicodin and Oxycontin took away any voice of reason and were actually causing me to be forgetful, even defiant, as well as unmotivated and depressed. I now like to tell physical therapists and doctors this story so they can keep in mind how drugs, especially pain medications, as well as traumatic events like a bike or auto accident, can alter a patient’s state of mind.
The pain in my calf was a dull ache and I kept dismissing it as a sore, but Dr. Neely insisted that I make another trip to the ER. I would never have gone there on my own, but am grateful I did because I had a DVT that required immediate treatment. I saw many doctors following that second trip to the ER and began taking blood thinners.
Luke Bongiorno, a therapist here at NYSM, explained to me that physical therapy could and should be started right away in circumstances like mine, so I soon began therapy at our facility. I started with massage and lots of stretching. The break was sore for nearly a year, but physical therapy allowed me to build strength and flexibility. It also helped me regain the confidence I needed to heal and then to get back on my bike.
In the winter, I started working with one of our trainers, Ryan Orser, to gain back the strength I had lost, to try to lose some weight and to face my new-found fear of exercise. The extra pounds began to fall off and I finally began to feel like myself again.
Once spring hit, I was back on my bike. I also decided to train for the New York City Marathon along with the American Cancer Society’s team, DetermiNation. On August 15, 2010, I ran the Bronx half marathon and never felt better. Despite my traumatic and life-changing experience, I was able to finish the 13.1 miles in 1 hour and 36 minutes, much faster than I ever imagined. With the marathon under three months away, I feel stronger than ever and owe all my thanks to my beloved and talented team at New York Sports Med.
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Despite Stress Fracture, Runner Completes NYC Marathon
On November 7, 2010, I finished the ING NYC Marathon. Against strong advice from my doctors and my PTs, I did it.
Finishing the race—even getting to the race—was not an easy feat. Unfortunately, I was in the best shape to run the race in August. When September rolled around, I sustained a stress fracture in my left foot and was forced to wear a boot while it healed. The fracture was possibly caused by favoring my left foot from a right pelvis fracture I sustained a year earlier. My doctors and physical therapists strongly urged me to stop training for the marathon, to put my dreams on hold. But, I would have none of that.
I was determined to run this race, to get past the fracture and the pain, and to prove to myself that I could do this. I was out of my boot only a few weeks before race day and was able to complete only two 12-mile runs prior to the marathon. In comparison, before fracturing my foot, I was doing 18-mile training runs on the weekends. But I was still showing up for race day, determined to get across that finish line. There was no one that was going to tell me “no”—no one that could stop me. Read More..
Four NY Sports Med Employees Finish Marathon
Four employees of New York Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy finished the ING New York Marathon held on November 6, 2011. Physical Therapist Luke Bongiorno, Physical Therapist Francis Diano, Chief Executive Officer Adam Banks, and Medical Director Dr. Michael Neely completed the marathon course that attracted runners from all 50 states and over 100 countries around the world.
The 42nd running of the annual ING New York Marathon featured 45,000 runners braving the course stretching through the five boroughs of New York City and finishing in Central Park. Both professional and amateur runners participated in the 26.2-mile event while more than 2 million spectators provided encouragement and inspiration along the way. Some of the countries represented in the race included Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, among others
The ING New York Marathon was broadcast to 330 million homes across the globe, highlighting the growing popularity and appeal of the race since its inception in 1970. More than a simple measure of endurance and physical fitness, some marathon runners also assisted a variety of good causes. In excess of $31 million alone was raised by over 6,500 race participants on behalf of charitable groups and charitable giving such as the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and New York Road Runner’s Team for Kids.
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