10.28.2009
St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital Commemorates 20th Anniversary With a Community Celebration
Celebration Reunites Former Rehabilitation Patients With the Doctors, Nurses and Therapists Who Helped Them Heal
On October 28, 2009, St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital hosted a celebration commemorating its 20th anniversary. Patients who had suffered severe injuries or loss of function due to medical conditions had the chance to reunite with the doctors, nurses and therapists who helped them regain full or partial function.
(from left to right): Former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd; Bev Kearney, UT Women's Track Coach; and David Huffstutler, CEO of St. David's Medical Center and St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital, celebrate St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital's 20th anniversary.
“Many of the patients we see have suffered live-changing injuries and could no longer function as they once did,” Philippe Bochaton, chief administrative officer of neuroscience and rehabilitation services for St. David’s HealthCare, said. “Being able to help these people get back to living their lives—whether through walking, driving, or regaining function of a limb—is such a remarkable feeling. It is amazing to see our patients one, two, ten years post-treatment to see how dramatically their lives have improved.”
The event featured tours of the newly renovated St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as a Technology Expo—including “Wiihabilitation” demonstrations, the total body support treadmill, aquatics exercise demonstrations, fibro-optic esophageal swallowing study technology, Walk - Aide demonstrations, Metitur balance assessment and training, driver's training reaction time testing, pressure mapping for wheelchair fitting, computer software for memory enhancement and EMG biofeedback demonstration.
Former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd and Bev Kearney, head coach of the Women’s Track and Field Team at The University of Texas-Austin, spoke to attendees about the role physical rehabilitation plays in recovery. In 2005, Todd was critically injured in a cycling accident. Kearney was seriously injured in a car accident in 2002. Both underwent extensive rehabilitation at St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital.
In addition, Mayor Todd presented a City of Austin proclamation, proclaiming Wednesday, October 28, 2009 as “St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital Day” in Austin, Texas, on behalf of Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.
St. David’s Medical Center
Founded in 1924, St. David’s Medical Center is the flagship hospital of St. David’s HealthCare. Located within minutes of downtown Austin at 32nd Street and IH35, St. David’s Medical Center’s comprehensive care services include specialties in neurology and neurosurgery, including the renowned NeuroTexas Institute and the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention; cardiac services, including the acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; maternity and newborn services with Level I, II and III nurseries; orthopedics; inpatient and outpatient surgery; and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. The medical center includes St. David's Hospital (acute care) and St. David's Rehabilitation Center (physical medicine and rehabilitation), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The 347-bed hospital features a 24-hour emergency department. St. David’s Medical Center is a designated Primary Stroke Center and a nationally certified Chest Pain Center. For more information, please visit www.StDavids.com/sdrh.aspx.
