The Washington area has some top-notch resources for physical therapy patients, and employees at the Vidant Wellness Center want residents to know it.

The physical therapy department, located at the center on Cowell Farm Road, hosted an open house Wednesday evening to show off its new equipment and updated facilities.

“These patients previously did not have hope. … I saw people trapped in their own home and just couldn’t get out,” physical therapist Maria Stalls said. “Now, we’ve got treatment for them.”

Physical therapy services have been available for years, but the wellness center has many updates that are taking treatments to another level. With five physical therapists and 10 assistants, the center has treatment options for patients with lymphedema, in-pool and whirlpool therapy, an isokinetic machine for continual movement, exercise equipment and a Martti machine, which has the ability to translate more than 80 languages.

Even the basic equipment, such as the tables for patients, is more manageable and easier to use, according to Stalls.

Stalls said her goal as a PT is to treat the whole patient and give them a new quality of life with optimal movement. She also wants to give patients confidence in their capabilities.

“We want the best treatment for the patient no matter what,” she said. “This is for life. … We’re really into overall health.”

As the facility evolves to meet the needs of patients, so do the therapists, Stalls said. With a younger crowd of PTs graduating and coming to work, Stalls said they are exposing the veteran PTs to a more research-based way of thinking — the motivation to actively search for answers instead of accepting what’s already been said.

“We are a success story,” she said. “We have a large staff — a very large staff for this area.”

Stalls said she views coming to work every day as a privilege because even after 20 years in physical therapy, she still loves her job.

She is excited for the future of the facility and said she takes pride in the treatment patients can receive close to home without having to drive to Greenville.

“We want to be the best,” Stalls said. “I’m proud, just really proud of it.”