Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester

09/06/2025

After collapsing in his bathroom, doctors diagnosed Bobby Smith with osteomyelitis of the thoracic vertebrae, a rare infection of the spine that causes the bone to weaken. After spinal surgery, Bobby spent three weeks recovering in the ICU before transitioning to Select Specialty Hospital - West Tennessee. There, a physician-led care team developed a personalized treatment plan to help Bobby recover from his spinal cord injury and get one step closer to returning home.

To learn more about Select Medical’s network of hospitals, visit: https://www.selectmedical.com/about-us/

Bobby Smith, 52, underwent spinal surgery after a bacterial infection weakened his vertebrae. He spent three weeks recovering in the ICU, unable to move, stand up or walk. To help him return to his feet, Bobby was transferred to Select Specialty Hospital - West Tennessee. There he would complete a c...

09/04/2025

For those living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), most want to know how their quality of life will change.

Our teams are often asked:
“When can I resume doing what I love to do?”
“Will I be able to return to school or work?”

Through our personalized treatment plans for every SCI patient, our therapy and clinical teams create a foundation of skills to support the entire recovery journey. We focus on stretches, weight shifts in wheelchairs and joint range of motion exercises just to name a few. These skills help to set up our patients for achieving their recovery goals following injury.

This month, we’ll be highlighting our “Back to Basics” series, covering each care team member’s role in a SCI patient’s journey.

09/02/2025

September marks Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, approximately 17,000 Americans acquire an SCI each year.

No two SCIs are the same, and a patient’s outcome can vary based on a number of factors, including the level of early intervention care and intensive rehabilitation.

Throughout SCI Awareness Month, we’ll be introducing a “Back to Basics” series, sharing information about SCI and how our care teams support patients as they work to recover as much function as possible.

09/01/2025

This Labor Day, we extend our gratitude to all health care professionals who dedicate themselves to the care of their patients and the well-being of the communities they serve.

08/20/2025

We’re excited to announce that Newsweek ranked Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (West Orange, Saddle Brook & Chester) as the #2 rehabilitation hospital in the Northeast Region on its 2025 list of “America's Best Physical Rehab Centers.”

It’s a privilege to care for and help patients regain their quality of life through rehabilitation. We applaud our outstanding patient care teams who inspire hope through their exceptional care.

To learn more, click here: https://bit.ly/3Vc1clO

08/12/2025

A severe motorcycle accident in Costa Rica left 33-year-old Army specialist Codey Vargas with a traumatic brain injury rendering him unable to care for himself, walk or speak. Doctors performed multiple lifesaving procedures and surgeries and put Codey into a medically induced coma to help him heal. His recovery would be arduous given his multiple traumatic injuries and impaired cognitive function. Codey arrived at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange hoping to strengthen his mind and body and regain as much independence as possible. He did that over the course of the next year.

Read his inspiring story here: https://bit.ly/40ZvWKl

08/01/2025

After a triple bypass and complex spinal surgeries, Robert Ferrara couldn’t control his legs, had trouble balancing and needed help getting out of bed. He arrived at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Marlton with one goal: to walk back into his home. Through hard work and support from his care team and family, Robert is able to walk up to 150 feet with a rolling walker and continues to improve.

Read more about Robert’s spinal cord injury recovery:
https://bit.ly/4lZaBJw

07/29/2025

We are honored to be ranked #4 among all inpatient rehabilitation hospitals* in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. This marks the 33rd consecutive year that our hospital has been recognized. At Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, we are committed to providing an exceptional patient care experience that promotes healing and recovery.

To learn more, click here https://bit.ly/3IRKKo0



*West Orange, Saddle Brook and Chester locations

07/04/2025

We wish you and your family a safe and happy Fourth of July.

06/25/2025

After contracting bacterial meningitis and having a stroke, James Cuomo had a 1% chance of survival. He beat the odds, but couldn’t sit, stand or walk and struggled to tolerate even being upright. When he was medically stable, he went to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester to regain physical and cognitive skills. With the help of his therapy team, he’s now walking, navigating stairs and preparing to return to the life he built with his family.

Read how James’ regained skills for independence: https://bit.ly/4kQTOHT

06/23/2025

Kenneth Young, a 76-year-old retired tool and die maker from River Vale, New Jersey, spent years managing complications stemming from a car accident where he injured his right leg and shattered his pelvis in the 1970s. Over the years, he had a knee replacement, a revision to that surgery, a hip replacement, multiple fractures in his femur and recurrent infections. Kenneth finally decided to undergo a right hip disarticulation amputation, which removes the entire leg, including the hip joint. He is slowly learning how to walk again thanks to the dedicated team at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Saddle Brook.

Read more about Kenneth’s pre- and post-orthotic rehabilitation:
https://bit.ly/4k2WiBA

05/22/2025

Jon Olson has a passion for mountain biking and working with children. He worked for an interscholastic bicycle organization and while riding his bike with colleagues in May 2024, Jon began experiencing weakness on his right side and memory loss.

He was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with bleeding in his brain, along with hydrocephalus, a condition in which pressure builds up in the brain.

Following surgeries to help reduce the pressure, he was transferred to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Chester, New Jersey, for continued medical care which included physical, occupational and speech therapy to start his recovery journey.

One of Jon's biggest challenges was communication, particularly speaking with one-word responses and frequently struggling to find the correct word. He was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects various aspects of language, including a person's ability to speak, understand spoken language, read and write.

After completing inpatient rehabilitation, Jon continued outpatient therapy at our center in Flanders, New Jersey. Jon has come a long way throughout this year, achieving his physical and occupational therapy goals. He recently resumed driving, riding his bike and has returned to work.

He's currently demonstrating strong motivation and determination in speech therapy to regain his independence. He also attends the Adler Aphasia Center's virtual group sessions to supplement his individual therapy.

Jon is now able to have meaningful conversations at home, in his community and at work with greater success.

We look forward to seeing you continue to regain your independence, Jon!

05/06/2024

Registered Nurses (RNs) are the backbone of health care delivery, according to the American Nurses Association.

“Nursing integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alleviation of suffering through compassionate presence.” (ANA (2021). Nursing:Scope and Standards of Practice, Fourth Edition, p.1)

Throughout Nurses Week, we’ll be highlighting our nursing team across the Select Medical network of hospitals. To learn more, visit: https://www.selectmedical.com/about-us/

04/16/2024

Attention New Jersey-New York metro area medical professionals – just one week left to register for Excellence in Neurotrauma Rehabilitation: 75 Years and Counting.

This free full-day seminar will explore advancements in technology and care delivery for survivors of brain injury and spinal cord injury in the post-acute setting. An expert panel including Kessler’s director of spinal cord injury services and Kessler Foundation’s director of neuropsychology and neuroscience research will lead individual sessions. Lunch will be provided and continuing education credits are available to qualifying participants.

To learn more and register, visit: https://bit.ly/4aThvuq

03/13/2024

Barbara Weeks, a 76-year-old New Jersey native, conquered the aftermath of a stroke with determination and the guidance of therapists at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester. From struggling to sit up to mastering the art of walking with a walker, Barbara's story of resilience and progress is inspiration for anyone recovering from a stroke.

Read about Barbara’s experiences: https://bit.ly/3SXOPbF.

03/13/2024

Nutrition plays a vital role in delivering quality patient care. Our registered dietitians are the food and nourishment experts of our interdisciplinary teams. Dietitians use their clinical expertise to develop and implement personalized nutrition plans that help each patient maintain the energy they need to continue healing.

We appreciate our registered dietitians for their important role in achieving successful patient outcomes through dietary education and individualized nutrition.

03/11/2024

Bonnie Weil, 43, has always been a bright light to her community and family. She was not going to let anything dim that light – not even a brain injury. When she arrived at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton, Bonnie faced physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. With characteristic grit and the dedicated support of her husband, Bonnie made tremendous progress.

Read more of Bonnie’s inspirational story: https://bit.ly/3TiRrCu.

03/08/2024

The brain has a remarkable ability to heal itself after injury. In response to aging, trauma or disease, the structure of and connections in our brain are designed to adapt and change over a lifetime. This is called neuroplasticity.

There is a reason why our physical, occupational and speech therapists ask patients to repeat the same task. Repetition helps build the muscles and endurance needed to walk or talk as well as helping the brain recreate or restore the neural connections that make walking and talking a “no-brainer.” Every repetition of a word, movement, activity—even emotion—builds and strengthens the mental connections making it easier to accomplish everyday tasks.

Learn how our therapists put neuroplasticity into practice with those who have a brain injury: https://bit.ly/49Kyyhh

03/08/2024

Meet Ramon Terrero, a forklift operator, who faced a life-altering stroke. Ramon embraced intensive rehabilitation at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton with a positive attitude. His hard work led to remarkable progress, from needing assistance to regaining mobility and independence.

Read more about Ramon's journey: https://bit.ly/3T3Qv3A.

03/07/2024

Congratulations, Dr. Adler!

03/06/2024

30-year-old Juron Brown sustained a traumatic brain injury after a horrible fall. Left with the inability to walk or complete daily tasks on his own, he came to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton to begin his journey back to independence.

Read more of Juron’s story: https://bit.ly/3SUHF86.

03/05/2024

If you or a loved one experienced a brain injury, intense therapy can play a vital role in recovery and help get you back to an independent lifestyle.

Meet some of our brain injury patients who not only survived, but thrived.

To learn more about Select Medical’s network of hospitals, visit: https://www.selectmedical.com/about-us/

03/04/2024

Helen Tucci’s life took an unexpected turn when spinal cord fractures left her with immense pain and challenges. Helen chose Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Saddle Brook as her partner on the road to recovery and back to mobility and independence.

Read more Helen’s story: https://bit.ly/3IkLH4x