Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Fort Worth

09/14/2025

Today is the start of Environmental Services Week 🧼

Our Environmental Services (EVS) team maintains clean rooms and public areas within our hospitals, helping to provide safe and quality care. This week, we’ll hear how dedicated EVS colleagues positively impact our network of hospitals.

09/13/2025

A traumatic car crash left Zecharias “Z” McKinney with a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down. He needed help just to sit upright in bed and he wondered how this injury would affect life ahead. Z arrived at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Dallas feeling little hope. But despair turned to determination when he started working with the hospital’s care team. They helped him rebuild strength, taught him mobility strategies and rekindled his hope for the future.

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

A traumatic car crash left Zecharias “Z” McKinney with a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down. He came to Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Dallas to learn how to live independently.

09/12/2025

After an ICU or hospital stay, patients often transition to a critical illness recovery or inpatient rehabilitation hospital for continued medical care and therapy. Some then return home with outpatient support. Others need further care — that’s where NTCs come in.

NTCs provide intensive rehabilitation after injury or illness for patients who are medically stable but need to make further progress to return home safely and with the highest degree of independence possible.

Select Medical, a leader in post-acute rehabilitation nationwide, is transforming recovery for individuals with brain and neurological injuries and illnesses. We are doing this by adding neuro transitional centers (NTCs) to our continuum of care.

09/11/2025

Never Forget.

09/10/2025

Some patients watch the clock for a special moment—regular food day.

A speech-language pathologist at Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, remembers a patient who pushed himself every day to improve his swallowing ability. He started by digesting thin liquids and advanced to slowly chewing and swallowing solids all toward one tasty goal: his wife’s lasagna. Once he passed his swallowing tests and got care team approval, his wife brought it to him along with a slice of homemade peach pie.

Another speech-language pathologist at Northshore Rehabilitation Hospital in Lacombe, Louisiana, helped a patient practice swallowing like it was an Olympic event. His payoff: a trip to the hospital’s annual crawfish boil. Peeling the crawfish was a chance to exercise his fine motor skills. But eating them? The pure bliss of a hard-won, gold medal.

Sometimes an injury to the back or neck comes between food-loving patients and their nosh of choice.

Spinal cord injuries – particularly in the C1 and C2 vertebrae at the base of the skull – can cause dysphagia, or an inability to swallow. About 41% of people with quadriplegia suffer difficulty swallowing, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Often the problems are temporary and caused by inflammation after surgery. Doctors often perform assessments to find muscles not doing their jobs.
If they spot muscle weaknesses, therapists can apply a range of techniques to address those muscle deficiencies. Patients may do chin tucks against resistance or move food around their mouth differently to compensate for weaknesses. There’s even a device that operates like a bench press for your tongue—resistance training which builds the muscles that move food from mouth to throat.

Most of all, therapists ask patients to practice swallowing.
Often it takes plenty of practice to get back to solid food. Patients start with liquidized food, move to pureed, minced-and-moist, soft and bite-sized, easy-to-chew and finally … regular foods, that special moment.

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 Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation – Fort Worth as the #16 rehabilitation hospital in Texas on their 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/3Hlh6r1

07/16/2025

Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation is excited to sponsor Rise Adaptive Recreation’s Summer Bash on Saturday, July 26, at Lake Grapevine. The free event is a great way for individuals with physical disabilities of all ages and their families to try a variety of adaptive water sports, including water skiing, tubing, swimming and pontoon boat rides.

Registration is required. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/3TIci1i

07/04/2025

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

06/19/2025

Today, we acknowledge the importance of Juneteenth, which commemorates the abolition of slavery.

06/18/2025

In recognition of CNA Week, we asked our nursing assistants and patient care technicians, “Why did you choose a nursing career?”

To join our nursing team, please visit our current job openings: https://bit.ly/4lcHhOP

06/12/2025

Our nursing assistants and patient care technicians champion the recovery of every patient from admission to discharge. An integral part of the nursing team, they obtain vital signs, assist patients with daily care and support their physical and emotional needs.

Join us as we celebrate these compassionate health care professionals. 🌟

06/04/2025

You may have heard the words “aphasia” and “dysphagia” when supporting a loved one’s health journey and wondered what they mean and how they differ.

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month—a fitting time to highlight this communication disorder and contrast it with dysphagia, another disorder patients may face after injury or illness.

Aphasia affects a person’s ability to speak, read or write—although not necessarily their thinking. After a stroke or brain injury that damages the language centers in the brain, a patient may have trouble finding the right words, understanding what others say or comprehending text.

Dysphagia is the difficulty in swallowing, and can occur as a symptom of many different conditions, including brain and muscle disorders.

05/29/2025

Stroke recovery goals can look very different for each stroke survivor. Some simply want to stand or eat on their own. Others envision returning to work, travelling the world or reclaiming the role of family event planner. The most common goal among patients? Returning home. Select Medical’s nationwide network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals focuses on helping patients do just that.

05/26/2025

This Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving and protecting our country.

05/21/2025

Clark Crist once helped MLB players like Kenny Lofton (Cleveland Guardians), Mike Leake (Seattle Mariners) and Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) sign their contracts. Then suddenly the former player, manager and Major League scout needed help himself. He suffered a massive stroke, which affected his ability to walk, feed and dress himself.

In addition to friends and former teammates like Terry Francona (The University of Arizona, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox), Barry Larkin (Cincinnati Reds) and Luis Gonzalez (Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros), Clark needed a coach. Instead he found a team. The therapists at HonorHealth Rehabilitation Hospital helped Clark come home again.

Read Clark's story: https://bit.ly/4jeZzNZ

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

05/18/2025

Many of our patients struggle to speak, swallow or think clearly when they transition to our care. They’re recovering from injury or illness and want to talk with a loved one, eat their favorite food and manage their daily activities.

Certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an important role in making that happen. As part of a multi-disciplinary care team, SLPs diagnose communication and swallowing conditions and create individualized plans to address them.

For some patients, that may mean exercises to strengthen their tongue, lips and throat. For others, it might be activities to improve memory and problem solving—all with the goal of getting them back to their lives.

05/16/2025

We partner with top-tier, innovative health care systems nationwide. Select Medical’s network of hospitals is devoted to helping patients recover, achieve successful outcomes and regain their quality of life.

05/15/2025

Caleb Utley, a 34-year-old restaurant server, enjoyed an active life with his fiancé and their two dogs. But a catastrophic vehicle accident changed everything. The incident left him with multiple traumatic wounds including a brain injury. He faced a long road to recovery. His first stop after the ICU was Select Specialty Hospital - Dallas Plano, a critical illness recovery hospital, where he continued to heal from his injuries. After meeting his goals, he transferred to Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Frisco, to regain his mobility, communication skills and other abilities to return to the life he loved.

Read more about Caleb’s amazing recovery: https://bit.ly/4mhHmSF

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

05/14/2025

It is a myth that only older people can suffer a stroke. In fact, rates of stroke among younger adults are on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a study conducted from 2011-13 and from 2020-22, the prevalence of strokes in people ages 18 to 44 rose 14.6%, while those ages 45 to 64 rose 15.7%.

Though strokes remain most common in those who are 65 or older, they can occur at any age. The CDC report highlights a rise in obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes and high blood pressure as contributing to increased strokes among younger people. Despite the rise, there are steps younger adults can take to lower their chances of having a stroke now and in the future.