Kaci and Joey Bemowski
Living Life Together Like a BOSS
story by ERIN WALLACE photos by PAUL NURNBERG
The best part of any place to live in the world is community — without it, loneliness wins. A thriving community is the heartbeat of Beaufort because of the kindness and inclusiveness the townspeople live and breathe. A town like Beaufort brings hope to those who have not felt accepted in whatever part of their personal journey. Some would say it’s due to southern charm, or it’s because we live in such a small town. Everyone knows each other in some capacity, and sure, those facts do play a part in the welcoming nature of Beaufortonians, but what it really boils down to is this: “A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It’s the people that make the place” (Pittacus Lore).
Therefore, the people of Beaufort are the continuous result of a chain reaction. A domino effect of kind individuals being brought here because of the literal and social warmth that Beaufort holds. With the town’s constant warmth comes a constant influx of people, seeking that same warmth in their own life and for others. Think of it as fireflies; if you see one light up the night sky, you know there are others nearby with an incandescent glow ready to guide your path. Imagine our luck when a married couple embodying that glow came here to Beaufort a year ago, guiding the townsfolk in the art of physical therapy over at BOSS Orthopaedics. Their names are Kaci and Joey Bemowski, a physical therapist couple from Alabama originally, Anniston for Kaci and Birmingham for Joey.
Kaci and Joey’s love story began at their first job as physical therapists (PTs). They graduated at the same time from physical therapy school, and both began their career as PTs at Drayer Physical Therapy in Trussville, Alabama. At first, Joey didn’t know how he felt about Kaci because she rearranged the whole clinic when she first arrived. “But from the start,” he says, “it’s been evident that Kaci has always been manager material” (case in point: she currently manages the BOSS clinic in addition to treating patients). The two quickly became good friends since they were brand new. Whether it was Joey calling Kaci late at night with questions about patients or them just learning from each other overall as therapists, their friendship slowly morphed into something much deeper with time as they began to hang out after work. Then the pair became official as Kaci moved on to another clinic that she began to manage through the same company.
Joey and Kaci married in 2021 and were still working at two separate clinics but were searching for something new as physical therapists. Perfect timing would soon strike as it just so happened that Bill Serena, their PT mentor, had a new opportunity for them. In fact, Bill has played a substantial role in the lives of the Bemowskis. He was their first clinic director at the Drayer Clinic. Kaci states, “We are the way that we are as physical therapists, who intentionally care for our patients, because of him.” Since Bill took an interest in their lives and their jobs as therapists, when he started a new business with a group of people and a business model they could get behind, Joey and Kaci were all in. This new opportunity led them to where they are today at BOSS Physical Therapy here in Beaufort.
Once the Bemowskis said yes to BOSS, they packed up, sold their house, and bought a place in Beaufort within a short span of 7 weeks. The couple said, “Their big motivating factor was the beach and living on the coast.” It’s their favorite place to be, so you see how Beaufort was a match made in heaven for them. Kaci had attended grad school in Charleston, so she was familiar with coastal living, but for Joey, moving here was his first time ever in the state; what a leap of faith! If you look up the term Physical Therapy in a dictionary, you’ll find something like this: “the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by drugs or surgery” (Oxford Languages).
With that being said, Kaci and Joey often find that when they are treating patients, a good amount of individuals who walk through their doors do not understand what they do exactly. Their patients also don’t realize that Kaci and Joey are medical professionals with lengthy degrees. Kaci attended the University of Alabama, Birmingham, for undergrad and then went to the Medical University of South Carolina for her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree while Joey went to the University of Alabama, Huntsville, for his undergrad degree and Harding University in Arkansas for his DPT degree. For those who don’t know, to practice as a physical therapist in the U.S., one must earn a doctor of physical therapy degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, an accredited physical therapist education program, and pass a state licensure exam. The length of professional DPT programs is typically three years, and this is after one gets his or hers bachelor’s degree first. The moral of the story: Physical therapists are legitimate and are involved in a significant amount of schooling to hone their craft.
Throughout high school and college, Joey was involved in various sports, like cross country, track, and basketball, and because of this had quite a few injuries, and was in and out of PT. This was his biggest exposure to his future vocation, but what really hit the nail on the head for Joey was seeing others work day in and day out at the same job that they weren’t passionate about.
Consequently, Joey did not want the same thing for his future; he wanted a job that gave him purpose while stoking his passion. As for Kaci, for as long as she could remember, she was always interested in the medical field and heavily considered PT due to her interactions with therapy because of the sports she played (basketball and softball). At first, Kaci explored the role of Physicians Assistant, but once she shadowed a physical therapist for an internship while at UAB, there was no going back, for she quickly fell in love with the role. This is largely due to the amount of time physical therapists spend with their patients, and, as a result, the close relationships the therapists are able to create with their patients.
When one steps into BOSS Physical Therapy, it feels like you are entering a disarming refuge right from the get-go. As a BOSS patient myself at one time, the Bemowskis really bring a special kind of warmth to the clinic. It doesn’t matter what age they are treating. Right before your eyes, you will see patients walk away, known and loved. Kaci and Joey try to treat as many patients as possible because they would rather help someone in pain than turn anyone away. But the high praise doesn’t end there, the couple has a deluge of patients around the clock every shift, but they have this unique way of making you feel like you are the only person in the room every time. In addition, this power couple will always make time for you, whether it’s to answer any questions, make sure you understand the exercise correctly for doing it at home, or check in to make sure you are okay in general.
To conclude, when I asked what the most challenging part of working together as a married couple was, Joey stated, “There are no hard parts as it’s the best part of the gig for me.” How romantic! Kaci said, for her, “It is constantly making sure to treat Joey the same as their coworkers,” but their biggest goal is to not bring work home with them, no matter how crazy work can get. All in all, the Bemowskis’ greatest joy is seeing patients overcome whatever hurdle brought them through BOSS doors in the first place, including patients returning to being active again, relearning how to walk, or getting out of bed; the list goes on. Whatever the patient has overcome, Joey and Kaci count any way they’ve been able to help their patients as a massive victory. Beaufort is in good hands with the Bemowskis in our midst. Head over to BOSS if you need any physical therapy. They can’t wait to know you and help you.
