Can a VA go from back office to front desk in one clinic? At Four Pines, it happened faster than anyone expected.
- Rockstar Staff
- Aug 30
- 4 min read
Norene Christensen is CEO of Four Pines Physical Therapy, serving three regions across Wyoming, from ranchers to high-level athletes. Her county is one of the most expensive in the country, and finding and keeping local talent has gotten harder every year as the cost of living outpaces what most clinics can pay.
Another owner, Orit Pickman, had already started using virtual assistants and mentioned it to Norene. She didn't hesitate. Some of her own staff were nervous about the idea, but Norene describes herself as a full-on early adopter. Four Pines interviewed four strong candidates through Rockstar and hired based on culture and values fit. Yara was the one who stood out. Today, Four Pines works with three VAs across the practice.
What made Norene decide to bring on a VA in the first place?
The math wasn't working locally. Four Pines is based in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, where salaries haven't kept pace with the cost of living, which made hiring and retaining staff in her communities genuinely difficult. Hearing how well it was going for another practice owner was enough to get her to reach out to Rockstar.
When did Yara stop feeling like back-office support and start feeling like part of the clinical team?
Much sooner than Norene expected. The original plan was for Yara to handle back-office work only, not anything patient-facing. Her strong English, communication skills, and drive to learn changed that fast. She moved into a patient-facing role alongside the practice's other patient care coordinators, working the front desk and interacting directly with the PTs. Norene describes the transition as seamless.
What were Yara's early days actually like?
Nervous but hopeful, in her own words. She had insurance verification experience already, but the pace of a physical therapy clinic was new territory. She second-guessed herself at times, wondering if she was doing enough or doing it right. What got her through was showing up every day willing to learn. She says those early days taught her more than task lists. They taught her responsibility, patience, and how to believe in herself, piece by piece.
How did trust build between Yara and the Four Pines team?
Through consistency. Yara listened carefully, followed through, and treated the work like it mattered, because it did. Trust grew naturally from there, and what made it meaningful was the mutual respect behind it. It stopped being just a job and became a partnership, not only with Norene, but with the whole Four Pines team.
How has this partnership changed Norene as a leader?
It's taken worry off her plate entirely. With the training Four Pines put into Yara, she built real confidence, both her own and the team's trust in her. Norene says she doesn't micromanage and doesn't need to. What she hears about Yara's work is consistently good.
What's Norene's advice to other healthcare business owners?
Don't overthink it. She's direct about this: any healthcare provider that isn't considering virtual assistants through Rockstar is missing an easy win. These are people who genuinely want to work and represent your business well.
Her bigger point is about onboarding. Train a VA the same way you'd train any other employee, thoroughly and repeatedly. You can't hand someone a task with no context and then be frustrated when they don't execute it the way you pictured. Four Pines even set up a screen in their office so their billing VA stays in constant contact with the rest of the billing team throughout the day, effectively working alongside them in real time. Norene treats her VAs as full members of the team and family, and she considers herself just as responsible for them as she is for anyone else on staff.
How does Yara define success today, compared to when she started?
Simply: knowing she made a difference. If her client feels supported, if the clinic runs smoothly, if patients are cared for, she considers that a job well done. What she's most proud of is her own growth, from someone who was still learning and unsure of herself to someone the team trusts and relies on. She points to the relationships and the quiet, everyday wins as what she values most.
What does Norene want Yara to know?
That the biggest gift of this partnership was learning to fully let go and trust Yara's judgment, knowing her decisions reflect the company's culture, values, and mission. It's been over two years now, and Norene is genuinely excited about how much Yara has grown and where she'll go next. She credits that growth to the trust Yara has earned from the entire team, not just her.
What does Yara want to say back?
That Norene trusted her before she trusted herself. Yara says the patience, guidance, and belief she received shaped who she is today, not just professionally, but personally. This partnership gave her more than work. It gave her confidence, purpose, and the sense that she genuinely matters, something she says she'll carry with her for good.
