Bringing Rehabilitation CLOSE TO YOU

Today
MedStar NRH
Bel Air-MAS
Bel Air-MAS
A MedStar National Rehabilitation Network Publication
Spring 2014
Westminster
Westminster
Maryland
Maryland
MedStar Union Memorial
Bel Air
Lutherville Sports
Bel Air
Lutherville Hand
White Marsh
Lutherville Sports
Perry Hall
Lutherville Hand
White Marsh
MedStar Good Samaritan
Perry Hall
Wilkens Avenue
BaltimoreMedStar Good Samaritan
MedStar Union
Memorial
Stadium
Place
Ellicott City Wilkens Avenue
Baltimore
MedStar Harbor Hospital Sports
Dundalk
Stadium Place
Ellicott City
Dundalk-North Point
Olney
MedStar Harbor Hospital Sports
Dundalk
Germantown
Dundalk-North Point
Leisure World
Olney
Montrose
(Rockville)
Leisure World
Montrose
Pasadena
Wheaton
(Rockville)
DC
DC
Ballston
Virginia
Oxon Hill
Virginia
Clinton
Alexandria Oxon
Hill
Lorton
Alexandria
Lorton
Lake Ridge (Woodbridge)
Lake Ridge (Woodbridge)
B A
Y
C H E S A P E A K E
Bethesda
Pasadena
Wheaton
Friendship Heights
MEDSTAR NATIONAL
Chevy Chase
Bethesda
REHABILITATION HOSPITAL
Friendship Heights
19th Street MEDSTAR NATIONAL
Chevy
Chase
McLean
REHABILITATION
HOSPITAL
Mitchellville
K Street
19th Street
Ballston
McLean
Mitchellville
K Street
Bringing
Rehabilitation
CLOSE TO YOU
C H E S A P E A K E
B A
Y
Germantown
>>Page 4
Also inside:
Clinton
Waldorf
Waldorf-Pembrooke Square
Waldorf
Waldorf-Pembrooke Square
St. Mary’s
Salisbury
Salisbury
Senior-Centered Care
>> Page 5
Healthy, Happy, Feet
and Ankles
>> Page 6
Speech Therapy Gets
a Boost from Groups
>> Page 8
MedStar NRH and VA
Team Up for Sports
>> Page 10
* New Centers in Yellow
St. Mary’s
Knowledge and Compassion
Focused on You
Adding Life to Years® — Helping You Live a Full and Healthy Life
Self-Help for Stroke Prevention
Is there anything we can do to protect
ourselves against the devastating
consequences of stroke? “Absolutely,”
says Brendan Conroy, MD, medical
director, MedStar NRH Stroke Recovery
Program. “Stroke prevention really
is something we can—and need—to
manage ourselves. This is one job we
can’t hand off to anyone else. It’s our
personal responsibility.”
That means we need to determine what
stroke risk factors we have and take
action to eliminate them. “The good
news is that more than 50 percent of all
strokes can be prevented by reducing
risk factors,” Dr. Conroy explains. Some
risk factors for stroke can’t be altered,
such as family history, age, gender or
race—being over age 55, male, or African
American, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific
Islander increases risk. “But others are
related to our lifestyles or are medical
issues that can be treated. We can make
a real impact on protecting ourselves if
we take some proactive steps,” he adds.
An ischemic stroke or "brain attack"
occurs when a blood clot forms in a
blood vessel, interrupting blood flow
to the brain. Without blood, brain cells
begin to die and brain damage occurs.
DON’T SMOKE.
If you do smoke, quit.
CONTROL YOUR
CHOLESTEROL
and high blood
pressure.
If you have
DIABETES,
control your blood
glucose levels.
EXERCISE
AVOID SATURATED FATS
at least 30
minutes a
day.
(hydrogenated fats),
simple sugars and simple
carbohydrates (cookies,
candy and pies, for example)
and too much salt.
EAT A DIET
rich in plant foods, lean protein,
complex carbohydrates (beans,
potatoes and rice) and whole
grains (brown rice is best)
can be protective.” [See the graphic
above for ways to reduce stroke risk.]
“For example, high fat food increases
cholesterol, which can clog vessels. In
uncontrolled diabetes, high levels of
blood glucose mean that blood vessels
aren’t absorbing sugar and are literally
starving. Overtime, high blood glucose
can increase the formation of fatty
deposits that can lead to clots and stroke.
Too much sugar can be dangerous for
any of us—it can increase levels of LDL, the
‘bad’ cholesterol that collects in the walls
of blood vessels, causing blockages.
“It’s also important to have your cholesterol
levels and blood pressure checked
routinely—and get them under control
through diet or medication,” he adds.
“A stroke occurs as one risk factor piles
upon another,” Dr. Conroy says. “To
start, don’t look at risk reduction as all
or nothing. Tackle small changes that
Stroke Recovery Program
Medical Director Brendon
Conroy, MD, with patient.
Risk for stroke increases if you
previously had a stroke or a TIA—a
transient ischemic attack. “In a TIA,
stroke-like symptoms occur but go
away, and many people don’t seek
help. But it’s very important to see
your doctor even when symptoms
disappear. In addition, if you do have
a stroke, getting speedy treatment
means less damage.”
Know Stroke Warning Signs
Knowing the signs of stroke in yourself or
others, can save lives and prevent disabilities.
Stoke. Act F.A.S.T.
F
A
S
T
2
MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
HEALTHY
WEIGHT.
you drink
(one drink
a day for
women and
two a day
for men).
says. “That’s why eating a healthy diet is
so important.
Feeding our Blood Vessels
“Our vessels are living tissue that need
to be nourished by blood,” Dr. Conroy
Maintain a
LIMIT
HOW
MUCH
ALCOHOL
Facial Droop
Arm weakness, numbness
or tingling on one side of
arm, face or leg
Slurred speech
Time—don’t waste it.
Call 911 immediately.
The MedStar NRH Stroke Recovery
Program is one of the largest in the
country, and the most advanced in the
region. Inpatient, day treatment and
outpatient services are available.
To learn more, call 202-877-1000.
President’s Message
Coming Soon to
Your Neighborhood
MedStar NRH Network is on the move, expanding outpatient services throughout the
region. You will read about our most recent center openings in this issue of MedStar
NRH Today. We have nine new centers in all. Three of these new centers are located in
Northern Virginia bringing the total to five, and expanding our reach further into the
Commonwealth.
“Our outpatient
centers offer
highly specialized
care where
people live
and work.”
— John D. Rockwood,
President, MedStar
National Rehabilitation
Network; Senior Vice
President, MedStar Health
MedStar Health’s marketing
campaign touts medical care
Close To You.
lthcare
most accessible hea
We’re creating the
.
ion
reg
the
in
em
syst
e heart care.
Our McLean, Virginia, outpatient center, opened a little more than a year ago, was our second
Virginia location, joining our Ballston center, which has been open for many years. The McLean
center has proved so successful that we are replicating its approach in three additional locations
in Alexandria, Lorton and Lake Ridge.
In these new centers, MedStar NRH experts are joining MedStar Health physicians to bring
patients highly specialized medical services and rehabilitation in a single convenient location.
These centers and others in our network represent an important trend in health care today—
shifting highly specialized care to community locations and creating a continuum of services that
promotes improved recovery.
This is a form of distributive health care. What does it mean for you and your family? Simply
put, it’s health care that looks at the whole person—lifestyle, personal and family history, and
environment—in order to better understand and treat illness or injury. And it is care that is
increasingly delivered outside the walls of a hospital in the neighborhoods where people live
and work. This is the type of health care system that MedStar Health and MedStar NRH are
building for the region.
For so many years, highly specialized medical care has been focused in large academic medical
centers, which are often located in cities. People had to travel far from home to gain the benefit
of this type of expertise and many simply could not make the journey. Now we’re bringing this
type of quality care to them. It is true that for some people inpatient hospital care is the best
option. But now we can safely discharge patients sooner because we know that they
can continue their recovery close to home or work often delivered by the same team of
clinicians.
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MedStar St. Mary’s
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MedStar Union Memori
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MedStar Washing
MedStar Family Choice
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MedStar Ambula
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MedStar Visiting
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MedStar Institute
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MedStar Health Researc
You can read about how this system works on page 10. The story focuses on the
highly specialized services of Paul Cooper, MD—a nationally renowned orthopaedist.
Dr. Cooper, a member of the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital medical staff,
sees patients at our McLean, Virginia, center for evaluation and post-surgical care.
For years, he has worked hand-in-hand with MedStar NRH therapists, who are critical
to his team approach to treatment.
As a surgeon specializing in ankles and feet, he understands how important rehabilitation
is to recovery. He and all the medical specialists who are now seeing patients in our
outpatient centers are very vocal supporters of this type of collaborative care delivery.
They love it, and so do their patients.
We will continue to expand to locations where our patients need our services—further
into Virginia and north, south and east into Maryland, and coming soon to Delaware.
It’s a strategy that makes sense for providers and the people we serve.
MedStar NRH Today • Spring 2014
3
Network News
MedStar NRH’s Expanding Outpatient Network: Nine New Centers Open
The New Year has
brought rapid
expansion of the
MedStar NRH
Rehabilitation
Network. New
outpatient therapy
sites have opened in
locations throughout
the region—further
expanding into
Northern Virginia,
as well as south,
north and east into
the D.C. and Baltimore
suburbs, bringing
the total number of
outpatient centers in
the Network to more
than 40.
“We continue to reach into our communities to
best meet their needs,” explains John Brickley,
vice president for ambulatory services and
network development.
“Our McLean, Virginia, site, which opened last
year, represents the successful model we are
duplicating across the region. We’re co-locating
physician specialists with our experienced rehabilitation
team to provide patients with rapid, easy-to-access care
where and when they want it,” Brickley adds.
At McLean, a full cadre of rehab therapists and
physiatrists work with orthopaedists, neurologists,
neurosurgeons and sports medicine specialists.
“The center has grown exponentially in just 12
months, proof that we’re filling a real void. I also
must give credit for this success to the talents of the
site’s leadership and health care team,” he says.
Some of the new therapy sites are located within
MedStar Health orthopaedic surgery practices, and
are providing patients with convenient physical
therapy services. Others are more comprehensive
and include not only orthopaedists, but also
rheumatologists and physical medicine specialists,
in addition to physical and occupational therapists.
Speech-language pathologists are located in some
of the new sites. “We will be offering specialized
services, such as hand therapy, at some of these new
centers, as well,” Brickley adds.
“We are making real inroads, particularly in Virginia,
where we have more than doubled the number
of outpatient centers,” says Robert Hartmann, vice
president for marketing and strategic planning.
“Throughout MedStar Health, we are working to create
a true continuum of care. The recent Close To You
marketing campaign launched by MedStar Health
epitomizes what MedStar NRH has been constructing
for years—a network of centers that bring highly
specialized care to where people live and work.”
“Our plan is to grow each site as we identify what
these communities need,” Brickley explains. “And
we will also continue to add locations. We know this
care model works. When you put a team of medical
and rehabilitation professionals together, the result
is improved care and better outcomes for patients.”
THE NEWEST MEDSTAR NRH
OUTPATIENT LOCATIONS
VIRGINIA
Alexandria
301-719-1167
6355 Walker Lane, Suite 512
Alexandria, VA 22310
Lorton
301-719-1167
9455 Lorton Market Street, Suite 201
Lorton, VA 22079
Lake Ridge
301-719-1167
12825 Minnieville Road, Suite 201
Woodbridge, VA 22192
MARYLAND
Clinton
301-719-1167
8926 Woodyard Road, Suite 501
Clinton, MD, 20735
Waldorf – Pembrooke Square
301-645-5343
11325 Pembrooke Square, Suite 115
Waldorf, MD, 20603
Dundalk – North Point
410-282-7600
1050 S. North Point Road, Suite 101
Baltimore, MD 21224
Westminster
410-751-7930
412 Malcolm Drive, 2nd Floor
Westminster, MD 21157
Leisure World
(For Leisure World Residents)
301-438-6280
3305 N. Leisure World Blvd., Suite 200
Silver Spring, MD 20906
White Marsh
410-282-7600
9110 Philadelphia Road, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21237
4
MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
Nine new outpatients
center are offering a mix
of rehabilitation therapies,
and care by physiatrists and
other medical specialists.
MedStar NRH Updates
MedStar NRH Finds its NICHE:
Patient, Family-Centered Senior Care
Today one in every eight Americans is 65 years old or older and their numbers are exploding.
The Baby Boom generation who shook up the 1960s and built careers and families through
the 70s, 80s and 90s are now seniors. Those nearly 40 million men and women are putting
extra demands on health care, and health care is responding.
Ellen Leone,
MSN, RN,
Named VP
for Clinical
Operations
Late last year, Ellen Leone was
At MedStar NRH, a multidisciplinary
team of nurses, social workers,
therapists and psychologists is
working hard to ensure that the
hospital is more than ready to care
for this population by becoming
a NICHE-certified facility. NICHE
stands for Nurses Improving
Care for Healthsystem Elders—a
national, nurse-driven program
that promotes patient-centered
care specially designed for seniors.
named MedStar NRH Network’s
first-ever vice president for
clinical operations & chief
nursing officer, overseeing the
management of nursing and all
therapeutic services.
“A NICHE-designated hospital
takes a coordinated team
approach to evidence-based
Tiffiany Steele, RN (left), Allison Nnaka, RN (center), and Amelia Warner,
geriatric care,” says Tiffany
RN (right), are helping to make MedStar NRH a senior friendly facility.
Steele, RN, who is heading up
the initiative. “Being a NICHE facility means we put a premium on delivering high quality care that
promotes better outcomes for older patients.”
Among the most important tenets of NICHE is the development of an environment that puts
patients and families first. NICHE recognizes that families are a critical link between the patient
and caregivers and that open communication helps ensure improved care and fuller recovery.
NICHE’s key principles also include:
n Valuing the autonomy
and dignity of older adults.
n Fostering interdisciplinary
staff collaboration in care.
n Addressing physical,
emotional and spiritual
well-being.
n Promoting patient safety
and comfort
n Ensuring that patients
and families have access
to geriatric-specific
resources.
Steele and her co-coordinator, Amelia Warner, RN, have already finished NICHE training—
more than 20 hours of online courses that every MedStar NRH Team Member will ultimately
be expected to complete.
“This has been a real group effort with help from every Team Member and special assistance
from Tsitsi McClure, RN, and Ukeme Udoh, RN,” Steele says. “We are piloting the program
on 2-East, a stroke and orthopaedic unit that has had the greatest number of admissions of
patients 65 years old or older in the last two years,” Steele says. “Ultimately every unit in the
hospital will meet NICHE standards.
“We’re implementing a range of best practices that focus on cognitive function, sleeping habits,
pain management, skin assessment, nutritional needs and sexuality, just to name a few,” she adds.
“At MedStar NRH, many of these practices are already part of our standard of care. But we are working
to ensure consistency to be certain everyone understands the special needs of older patients.”
Leone, who has more than three
decades of experience on the
front lines of clinical care and in
administrative capacities, most
recently served as associate vice
president of operations/chief
nursing officer at the University
of Connecticut Health Center/
John Dempsey Hospital (UConn)
in Farmington, Connecticut. She
oversaw a staff of 750 full time
employees in the 234-bed acute
care facility.
Leone spent a combined 22
years at UConn.”It has been
a rewarding experience, but
I’m happy to be starting a new
chapter of my career at MedStar
NRH,” says Leone. She prides
herself for a management style
that is inclusive and that features
shared governance. “When
everyone contributes, everyone
benefits. I believe it’s important
to recognize the value of each
individual by getting to know
them and understanding the
challenges they face every day.”
With that goal in mind, Leone
says visits with patients and their
families, and with Team Members
tops her agenda. “I want to learn
more about MedStar NRH from
the people who work on the front
lines and from the people in our
care,” she adds.
We are beginning with inpatient care,” Steele says, “but we hope to move the program to our
more than 40 outpatient centers, as well.”
MedStar NRH Today • Spring 2014
5
Close Up: Specialty Services at MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network, McLean
Putting Your Best Foot—and Ankle—Forward
Orthopaedist Paul Cooper, MD, is an ankle and foot expert—well known across the nation as “the fixer.”
He’s the surgeon patients look to when other doctors have failed to remedy their problems.
For more than two decades, he has been
taking care of common—and complex—
disorders of the feet and ankles at
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Now his highly specialized expertise is
available to Northern Virginians at the
MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network
outpatient center in McLean.
“We have a very strong team at the
McLean center,” says Dr. Cooper.
“We’re integrating the expertise of
medical specialists with MedStar NRH
rehabilitation experts. For patients with
foot and ankle problems, highly trained
foot and ankle therapists are part of
treatment protocols from start to finish.
And very often, these rehab experts really
are the game changers for patients,” Dr.
Cooper says.
With 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than
100 muscles, tendons and ligaments our
feet and ankles are more complex than
most of us realize. They literally bear the
weight of our bodies, which on average
take 10,000 steps every day. We put
unique demands on our feet and ankles
and until injury or illness, we take their
amazing abilities for granted. But more
than 75 percent of us are bound to suffer
from a foot or ankle problem at some
point in our lives.
The Foot and Ankle “Fixer”
Dr. Cooper treats patients with a wide
variety of problems from routine bunions
and claw toes to rare foot deformities.
“But nearly 50 percent of my patients
come to me for a second opinion or after
failed foot or ankle surgery,” he explains.
“I often see patients who have had a fairly
simple procedure and initially felt that it
had been successful. They may have been
wobbly on the feet at first and chalked it
up to normal recovery. But over time they
simply can’t withstand an increase in use.
Paul Cooper MD, (center) and his team take care of ankle and foot problems at the McLean outpatient center.
Pictured with Dr. Cooper are left to right: Chamia Randall, medical assistant; Laura Nemets, PT; and Rebecca
Canada, FNP-C, MSN.
That’s when they come to me for help.
There are very subtle issues that may not
have been identified by their previous
physician that I can target and treat.”
While surgery is often the solution to
patients’ problems, Dr. Cooper always
looks to the least invasive treatment
option first. “I understand that patients
who have had multiple surgeries are
reluctant to have another procedure,
so I will offer other strategies whenever
possible,” he says.
A portion of Dr. Cooper’s patients are
athletes. “All athletes’ feet and ankles are
prone to injury, especially runners,”
6
MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
Dr. Cooper says. “We not only treat
these injuries, but work to prevent further
issues, as well. We provide video gait
analysis and we’ve been holding running
clinics at the McLean center with MedStar
NRH sports medicine experts,” he adds.
New Ankle Joints on the Rise
More than one-third of Dr. Cooper’s
patients are those whose arthritis makes
them candidates for ankle replacement.
While the surgery is less well known than
other joint replacement procedures,
increasing numbers of people in the
U.S. are having ankle joint replacement
surgery. Dr. Cooper is among the busiest
“For patients with foot and ankle problems, highly trained foot and ankle
therapists are part of treatment protocols from start to finish…these rehab
experts really are the game changers for patients.” — Paul Cooper, MD
ankle replacement specialists in the
country—conducting between 75 and 100
procedures annually.
“Some patients have been told that
removing the joints and fusing the bones is
their only option. But that’s not true. Ankle
joint replacement is a very good option
for patients with end-stage ankle arthritis,
which is the result of disease or trauma.”
In fact, post-traumatic ankle joint arthritis
is becoming more common, Dr. Cooper
explains. “Air bags in vehicles are saving
lives, but they don’t offer protection for
extremities—and these injuries can cause
damage that overtime become arthritic.
Patients suffer pain from bone grating on
bone at the ankle joint.”
Ankle joint replacement is a minimally
invasive procedure and requires just an
overnight hospital stay, Dr. Cooper says.
“We take out a sliver of arthritic cartilage
and bone, and resurface the joint with
a replacement part made of metal and
plastic just like today’s knee and hip
replacements.”
The new ankle joint eliminates pain, and
gives patients good motion and function,
Dr. Cooper adds. “But it’s our team
approach to treatment that is essential
for these patients’ full recovery. At the
McLean center, I meet with patients
for pre-surgery evaluation and include
physical therapist Laura Nemets in my
conversation to explain the full treatment
process. After surgery, patients return
to McLean for rehab and Laura and I
continue to confer. I can stop in to see
how patients’ therapy is going to get
feedback that is important to recovery.
MEDSTAR NRH REHABILITATION
NETWORK, MCLEAN
6858 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 200
McLean, Virginia
M-Th – 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. & Fri. 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
n
ffering neurologic, orthopaedic
O
rehabilitation and specialty care
Radiology services
S
ports Medicine, Runner’s Clinic
n
C
oncussion Clinic
n
n
For an appointment call 703-288-8260.
“Patients who may be reluctant to cross
the river into D.C. for care have the
benefit of the highly specialized services
of an academic medical center and the
convenience of follow-up therapy in
their neighborhood,” he adds. “We offer
everything they will need in one location—
this is truly integrated care that translates
into good outcomes for our patients.”
Orthopaedist Paul Cooper, MD,
exams patient Doris Powell at
MedStar NRH outpatient center
in McLean, Virginia.
Spine Expert Orthopaedist Bobby Kalantar, MD, works in concert with rehabilitation experts.
MedStar NRH Today • Spring 2014
7
Strength in Numbers: MedStar NRH Offers Unique
Group Speech Therapy
At MedStar NRH, patients struggling
to communicate are learning that they
don’t have to “go it alone.” They’re
giving their recovery a real boost
through group therapy.
“It is a valuable complement to one-onone therapy for patients who have suffered
a stroke or other brain injury that impaired
their ability to speak or understand
language,” says Patricia Fletcher, MS,
CCC-SLP, director of Outpatient SpeechLanguage Pathology Services.
“Research has shown us that group
therapy offers patients an instant
community of peers. It puts patients
in a completely different environment
in which to communicate—and that
additional opportunity is very beneficial.
We’ve seen first-hand at MedStar
NRH that when patients spend time
with people who have similar medical
experiences, they relax, have fun—and
make great progress.”
Group speech therapy has been ongoing
at MedStar NRH for several years. But
recently, these groups gained a new—and
motivating—dimension.
“We realized that patients’ experiences
in the groups were becoming repetitive,”
Fletcher explains. “There wasn’t a
mechanism for them to advance forward
“MedStar NRH speech-language pathologists created a
continuum of four groups: Phrases, Conversation, Putting
It All Together, and Back in Circulation. Patients graduate
from one group to another as their ability to communicate
improves.” — Patricia Fletcher
in a group as they became more adept at
speech, reading and understanding. So
we created a continuum of groups that
participants can move through as they
gain skill and confidence.”
Graduating Out of Therapy
Now patients “graduate” from one group
to another as their ability to communicate
improves. MedStar NRH speech-language
pathologists created a continuum of four
groups: Phrases, Conversation, Putting It
All Together, and Back in Circulation.
“Once a patient acquires the prerequisite
skills for the initial group, they begin a
journey of moving from one group to
the next higher group, expanding their
communication skills as the complexity of
the group increases. And the patients are
responding!” Fletcher explains.
The groups are made up of between
four or five patients, and members rotate
through each for approximately three to
Chris Vincent (right in the photo at right) was on his way to work as a firefighter when a car hit the
motorcycle he was riding. He suffered a traumatic brain injury—and after months as an inpatient at MedStar
NRH, he’s continuing his speech therapy in the Putting it all Together Group at MedStar NRH. He joins his fellow
group members—and now friends—twice a week for conversation—and happy hour! His group mates, A.C.
Laurie (middle), who suffered a stroke in 2010, and Jason Khan (left), who had a stroke two years ago, enjoy the
camaraderie of the group. “I love it,” says A.C. “I’ve made new friends and look forward to coming every week.”
Jason and Chris share the sentiment! Speech Language Pathologist Brooke Hatfield (center in photo at left), who
works with the Putting it all Together Speech Therapy Group, would agree, as well.
8
MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
four months. Ultimately, when they are
back in their communities and moving on
with their lives, participants will move into
the Back in Circulation group.
“It’s very moving for all of us to see the patients make
progress…they gain strength from spending time with
other people who have experienced similar challenges.”
“It’s very moving for all of us to see the
patients make progress,” Fletcher adds.
“Initially patients with language and
cognitive problems have to deal with
the loss—it’s a grieving experience. Then
they gain strength from spending time
with other people who have experienced
similar challenges. Ultimately, as they’re
successful in group therapy, they
become better equipped to balance
their adjustment to their new situation
with their hope and expectations for
improving their communication abilities.
It enables them to more comfortably reenter their communities.”
— Patricia Fletcher
Nooks and Books
useful applications,” Fletcher says.
A patient recovery at MedStar NRH is
also enhanced by several other special
programs, including the Computer
Group, which features a series of
interactive computer-assisted training
tools that help patients improve their
language and cognitive skills. “And we
are developing a technology group to
help people learn or relearn to use the
Internet, smartphones and to download
“We also have a book club, which is a
group whose members read and discuss
abridged versions of popular books. But
because of the success of our speech
therapy groups, we ultimately are
planning to create several book clubs that
represent a progression in a participant’s
abilities—from abridged books to more
complex texts of current literature,”
Fletcher adds.
Speech-Language Pathology at MedStar NRH
MedStar NRH offers a comprehensive range of outpatient speech-language
pathology services for children and adults of any age.
The MedStar NRH Speech-Language Pathology team hold the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s)
certificate of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) and are licensed by the state(s) in which they provide services. All SpeechLanguage Pathology staff participate in continuing education in order to ensure state-of-the-art knowledge, skills and abilities.
Conditions We Treat
n
Stroke
n
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
n
Neuromuscular speech disorders
resulting from Multiple Sclerosis,
Parkinson’s Disease, Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis and other conditions
Speech-Language Pathology Services
are available at the following locations:
WASHINGTON, D.C.
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Irving Street
VIRGINIA
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
McLean
Other Speech-Language
Pathology Services
n
eriatric-related conditions (patient/
G
family education and counseling for
Alzheimer’s disease, dementia)
n
Articulation disorders
n
Post-concussive syndrome
n
Computer-assisted instruction
n
Head/neck cancer
n
Aphasia Clinic
n
Swallowing disorder
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Mitchellville
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Montrose
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Olney
n
Augmentative/Alternative
Communication (AAC)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Bel Air
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
Dundalk
n MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network,
MedStar Good Sam Hospital
n MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine
To learn more about individual and group outpatient speech-language
pathology at MedStar NRH Network call 202-877-1440.
MedStar NRH Today • Spring 2014 9
MedStar NRH Veterans’ Adaptive Sports Program:
Capturing Vets Competitive Spirit
MedStar NRH
Pararowers compete
at the MidAtlantic
Erg Sprints indoor
rowing regatta.
In the last decade, the number of disabled veterans in the U.S. has soared. In 2001, there
were 21 million vets with service-related disabilities. By 2011, that number topped 31
million. Thousands more have suffered non-service related disabling injuries, as well.
For young—and older—veterans, facing life
with a physical disability can be fraught
with special challenges. And for many,
the dream of “life as usual,” includes
some type of physical activity. Now the
Department of Veterans Affairs is opening
more doors to adaptive sports activities
through a grants program in conjunction
with the U.S. Paralympics.
Late last year, MedStar NRH received
a $100,000 grant to provide sports
opportunities for military veterans and
active duty military. Today, the program
offers adaptive rowing and archery in the
Washington, D.C., region.
The MedStar NRH Integrated Adaptive
Sports Program is reaching out to
vets—and other individuals with physical
challenges—to introduce them to the
variety of adaptive sports that are
now available. The program is also
partnering with organizations to increase
opportunities, and is linking vets to
resources throughout the region, explains
Pamela Lehnert, CTRS, coordinator of the
MedStar NRH Veterans program.
“My job is to let veterans know what’s
available and get them engaged in
community-based programs,” says Lehnert,
who travels throughout the WashingtonBaltimore region visiting veteran facilities.
10 MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
“Some of the people I meet have never
considered sports for themselves. They
thought that door was permanently
closed. So I do a kind of “adaptive sports
101” and refer them to our program, as
well as others in the region.
“Our goal is to get as many people
involved as possible. Many older vets
haven’t had these sports opportunities
and may be a bit hesitant at first. But once
they get started they love it,” she adds.
“The result is we have star athletes on
MedStar NRH teams, future Paralympians
who are competing on a national and
international level,” Lehnert adds.
For information about MedStar NRH-VA
program, call 202-316-8623. For information about MedStar NRH adaptive
sports program for adults and children,
call Joan Joyce at 202-877-1420.
M
onths into his career as a
naval officer, a motor vehicle
accident left Daniel Ahr with
paraplegia. The Naval Academy grad had
suffered multiple injuries and while still an
inpatient at Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center, he came to MedStar NRH
for outpatient therapy.
Therapy helped Ahr get his new life on
track. But it was another vet who opened
his eyes to the future. “I met an Army
physician who had broken his neck while
in medical school and he gave me very
important fundamental advice,” says Ahr.
“He told me to challenge my mind. ‘While
you continue to work on your body, get
you brain working too,’ he told me.”
Ahr did just that. One year after his injury,
he was a freshman at Catholic University
School of Law. Today, he’s an attorney for
the Department for Homeland Security,
the married father of a brand new baby
girl—and a champion adaptive rower.
Before his injury, Ahr was a wrestler,
soccer player and skier. After his injury,
he was back on the slopes and loving it
when another adaptive skier suggested
he give rowing a try.
“One day, I called the coach of the
MedStar NRH Paralympic Club Rowing
Team and a couple of hours later I was in
a boat on the water,” Ahr says.
Ahr quickly excelled, winning one race after
another. Last year, he earned first place
in his division in the U.S. competition, and
was a member of the U.S. National Rowing
Team that competed in the international
games. In August, he will represent the U.S.
in the world games again.
Ahr’s intense training schedule keeps
him strong and fit. “It not just about the
sport,” he says. “Being a rower helps me
function well day-to-day. It’s the outside
measure that reminds me to eat right and
exercise to win on the water—and handle
the 3 a.m. feedings!”
N
athan Moody survived a tour of
duty in Vietnam at the height of
the conflict without a scratch.
But decades later, the combination of
uncontrolled diabetes, and a three-foot
high barrier on Maryland’s Route 7 left
Moody with a spinal cord injury. But he
still counts himself very lucky. “It could
have been much worse,” he says.
Moody, 67, had enjoyed an active life
before he needed a wheelchair to
navigate the world—and he wasn’t going
to give that up. He faithfully went to
therapy to keep his muscles taut. But
he hadn’t considered sports until his VA
therapist teased his interest. Then he met
Pamela Lehnert.
“She brought up archery—and I
discovered I caught on pretty fast,” says
Moody. He was soon a member of
the VA Maryland Health Care System’s
Chesapeake Wheelers team. “Then
before I knew it, I was competing in the
National Veterans Wheelchair Games in
Tampa, Florida, last summer.”
Moody didn’t just compete, he won two
silver medals in discus and trapshooting,
and three bronze medals in archery,
javelin, and shot-put.
“It was exhilarating. And I’m going to
continue training for future games,” says
Moody, who credits Lehnert for opening
up this new and exciting part of his life.
Moody, who enjoyed downhill skiing
before his injury, is already thinking of
hitting the slopes with a group of Veterans.
“All of this activity helps keep me strong
and brings out the competitive side of me.
I confess, beating all those younger guys
at the games was very sweet.”
A
virulent infection and two blood
clots turned a fairly simple
surgery into a nightmare for
Donna Hopkins. A short hospital stay
extended into months, and ended with
amputation of her leg below the knee. That
loss might have stymied most people. But
Hopkins saw it as just another challenge.
“I wanted to get quickly back in the game,”
Hopkins says. “I’ve always been an athlete,
and I wasn’t going to let the loss of a limb
stop me.” Two days out of the hospital she
was in the gym. Just months after surgery,
she was outfitted with a prosthesis. The
following year— thanks to the Challenge
Athletes Foundation (CAF)—she got a
special prosthesis for running, and another
she calls “my glamour leg.”
She began playing wheelchair basketball,
when she was persuaded by a friend to
check out the rowing program at the Walter
Reed National Military Medical Center. “I
thought I’d give it a shot and I was hooked!”
In her first time on the water on
the Anacostia River she was a bit
apprehensive. “I don’t know how to
swim,” she says laughing. But she kept at
it, winning her very first regatta.
“It takes a great deal of endurance and
upper body strength to row,” she says.
“It’s tough, especially when you’re missing
a limb. But you make adjustments and
push yourself. I’ve been in training my
whole life—and I don’t like to lose.”
For Hopkins, competing means she’s
getting back into life. Today she’s at it full
throttle, rowing and racing, and preparing
for the best prize of all. “I’m going to
make it on the U.S. National Rowing
Team and compete in the World Rowing
Championships in the Netherlands in
August 2014—and win some gold.”
MedStar NRH Today • Spring 2014
11
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James V. Reyes, Chairman, Board of Directors
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Robert S. Hartmann, Vice President
Emily R. Turk, Writer-Editor
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Stroke Support for Hispanics/Latinos in D.C.
Grupo De Apoyopara Latinos Sobrevivientes de Derrames y sus Familias
Stroke can be a devastating experience—but the support of
others who have been through the same experience can be a
real boost to recovery. Now MedStar NRH is offering the large
Spanish-speaking population in the D.C. area a safe place to
talk with other stroke and brain injury victims, and learn how
to prevent a second stroke.
The new Latino Stroke Support Group offers information,
support and advice in Spanish. The goal of the group is to
help people return to their normal life activities . Presentations
include information about nutrition and stroke prevention, as
well as about dealing with depression, stress, and behavior
and speech changes after stroke.
The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Latin
American Youth Center (1419 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, D.C., 20009). Family
members are welcome to join and snacks and beverages are provided. For more
information, contact Ilana Oliff at 202-877-1452 or email ilana.f.oliff@medstar.net.
Contacte a Ilana Oliff por teléfono o por correo-e: 202-877-1452 o ilana.f.oliff@medstar.net.
Save the Date:
Join us on Friday, May 2, 2014
for Las Vegas Night—an exciting
evening inside the world of Las
Vegas gambling—for fun and a
good cause—held at the spectacular
National Museum of Women in
the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Test your luck in games of chance
including Roulette, Black Jack, Texas
Hold’em Poker and more! The evening
also will include prizes and a raffle,
as well as great food and music—all
benefiting programs and services for our
patients and the disability community.
To learn more and to purchase tickets
for Las Vegas Night, email Leslie
Concha at leslie.concha@medstar.net.