Veterans Memorial Hospital celebrating National Physical Therapy Month in October
Rehabilitation Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon ... October is National Physical Therapy Month. Pictured above is the Rehabilitation Department at VMH. This staff works with people of all ages, helping them to reduce pain and regain strength, independence and health, assisting patients within the hospital, patients in the hospital on a skilled level of care, as well as outpatients and in patient homes. Pictured, front row, left to right: Sara White, PTA; Amy Robinson, PT, Rehab Director; Amy Ghelf, PTA; Abie Daniel, PT; Shelly Valley, PTA and Athletic Trainer; Alana Gavin, PT; and Steven Mazzafield, Speech Therapist. Back row, left to right, includes Brad Krambeer, Athletic Trainer; Austin Troendle, PT and Athletic Trainer; Melissa Clarke, OT; Tami Gebel, OT; Dacia Johnson, Office Manager; and Laurel Hagensick, PT. Submitted photo.
National Physical Therapy Month ... Don and Mary Jane McGraw of rural Waukon, pictured above, have both benefited from the many services offered by the Rehabilitation Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital; Don following a tractor accident a couple of years ago and Mary Jane recently following a fall. They greatly appreciate the local specialties provided. Submitted photo.
The Rehabilitation staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) works with people of all ages, helping them to reduce pain and regain strength, independence and health. The Healthy Lifestyles Rehabilitation Center at VMH is fully equipped for all rehabilitation patients with 17 weight machine stations, tread mills, exercise bikes, NuStep and eliptical machines. The six treatment rooms allow one-on-one evaluation and treatment with the therapist.
Individual Physical Therapy services provided include athletic training, home health, work hardening/conditioning, wellness programs, headache management, lymphodema therapy, and wound care. Now five physical therapists currently serve VMH and the surrounding community, including Amy Robinson, P.T., Rehabilitation Director; Laurel Hagensick, P.T.; Alana Gavin, D.P.T.; Austin Troendle, D.P.T and Certified Athletic Trainer; Abie Daniel, D.P.T.; Amy Ghelf, Physical Therapist Assistant; Sara White, Physical Therapist Assistant; Shelly Valley, Physical Therapist Assistant and Certified Athletic Trainer; Dacia Johnson, Physical Therapist Technician/Office Manager; and Brad Krambeer, Certified Athletic Trainer.
Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies are provided by the VMH staff members in a variety of settings, to people of all ages. They treat those in the hospital who are recovering from an illness, those who are at home yet come into therapy on an outpatient basis, and those who are unable to leave their homes, providing therapy through VMH Community and Home Care.
Don and Mary Jane McGraw of rural Waukon have both benefited from the many services offered by the hospital Rehabilitation Department, Don following a tractor accident a couple of years ago and Mary Jane recently following a fall.
“I had a tractor run over my legs and I spent three weeks in La Crosse healing. I was able to come back to Waukon and have therapy three times a week for several weeks as an outpatient,” explains Don. “I recovered well thanks to the physical and occupational therapy staff. We are so lucky they are here.”
Don has been bringing Mary Jane into the hospital recently for outpatient therapy. She adds, “The therapy staff is just wonderful. They even came into our home and helped me there. We are also so fortunate to have our local, reliable ambulance crews. They have both responded for us and they were so good and right there when we needed them.”
Amy Robinson, PT, is the Director of Rehabilitation at Veterans Memorial Hospital, and adds, “Traveling the area and treating patients in their homes has been an enjoyable challenge for all of us and very rewarding. We try to go the extra mile for patients by analyzing their surroundings and making adaptive equipment to help them be more independent while living on their own.”
The therapy staff is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing treatment for patients around their busy schedules, saving them the time and effort of driving out of the area for their physical therapy. For more information on the rehabilitation services available at VMH, contact the Rehabilitation Department at 563-568-3411.
