Holzer Recognizes National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
Holzer Health System recently 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 Ashley Jones and Kate Stone as the Inpatient Rehab Employees of the Year. 
Ashley is currently the Rehabilitation Social Worker and has been with Holzer since 2004. Throughout her Holzer career, she has provided social work coverage throughout the system. Prior to officially joining Holzer, Ashley completed a rotation on Inpatient Rehabilitation while completing her bachelor’s in social work from Marshall University. When asked about working at Holzer, Jones shared, “I enjoy helping pts return home or to their safest environment to continue to progress and promote healing. I enjoy empowering them and their families to make the best decisions related to their healthcare and independence. The Team on Holzer Inpatient Rehab is the best around. We all work well together and are more like family.”
Kate is a Rehab Aide who began working for Holzer in October 2000 at Holzer Assisted Living in Gallipolis. She transferred to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in 2012. “I really enjoy talking with the patients and family and I am so glad when they get to go home,” Kate shared about her Holzer experiences.
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 minimize 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.
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 Medical Center 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 new state of the art device, the EksoNR, has recently 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 2021-2024. 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) 446-5902 or email info@holzer.org.
