Born during the pandemic, MOOSE Physical Therapy offers family atmosphere for treatment

PEORIA — There's a plush moose that sits at the receptionist desk at MOOSE Physical Therapy in North Peoria. 

The stuffed animal, about 2 feet tall, is emblematic of the philosophy that Jeremy Calame and Jonathan Hamm want to bring to clients — rather than a corporate feel, a more relaxed, personal connection that shows clients are treated not as numbers but as family. 

'We want to go the extra mile and not just work with them but show them that here, they are treated as family," said co-owner Calame, who used a pandemic layoff as a way to fulfill his dream of setting up his own clinic. But he needed a name. 

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He reached back to his youth, when his grandfather dubbed him "Moose" to make him feel big compared to his brothers. It was serendipity after that. 

"My wife then (pondered) what could moose stand for and we thought 'men's health, orthopedic' and it just fell into place after a few minutes," he said.

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MOOSE stands for Men’s health Outpatient Orthopedic & Sportsmed Exercise, and it goes to the heart of what the two men want — a place where people can feel comfortable, get treated and feel better.

"We want to see patients one at a time and try to form a bond with them. We want to not just treat what's wrong, but to make them feel better and to improve their lives," Hamm said.

Both men came from larger physical therapy companies but wanted something smaller. MOOSE is located in an office building near the intersection of Pioneer Parkway and University Street. 

Clients are treated for however long the visit needs to take. The two men say that differs from other clinics where a visit is set for a certain amount of time. That's the MOOSE "intangible," Hamm says, that he and his partner bring to the treatment table.

And they hope that will parlay into more referrals due to happier clients. 

"We are very patient focused. We want to do the treatments without worrying about the financials," Calame said.

The two work on standard physical therapy issues like orthopedics, shoulders, hips and joints but they also can delve into men's health issues like pelvic pain and urinary or bowel issues.

Hamm met Calame through a friend, and last summer they sat outside at a local eatery and talked about their vision of physical therapy. The two clicked, and MOOSE was born in October 2020.

Starting a PT clinic in the middle of a pandemic where close personal contact is discouraged was challenging, but the two men said they were able to make it work and even to thrive. Their clientele continues to grow and they are getting more and more referrals.

"It's mostly by word of mouth from patients," Calame said, though they are being recommended by doctors whose previous clients did well in their therapy sessions.

And Calame wants patients to feel free to ask him about others in medicine. Performing diagnosis is outside of their scope of practice at MOOSE, but they can offer suggestions and ideas about how to treat something.

"A woman came in recently and was asking about her husband, who has a men's health issue. We referred her to a doctor and he's doing much better now," he said.