The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

“Our passion and commitment to helping others is the driving force in our growing practice. Massage therapy itself is such a necessity for managing stress and the challenges of our demanding work environments. But we’ve also created a supportive, professional atmosphere for our therapists—who are on the front lines of making sure our customers receive the best care possible,” said Hands on Health co-owner Elizabeth Laurino.

USLBA gathered and analyzed various sources of information to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

About Hands On Health, LLC

Hands On Health Massage Therapy and Wellness is the only company in North Carolina with a full clinic and educational program for its own therapists as well as the outside community. It was founded by the merger of three women-owned massage practices in 2003 with a vision of raising the status of medical massage therapy to the professional level its practitioners deserve —equal in effectiveness, respect, and education to other established healthcare treatments. For more information, please visit www.handsonhealthnc.com

PART ONE: Testimonials

"I have had fibromyalgia for fifteen years. With time and the right medication for me, I improved greatly and was virtually free of pain for 10 years. A year and a half ago, I had a terrible "flair up"... in desperation I turned to the yellow pages where I saw the ad for Hands On Health medical massage therapy. I called and they took me that day and I was helped greatly ... My therapist ... knew exactly what I needed for my problem (a light massage and not one that would aggravate the problem) ... She is very informed in regard to fibromyalgia, a total professional, treats me with the utmost dignity, is patient, and listens to what I am saying regarding how I am feeling ... My husband told our doctor about her and, consequently, he has referred patients to "Hands On Health". I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes if that much. I am greeted by everyone in a friendly, professional manner. I am called every week to remind me of my appointment. I would never think of going anywhere else. My husband has had massages when we are out of town and always says no one can beat Meridith. I would be happy for anyone needing relief from pain to contact me. I am so glad I found this remarkable practice with truly dedicated and highly skilled professionals."

- Patsy Day

I am happy to share with your prospective clients just what a wonderful experience I have had with my therapist, Donna Zubrod.

X   Because of the professional nature of this practice and technique as well as the long-term benefits I have received from attending this therapy, I would endorse this facility to any insurance agency, doctor, or friend;

X  I did not feel pressured to receive more therapy than I believed to be necessary;

X  Scheduling is easy because of their receptionist and/or online scheduling options;

X  I came seeking treatment for muscle tension at neck and shoulders (my range of motion without pain was limited - I am either on my feet all day or reading with my head down / working on the computer for hours on end), also desiring overall improved circulation, especially in my legs;

X  My therapist treated my condition very specifically;

X  My therapist was able to answer my questions in a detailed medically appropriate; manner, but remained within his/her scope of therapeutic understanding and scope of practice;

X  My therapist explained the side effects of my sessions;

X  I never felt helpless and frustrated, rather I felt empowered to help myself;

X  The therapist specifically used massage techniques that directly addressed my complaint and she explained to me exactly how the techniques work;    

             
I found Donna by sheer luck and am so pleased to have discovered her! Donna is very personable and sets you at ease right away.  She is passionate about her work and continuously updates her skills attending various trainings in different techniques.  She is able to very precisely help her clients, targeting their specific needs, and she keeps all of this on record so that each session you can give her feedback on what you liked and want her to repeat or what you might change (to date I would have her change nothing!), just in case you have new needs or would like for her to focus in other areas.  She works very hard to make your session all that you hope it will be.  She is very professional and eager to help in any way she can to encourage her clients to improve their health.  I have experienced great massages elsewhere over the years, but my sessions with Donna have been superior.  What a wonderful investment! 
Name:  C. Holland  Date: 7/23/08
X  Yes, you may use my full name when sharing these comments in your testimonial literature.

Testimonial: written by Jill Preyer, customer

Please check all that apply to your session(s)

 __x__ Because of the professional nature of this practice and technique as well as the long-term benefits I have received from attending this therapy, I would endorse this facility to any insurance agency, doctor, or friend;

__x__ I did not feel pressured to receive more therapy than I believed to be necessary;

__x__ Hands on Health is able to accommodate my busy schedule;

__x__ Scheduling is less of a hassle because of their receptionist and/or online scheduling options;

__x__ I came seeking treatment for serious chronic pain in my chest;

__x  _ My therapist treated my condition very specifically;

__x__ My therapist was able to answer my questions in a detailed medically appropriate; manner, but remained within his/her scope of therapeutic understanding and scope of practice;

__x__ My therapist did not hesitate to refer me to my or other medical modality when appropriate;

__x__ My therapist explained the side effects of my sessions;

__x__ Instead of feeling helpless and frustrated, I felt empowered to help myself;

__x__ The therapist specifically used massage techniques that directly addressed my complaint;                   

__referred from another professional__ I found this therapist by way of another medical professional;

__x__ I found this therapist by way of a friend who received treatment from him/her.  Their original complaint has remained improved;

__x__ I learned a lot of educational material from the website, thus allowing me to make an informed decision about receiving care at this facility;

Please feel free to expand on any of the above &/or in your own words, explain the experience you had from a recipient’s perspective:

I have had some significant chronic medical issues which have been only partially addressed with physician managed care.  Over the years I have tried out many massage therapists for relief of pain.  A yoga teacher whom I admire recommended Hands on Health.

When I began seeing Laura Landsiedel, LMBT, I knew I had found an extraordinary healer.  Using integrative neuromuscular myofascial technique, she found problems in my body that no scan, MRI,  physical therapist or physician had ever been able to identify.  My rigid back was causing a complex cascade of skeletal problems and referred pain.

My treatment with Laura has been over many months and is certainly not a walk in the park!  Her strong hands find points of resistance and she painstakingly works to free up immobilized parts of my aching body.  Laura is both highly trained, skilled, and intuitive.  No two sessions are ever the same.  She takes great pains to keep me informed about why she is doing what she is doing and at times insisted on working with my physical therapist to achieve a better outcome for me.

As a result of long hours under her skilled hands, I have reduced my pain medicine for the first time in 9 years. I have come to understand my own body and no longer regard my body as the enemy.  I am hopeful that I will be pain free soon.

During the course of our work together I have also talked with Laura about how she started Hands on Health and the training programs she offers other skilled and motivated massage therapists.  She is a very resourceful professional with excellent business expertise, a rare and admirable combination. 

Yes, you may use my full name when sharing these comments in your testimonial literature: __x____

 Name: _Jill Preyer______________________  Date: Jan. 14, 2008 ____________________

-David C.

-Linda Buchanan

-David, construction industry

1) Q. Do you receive a warm greeting from our staff when you enter our business? A. Responders answered with an overwhelming "always"... "The staff is always cheerful, friendly, welcoming, and professional". All our therapists are encouraged to help people feel welcome into our group environment ... "Everyone seems to genuinely care about the customer from scheduling an appointment to the end of the session."

2) Q. Are your calls returned promptly when you leave a telephone message? A. "Often". Some responses mentioned having to wait, on occasion for a return phone call, but most were pleased with the response time. Many mentioned that they enjoyed knowing a receptionist was on site during regular business hours. Others enjoyed knowing they could bypass a receptionist all together by using the convenient and user-friendly online scheduling program. Although it is frustrating to all that we had to implement a username and password, customers understood the need for this kind of security, called for the password and went about scheduling their own appointments.

3) Q. Are you able to schedule appointments at times that are convenient for you? A. "It Depends". Customers often have to make their schedule fit into a medical massage therapist's openings, but find convenient openings with very skilled therapeutic massage practitioners when they are seeking maintenance and relaxation massages. They praised Hands On Health for hiring skilled and caring wellness therapists.

4) Q. Do your appointments start and end on time? A. Industry-wide, a typical massage appointment runs for 50 - 55 minutes on the table, leaving 5 - 10 minutes for check-in and check-out. Regular customers tend to receive approximately 55 minutes on the table. Most customers responded that their appointment tends to start within 5 minutes of their scheduled time and ends within 5 minutes of their scheduled end-time. Late arrivals understood why their sessions ended at the pre-arranged time, but appreciated it when a therapist could extend the time a few minutes to make up for being late, on occasion.

5) Q. Do you find our business appearance to be clean and neat? A. Most answers were always. For those who wrote "often", they suggested we try to keep the front desk area tidier when we are busy. All said the bathrooms and treatment rooms were very clean and visually appealing.

6) Q. Does your therapist allow for quiet time when you need it? A. We received a wide range of answers to this question, such as: "Yes, but I don't really like to be quiet during my session and I feel like I'm supposed to be quiet and that makes me nervous" or "Even though I'm reminded that this is my time, I feel obligated to 'catch-up' with my therapist personally" or "Yes, my therapist always asks me how I want to interact that day, do I need quiet time and when do I need/want it" or "My therapist has to do a lot of specific and uncomfortable treatments on the front of my neck and skull ... I prefer it when she explains what she is doing and why." Explanation: Our staff is encouraged to listen for signs that a customer needs quiet time, to encourage quiet time during a relaxation session, and, when performing medical massage treatments, to clarify with the customer that now is the time for us to talk and for the therapist to explain what is happening during the session. To ensure that a customer's needs are always met, our therapists ask about a person's treatment and relaxation needs each and every time they visit the office, regardless of a pre-arranged treatment plan.

7) Q. Has the difference between medical massage and therapeutic massage been adequately explained to you? A. Many people answered "no" and that answer surprised us! Basically, the difference is with customer intention and it is our job to determine whether or not your intention matches your therapeutic needs. Sometimes a person who experiences a lot of tension headaches makes an appointment for a relaxation massage, the therapist recognizes an opportunity for the person to benefit from a treatment plan that involves medical massage. The therapist will provide the person with a relaxation massage because that is what the person intended to have when he/she made the appointment, but then the therapist will recommend that the person learn more about medical massage treatments and how they can help reduce the occurrence of headache pain. Medical massage is performed because of a doctor's referral and/or because a person has a specific symptomatic complaint where massage treatment is indicated for pain relief or as a part of the person's healing program.

8) Q. Based on your experience with us, which of the following people would you refer to us? A. Overwhelming response was "all" = physical therapist, doctor, friends and family.

9) Q. Which therapists have treated you at Hands On Health? A. Most had one or two therapists that they preferred to see, but acknowledged and appreciated the option to see others if their primary therapists did not have availability. For those that had tried a variety of therapists most commented that they enjoyed each person's unique but unified approach and a few commented that they preferred to remain with their primary therapist(s).

10) Q. What items need improvement? Although most respondents were pleased with the overall atmosphere, here are a few suggestions we learned about: A few respondents would like the rooms temperature to change, either be warmer or colder. Because we cannot please all types, we have provided each room with an electric table warmer and blankets. PLEASE speak up if you are too warm or too cold. Others responded that the lighting could be softer. If you find the room light to be too bright, please ask and we will be happy to soften the light for you. A few respondents would like us to attend to outside noise such as phones ringing and hearing people walk by in the hallway. We have supplied each of the rooms with white noise machines to reduce these exterior noises. Please comment to your practitioner if you find it is still too noisy.

"It's perfect already"

"Would like more music variety" - We encourage anyone who has a favorite music or scent at home to bring them in for the session. We would be happy to add them to enhance a session with these personal items.

"In the past, I've had difficult time arranging a session due to my therapist's schedule being so full. Fortunately, I have the latitude to be somewhat flexible. She goes that 'extra mile' by encouraging me to ask to be put on the waiting list ... she will do everything she can to get me in that week, especially when it is an emergency. I also like the fact that, although I prefer her work, if her schedule is too full, I can see another therapist at her location and she won't get upset with me for seeing another therapist." -- We would rather you received timely therapies, but we will be sure to check in with you and see if your needs were met with the other therapist and what, if any, we need to do to help those needs get met.

"Location - I would love a Hands On Health in Chapel Hill or Durham; however you are worth the drive!"

"Aromatherapy or a scented candle would be nice" - We do have a selection of aroma oils. Please ask for them during your session. Because a lot of people with environmental related illness and scent sensitivities visit our offices, our rooms are scent-free, but we would be happy to add an aromatherapy to your lotion!