Staci Lyons, PT is the Owner/Founder of Pinnace Medical Wellness in Washington State. She has owned multiple private practice locations for 18 years while developing a model for integrating a multi-disciplinary approach to health promotion and disease prevention in the outpatient therapy setting. In addition to private practice ownership, Pinnacle also drives collaboration through partnerships, joint ventures and consulting relationships with other healthcare practices interested in specializing in this aspect of care delivery.

Candidate Statement

My name is Staci Lyons, and I respectfully ask for your support of my candidacy to serve a second term as a Board Member for APTA Private Practice.

I began my career in 2000 with a large national chain of physical therapy practices. As Clinic Director, I was tasked with turning around a low-performing clinic—a challenge that sparked my passion for business management and ultimately led to private practice ownership. In 2004, my husband Josh and I co-founded Pinnacle Physical Therapy. Within a few years, we expanded to four locations and experienced the ‘trial by fire’ journey that many solo private-practice owners know well.

It was during this early phase that I was introduced to APTA Private Practice. From the start, I valued the opportunities to collaborate with peers in a supportive, non-competitive environment. After years of attending the annual conference, I was honored to serve six years on the Annual Conference Work Group, helping to curate educational content. That experience highlighted the tremendous expertise within our section and the importance of including outside voices to help guide us through today’s evolving healthcare landscape.

Serving on the APTA Private Practice Board has given me valuable perspective that I hope to carry forward into a second term. As a professional member organization, our mission is to champion the success of physical therapists in business. Over the past decade, we’ve seen increasing diversity in what “business” looks like in our field—from solo practices to integrated models, wellness centers, and partnerships. At the same time, outside pressures—from payment challenges to industry consolidation—have intensified. I believe APTA Private Practice is uniquely positioned to support members navigating this complexity, and I remain committed to advancing that mission.

This experience has reinforced my belief that APTA Private Practice must embrace a wide range of members—across business structures, specialties, and practice models. If elected, I will advocate for policies and programs that reflect and support this diversity. Our ability to adapt and stay nimble is essential to maintaining relevance and resilience in a transforming healthcare system.

As my own practice evolved, so did my clinical focus. I founded Pinnacle Medical Wellness to go beyond restoring function to actively promote long-term health. Our country faces a crisis of chronic disease and declining wellness. I saw an opportunity to help patients identify modifiable risk factors and build sustainable health habits. I believe physical therapists are ideally positioned to lead in prevention and wellness, and I’ve had the opportunity to support this through partnerships, joint ventures, management contracts, and consulting engagements.

If re-elected, I would bring a practical, business-minded perspective to the board—grounded in firsthand experience working across multiple care and business models. I understand the operational, clinical, and collaborative demands that members face, and I am eager to support initiatives that make APTA Private Practice an even stronger resource for all.

One of the most urgent challenges facing our profession is our unstable value proposition—evidenced by declining reimbursements, growing utilization restrictions, and limited public understanding of the full scope of our services. My experience on the board has helped me understand the limits of federal advocacy alone. Early initiatives focused on local-level support—such as state advocacy and contract negotiation education—have shown great promise. If given the opportunity to continue serving, I will work to strengthen current collaborative efforts and help develop innovative new models to support members in navigating the evolving landscape of our industry.

Thank you for your time, your trust, and your consideration.