Holzer Rehab Unit Hosts Annual Reunion

Holzer Health System celebrated National Rehabilitation Awareness Week with a Rehab Reunion. During this event, former patients were invited to the Holzer Leadership and Innovation Institute to enjoy fellowship with our Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit staff.

National Rehabilitation Awareness week, which is observed the third full week of September annually, is designed to promote the value of rehabilitation; highlight the capabilities of people with disabilities; salute the professionals who provide service to people with disabilities; and increase awareness of the value and impact of rehabilitation.   

As part of this year’s celebration, Holzer Inpatient Rehab Unit selected Amanda West, PTA, and Haley Parsons, LPN as the Inpatient Rehab Employees of the Year.

Amanda began working at Holzer in 2001 in acute care and outpatient physical therapy. In 2002, she transferred to Inpatient Rehabilitation. She lives in McArthur, Ohio with her husband, Corey, and two sons, Brayden and Blaine. She enjoys spending time with family and attending her son’s events. “Holzer Rehab is a family who will encourage you and work hard with you to return home and your daily activities.”

Haley started her Holzer career in 2017 and on the 2North unit at the Jackson Hospital, then transferred to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Gallipolis. She lives in Vinton, Ohio, with her husband, Carter, and two sons, Kaysen and Kolsen. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. “Working on Rehab provides me the opportunity to give back to my community by helping our patients get stronger and overcome obstacles. I enjoy helping our patients find ways to adapt in order to return to everyday life.”

Rehabilitation is a medical specialty that helps restore those who are affected by a potentially disabling disease or traumatic injury to good health and functional, productive lives, in addition to minimizing physical or cognitive disabilities. It often centers on an interdisciplinary team approach to care by physiatrists (physicians specializing in rehabilitation); physical, occupational, respiratory and recreational therapists; speech and language pathologists; rehabilitation nurses; and other professionals who work with patients to restore the greatest level of function or independence. The rehab team helps individuals overcome obstacles and accomplish normal tasks of daily living.

In addition to an Employee of the Year recognition, the Inpatient Rehab Unit chose a Patient of the Year to honor at the Reunion. This year’s honoree is Tammy Baker.

In March 2021, Tammy was diagnosed with COVID, which then moved into pneumonia and sepsis. She spent over 40 days at Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio and was ultimately transferred to Holzer Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in Gallipolis. She shared, “My nurses, Patsy and Kayla, were so good to me from the beginning. I thank God for those girls. The whole staff taught me determination, to keep fighting, to keep digging in even when at my worse. You have to work at it if you want to get better and overcome your obstacles. They are my driving spirit. I went from being bed-bound to now walking with a regular walker.” Tammy spent approximately three months in Holzer Inpatient Rehab and commends all the staff on their care. “If you want the Holzer experience, this unit is exceptional. They all go above and beyond.”

When asked about being recognized as the Patient of the Year, she replied, “I never expected to be recognized as Patient of the Year. I can’t say Thank You enough. Being honored made me feel so special, these individuals are my family.”

Most Americans will require at least one rehabilitation service at some point in their lives. Rehabilitation is individualized so that each patient can progress at his or her own ability level. Statistics show that medical rehabilitation improves lives and saves money. For every $1 spent on rehab care, it is estimated that $11 are saved on long-term disability costs. People participating in rehabilitation programs of care are able to regain productivity and return to work, school and independent living.

The Holzer Health System – Gallipolis Inpatient Rehab is located on the Fifth Floor of the hospital at 100 Jackson Pike, Gallipolis, and has provided services since 1991.  The primary purpose of the Rehab Unit is to assist patients and their families with the transition from an acute hospital setting to home.  Patients participate in a comprehensive rehab program consisting of at least three hours of therapy a day, five days a week.

“Our mission at the Holzer Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is: We will provide the highest quality rehabilitation services to restore each patient to his/her maximum level of independence at home and in the community,” stated Nikki Roe, MA, CCC-S, Program Director, Inpatient Rehab Unit.

A state-of-the-art device, the EksoNR, has joined Holzer Health System Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit to help with that mission statement. Geared toward helping those who are unable to walk due to medical conditions, the EksoNR is a robotic exoskeleton that enhances strength, allowing patients to stand and to relearn to walk. This device has helped patients take more than 200 million steps in over 400 rehabilitation institutions around the world. Holzer is the only local provider that has it available for our communities.

EksoNR™ is the first exoskeleton approved by the FDA for use with stroke and spinal cord injuries from L5 to C7 and the only exoskeleton with FDA approval for use with acquired brain injury and multiple sclerosis patients. The EksoNR™ with SmartAssist™ software is the only exoskeleton available for rehabilitation institutions that can provide dynamically adapting amounts of power to either side of a patient’s body, challenging the patient as they progress through their continuum of care. The suit’s patented technology provides the ability to mobilize patients earlier, more frequently, and with a greater number of high intensity steps.

Holzer’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is Accredited by CARF International for 2024-2027. This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process.  It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality. Further, an organization accredited for three years clearly indicates that present conditions represent an established pattern of total operations that is likely to be maintained or improved in the foreseeable future.

For more information, call (740) 446-5597 or email info@holzer.org.

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