Terran Gates of Bentonville discovered her passion for prosthetics and orthotics while job shadowing at a local clinic while she was in high school.
“I immediately fell in love with the idea that I could have a career that balanced working with my hands and working with people,” said Gates.
Now she is the president and sole owner of Gates Prosthetics & Mobility Clinic. The clinic opened in July 2023, aiming to improve the lives of amputees and the disabled community.
The path to having her own business started with learning her craft.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas, she obtained her master’s in prosthetics and orthotics at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.
Following her residency, she earned American Board Certification in both prosthetics and orthotics and spent the next six years at a locally owned P&O company.
“I was hungry for knowledge and expanding my skill set,” said Gates.
Gates developed a talent for difficult presentations and transfemoral prosthetics, creating unique designs for challenging cases.
After a corporate takeover, she decided to explore opening her own clinic to focus on patient relationships and quality over quantity.
Gates found the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas through a Google search.
She began working with Stephanie Parsons, a business consultant at the center, who guided her from her initial idea to opening the doors of the first location for Gates Prosthetics & Mobility Clinic.
Over a span of more than two years, Parsons helped Gates identify and overcome her top business startup challenges – obtaining funding, budget and finances, and business planning.
“The dedication of the ASBTDC staff to listen and encourage those that they help are the main ingredients to giving small business owners the courage to put themselves out there,” Gates said. “ASBTDC made sure I thought through every angle and scenario before taking that leap of faith.”
Gates later discovered another need among her patients. Many struggled with living a healthier lifestyle and completing their exercise regimens with their mobility impairment.
She pursued and obtained a certification in exercise physiology with specialization in inclusive fitness to provide a wholistic approach to health and wellness.
“Being a part of this very personal journey from what is often a low point in their life, watching them make the courageous decision to go for it, and helping with the work to get to their goals, is why I do what I do,” said Gates.
With regional locations in Bentonville, Harrison, and Mountain Home, the clinics offer pediatrics, adaptive personal training, and post-operative management, in addition to prosthetics and orthotics.