Navy Physical Therapist Embodies the Four P’s: People, Platforms, Performance and Power

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF., UNITED STATES

12.21.2020

Story by David Marks 

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms

Navy Medicine’s priorities are the four P’s: People, Platforms, Performance and Power. Navy Lt. Erin Kocher, a physical therapist assigned to Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, hits all of the marks. She loves working with people and gains satisfaction from returning them to what they love doing. “It’s really rewarding to get people back to their goals,” she said. “I really love the aspect of working one-on-one with a patient. Getting them back to doing something that they love, whether it’s working out, playing sports, or just being able to play with their children again without pain is hugely rewarding.”
Navy Medicine describes platforms as “our equipment and capability sets required by our warfighters.” Kocher uses the physical therapy platform in the Adult Medical Care Clinic to return Marines to full functionality following injuries. Her capability is also her skill set. Kocher has a Ph.D. in physical therapy from the Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy. In terms of performance, what can be more important than returning warfighters to their performance objectives? And lastly power: Lt. Kocher’s power lies in her knowledge of human anatomy, her ability to translate that knowledge to the practical application of rehabilitating injured Marines and instilling into them the dignity of resilience.
Lt. Kocher has been in the Navy for four and a half years, and has been assigned to NHTP for the past 18 months. She’s from Tampa, Florida. She was originally attracted to naval service after her older brother joined up. She wanted to follow in his footsteps. She said of her brother, Drew: “He’s basically Goose, sitting in the backseat of an F18 Super Hornet.”
In March of this year Kocher was among hospital staff selected to deploy on the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) for its COVID-19 relief mission to the Port of Los Angeles. “I had a different role on the ship, with much more acute in-patient treatment. It was a great learning experience both for career and for life in general,” she said.
Goal oriented, Kocher has already achieved an impressive resume. “I had the goal of becoming a Navy physical therapist, and it definitely was a long road here,” she said. Life after the military may involve working for a professional sports team or NASA. “I’ve always been super interested in aeronautics and space exploration.”
Lt. Kocher notes that it’s helpful to take a step back and reflect on how much she and her colleagues are helping Sailors and Marines. “Day to day, it’s hard to see the impact that we’re making; but we truly are making a difference, not only in their personal lives but in their professional lives as well,” she said.

• Date Taken: 12.21.2020
• Date Posted: 12.21.2020 12:03
• Story ID: 385491
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF., US
• Hometown: TAMPA, FL, US