Amazing what can happen in one week. In a major healthcare system of a large metropolitan area surrounded by water, we've successfully accomplished separating pediatric from adult rehabilitation in preparation for our growth as the Rehabilitation Institute of South Florida. Every day of this mission has started at 5 a.m. with communication with ...

A short break between semesters has proven to come at the best time for me. Today brings with it a major change in my facility, where one department is becoming two. Employees have been preparing for months for this change, with hopes that everything goes smoothly. In a large department where things don't always go smoothly on a regular day, we ...

A most disturbing week has occurred, once again, for the citizens of our country. As I look forward to starting a new semester once again and booking a flight to attend a weekend course for the final session in the quest for my DPT, I'm shaken by the latest attack on our fellow citizens. Although acts of terrorism occur all over the world and ...

Last November my daughter experienced her first migraine-free month -- at the hands of gabapentin. The GI effects were worse than the headaches, so she stopped taking the medication. The headaches immediately returned. When my daughter's neurologist put gabapentin on the table, I was already familiar with it from two decades earlier -- when I ...

I posted last month about PT Night, the tradition in my program where at the end of our second year, students put together a sort of ''roast'' of the faculty and poke fun at our most memorable moments in the program. Leading up to Friday night, I was unbelievably nervous that somehow, the night would be a complete flop. I mean let's be honest -- ...

As we move toward the formation of a major rehabilitation provider in the region, meetings, conference calls and webinars fill my schedule. My new role is quickly becoming a challenge, in that therapists are being designated as working for the adult hospital, while others for the children's hospital. Still yet, there are those who work for both ...

I heard an interesting statistic on the radio: After the long wait for their children to be seen by a pediatrician, only one-third of parents heed the doctor's advice. That means for every 99 pediatrician visits, 66 parents might as well have taken their children to lunch or bought them ice cream cones. They wasted precious hours and dollars on ...

  Working as a COTA in a prn status has its advantages, but it also has it disadvantages too. As much as the flexibility of setting your own schedule is nice, some days there is no need for extra help.   So working prn status you can set the hours and days you prefer to work. That is nice for times when you need a day off for a ...

I've read about social security running out of money, reduced reimbursement rates, a decrease in the number of qualified providers, quicker discharges and supposedly better recovery after surgery. Where does this leave everyone? Social security has to be there to provide care for the blind and disabled; a reduction in reimbursements will always ...

  Just this week I had a patient who made my day. This person was very friendly, willing to participate addressing all of their goals, and had some great stories. It made the entire treatment pass so quickly I went way over the scheduled time.   But this got me thinking about patients I've worked with over the years, especially some ...