The staff at Sound Physical Therapy haven't disappeared. They are standing by for patient visits after merging with BioJunction Sports Therapy and you'll find them now at 4025 Delridge Way SW, #160.
Photo courtesy Sound Physical Therapy
If you have driven past the familiar storefronts of Sound Physical Therapy or Dr. Steven Leifheit recently, you might reasonably conclude that two long-standing staples of West Seattle healthcare have disappeared.
Their former office locations appear empty, leaving some local patients confused about where their long-time providers have gone. However, rather than shutting down for good, these medical fixtures are adapting to major community changes, eminent domain relocations, and evolving retirement plans right across the street.
Sound Physical Therapy first opened its doors in 2002. Although two of its original owners have retired, physical therapist Ingrid Sparrow, MPT, continues to practice alongside her staff. To strengthen their local presence, they have joined forces with Biojunction Sports Therapy, another established West Seattle practice owned by local resident Lora Clothier, DPT.
The primary source of public confusion surrounding Sound Physical Therapy traces back three years, when the clinic received an eminent domain notice requiring them to vacate their Delridge location to make way for West Seattle's light rail expansion. The clinic relocated directly across the street to 4025 Delridge Way SW, #160, inside the West Seattle Corporate Center (the former Bartell's headquarters building). Because the building rules prohibit exterior signage, many community members driving past have no visual cue that the practice remains active right across the road.
Meanwhile, Dr. Steven Leifheit has taken a unique path back to serving local patients. After arriving in Washington State in 1988 and opening his practice in the Junction in 1991, Dr. Leifheit made the difficult decision earlier this year to retire and close his office. Quickly discovering how much he missed his patients, he decided to return to practice and secured space directly inside Sound Physical Therapy. Dr. Leifheit is currently seeing patients on Mondays and Wednesdays, accepting Medicare patients and cash pay only.
Despite the physical moves and the absence of outdoor signs, both providers remain active in the neighborhood. Both practices have kept their original phone numbers and websites intact. Community members can connect with Sound Physical Therapy online at www.soundpt.com or by calling 206.301.0600. Dr. Leifheit can be reached through www.seattlespineandbalance.com or at 206.935.2722.
