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October 2026

Therapist expanding impact in Dallas Fort Worth area

Dr. Bobby Curtis knew he wanted to be a physical therapist after an experience with a sports injury in high school. But the Bobby of those days had no idea the scope and impact he’d be making in 2026 as a partner in PT practices across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

“I thought being a physical therapist would be a way for me to stay relevant, be around people and, as cliché as it is, all people in medicine at their core want to help people. You have to have that innate desire,” he said. “PT also keeps you in sports, and I knew that’s where I ultimately wanted to

serve people the rest of my life.”

A native of Allen, Bobby came to Wayland to be part of the Pioneer Baseball program after meeting then-Head Coach Brad Bass at a camp his senior year. He enjoyed both playing ball for Wayland and the courses he took in the School of Math and Sciences as a biology major. He recalls Dr. Randy Craig being one of his most influential professors in science, and he noted many faculty members were great mentors.

Bobby got accepted to the PT program at Texas Tech in the fall of his senior year, so he recalls getting to really enjoy his spring senior season on the field. He earned the doctorate in physical therapy in 2013, then moved to Arizona to begin work in the field at two clinics. He earned his board certification in sports medicine there. But more importantly, he met a professional mentor who opened his eyes to the opportunities beyond just being a practitioner.

“He really taught me what it was to be a next-level clinician and also a true operator of the business and how to treat the patient as a whole and not just seeing them as a rotator cuff,” he said of Dr. Doug Howard. “He taught me how to understand the whole picture, including their financial picture. It costs money to come see us, and if you are asking a patient to come see you three times a week and they can’t afford it, you have to understand how to make one or two times a week work for them. Or if they have the financial capacity, how can we see them four or five times a week and get them better faster.

“He taught me a lot about the PT profession and owning and growing a business. That was the first time in my life I’d ever had my interest piqued in owning a practice,” he said. “He owned several clinics and had a partnership, and I saw what he was able to accomplish for himself and his family, the community engagement he had, and I thought that was really fun.”

When life changes brought Bobby back to Texas, he joined Vista Physical Therapy with the understanding that he’d become a partner in the near future. After a year, he was able to open his

own practice in McKinney and begin building relationships in the sports medicine arena. The first day, he followed advice from a dentist friend who is a strong believer to dedicate the practice to the Lord.

“I remember I brought my Bible in the practice the very first day, got on my hands and knees and said, ‘Hey, this is your place not mine. I have no idea what you have in store for me.’ I had taken out a loan and written a check with my name on it I had no business writing to literally invest in myself,” Bobby recalled.

“I asked God to grant me the patients that my skills can help, with the gifts you’ve given me. I believe we all are not meant to preach from the pulpit, but that’s our mission field,” he added. “A patient treatment room is one of the best mission fields, because sometimes in your darkest hours, you can be met with black and white objectivity or you can be met with utmost love and compassion and hear ‘Hey, we’re going to get through this together, and I’m invested in this with you.’”

Bobby said while his practice isn’t life-or-death, patients dealing with pain are in desperate need of relief and he’s been blessed to help them. God answered his prayer to both provide patients and multiplied his impact through the practice by bringing in staff and practitioners that have also impacted many, including his best friend from PT school that has worked with Bobby for 10 years.

“God has brought me so many amazing young people that I’ve been able to help guide through life and witness to. The impact that just one practice, one check, has made is amazing,” Bobby noted. “The number that I’m the most proud of is ironically my baseball number. Since 2018, we’ve helped 22 individuals become future doctors – either in physical therapy or they’ve gone to PA school or MD school – that have worked for me as techs or assistants.”

While Bobby is proud of that statistic, he hopes the mentorship behind it was felt by those former employees, who got to see someone who practices with both professionalism and skill but also with passion and drive to push patients to be better, delivering therapy with “the same compassion and grace that is demanded and expected from us.”

From the day Bobby took over his first practice, success followed. He went from a two-person staff to five in three months, and at the four-month mark, he had the opportunity to purchase another practice.

“Once again it was something I didn’t want to pass up. I took out another loan and did it again, then we just did life and did business for two years,” Bobby said. “We grew to a staff of five doctors, several assistants, two front office personnel… then COVID happened.”

Bobby was newly married and the partnership began having to lay off staff since patients were not coming in. While those years were initially quite rough, Bobby said in the midst of that storm one of

the partners decided he was ready to hang it up. A few months later, the deal was done and another practice was added to the empire. Two years later, the practice had a 42 percent growth over the best year prior, and Bobby said he is proud of the impact made there.

The next year he and a friend started a practice in a baseball complex in Melissa, now one of the top five practices in the Vista empire of 34 properties.

“I think it has been having that passion for delivering care with compassion and having that business sense. You can have that kingdom perspective, which we never want to lose sight of, but we also have to be good businessmen with what we’ve been entrusted. It’s stewardship, and we have to make good decisions,” he said.

“All along the way, people ask, ‘how have you been able to do what you’ve done.’ And I don’t mean to sound cliché, but I’ve done nothing but try to be a steward of the gifts that God has given me, and God has blessed us beyond measure or even capacity,” he said. “I was just going to school to be a PT; I never envisioned being a multi-practice owner or a partner. I wanted the opportunity provided for me to be successful, and now here I am helping these other people put food on the table.”

Today, Bobby is operations director for 28 of the practices, meaning he travels often. But he still practices in McKinney and enjoys the direct patient care as much as he always has. Still,

“Being a business owner is something I never planned, but it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life, next to accepting God and marrying Mindy and having two amazing boys. It’s provided me with so many opportunities not for personal gain or success but to truly help others,” he said. “It’s caused me to be a better man, a better husband, a better father. Leadership is hard; the one thing I’ve learned is it is constant engagement. There are no such thing as successful passive leaders. You have to be actively engaged in the business.

“There are a lot of hard decisions and hard conversations that have to be made sometimes, but how do you handle it with the stewardship or the kingdom perspective? Sometimes you do have to be firm and put your foot down, but at the same time I wouldn’t trade anything for where I am right now. I get up everyday jazzed to do what I do. I know there is going to be a fire to put out and it’s OK. We can handle it. Eight years of ownership, we’ve weathered a lot of storms.”

Through it all, Bobby said his faith has been a mainstay as he has trusted God for guidance and wisdom along with wife Mindy’s support. He admits that when he arrived at Wayland, he was a “checkbox Christian” who believed in God but really didn’t have a relationship with him. When he came back to Texas, Bobby said he feels he really gave his life to the Lord and saw real change. He began dating Mindy again shortly afterward. The couple has two sons, age five and two.

“I wake up next to the grace of God every day. We have two amazing sons and an amazing marriage, and I just love her to death,” he said, noting her support through all the growth of the practices. “I am beyond grateful for the things I did early in life, the risks I took that have now given me the time with my boys to be a good father. My work will get done, but I get to choose when I get it done.”

 

Undergraduate enrollment up in Plainview

PLAINVIEW, TX — Undergraduate enrollment at Wayland Baptist University’s Plainview campus reached 711 students this fall, up 12.1% from in Fall 2025. The campus welcomed 392 freshmen and transfer students, its largest incoming class since 2016.

“God has blessed Wayland with students eager to be here and people who are deeply committed to serving them,” said Dr. Donna Hedgepath, Wayland’s president. “We are grateful for this growth and excited about what lies ahead for our students and our university.”

The incoming class grew an unprecedented 28.9% from last year’s 304 freshmen and transfer students.

International undergraduate enrollment rose 8.7%, from 92 to 100 students. Students from more than 40 countries now make up 14.1% of Plainview’s undergraduate student body.

“These results reflect the perseverance and care of people across Wayland,” Hedgepath said. “Our staff and departments have devoted countless hours to helping students begin and continue their education. Their collective work is moving Wayland forward.”

These figures cover undergraduate enrollment on the Plainview campus. Wayland hopes to share total enrollment, including graduate programs, external campuses, and online students, following its Fall 2 census.

 

Devotional: Faithful in Every Season

 

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” — Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

October reminds us that seasons change. As Wayland alumni, we have experienced changes of our own—from classrooms and campus friendships to careers, families, and new responsibilities. Some seasons bring excitement and opportunity. Others require patience, perseverance, and trust.

Through every transition, God calls us to remain faithful. In Galatians 6:9, Paul encourages believers to keep doing good, even when the results are difficult to see. A word of encouragement, a prayer for someone struggling, or time spent mentoring a younger person may seem small, but each can become part of God’s work in another life.

As Homecoming brings opportunities to reconnect, we can remember those who invested in us and consider how we might do the same for others. The people who helped shape our lives often made a difference through simple, consistent acts of care. We can carry that example into our homes, workplaces, churches, and communities.

Whatever this season holds, ask God to help you recognize the good you can do today. You may not see the harvest immediately, but you can trust Him as you faithfully plant and nurture.

Reflection: Who could benefit from your encouragement, wisdom, or kindness this month?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness through every season of life. When we grow weary, renew our strength. Open our eyes to opportunities to serve, encourage, and invest in others. Help us trust Your timing and remain faithful in the work You place before us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

In the mix: Around Here, “Flying” Was Literal

Some teams choose a name because it sounds impressive. At Wayland, the Flying Queens came with actual airplanes.

 

 

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