Kyle Heebner is the co-founder of HM Systems Inc. along with his wife, Alice. For Kyle, running a therapy company rooted in the core values of Humility, Meaning and Service (HMS) is the culmination of a life-long mission to joyfully uplift children to their potential and beyond.
Describe how you became an Occupational Therapist.
Kyle doesn’t remember the exact age he knew he wanted to work with kids, but he knows he was a child himself, when he understood in his heart that he was meant to help others. Growing up, he was exposed to all kinds of families from a wide range of backgrounds. The experiences and relationships of his childhood shaped his future. One night, it came to him as he was riding his bicycle, that he was meant to help other children thrive. This realization stuck with him. Kyle then went on to pay his own way through college at the University of Pittsburgh, exploring different career paths and eventually finding a match for his unique skills and interests in the field occupational therapy (OT). In addition to going to school full time, he worked at various jobs: as a personal trainer, at an auto body shop, in construction.
After graduation, Kyle went to New Mexico to work as a pediatric OT in schools on a reservation/pueblo, for Indigenous Americans. There he used the strategies he’d learned to help children access their schooling. And he found he was driven to learn as much as he could about the indigenous culture so that he could meet the needs of the children who lived there in a truly meaningful way.
What made you decide to open your own practice?
Kyle committed to a goal of opening his own practice early on in his career. He recognized the need for better care, uncompromising honesty and a clear understanding of the priorities of the community being served. He expanded his practice to include school-based therapy and early intervention, hired experts across disciplines and successfully remains true to his core values today.
What does your ideal day look like?
Kyle’s ideal day would include a combination of travel, exercise, family time and volunteer work.
As a parent yourself, how do you support caregivers who are seeking (behavioral, occupational, physical, speech, psychological or other developmental) therapy for their child?
Kyle recognizes that each family is unique with their own perspectives and experiences. His approach is hands-on and he values coordinating care so that children receive therapy and the therapist that is just right for them.
When is therapy most successful for children?
When the whole team is involved, participating, with the child’s best interests coming first.
You refer to your staff as the Dream Team. What is something that your team doesn’t know about you, but should?
Kyle reports he is known to try ANY food at least once!
Where is HM headed?
Kyle sees the future of HM as a healthy, growing company made up of people who love what they do for the amazing families and kids who are served. The opportunities to help others, he says, are endless.