Author name: GEstenson@welia.org

Grace has been with the rehabilitation family for 30 years. Grace started at Kanabec Hospital in 1990 when there were three staff members in the PT department, Rita Richardson, Jean Mork and herself.   She played a vital role in the growth of that one room department to the large multi-therapist department of today.

We recognize her dedication as a team player throughout the years, as she continued to advance her skills and knowledge in order to provide the best patient care possible and adapt to the ever- evolving rigor of the therapy profession.

Grace’s accomplishments over the years include becoming certified in the LSVT BIG program for Parkinson’s and a Certified Wound Care Associate.

We thank Grace for her commitment to exceptional patient care over the years.  Her positive impact on patients and co-workers alike will always be remembered and appreciated. 

Grace’s last day is Monday, October 12^th.  There will not be a formal party, but feel free to drop Grace a card or word of congratulations.

~your rehabilitation family

April is Occupational Therapy Month!

Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants are part of a vitally important profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. Their holistic and customized approach to evaluations, interventions, and outcomes help a child with disabilities participate in school and in social situations, assist a person recovering from injuries to regain skills, aid an older adult to stay as independent as possible, and offer the specialized support and services, including Hand Therapy, to people of all ages and in all circumstances that only occupational therapy can provide.

For more information: Occupational Therapy, Hand Therapy

Thank you to our Welia Health Occupational Therapy department staff!

Heather Alexander

Sarah Carpenter

Teresa Clark

Sarah Farber

Missy Hermanson

Katlyn Lombard

Aileen Roberts

Today’s Lung Disease Support Group (Blow Hards) will be held at the FirstLight Community Wellness Center instead of the regular location (Meeting Rooms).

2:00-3:00pm

Today from 10:30-12:00 the rehabilitation department will be closed for an all-staff meeting. All orders entered will automatically appear in our Workqueue and we we will call those patients this afternoon.

Thank you for you patience during this time so we can gather as a group to continue to learn how we can provide the best patient care.

 

We are pleased to offer a new service for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)! 

Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) for Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a Medicare approved program that operates similar to cardiac rehab.  Once an order is entered, the Rehabilitation Support Staff will electronically receive it and will contact the patient to set up the initial appointment.

Please see the details below and call x3356 with any questions.

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Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Order #: [209287]

-Indications:

• Diagnosis of PAD, ankle brachial index (ABI) < .90, and/or claudication during ambulation.

-SET PAD Program Overview:

• Frequency: 3 sessions per week.
• Length of Therapy: 12 weeks (up to 36 total sessions).
• Duration: Each session will last at least 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes.
• Exercise Modality: Treadmill and non-treadmill walking. If a patient is unable to complete this exercise, or if the duration is too short where benefits are deemed unlikely to occur, recumbent steppers and bike ergometers will be utilized.
• Intensity: Exercise intensity will be gauged by the rate of perceived exertion based on claudication. Scale is ranked from 1-10. Patients will exercise up to an intensity of 7-9 rating of perceived exertion (RPE), rest until RPE is down to a 3 or lower, and repeat as tolerated up to 30-60 minutes.
• EKG Monitored: Patients will not be monitored during exercise sessions.
• Measurements: ABI will be taken both before and after exercise.
• Assessments: Functional capacity and quality of life will be measured with the 6 minute walk test, PROMIS questionnaire, walking impairment questionnaire, and the PADQOL.

-Learning Objectives:

• Risk factors and symptoms associated with PAD and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Benefits of exercising with PAD.
• Exercise intensity and progression.
• How to exercise while PAD symptoms are present and when to stop exercising or rest.
• How to exercise by themselves.

-Goals and Outcomes:

• Target Goal: Able to walk pain-free 30-60 minutes a day, excluding rest breaks,           5-7 days per week.

 

• Improve the patient’s ability to walk, in terms of both distance and speed.
• Improve the patient’s quality of life.
• Prevent the progression to critical leg ischemia and limb amputation.
• Decrease the patient’s risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
• Decrease the patient’s risk of non-fatal MI or stroke.
• Decrease the patient’s risk of fatal MI or stroke.
• Decrease the time to onset of claudication.

More information can be found HERE.

Today from 10:30-12:00 the rehabilitation department will be closed for an all-staff meeting.  All orders entered will automatically appear in our Workqueue and we we will call those patients this afternoon.

 

Thank you for you patience during this time so we can gather as a group to continue to learn how we can provide the best patient care.

FirstLight Pediatric Therapy offers a complete spectrum of physical, occupational and speech therapy services. Therapists help children reach their greatest potential in daily living skills, mobility, communication and social interaction skills.
We treat children with a variety of diagnoses including: autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, torticollis, brachial plexus injury, traumatic brain injury, Down Syndrome or other syndromes, orthopedic conditions, muscular diseases, muscular incoordination, gait abnormalities, speech and language delays, and feeding problems.

Please contact the Rehabilitation Department with any questions at x3356.

Have you ever wondered what services are provided by the Rehabilitation Department?

We are pleased to be able to provide a comprehensive suite of services!

Check out the link below for a list including order numbers and locations:

rehabilitation-services-complete-list

We are excited to announce that we are now able to provide Cardiac Rehab in Pine City!

Patients who live near the Pine City Clinic are now able to locally receive the following services provided by our cardiac staff:  Tobacco Cessation visits, Holter Monitors, Event Monitors, and Cardiac Rehab.

The ability to provide these services locally significantly increased the likelihood that patients will participate in and remain compliant with their health care recommendations.

Thank you to everyone who put in many hours of effort behind-the-scenes to bring these cardiac services to the Pine City community (Becky Bryant, Denise Olsen, Becky Gallik, Michele Rothbauer, Cassie Huninghake, Brett Anderson, Lynne Williams, and Richelle Richert)!