Purchasing property from Ernie Johnson in the Paradise Valley with the intention of farming is what initially brought Johanna Eggleston, OTR/L to Blaine County with her husband, Wayde, and their five children, ages 10, 8, 6 and twins age 4. After living on the Hi-Line for a short while, Johanna realized that even though spending time with her children and husband are her favorite things to do, her skill set was needed beyond the home. She decided that she simply couldn't retire from her profession as an occupational therapist.

"I consider myself a full time mom who also works outside the home. We work as a family on our farm regularly," she commented.

However, seeing an overwhelming need for occupational therapy services on the Hi-Line and feeling an ethical responsibility to put her talents to use, Johanna decided to take the risky step towards business ownership. She credits her husband for the encouragement and the push to open Hi-Line Pediatric Therapy, where her motto is "Teaching small hands to do big things."

About her business ownership, Eggleston said: "I never had any aspirations to be an entrepreneur, but there was a void to fill, and I almost consider it selfish to not share my gift and talents with the community. That, along with my husband's encouragement, gave me the extra push to take the risk and do this."

Performing work as a Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist in Pediatrics, Eggleston has been in private practice at 236 Indiana Street in Chinook since July 2021. Experts in analyzing and designing activities to help children of all ages and with all types of needs, pediatric occupational therapists (OT) work to improve the function and independence of youth. They provide therapeutic interventions that assist in trying to determine the source of delays or limitations, especially in the areas of fine motor skills, cognition, social development, and establishing self-care routines.

Eggleston earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2005 from Eastern Washington University. Early in her degree work, she gravitated towards pediatrics because of her mother's influence. "With my mother being a Special Education Director, I had all kinds of exposure to children with special needs, so I just knew that someday I would specialize in pediatrics."

After completing her internships, one of which was in pediatrics, Eggleston started her career in Phoenix, Arizona, at Foundation for Blind Children. She also performed early intervention services in Logan, Utah, for Up to 3 and then served with Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho, where she started in their outpatient pediatric program before moving to Peaks to Plains to work in the Snake River School District as well as in outpatient pediatric therapy in Blackfoot and Idaho Falls. Until her relocation, she continued in several different pediatric placements.

About this range of diverse experiences, Eggleston said, "Looking back, I can see how they all helped prepare me to be here today, treating anything and everything."

During that proficiency building time, Eggleston served with other clinicians who were growing businesses, so she understood the backside of the business but admits she wasn't prepared for all of the logistics of being an independent business owner. "None of my coursework prepared me for Business 101, and every state has its own set of rules for how a business operates," she stated. "Hi-Line Pediatric Therapy started out as private pay, but six months in, we began to bill insurance." Because there's an immense amount of trial and error involved in owning a business, as well as individual research required, Eggleston relies on her mentors for validation and verification. "I'm fortunate to have good mentors in the professional community as well as supportive community members here in Chinook who are willing to help me learn along the way."

Timing further facilitated the business' opening. "Our start-up costs weren't as significant because I had already invested a fair amount of money in learning activities because of having to homeschool my own children during COVID. Then, I was able to find office space in Brandon Nissen's building, so everything kind of fell into place," Eggleston reported.

With eighteen years of experience, her medical specialization is treating children with ADHD, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, and sensory processing disorder. However, she provides therapy for everything from feeding difficulties to fine motor skill development.

In order to give Eggleston more time with her own children as well as additional hours to perform administrative duties, she hired Angie Nyberg, who functions as a part time/as needed OT for the business.

This past April, Eggleston hired Lyndsay Hutton to serve as a Speech Therapist. Still, the need for therapists continues to grow: "You may have noticed that the need in our area has surpassed our availability, which means we need to recruit more providers to our area. Having a few more amazing people-like a physical therapist-would be great. Another occupational therapist would also alleviate some stress. What makes my job difficult is the diversity of my caseload, not the children themselves," Eggleston stated.

While she continues to build the community's trust and to inventory the community's needs and wants, Eggleston is using input to guide her choices for the business' expansion and growth. "I have had calls from Havre, Chinook, Chester, and Malta, so there is a significant enough need for the services we offer. I want to stay in Chinook, to have a presence here, but in our outreach efforts, we might eventually need to acquire and staff a small space in Havre."

In order to juggle the demands of a growing business, Eggleston recently hired a front desk receptionist, but Hi-Line Pediatric Therapy still has open positions for another speech therapist, occupational therapist, and a physical therapist-part or full time.

As her own children age and require more of her time with their growing activities, Eggleston doesn't want to create a situation where the community is left without professional services. "My overarching goal is to support the needs of rural communities, especially on the Hi-Line. As I grow the clinic, I don't want anyone to be left behind or to be without the necessary services and providers. Furthermore, I want parents to be confident in their child's development," she said.

When asked about her biggest reward with business ownership, Eggleston replied: "While many of the children I see have significant difficulties, they are also a joy to work with. I love watching kids succeed. Most parents are just in survival mode when their child is facing challenges, so seeing parents have hope again is pretty amazing."

To keep current in her field and to further develop her knowledge base, Eggleston completes continuing education courses. "I love to learn, so I assess my client's greatest needs and attend workshops and read research to support those needs. Right now, I'm learning more about integrating primitive reflexes."

During breaks from her professional work, Eggleston enjoys the time she spends with family. She especially cherishes moments shared on hikes, engaged in sporting events, or simply relaxing at the Chinook City Pool.

Anyone wishing to book services with Hi-Line Pediatric Therapy or interested in one of the position openings is encouraged to call 406-344-8080.