Meet The Team — Dr. Tom Bakman, Founder & President of Restoration Healthcare

Dr. Tom Bakman, the founder and president here at Restoration Healthcare, began his career in medicine after transferring at the end of his junior from the University of California — Irvine and receiving a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy and a Doctor of Chiropractic from Southern California University of Health Science, which was then called the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.

Dr. Bakman (“Dr. B.” to his patients) is a qualified medical examiner, is certified as an expert witness in Orange County Superior Court, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Forensic and Industrial Chiropractic Consultants (AFICC). He is also a member of the Southern California University of Health Sciences’ Board of Regents.

We asked Dr. B. to tell us about his career in healthcare thus far and a little about his personal life.

Here’s what he had to say:

Resto Healthcare: Who are you and what do you to do here at Restoration Healthcare?

Tom Bakman: I am lucky enough to have been the catalyst that got Restoration Healthcare started. I currently treat patients and am responsible for all business operations of the group.

RH: What did you do prior to establishing Restoration Healthcare?

TB: I was trained as a chiropractor and licensed in 1988. I quickly saw the benefit of bringing different disciplines of medicine together with a common goal — do what it takes to help people achieve optimal health. I was fortunate to have a part in creating a medical group in 1993 with another Doctor of Chiropractic and a physical therapist. Over time I have been involved with starting an orthopedic surgical group and then a sports medicine group.

RH: What was the notion behind the founding of Restoration Healthcare?

TB: It was an idea that I had several years ago after seeing patients with chronic conditions that were not resolved. I continually witnessed chronic pain conditions and chronic sports injuries that were being treated for extended periods of time without satisfactory results. I began to explore functional medicine, and once I discovered that it was a systems approach versus a diseased focused form of healthcare, I could no longer go back to the way I looked at treating chronic disease.

RH: When you’re not working, what do you like to do in your spare time?

TB: I am a fitness enthusiast and spend at least six days a week doing some type of exercise. This varies from resistance training to cardio and outdoor activities. I have been married for 11 years to my beautiful wife Sarah — a kind, funny Brit with a beautiful accent. We have a 6-year-old daughter named Cosette (aka “Coco”). As older parents it has been a true pleasure raising a younger one because I think we’re more settled in life. My parents and family live in the Central Valley and we try to see them as often as we can. We also get to travel internationally, with Sarah’s family living in the UK and New Zealand. One of my favorite places to go is Zurich — a best friend lives there. Overall, I love mixing with different cultures and experiencing different world views.

RH: What reality TV show should you be on and why would you win or be kicked off?

TB: Even though I don’t get to see it often enough I really enjoy the “Amazing Race.” I enjoy the mental strategy, teamwork and physical demands. I think that, paired with the right person and now having a few “life miles,” that we could win. Being kicked off would probably be due to the higher physical performance of a younger team.

RH: What’s one thing not many people know about you?

TB: I enjoy personal growth. I love reading about high performers and seeing what drives their behavior. I enjoy the works of Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I also enjoy world economic history — kind of nerdy stuff to enjoy. To others that might enjoy this I recommend starting with The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin.