Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare - 8

Hammond resident
Richard Chambers is now
23 years old and planning
to graduate this month
with a degree in journalism,
thanks to the expertise
of team members at
St. Catherine Hospital
who helped him through
rehabilitation.

"When I was admitted to the Rehabilitation Center of
St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, I couldn't walk-not
even with the aid of a walker-I couldn't talk or swallow or
even use the bathroom by myself," he says. "It took an entire
team to help me: Dr. DeLeo; Program Director Jeff Orange;
physical therapists Vince, Jeff and Danielle; speech therapists
Stephanie and Marcy S.; and occupational therapists Kelly
and Lisa. They worked with me for more than three hours
a day over several months on physical therapy, occupational
therapy, speech therapy and relearning everyday tasks."
Although most strokes occur in people 65 and older, they
can-and do-happen at any age. Nearly 25 percent of stroke
victims are younger than 65.
"Other local hospital systems would not accept Richard for
rehab because of his age," says Orange. "We felt like he had
great potential and because of his age we needed to give him
a chance-so we admitted him here. The rest is history. I am
so glad we decided to take a chance on Richard. It was a great
decision by our rehabilitation team and hospital administration. It makes me proud how hard our team works and what
we can do to make a difference. One of the most rewarding
aspects of the job is helping people in our local community
access the care they need to get better."
Recovering from a stroke can mean a long and challenging rehabilitation. The stress associated with developing new
skills, relearning previous skills and making lifelong adjustments can be very difficult for patients. Support from family
and friends is vital to a successful recovery. That's why it's so
important to choose a rehabilitation center that's close to home.

Like many stroke patients, Gilliland required services from
a multitude of disciplines including neurology, physiatry,
podiatry, occupational, speech and physical therapy, social
services, rehabilitation nursing and more. They all collaborated to ensure that Gilliland would achieve the best possible
recovery from his stroke.
"I had therapy for my upper body four to five times a day,"
says Gilliland. "I also had physical therapy for my lower body
four to five times a day. My therapists pushed me and encouraged me, but they made it enjoyable and really listened to me."
Two weeks after his stroke, Gilliland was already showering and getting dressed by himself and combing his hair. He
also has learned to write with his left hand.
"It's been excellent care and they are right on about everything," Gilliland says. "I'm looking forward to continuing
with the rehabilitation program through outpatient therapy
at St. Mary Medical Center."
"Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year," says
Gilliland's neurologist, George Abu-Aita, MD. "That translates
to one stroke about every 45 seconds. We have excellent technology and expertise to help us fight stroke and heart disease,
but it's up to us to know the symptoms, lower the risk factors
and use good judgment in seeking treatment."

William Gilliland's miracle
After suffering a stroke last year on Christmas Eve, 53-yearold William Gilliland didn't find out what had happened for
sure until three days later when he went to the emergency
department of St. Mary Medical Center with paralysis in his
right arm and leg.
What followed was weeks of recovery with a team of more
than 20 professionals dedicated to his care. Helping coordinate the team was Quality Care Navigator Kim Sgouroudis,
RN, who reassured Gilliland that despite the complexity of
his treatment, he and his family could count on her to be his
personal contact throughout his hospital stay and beyond.

SU M M E R 2 014

William "Bud" Gilliland required services from a multitude of
disciplines, including occupational, speech and physical therapy.
St. Mary Medical Center's team including therapists Mark Cruz, PT,
collaborated to ensure that Gilliland would achieve the best possible
recovery from his stroke.

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare