Re: Open Thank You to Therapists

[Guest guest]

Jim,

I'm glad your dad is getting excellent care.

This is why we do what we do--to improved the quality of life for our

patients by providing skilled services, working with other health care

professionals and supporting friends and family.

Bonnie Swafford, PT, DPT

Lenexa, KS

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> All

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> As a frequent reader and sometime poster on PTManager, I am not a

> " typical " member of this forum. By that, I am not a therapist and have

> never really given much thought to going back to college to change that.

> However, over the years I do feel like I have been adopted as a member of

> this group. For those of you that don't know my background, it is a

> financial one, having worked with a Medicare Intermediary and some

> corporate therapy chains-both publicly traded and privately held

> organizations. For the past 15 years I have worked to assist therapists in

> private practice. With all that said, my experience as a patient of PT, OT

> and Speech services have been somewhat limited. I have received treatement

> for a frozen shoulder, assistance in figuring out how to avoid arch pain

> with my running and more recently, assistance in battling through some low

> back and hamstring problems related to my running work outs.

>

> While these have all been good experiences for me, they haven't had a

> great deal of drama that really helped me see some of the many facets of

> therapy. At some point in many people's lives, they will undergo some sort

> of trauma that will really help them focus a bit more on what therapists do

> and how they can affect change in a patient's life. I hope most people will

> never have to undergo this experience..., but if they do, I hope they get a

> care team like the one I have had an opportunity to encounter. My father is

> 79 and a week ago last Tuesday, had a stroke in suburban Minneapolis (Apple

> Valley). Fortunately, my step mother was driving and she recognized the

> signs almost instantly. Added to that, they were within a quarter of a mile

> of a local hospital. As soon as he was stabilized, he was transferred to

> Regions Hospital in St and immediately sent into surgery.

> Unfortunately, the clot was not removable and so off he went to the

> recovery unit. Last Wednesday he was shipped to the Neuro Unit and on

> Easter Sunday they transferred him to the Physical Medicine and Rehab Unit.

>

> His care team at Regions is unlike any I have ever seen (not that I have

> seen a lot). From the doctors, nursing staff, PT's, OT's, SP's, Social

> Worker's and Care Cooridinator's this staff has placed the patient and

> their family's need for information first. I don't think I have ever seen

> doctors spend the amount of time this staff has in making themselves

> available for questions. While I expect this type of behavior from

> therapists, I have never seen a whole hospital work at communicating the

> way this one has.

>

> More importantly, the PT, OT and SP's that are working with dad are doing

> an incredible job working to restore any function they can. While I was

> grateful for therapy care in assisting my minor injuries, I took that

> somewhat for granted. But listening to the workers at Regions Rehab

> Institute, I have a new appreciation for the skill set you all have

> acquired and how you put it to work to change patient's lives. Thank you

> for all that you do and please never lose sight of why you are doing it! I

> have a new found and deeper appreciation for your skills!

>

> Again, thank you and keep fighting the good fight,

>

> Jim <///><

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