PhysioMira is focused on changing health care with the strength of Waterloo co-op students
By: Jed Bick (he/him)
Students are applying health, kinesiology and business acumen to transform the experience of physiotherapy.
PhysioMira is a physical therapy clinic in Waterloo that strives to provide effective pain and injury solutions. Their physiotherapists focus on restoring movement, building strength and preventing future issues, with extended assessment and treatment times in a state-of-the-art, modern facility.
Mira Toth (she/her), clinic director and lead physiotherapist, founded PhysioMira in Edmonton. After completing an undergraduate degree at Waterloo, she earned her master's degree at the University of Alberta and built several clinics from the ground up.
During the pandemic, Toth decided to sell the Alberta clinics and move back to Ontario to be closer to home. In opening the Waterloo clinic, her vision was to change the way healthcare is delivered in Ontario. She set out to create a physiotherapy experience that feels uplifting and effortless. A place where patients feel cared for the moment they walk in.
The clinic was designed to be warm, beautiful and welcoming. By focusing on seamless service, genuine human connection and exceptional outcomes, Toth aims to make healthcare something people look forward to, not something they endure.
Co-op students are an affordable and valuable solution
As this focus fueled growth and success for PhysioMira, awareness of the company grew and the number of clients increased, creating a need for more staff to help run the business.
In 2021, a Waterloo co-op student reached out to Toth about the possibility of a co-op work term. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, Toth needed to ensure that hiring co-op students was financially feasible.
The student pitched one of the many benefits of co-op students, pointing to the funding opportunities available to help subsidize the cost of the hire.
“One persuasion for me was the potential for the subsidies,” Toth says. “It really opened a whole world of being able to have the benefit of a co-op student.”
While the funding opportunities provide financial relief, for Toth the greater benefit of hiring co-op students are the many other valuable assets they bring to the table.
“I continue to take Waterloo co-op students rather than hiring somebody full-time because I find the students to be very motivated,” Toth says. They are always looking to do a good job and make a good impression.
Mira Toth, clinic director and lead physiotherapist at PhysioMira
Our co-op students from the Kinesiology program come well-prepared with knowledge of the human body, and a real passion and drive to learn more about our clinic, its operations and the work life of physiotherapists. They are also eager to contribute to patient well-being.
Healing the community with the skills of co-op students
Sarah Larochelle (she/her), a Kinesiology graduate, made quite an impression during her work terms with PhysioMira. She provided a wealth of knowledge, expertise and a willingness to go above and beyond. Larochelle (BSc ’25) was recognized as the 2024 Co-op Student of the Year for the Faculty of Health for her impact at PhysioMira.
Sarah Larochelle (BSc ’25), 2024 Faculty of Health co-op student of the year
During her co-op work term, Larochelle took on a project where she used her computer skills to design an inventory tracking system. The system used automated QR codes to help staff be more organized and efficient.
“My proudest accomplishment was streamlining the inventory system at the clinic,” Larochelle says. “I spent a lot of time developing an Excel program for it, which was out of my comfort zone, but it really increased productivity. It helped both the physiotherapists and the front-end staff and co-op students by keeping everything organized in one place instead of using sticky notes.”
Larochelle also researched clinical best practices, where her findings and involvement greatly assisted the clinician in designing an exercise program for a patient.
“My biggest impact was working with a client recovering from orthopedic spinal surgery. I did a lot of research about the surgery and rehabilitation using Canadian resources and helped in the development of an exercise rehabilitation program for her. Since my co-op was eight months, I was able to see significant growth in her recovery.
Larochelle’s ability to apply what she learns in school to the workforce is one of the many elements that made her co-op experience so seamless.
“Luckily for me, in Kinesiology, a lot of what we learn is applicable to our co-ops, especially in clinical and health care settings,” Larochelle says.
“I’ve learned a lot about anatomy, physiology, how the body works, as well as exercise prescription and rehabilitation. So much of what I’ve studied in school has translated easily into my co-op experience.”
The team at PhysioMira encourages co-op students to participate in shadowing opportunities with clinicians. Toth and other clinicians trust students due to the wealth of knowledge they gain from the Kinesiology program at Waterloo.
“Employers, like PhysioMira, are giving co-op students in the Kinesiology program tremendous opportunities to apply what they learn in school on the job,” says Marlene Griffith Wrubel (she/her), account manager for Co-operative and Experiential Education at the University of Waterloo.
“Students are earning their trust by going above and beyond and providing meaningful results during their work terms.”
As PhysioMira moves forward, co-op students will continue to be a successful part of the fabric that makes up the business.