The brain injury program also helps patients and their families adjust to the changes in their lives.

 

The CAMC Medical Rehabilitation Center offers a variety of specialty clinics to our community. Below is a list of the clinics with dates and clinic hours. For further information please call 388-6304.

Physical therapists often consult and practice with a variety of other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

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Suzette Hardy of Oak Hill does not remember the near-fatal car accident that left her with a broken leg, a broken pelvis and a traumatic brain injury. “I was driving my oldest daughter back to Morgantown when it happened,” Hardy said. “They flew me to Charleston Area Medical Center by helicopter because the closest facilities would not have been able to treat my injuries.” 

Hardy was hospitalized from Dec. 1, 2002, to Feb. 6, 2003. “It wasn’t clear whether I was going to live or die for about two weeks,” Hardy said. “I don’t remember waking up until I was in the rehabilitation center.”

Before the accident, Hardy was a paramedic. “I had experience with broken bones, but I knew very little about traumatic brain injuries,” she said. 

The healing process can be long and difficult for survivors of traumatic brain injury, according to Dr. Ramon Lansang, medical director of CAMC’s traumatic brain injury program. The recovery process requires a combination of advanced technology and intensive individualized therapy. “We offer comprehensive care with a focus on rehabilitation,” Lansang said. “Our goal is to return our patients to maximum independence so they can become a productive part of the community again.”

If full recovery is not achievable, the brain injury team works with the patient to develop compensatory mechanisms and strategies so that they are able to cope with whatever deficits they have, Lansang said. CAMC’s brain injury team treats various brain injuries, ranging from mild concussions to aneurysms. The patient’s recovery period and treatment program vary according to the type of injury. “It can take as long as two years for the brain to achieve full functional recovery, and problems may continue to arise throughout this period,” Lansang said. “Therefore, we are continually available to our patients.”

The brain injury program also helps patients and their families adjust to the changes in their lives, said Janet Sterling, medical rehabilitation center social worker and member of the brain injury team. “Patients are frequently confused, agitated and impulsive. Through therapeutic intervention, we are able to assist them in making sense of the confusion. We also instruct their families regarding the best ways to deal with the frustration and outbursts.”

Lansang, a psychiatrist specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, became director of the traumatic brain injury program in October 2002. He completed a fellowship in clinical traumatic brain injury at the Kessler Rehabilitation Centers and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Newark. Lansang is the only physiatrist in West Virginia who has completed a fellowship in traumatic brain injury.

In addition to Lansang, other members of the brain injury team include rehabilitation nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, therapeutic recreation therapists, social workers, psychologists, an audiologist and a dietician. The brain injury team meets on a regular basis to discuss each patient’s progress.

Hardy worked with a speech therapist for approximately one month following the accident and attends physical therapy sessions twice a week. She said she continues to experience symptoms related to her brain injury. “The memory and concentration loss are most noticeable to me,” Hardy said. “I used to be a big reader, but now it is hard for me to finish an article. I have to really push myself. I also have noticed a loss of organizational skills,” Hardy said. “I can do the small things, but I can’t quite get to everything. It’s aggravating, but I keep working because I want to get better.”

Lansang said inpatient rehabilitation is best suited for individuals who are medically stable, able to follow one-step commands, and who can benefit from a structured, intensive therapy program. Physicians, social workers, nurses, therapists or family members can refer patients to the program. Physiatrists and community liaison nurses also evaluate newly injured patients through on-site visits or reviews of their medical records.

Patients who have returned to community living are evaluated in the outpatient clinic.

The traumatic brain injury program is the only one of its kind in West Virginia to receive accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. CARF accreditation is the highest recognition of quality a rehabilitation facility can earn. The program is also accredited by the Joint Commission on the  Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “Our program gives CAMC a unique advantage,” Lansang said. “We have highly trained personnel during a time in which there is a scarcity of professionals treating patients with traumatic brain injuries.”

Hardy attends monthly meetings of the Brain Injury Resource and Awareness Group (BRAG) to learn more about her injury. She said she hopes to increase others’ awareness about traumatic brain injuries. “I share my knowledge with my friends, but I believe that all people need more information. They need to understand these types of injuries so that they aren’t afraid or confused because you just don’t know what could happen.”

Source: Vital Signs