Therapists Gather to Celebrate Rehabilitation Care

Friday, October 21, 2016

Therapists Gather to Celebrate Rehabilitation Care

Stroke survivor Dr. William Howell (left) with his wife Sally (right) and caregiver Lisa Clark, MS, OTR/L, Rehabilitation Manager at Mid Coast Senior Health Center.

BRUNSWICK, ME – Almost 100 Mid Coast–Parkview Health rehabilitation and therapy specialists gathered at a celebration luncheon on October 5 at The Daniel, in Brunswick, Maine. The event was planned as part of National Rehabilitation Week, a nationwide celebration to educate people about the benefits of rehabilitation and the capabilities of people with disabilities.

The rehabilitation continuum of care at Mid Coast–Parkview Health includes Mid Coast Hospital’s inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services; Mid Coast Senior Health Center’s skilled nursing rehabilitation unit, Bodwell; and CHANS Home Health in home therapy services.

Stroke survivor Dr. William Howell and his wife Sally were honored at the event. A retired oral surgeon, Dr. Howell experienced a stroke in July 2015. This affected his speech and mobility on one side of his body. He spent time at Maine Medical Center, New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland, and then transferred care closer to home to Mid Coast Senior Health Center.

“Bill and Sally quickly showed themselves to be a team to be reckoned with,” said Lisa Clark, MS, OTR/L, Rehabilitation Manager at Mid Coast Senior Health Center. “His courage, determination, and motivation in the rehab realm has served him well as he utilized rehabilitation throughout the Mid Coast–Parkview Health system—at Mid Coast Senior Health Center, at home through CHANS Home Health, and then with Mid Coast Hospital outpatient rehabilitation services.”

More than 60 million Americans (1 in 5) have some type of disability and will require the services of a rehabilitation professional at some time. Rehabilitation and therapy services are an integral part of the healthcare system and help individuals recover from disabling injury, illness, or chronic disease. Mid Coast–Parkview Health has more than 100 therapists providing care to individuals within the community.

Dr. Howell’s hard work and motivation with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy has allowed him to re-engage in his life. His wife, Sally Howell, spoke at the event commenting, “The doctors and nurses saved Bill’s life, but it was all of you who helped him return to a life worth living.”

Yet, it is the rehabilitation caregivers that feel that they benefit from the hard work of their patients. Clark commented, “Your successful return to the important routines and activities in your lives are the inspiration and reason that all of us in rehab services come to work every day. You remind us that we are not just part of a vocation, but that it is a privilege to be able to do what we do every day.”

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About Mid Coast–Parkview Health
Mid Coast–Parkview Health is dynamic healthcare system addressing a full continuum of community health, wellness, and prevention needs with a full-service 93-bed hospital (Mid Coast Hospital), a diverse medical group (Mid Coast Medical Group), senior health care (Mid Coast Senior Health Center), and home healthcare services (CHANS Home Health Care).