Celebrating a Decade of Leadership: 10 Years of Ownership with Dr. Scott & Dr. Mary Colman

Twenty-four years ago, fresh out of Palmer and eager to make a difference, Dr. Scott Colman and Dr. Mary Colman walked into The Hetrick Center as new chiropractors with one goal—to help people heal. Over time, their dedication and passion made them integral members of the team.

A decade ago, they took a significant step forward and officially purchased The Hetrick Center, carrying forward a vision they had believed in for years: to make a meaningful impact on people’s health, their workplace, and their community.

Today, we proudly celebrate their 10-year anniversary as owners and their 24 years of unwavering commitment to The Hetrick Center. Their leadership continues to be defined by collaboration, positivity, innovation, and a steadfast belief in the power of integrated care.

Our Identity: An Integrated, Collaborative Model of Care

The Hetrick Center distinguishes itself through a unique approach: an integrated care collaborative model where providers work together rather than separately. This philosophy recognizes that patients heal best when their care is coordinated, connected, and comprehensive.

Today, our team blends four core disciplines:

• Chiropractic Care
• Physical Therapy
• Aquatic Therapy
• Massage Therapy

This collaborative approach allows us to create treatment plans that address the whole person—not just the symptom.

Under Dr. Scott and Dr. Mary Colman’s leadership, this identity has strengthened and they have championed a workplace culture built upon three purposes:

To spread positivity, share in a winning team mindset, and have impact.

These aren’t just words—they’re values you can feel when you walk through our doors. They show up in every interaction, every treatment plan, and every decision made for the good of patients and staff.

 

A Brief History of The Hetrick Center

The Hetrick Center was founded in 1979. As the practice grew, it expanded its services beyond chiropractic care to include physical therapy, massage therapy, and eventually aquatic therapy—creating a holistic model of care that was ahead of its time.

Dr. Scott and Dr. Mary Colman joined The Hetrick Center in the early 2000s and quickly became integral to the practice’s culture and growth. For 24 years, they have treated thousands of patients, mentored team members, and helped shape The Hetrick Center’s collaborative identity.

Ten years ago, they moved from longtime providers to owners—embracing the opportunity to guide The Hetrick Center’s direction while honoring its foundation. Under their ownership, The Colman Center, PC DBA (doing business as) The Hetrick Center has strengthened its integrated care model, expanded services, evolved technology, broadened community outreach, and nurtured a positive, team-oriented culture.

 

Q&A with Dr. Scott and Dr. Mary Colman

• Tell us a little about yourselves! Who are Scott and Mary Colman outside of The Hetrick Center? What are your hobbies, passions, or fun facts that people might not know? 

Outside of The Hetrick Center, we’re not just business owners — we’re a husband and wife, parents, teammates, and people who love enjoying life together. We are happiest when we’re with family, on a golf course (Dr. Scott), traveling somewhere new, cooking great meals, or simply sitting and enjoying some fine wine. We’re passionate about personal growth, faith, spreading positivity, sharing in a winning team mindset, having impact, being present with the people around us, enjoying watching our kids play sports, and finding joy in everyday moments. Most people know we love sports  – but what they may not know is how heavily we lean on those sports for life lessons we apply to leadership, relationships, and teamwork every day. While we differ on our NFL teams of choice (Dr. Scott-Indianapolis Colts, Dr. Mary-Buffalo Bills), we definitely agree on the life lessons learned from sports.

• What inspired you to go from longtime providers to owners of The Hetrick Center? 

We loved caring for patients, but we saw an even bigger opportunity: to shape a place where providers could collaborate, employees felt heard, patients could feel truly cared for, and healthcare could feel human again. We believed that if we could marry great clinical skill with a strong culture – one built on positivity, teamwork, and purpose – we could create something special. Ownership gave us the chance to lead that change.

• What did you envision for the Center when you purchased it 10 years ago? 

We envisioned a place where: people felt seen and valued, providers worked together instead of on islands, positivity was part of the treatment plan, and patients felt better about life, not just their pain. We wanted to build something bigger than a clinic — a place where purpose, teamwork, and care could come together in a way that makes a lasting impact on people’s lives. We hoped to create a company that inspires people (employees and patients) to do the things that inspire them!

• What has surprised you most in your journey as owners? 

How much leadership influences everything. The quality of care. The energy in the hallways. The longevity of employees. The trust of patients. Culture isn’t just a “nice to have” — it drives clinical outcomes, business growth, and human connection.
Another surprise has been how adaptable and resilient our team is. People will rise to the occasion when they believe in the mission and feel supported. It has been much harder, and even more rewarding, than we ever thought it would be.

• Why is an integrated, collaborative model of care so important to you? 

Because the human body – and the human experience – is complex. We want to offer something that isn’t typically offered in our industry (separating ourselves from the competition): integrated chiropractic, physical therapy, aquatic therapy, and massage therapy. Most patients don’t just need one thing. They need a team. When providers work together, care becomes more complete…healing becomes more efficient…and patients feel truly looked after. Having multiple people involved means added experience, expertise, and opinions as part of patients’ case management.

• Which accomplishment/s from the last ten years are you most proud of? 

Building a team of caring employees who positively inspire people — not just treating their “condition”, or seeing them as a “number”. Developing leaders from within. Staying true to our purpose through both challenges and growth. Hearing patients say, “This place feels different.” Those five words — this place feels different — may be the greatest compliment we ever receive.

• How would you describe the culture you’ve worked to build across your 10 years in leadership here? 

Purpose-driven. We’ve gotten the team behind our “WHY?” Positive. Team-oriented. We talk a lot about three things: Spread Positivity. Share in a Winning Team Mindset. Have Impact. That culture shows up in the way our staff treats patients, the way our departments collaborate, and the way people encourage one another. It’s not perfect — but it’s authentic. And we believe people can feel it as soon as they walk through the door.

• What challenges have shaped your leadership style the most? 

Navigating financial uncertainty, staffing changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, tough/unpopular decisions, evolving insurance demands, and the emotional weight of caring for people who are hurting. But each challenge refined our leadership. We learned that clarity, empathy, and optimism matter — especially when times are tough. We learned to trust our team. We learned that growth happens when you lean into challenges, not away from them.

• What improvements or innovations have had the biggest impact? 

Building treatment plans across disciplines – not just within them. Creating dashboards and systems to measure what matters. Placing more focus on patient experience and communication. Investing in leadership development and mentorship. Empowering our staff to bring ideas forward and think like owners. Innovation isn’t always technology — sometimes it’s perspective. We’ve also made substantial upgrades to our facilities, which have been well-appreciated by employees and patients alike!

• What is the best part of running a business with your spouse? 

We get to live our values both at work and at home. We challenge each other, support each other, and remind each other of why we started. It isn’t always easy — but it’s meaningful. The business doesn’t define our marriage…but our marriage certainly strengthens the business. We also get to hold one another accountable, all while shaping our future together!

• How do your individual strengths balance each other in leadership? 

Scott brings big-picture vision, energy, strategy, and momentum. Mary brings steadiness, people connection, compassion, and heart. Together, we balance head and heart…pace and patience…structure and soul. That balance has helped shape both the culture and the future of The Hetrick Center. Plus, we are able to divide the “not so fun” roles of owning a business, which takes tasks off of one another’s plates.

• What is your vision for The Hetrick Center over the next decade? 

To keep growing — not just in size, but in impact. To be the standard for integrated care in Central PA. To develop more leaders from within. To continue investing in our staff, our systems, our facilities, and our patients. We want to be known as a place that not only gets people better…but helps them live better. We envision a place where we are highly sought after. “Go to The Hetrick Center first. If anything, they’ll get you pointed in the right direction if they can’t help you. You can trust them, and they have an abundance of resources (working as a team) and connections to help you.”

• How do you hope patients and staff feel when they walk into any of our offices? 

Welcomed. Cared for. Encouraged. Supported. Heard. We want them to feel impacted by positivity each and every day. We want patients to experience hope. Because healing happens best where hope lives. We want patients to fell the ultimate level of confidence and trust in our team! Patients and staff alike, we hope everyone is excited to walk through our doors!

• What message would you like to share with your team as you celebrate this milestone? 

Thank you. Thank you for believing in our purpose. Thank you for caring for people the way you do. Thank you for being part of this story. The last ten years have been meaningful — but we believe the next ten will be transformational. Let’s keep spreading positivity. Let’s keep winning as a team. Let’s keep having impact — one patient, one day, one moment at a time. We are grateful that everyone has bought-in to this special culture shift, bringing on massive growth and transformation over the past 10 year! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

A Legacy of Dedication—and a Future of Continued Impact

Twenty-four years of commitment. Ten years of ownership. Countless lives changed.

Dr. Scott and Dr. Mary Colman have shaped The Hetrick Center into more than a healthcare facility—into a place where integrated care thrives, where positivity is part of the culture, and where teamwork drives real impact.

Their leadership has strengthened The Hetrick Center’s identity as a true collaborative model of care, brought together by chiropractors, physical (and aquatic) therapists, and massage therapists all working with one shared mission.

As we honor this milestone, we celebrate not only their past decade of leadership but their lifetime of dedication to The Hetrick Center.

Here’s to the next chapter—full of growth, healing, teamwork, and purpose.