JACKSON, Wyo.—For Francine Bartlett, bronze winner for Best Physical Therapist and owner of Medicine Wheel Wellness, which also brought home bronze for both Best Healthcare Services and Best Health/Fitness Center in this year’s Best of Jackson Hole, making holistic healthcare accessible to practicing professionals as well as clients is her mission.
Bartlett has helped heal many in the Jackson community over the past fifteen years through her business Excel Physical Therapy, where she specializes in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. When she opened Medicine Wheel Wellness in 2015, Bartlett was ready to approach healing through a more holistic avenue.
“At Excel, I work mostly with insurance-based post-surgery clients, which I love,” says Bartlett, “but Medicine Wheel has offered me the opportunity to not only approach physical therapy through a more comprehensive system of healing, but also to access members of the community who can’t necessarily afford more traditional western medical care.”
This accessibility stretches to both clients and healers in the community. Through her space, Bartlett has created an
Photo: Buckrail// Nick Sulzer
opportunity for holistic healers in the community to focus fully on their practice and not worry about the minutia of staying afloat as small independent practitioners. “When they’re not worrying about rent, scheduling and payroll, the healers are able to walk through the door and pour all of their attention into their clients.”
By taking care of the internal cogs of the wheel, Bartlett has created a healing community that is dedicated to serving the greater one as best they can. Sharing a space in which a multitude of services are provided (there are fifteen practitioners) from acupuncture to massage, physical therapy, chiropractic work and much more, also ensures that clients have access to a large and comprehensive network of healing.
“Our system is set up to be as efficient, accessible and affordable as possible,” explains Bartlett. This system is based upon the Medicine Wheel theory that balanced mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health are integral to our overall wellbeing. “When someone first walks through the doors, we want them to understand the accessibility of stepping into spiritual healing through their mental health. We want to open the door for them to communicate their needs and give them guidance to set goals for the type of change they want to make. Through energy work such as meditation and Crystal Bowl Sound sessions, they might recognize a shift in their emotional readiness to realize these goals, at which point they’re ready for the more physical aspects of what we offer, creating habits for a spiritual life change.”
When asked what her favorite business in Jackson is other than her own, Bartlett said The Center for The Arts. “We are so lucky to have that business,” she says. “Their extensive offerings in theater, art, classes and events, what they offer this community is really amazing. It’s run with such professionalism; I really admire such a complex that does not seem complex.”
Bartlett and her team are working hard to make sure that healing is accessible to the masses by offering larger group classes in order to bring the price of services down to $20-$40, including a rehabilitation classes and Acu-Sound Cirque during which acupuncturist Amy Clemens puts needles in your ears while Bartlett guides the class through Crystal Bowl Sound Therapy. Medicine Wheel’s services are too extensive to list, so be sure to visit their website for more information about group classes, events, and their fitness studio schedule. Through the month of November, Medicine Wheel will be offering $90 sixty-minute Thai Massage, $99 forty-five-minute Chiropractic sessions, and $100 follow-up acupuncture sessions.