honoring the life of dr. christa

Dr. ChristA Bauer, PT, DPT

Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy

Christa, we first met during my Zoom interview for Hermann. I was finishing my last semester of Physical Therapy school in Birmingham, and my sister had convinced me to move to Houston. You, Emily, and Danielle asked me some basic scheduling questions, and I guess y'all gave Luis the green light because he offered me the job pretty quickly. Red flag lol.

I started on a temporary PT license because I didn’t have enough money to wait until after boards to start working. Luis didn’t tell me I’d be in Heart and Vascular until after orientation was over—second red flag. I remember thinking, "WTF! Did we even have a cardiac class in my program?" 😂 When Mandy toured me through the 5 HVI ICU, I really wanted to run. All those devices I had never even seen before!

You, Kischa, Emily, and Mandy were all so brilliant. I used to go home and devour research just to be able to keep up. Although I always say 5 HVI is not for new grads, I was very lucky to start with you all as mentors, especially when I was hungry and eager to learn. I just remember thinking, "Lord, please let me pass my test. Not only has this crazy team given me a whole caseload, but for some reason, they trust me and like me."

One day, Mandy was off, so you let me follow you. That afternoon, I got a few compliments from different people, and you looked at me and said, "You get this all the time, don't you?" Trying to be modest, I replied, "No 😅." You weren’t having it. You looked me dead in the eye and said, "You liar!" We both burst out laughing. Girl, I can still hear your voice saying that.

When most jobs say "We're a family," it's usually a scam, but our team was truly close. We did so much together. We went through so much together. We leaned on each other. We had to laugh (and drink) a lot. I’d say it was to keep from crying, but shit, we cried too. I still don’t know what possessed us to come up with those crazy nicknames, but you embodied Christa Mae Jenkins—Jenks for short. Shykelly, Smitty, Skems... lmao.

Jenks, you introduced all the girls on the team to Dr. P, the sweetest (and finest) OB/GYN, who ultimately delivered my baby. You snuck ginger candies into my locker when I was toughing it out at work with morning sickness. You visited me after delivery—so caring. You always wanted to be a mom. At your Halloween party when I dressed as the pregnant unicorn you asked so many questions about my bump, I ended up just showing you and the whole living room!

We used to catch the Metro train down to Bodegas, and to this day, whenever I eat there, I can't help but think about all of you. If someone was walking near you, you’d probably link arms with them, or if you were Shykieva, you'd jump on their back.

Remember how scared we all were when they decided to start the lung program? We used to have journal club and practice chest percussion on each other. We were nuts! And girl, that time Dr. Akkanti literally forced you and me to walk that lady on ECMO on a SATURDAY. We wanted to jump on her, looollll!

When I left after COVID, everyone was progressing in their own beautiful journeys—fellowships, leadership, research, entrepreneurship... Man, Christa, I know we’re supposed to cherish every day and treat life as precious, but you deserved more time. Calling you beautiful, smart, a great mom, a leader in CV Pulm, and a fiery soul doesn’t do you justice.

I’m sorry, friend. I love you always.

💕 Shykieva, Kischa, Lucci, Jason, Teri, Eddie, Mandy, Priscilla, Emily, Alex, Jihad, Destini, Deborah, Diedra, Kristen, Kushbu, Kim, Luis

Why I Continue to Do Physical Therapy: A Personal Journey

When people hear that I’m a physical therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT), their first thought is often that I must be in a lucrative career. But the reality is far from glamorous. Physical Therapists are often paid similarly to nurses, despite our extensive education and doctorate-level qualifications. On top of that, many other professionals and disciplines still don’t fully understand or respect what Physical Therapy entails. I frequently receive inappropriate referrals from healthcare providers who don’t grasp the scope of what we do, which limits our ability to provide optimal care. These challenges make it even harder to navigate a profession that is already undervalued in the healthcare system. So, why do I continue?

The answer is simple: It’s about the impact I have on people’s lives.

Meeting People at Their Lowest

I specialize in Dry Needling, a treatment that is often a last resort for people who have been suffering from unbearable pain for far too long. By the time someone decides to seek out my services, they are often at their lowest point. Their faces tell a story of exhaustion, frustration, and sometimes even hopelessness. I hear the same stories over and over: people tell me how they can no longer do the things that bring them joy—whether it’s playing with their children, pursuing hobbies, or simply moving without pain.

It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also why I do what I do.

I’ve had patients confide in me about how their pain has affected not only their bodies but their minds. Some have spoken about feeling like life isn’t worth living anymore if it means living in constant pain. It’s in those moments that I feel the weight of my responsibility as a Doctor of Physical Therapy— but also the power of the trust they’ve placed in me to help them heal.

Restoring Hope, One Patient at a Time

The beauty of Physical Therapy, and particularly my treatment plan, is that I can actually help these people. I have acutally helped so many people. In reality there aren’t any people that have entrusted themselves to me that I haven’t helped. I get to witness the transformation as they regain not only their physical strength but also their confidence and joy. Watching someone go from barely moving or thinking of harming themselves to thriving is a reward that can’t be measured in dollars. It’s about restoring people back to themselves and helping them live life fully again. I truly feel like I am doing God’s work.

Expanding the Reach

But here’s the reality: I’m just one person. I can’t treat everyone. And the hurdles created by insurance companies make it difficult to receive proper compensation for our services, adding to the burden of providing quality care while trying to maintain a sustainable livelihood. There are so many people out there who are still living in pain, waiting for someone to help them reclaim their lives. That’s why I developed this brand, Dr. Shedel’s Physical Therapy Products. Through the products I create, I can extend my reach beyond the people I see in my clinic. I can make tools available that I know will work—products that are rooted in my knowledge and experience—so that people everywhere can find relief and live a life worth living.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the money. It’s about the difference I make in people’s lives. That’s why I continue to do what I do, and it’s why I created Dr. Shedel’s—to help as many people as I can, even if I can’t be there in person.