Monday, August 19, 2024
The award is named after Benjamin Sergeant (shown in photo)
Every year, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s Department of Physical Therapy honors one its distinguished alumni with the Benjamin Sergeant Award.
Named after Benjamin Sergeant, an alumnus from the DPT Class of 2014, the award celebrates his enduring impact on the field despite a career tragically cut short. Born at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, Sergeant lived in various states, including Alaska, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, due to his military upbringing. He graduated from Angelo State University in 2010 and achieved his dream of becoming a physical therapist, earning his Doctor of Physical Therapy from HSC in May 2014.
This year’s recipient is Dr. Brandon Bayles, PT, DPT, a native of Alvarado, TX. Bayles completed his undergraduate studies with honors from The University of Texas at Austin in 2009 before earning his DPT from HSC in 2016. Driven by a passion for health care and helping others, he co-founded No Limits Staffing Services, LLC in 2016 and serves as its CEO, offering a wide range of physical therapy services across North Texas. In 2020, he co-founded Gateway Hospice Providers, LLC, a 5-Star accredited company providing compassionate end-of-life care.
Bayles’ dedication extends beyond his professional work. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Harvest House Burleson and on the Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities for the City of Burleson. His greatest joy is his family—his wife, Lacy, and their three children, Jack, Caroline and Knox.
This year’s recipient is Dr. Brandon Bayles, PT, DPT, (shown in photo)
Below is a Q&A:
What were your biggest takeaways from HSC?
The importance of an interdisciplinary team.
Did you feel prepared for your career after graduating?
I am not sure anyone can be fully prepared for the real-world profession. However, HSC provided me with the confidence I would need to excel.
Is there a person or faculty member (can be multiple) who shaped the kind of clinician you’ve become?
Right before my last rotation was finalized, I received an email from Dr. Michael Connors asking if I would be interested in joining him on a journey as I would later call it. During this time, I was able to learn a lot of the business side of PT from him while also learning how to become a real clinician from him and Jarod Hall.
Is there a nugget or pearl of wisdom you learned at HSC that keeps unexpectedly popping up in your practice?
If you listen more than you talk, patients will get healthy a lot faster.
What would you say if you could go back and speak to yourself prior to year-one at HSC?
I would encourage myself to enjoy the process more as it goes by very quickly.
From HSC Newsroom - Our People by Eric Griffey
https://www.unthsc.edu/newsroom/story/department-of-physical-therapy-honors-dr-brandon-bayles-with-benjamin-sergeant-award/