< PreviousCAround Your Town Around Your Town Read and share stories at: awmagazine.com. Each year, Steubenville Pike Auto in Robinson Township gives a local individual in need a quality used vehicle at no cost through its Steubenville Pike Auto Repair Charity program. Steubenville Pike Auto owner Jason Pottle has thus far given away 11 vehicles through the program and this December he will be giving away the program’s 12th vehicle. “Hopefully, the program will help recipients have an easier time getting to and from work, school events, doctor’s appointments and more,” Pottle says. “We’re proud to be a trusted independent auto repair facility in Robinson Township and we’re proud to give back to the community where we live and work!” The ideal nominee is somebody who thinks of others before themselves, is in need of a vehicle and resides in the local area. The winner will be announced in December. The deadline to submit a nomination is Dec. 2. Nominations can be submitted at steubenvillepikeauto.com by clicking on the SPARC link. They can also be mailed to: Steubenville Pike Auto, ATTN: SPARC, 6014 Steubenville Pike, Robinson Township, PA 15136 or emailed to Jason@ steubenvillepike.com. An independent group of trusted community members will review nominations. The recipient must have a current Pennsylvania driver’s license and be able to obtain vehicle insurance. Nominations must include the name, address, phone number and email of both the nominee and nominating person, along with a statement explaining why the individual or family nominated needs and deserves a vehicle. Steubenville Pike Auto is a 15-year-old, full-service auto business dealing in auto sales, repair and maintenance. To set up an appointment, call them at: (412) 787-9800. Car giveaway nominations now open CONTENT SUBMITTED Nine-year-old Nolan Oravetz likes running a lemonade stand. He enjoys mixing up the lemonade, being outside for a day and hanging out with his friends who have come to help. He’s done it three years in a row now, and each year he’s donated any of his proceeds to organizations in his community. Three years ago, Nolan donated the money he made to the Western Allegheny Community Library after he heard the library needed a new roof. Then, last year, he decided to help the Imperial VFD after he learned the department’s firefighters volunteer their time. Nolan’s mom, Sharilyn Oravetz, says her son has a special connection with the department, and wants to be a firefighter himself one day. “The department is two blocks from our house, so he rides his bike down there and talks with the firefighters,” she says. “He paints rocks for them and built a bond with them. One day, he asked how much firefighters get paid and I told him they’re volunteers.” Last year, Nolan’s lemonade stand raised $350 for the department. When he decided to hold the stand again, Sharilyn says she helped her son get even more organized about it. This time, he also went around knocking on neighbors’ doors with a boot soliciting donations with his friend Ava Hamm and handing out fliers to promote his stand. He even approached a manager at Sam’s Club in Robinson Township for help. Nolan got the store to donate lemonade mix and other supplies to the effort. On July 26, Nolan set up shop once again at the five-points intersection in Imperial alongside the Montour Trail, the same place he’d done so in years prior. He sold lemonade, water, glitter tattoos, ice pops and dog treats. He also got help from his friend Ava, along with Collin and Lucas Meanor. Once again, the Imperial VFD parked a truck across the road and gave him a ride home on it after he was done. Nolan’s efforts raised $2,165 for the department. Rather than tell department members the amount right away, he and his mom waited to announce the total at Findlay’s Fair in the Woodlands in August. The department had told the family they wanted to recognize Nolan for his efforts there. At the fair, Nolan received a plaque from the department and says department members looked pretty shocked when they heard how much he’d raised. Nolan, who is also a member of Cub Scout Pack 830 in Clinton, was even interviewed by KDKA for its “On a Positive Note” segment by Kym Gable. Fourth-grader raises thousands of dollars for Imperial VFD STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY Nolan Oravetz is recognized for his fundraising efforts to benefit the Imperial VFD by department members and township supervisors at Findlay’s Fair in the Woodlands in August. PHOTO SUBMITTED 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2023CAround Your Town Around Your Town Over the past 17 years, the accounting firm Imperial Tax & Accounting has grown from a seasonal tax business to a multi- office firm serving clients throughout Western Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. According to Matt Connell, CPA and owner of Imperial Tax & Accounting, there’s been one major reason for all of the firm’s success, expansion and growth, which resulted in it recently needing to relocate to a larger office. “Hard work and an emphasis on client service has always been the priority,” says Connell. “We’re also a tight group. Every member of our growing team knows I love to joke around, and we try to have fun, even during stressful times. But at the end of the day, our clients are the top priority and receive our full attention and effort.” He says every member of the team checks in with that mentality daily, including Patty Giura, CPA, who has been with the firm for 15 years. “Without her and everyone who has contributed over the years I really don’t know where we would be at this moment. I could not give my entire team enough credit. They are the best.” As the firm has expanded, though, it has also outgrown the Imperial office in the West Allegheny community where it started. Earlier this year, the firm addressed its need for more space by signing a new lease in the Airport Office Park in Moon Township. In August, Imperial Tax & Accounting moved into its newly renovated office on the fifth floor of Building 4 at 333 Rouser Road. Their phone number remains the same and there’s plenty of additional parking. “West Allegheny has been home for the past 17 years and it has been so good to us,” says Connell. “I’m hopeful that we can continue to grow and serve our clients everywhere while building our name in the Moon community like we have in West Allegheny.” A University of Pittsburgh graduate, Connell passed the CPA exam right out of school and went to work for the accounting firm Ernst and Young before moving on to Imperial Tax & Accounting. Connell says that after a few years of being in the big-four accounting world, he knew it wasn’t his long-term plan. Instead, he says he wanted to know he was making a difference by working one-on-one with clients to help them with their tax issues. He credits Joseph Pustover, a Certified Financial Planner with an office in the West Allegheny community, with giving him the vision to get out on his own and be a resource to clients. Connell says owning and managing an accounting firm has been a fulfilling experience. Seeing and hearing firsthand that he and his team have been able to relieve their clients’ anxieties regarding taxes has been the biggest payoff, he says, and well worth trading in a downtown job for his own firm in the suburbs. In recent years, Imperial Tax & Accounting’s role has been even more crucial amidst changing tax laws and regulations following COVID-19. From PPP loans to employee retention tax credits, everyone in the office has been busy helping clients navigate shifting regulations and complex tax codes brought about by the pandemic. Given those evolving tax guidelines, Connell says it hasn’t been unusual for clients to receive communications from Continuing to grow, Imperial Tax & Accounting moves to Moon CONTENT SUBMITTED ABOVE: The team at Imperial Tax & Accounting is pictured at their new office in the Airport Office Park in Moon Township. Pictured is founder Matt Connell with January Dolata, Patricia Giura, Alyssa Daley, Kaylee Johnson and Richard Fuller. BELOW: Imperial Tax & Accounting’s offices are now located in Building 4 in the Airport Office Park. If you need help with income tax planning, preparation or other accounting services, Imperial Tax & Accounting can help. Call them at (724) 695-7354 or visit ImperialTax.com. Their office is located in Suite 505, Building 4, at 333 Rouser Road in the Airport Office Park in Moon Township. taxing agencies. While this can seem concerning, Connell says such a communication doesn’t mean an individual or business has done anything wrong. Just the opposite is typically true. “So many people are receiving notices from the IRS or the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, and it’s the result of internal discrepancies in those departments and not anything they’ve done wrong,” says Connell. “So, we try to give people clarity.” As this next tax season approaches, Connell says Imperial Tax & Accounting is once again preparing and looking forward to helping clients who have trusted them with their accounting needs. “We’re also welcoming new clients,” he says. “We assist everyone from individuals to large and small businesses. No matter your situation or tax issue, we can help.” 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2023 Depending on the way you look at it, January of 2020 was either a very good or very bad time for Ryan Ray and Sandee Toulouse to establish their joint Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty Team of Real Estate Agents. On the one hand, COVID-19 shutting down the country, upending the economy and throwing a wrench in the way real estate transactions are completed wasn’t good. On the other hand, low interest rates and a seismic shift to working from home wasn’t exactly bad for the housing market. Either way, by the end of their first year in business, the Ryan Ray and Sandee Toulouse team had brokered $25 million in sales. They haven’t slowed down since. In their second year, the team racked up $33 million in sales and last year they had the highest sale price, $1.6 million, on a property in the West Allegheny community. Ask Toulouse, a longtime North Fayette resident who put two kids through West Allegheny schools, what’s been behind their success and she’ll attribute it both to a continuing strong housing market and their team of local experts with a century of experience between them. “We’re really fortunate that we’ve had the right pieces fall into place that we have,” says Toulouse. “We now have a team with a diversified knowledge about the industry, with good skills in everything from customer service, to finance and marketing. We’re also locals who genuinely care about the area and our results speak for themselves.” A 37-year veteran of the industry, Toulouse has spent much of her career working in the West Allegheny community. Ray, meanwhile, got his start in Ocean City, Maryland. Both agents have been consistent, multi-million dollar producers with numerous awards and certifications between them. Most recently, the team welcomed Ernie Leopold, who brings with him a wealth of real estate expertise, particularly when it comes to the West Allegheny community. Licensed since 1989 and with four generations hailing from Findlay, Leopold is a well-known community member who has lent his expertise to many area boards and commissions, including the Findlay Township Planning Commission. For the past 15 years, he’s served as the commission’s chair. “You’d be hard pressed to find an agent with more expertise about Findlay real estate, whether it be new construction, commercial development or existing home sales,” says Toulouse. Ernie also specializes in estate properties and will soon be designated a Senior’s Real Estate Specialist by the National Association of Realtors. Leopold’s family has lived in Findlay for so long that there’s even a lake named after them. He was also an original volunteer for Findlay’s beloved Christmas Light-Up Celebration in Clinton Park and is still a central figure in the effort. The Ryan Ray and Sandee Toulouse Team sponsor the event, which raises money for a number of local charitable causes. It’s one of several the team supports throughout the area. Rounding out their team is Abby Margo, who honed her skills in Berkshire Hathaway’s technology sector, and Brad Tumulty, who joined the team after earning his bachelor’s in business management from Robert Morris University. Adam Buczko, meanwhile, jumped on board after spending many years in customer service with companies such as US Airways, Dish Network and BMW. The team’s administrator, Brandi Sieracki, joined after spending 20 years in various industries, including real estate and healthcare. Ray says the housing market continues to be strong, thanks to continuing demand and low inventory. “That’s made it a great market for sellers and all the more important that buyers have the right agent in their corner,” he says. For more about the team, visit ryanrayandsandeetoulouse.com. They can be reached at (412) 262-4630 or by calling Toulouse directly at (412) 720-9549. The Ryan Ray and Sandee Toulouse Real Estate Team ABOVE: Ryan Ray (third from right) and Sandee Toulouse (third from left) have assembled industry experts for their real estate team. They are: Ernie Leopold, Adam Buczko, Abby Margo, Brad Tumulty and Brandi Sieracki (not pictured). BELOW: The team annually collects for the Salvation Army outside Giant Eagle Market District. They also sponsor the Findlay Township Christmas Light-Up Celebration and other area charitable causes. CONTENT SUBMITTED West Allegheny School District - $450,000 October/November 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 13 Business Profile Business Profile October/November 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 13CAround Your Town Around Your Town Western Allegheny Community Library Youth Services Program Specialist Lexi Mulvihill never figured she would find herself behind the wheel of a school bus. A couple of days per week, though, Mulvihill, who holds a master’s degree in early childhood education and special education, climbs into the driver’s seat of a Blue Bird minibus stuffed with books and heads to preschools across the West Allegheny community. At the preschools, Mulvihill leads activities like song and story times that encourage early childhood literacy. She talks about calming techniques and leads movement activities. During her visits, kids can read books right on the bus or check them out and return them when Mulvihill returns the following month. The bus Mulvihill drives is known as the West Allegheny Book Bus. Originally launched in 2015, the book bus is a joint project between West Allegheny School District, the WACL and Monark Student Transportation. It got its start when Dr. Jerri Lynn Lippert, then in her first year as West Allegheny superintendent, met with Marianne Sforza, then director of the WACL. Subsequently, Lippert approached Monark owner Mark Schmitt with an idea to create a mobile library in conjunction with the WACL. Schmitt jumped at the idea, going as far as to donate and repurpose a $100,000 bus for the project. Since then, the bus, which is wrapped in colorful graphics, has been making appearances at preschools and in neighborhoods across the area. The visits give kids a chance to check out new books and take part in fun activities intended to encourage a love of reading. Current WACL Director Amy McDonald says that, thanks to the bus, the library is able to visit four area preschools per week and touch about 500 children per month. Earlier this year, McDonald, Lippert, Schmitt and members of the West Allegheny community held a ribbon cutting ceremony at McKee Elementary School with the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce to unveil a new West Allegheny Book Bus. The event coincided with the start of the school’s kindergarten orientation. Shortly after the ribbon cutting, excited children stood in line for a chance to walk through the bus for the first time. The bus has been wrapped in graphics depicting dinosaurs, confetti, astronauts and flying books. Schmitt says the new bus, which is both newer and bigger than the old one, replaces the original, which was retired last year. Whereas the old bus was primarily focused on preschool-aged children, this new, larger bus contains books that would be of interest to children from preschool through about age 14. Just like with the last book bus, Schmitt’s company not only donated the vehicle but also all of the work involved in repurposing it into a mobile library. “It was a great cause and honest to goodness, it’s one of the things with Jerri, she really cares,” says Schmitt. “She noticed there were kids coming into first and second grade and they were having trouble reading, so we came up with the idea to get these kids exposure to books.” Lippert says the book bus came about at a time when the district was taking on a number of initiatives directed at improving early childhood literacy rates, including switching from half- day to full-day kindergarten and training teachers in grades K through two to be reading specialists. Lippert, though, says she was also concerned that not all families in the district had access to preschool programs, so she approached Schmitt with the idea of creating the mobile library to bring reading resources directly to families. “We’re really focused on getting students reading by grade three,” says Lippert. “That’s one of the most significant benchmarks to predict how kids are going to do in school and beyond.” Lippert says children who aren’t proficient by grade three tend to struggle with comprehension in subsequent grades. She says the path to early literacy starts at a very young age. New Book Bus goes into service STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY 14 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2023 West Allegheny School District administrators are joined by members of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, community members and Monark Student Transportation President Mark Schmitt for a ribbon cutting to unveil the new West Allegheny Book Bus in August. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEY ABOVE: West Allegheny has hired retired reading specialist Tina Seybold to take the book bus into neighborhoods. BELOW: The bus’ selections are directed more toward younger readers but titles for teens are being added as well. PHOTOS BY WEST ALLEGHENY SCHOOL DISTRICT WACL Youth Services Program Specialist Lexi Mulvihill has been driving the book bus to area preschools. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEYOctober/November 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 “One of the things we say is that from birth, kids should be read to or read 20 minutes per day and when kids do that, typically they score in the 90th percentile,” Lippert says. “Part of it is when they’re babies and hear words, they’re building awareness and vocabulary. That’s an important step to developing proficiency, which develops into reading comprehension.” A grandfather himself, Schmitt says he realizes the importance of early childhood literacy and says that’s why he readily jumped on board with the idea. Not only has his company now donated and outfitted two buses, but Monark also maintains the book bus to keep it clean and operating. “I have a few grandchildren right now, too, and the time you take to read to them and get them excited about reading, it’s critical,” he says. “It helps them along. When kids get further along in school and they have trouble reading, they’re in trouble.” For the first time this year, the district has taken the added step of hiring retired reading specialist Tina Seybold to drive the bus into area neighborhoods. There, students can pick out books to borrow and participate in activities that encourage reading. Stay tuned to West Allegheny School District’s Facebook page for an upcoming schedule. The book bus will also continue to make preschool visits through April and then make appearances during the WACL’s Story Stroll programs at Clinton Park and Donaldson Park in June and July. Visit www.westernalleghenylibrary.org for more. Follow Allegheny West Magazine on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for updates and more.CAround Your Town Around Your Town In the spring of 1973, construction crews broke ground on a plot of land along Steubenville Pike in North Fayette Township adjacent to the Hankey Farms community. By August, members of the newly formed North Fayette VFD were celebrating the opening of the department’s first fire station. At the time, the department had two fire trucks and about 40 members who had signed up to serve the township of roughly 7,800 people. That first year, they responded to 35 calls. Today, the township, and the department, look a lot different. While the township’s population has doubled, the department that serves it now operates six modern fire trucks and two additional substations. Last year, it responded to 500 calls. In September, the department looked back on its history during a banquet held in celebration of its 50-year anniversary. The department used the opportunity to recognize its community partners, neighboring departments and some of its longest serving members. Among them was Jim Malesky, the department’s longest serving chief, and Ray Petrick, the department’s longest current serving member. Petrick, 92, has been with the department for 50 years and was on its very first call in 1974. “We wanted to honor the former and current fire chiefs and members for all of their hard work and dedication to the department,” says department president Mike Saville. “It would not be where it is today without all of them.” The venue for the event was significant, as it took place in the same station on Steubenville Pike that was originally constructed in 1973. A few years ago, the building underwent an overhaul that involved building an entirely new garage and rearranging its old footprint. Now, the building has a series of offices, a dedicated laundry room to remove carcinogenic chemicals from equipment, bays large enough for the department’s trucks and plenty of other updates befitting of a modern department. While touring the new building during the event, former chief Tim Murray, who first joined the department in the late 1980s, recalled how at one time the department had to park a truck sideways just to fit them all in the old garage. Today, the department’s new garage has dedicated bays so each truck can exit and enter without obstruction. A combination of grants, state funds, support from the township and donations from residents helped pay for that project and annually assist the department as it continues to keep pace with ever-changing regulations, new technology and a growing population. At one time, though, a portion of state funds the department now relies on weren’t available to it, says Malesky, who served as chief from 1986 to 2001. He recalls when North Fayette was locked out of state funding backed by fees paid by out-of-state insurance companies. “At one time, North Fayette hardly got any money at all,” he says, referring to what’s known as foreign fire insurance tax funds. Malesky says those fees, which are collected by the state, were at one time disbursed to departments based on zip codes. Because North Fayette serves several different zip codes, it was unable to access those funds, he says. That changed after he and Moon Township Fire Chief Charles Belgie lobbied for changes to the way those funds were disbursed. “He got the thing going and I stuck with him,” says Malesky. While being honored with life membership status at the banquet, Malesky took a moment to recognize Belgie, who passed away in 2018 after serving as a fire chief and marshal for over 35 years. Eventually, the way those funds were disbursed did change, and North Fayette began receiving funding that it hadn’t received previously. One of the pieces of equipment those funds helped the department purchase during his tenure was its very first ladder truck. The department purchased the 100-foot ladder truck, a 1965 American LaFrance Aerial Truck, in 1991. Malesky says the department paid $25,000 for it and that the department needed the truck because of a multi-story office building that had been constructed on Park Lane Drive near The Pointe. In 2009, the department replaced that truck with a new one that cost $1 million. “That got us into the business. It got us into it. The insurance company wanted us to get that ladder truck,” he says, pointing out that it helped lower the township’s insurance services office, or ISO, rating and therefore residents’ property insurance premiums. The truck was one of several that the fire department purchased under Malesky’s tenure to update its fleet. In 1991, the department also purchased a rescue truck for the first time after members expressed an interest in adding rescue services to the department. That same year on New Year’s Eve, the truck, which was equipped to extricate people from car accidents, was used for the first time. Murray still recalls some of those first rescue calls and how they exposed firefighters to some disturbing scenes. “I remember going on my first rescue call,” he says. “It was pretty gruesome and it stuck with me for a long time. But then after awhile, you just get used to it.” Murray served as chief from 2003 to 2009. He says he first joined the department in 1988 after visiting the station to pick up some bottled water following the Ashland oil spill. It was Petrick who pulled Murray aside and encouraged him to fill out an application. That winter, Murray responded with Petrick to his first call, a chimney fire. Murray recalls riding on the truck’s tailboard, which was situated on the bumper of the fire truck with a harness to keep fire fighters from falling off the vehicle. He remembers having to tuck his chin into his jacket just to breath, as the air around him was so cold. Today, firefighters are no longer allowed to ride on tailboards. Over the years, Malesky and Murray recall pushing for a variety of fire safety measures in the township, including the installation of fire hydrants in newly built communities. In 1995, the department also built its second substation next to the District Magistrate building. Later, in 2016, the township provided the department with space for a third station adjacent to the North Fayette Municipal Building. Like other initiatives taken on by the department, all of those helped lower the township’s ISO rating and therefore homeowners’ insurance premiums, the chiefs say, while helping the department better serve the growing township. As regulations continued to change, and fire trucks continued to grow in size, the department also realized that it needed a larger garage. That eventually led to the demolition of the old garage at its primary station and construction of a new one, which opened in 2021. Saville, who also served as president from 2017 to 2019, has been credited with getting the project moving after it stalled for a time. When the station did open, it was dedicated to Petrick. Thanks to grants and state funds, the department has also been able to pay for extensive training that firefighters now North Fayette VFD celebrates 50 years STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY 16 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2023CAround Your Town Around Your Town must undergo. Hamilton, who became chief in 2012, says new recruits must complete upwards of 200 hours of class work before becoming a firefighter. “If you want to run into a burning building you need 200 hours,” he says, adding that many support roles require fewer training hours. In addition, he says many firefighters complete regular voluntary training to ensure that they’re well prepared for a variety of different emergencies. Training requirements, he says, are far more significant today than when the department started. Hamilton says his brother, who is a firefighter in the North Hills, has a good way of describing how those training requirements have changed over the years. “He says, ‘Firefighting used to be an art. Now it’s a science,’” Hamilton says. He says training hours continue to be a hurdle for many departments looking for volunteers. To ensure it has enough manpower during the daylight hours, Hamilton says the township began hiring part-time fire fighters for the first time this year. The township plans to hire about a dozen of the part-timers, he says, almost all of whom have backgrounds in emergency response. In addition to responding to calls, those firefighters are involved with developing outreach programs and conducting fire inspections, he says. While firefighting has changed quite a bit, Hamilton says one thing that hasn’t is the need for volunteers. Malesky recalls that being an issue in his day as well, though he says the department had a solid group of about 10 firefighters. He says finding new ones was difficult, in part because they didn’t want to work Sunday night bingo fundraisers. He says it was often easier to find volunteers willing to rush into a burning building. “It was tough getting people to work the bingo, that was the biggest thing,” he says. “They wouldn’t become firefighters because they didn’t want to work bingo.” Today, it’s the upfront training that’s probably the biggest hurdle for many potential volunteers, says Hamilton. “It’s a lot,” he says. “If you have a full-time job, that’s a lot of time.” Still, he says the department is always grateful for new members, and that not all volunteers need to rush into burning buildings. The department also needs people to fill various support positions, including as drivers and secretaries, which require less training. He encourages anyone interested in taking on a role in the department to visit their website at northfayettevfd.org. ABOVE: Some of the North Fayette Fire Department’s first-ever vehicles were this Cadillac (left) and this OREN squad truck (right), which was painted white by students at what is today known as Parkway West Career and Technology Center. PHOTOS COURTESY NORTH FAYETTE VFD LEFT: Among those in attendance were Jim Malesky, the department’s longest serving chief; current chief Gary Hamilton; former chief Matt McCartney; former chief Tim Murray; and Ray Petrick, the department’s longest current serving member. All are life members of the department. PHOTO BY DAVE NOVAK ABOVE: Department members are pictured during the department’s anniversary banquet in September in front of the department’s current ladder truck. PHOTO BY DAVE NOVAK October/November 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 17CAround Your Town Around Your Town When Dr. Josh Slomkowski took over the local chiropractic practice Nicola Chiropractic Center on Steubenville Pike in 2016, he did so with the goal of offering new, cutting-edge pain management techniques to patients. He renamed the practice Hometown Spine & Sport, and began utilizing a number of methods to help relieve his patients’ debilitating conditions. Since then, he’s been helping patients avoid the use of further medication and even surgery. In August, Slomkowski, who has since teamed up with Dr. Taylor Easter, relocated the practice just down the road to 7231 Steubenville Pike. Their office is now in the same plaza as 2 Buds Flower Shop. There, Hometown Spine and Sport is continuing to expand its range of treatment options. “We’re expanding the business to offer more cutting-edge treatments while we specialize in spinal and sports-related injuries,” says Slomkowski. “For example, we recently just expanded our non-invasive treatment options to include shockwave treatment. We have seen amazing results with hip arthritis, foot pain, rotator cuff injuries and elbow tendinitis using our methods. It’s great to hear someone say that they won’t need another steroid injection to help with their pain.” Addressing pain without medication Slomkowski says one of the primary goals of the practice continues to be helping patients address the underlying causes of their pain. Medications, he says, can sometimes only mask the root causes of pain while some have serious side effects. Pain medication can also be addictive, as many people have realized in recent years in the wake of the opioid epidemic. Hometown Spine & Sport therefore uses a wide variety techniques to address pain without medication, including chiropractic, physiotherapy and Myofascial release, which can be used to treat everything from headaches to shoulder or elbow tendinitis. The practice has even been using a class 4 infrared laser to treat joint pain. Many patients have experienced improvement, including one patient who was able to avoid surgery for plantar fasciitis. Treating sports injuries Hometown Spine & Sport also works with many athletes to address the root causes of their injuries. One such patient was a runner with leg injuries. Slomkowski determined his injuries were the result of underdeveloped gluteal muscles that were causing his knee to buckle. Slomkowski helped the patient work some new exercises into his routine to help him avoid future injuries. “My main goal is to make sure that people understand how injuries occur and give them the proper exercises to prevent an injury from happening in the future,” says Slomkowski. Treatments for peripheral neuropathy Two years ago, the practice also started to implement a new neuropathy reversal protocol to treat patients with peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy is a debilitating condition that causes a range of symptoms, from pain in the extremities to cramps and muscle loss. Slomkowski encountered a number of individuals with neuropathy who had been prescribed medication that only masked their condition. Through Hometown Spine and Sport’s neuropathy reversal protocol, 92% of patients with peripheral neuropathy have experienced improvement. Some of these patients had been experiencing pins and needles every time their bed sheets touched their feet. Over the course of treatment, these patients experienced significant improvement in sensory functioning. The practice’s neuropathy reversal protocol takes a four-pronged approach to treatment, restoring blood flow to the nerves with a combination of at-home therapies, nutritional protocols and in-clinic treatments. DOT physicals Both Dr. Josh Slomkowski and Dr. Taylor Easter are medical examiners for DOT physicals. The doctors can conduct physical examinations right in their offices. Certain commercial drivers must have this physical in order to satisfy federal regulations. Special offer for Allegheny West Magazine readers Allegheny West Magazine readers who are not yet patients of Hometown Spine & Sport but who would like to undergo an examination can do so for a discounted rate of $49. New patients will undergo a full medical examination, which includes a review of X-rays and MRIs, a health history screen, and chiropractic treatment. Hometown Spine & Sport accepts most major medical insurances. “There is a growing desire for people to find a safe and natural option that does not involve medication, injections or surgeries to fix their problem,” says Slomkowski. “We try to empower our patients by teaching them to put their health first with adequate stretching, exercise, proper nutrition and even mindfulness techniques.” Hometown Spine & Sport is located at 7231 Steubenville Pike. Visit them online at www.hometownspineandsport.com. For an appointment, call (412) 490-1700. Hometown Spine & Sport moves into larger office just down the road CONTENT SUBMITTED RIGHT TO LEFT: Dr. Josh Slomkowski is pictured with Dr. Taylor Easter and medical assistants Lisa Morgan and Barb D’Angelo at Hometown Spine and Sport’s new office on Steubenville Pike. Pictured is Hometown Spine & Sport’s new location, with a newly renovated lobby and examination rooms. 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2023October/November 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Next >