Banner Rehabilitation Hospital West

10/08/2025

Chmieka “Tracey” Sanders, 45, had been experiencing pain in her right leg for months. The self-proclaimed workaholic thought that if she just ignored it, the pain would go away. But it was only when her leg gave out while driving, leaving her unable to press the gas pedal, that Tracey could no longer ignore the issue. Diagnosed with lumbar radiculopathy – also called sciatica – Tracey would need intensive inpatient rehabilitation. Eager to get back to work, her team at Banner Rehabilitation Hospital West worked to help get her back to the things she enjoys.

Read more about Tracey’s experience here: https://bit.ly/3KKCuad

10/01/2025

It’s National Physical Therapy Month. Our theme throughout October is, “Your future is better with PT!” We will highlight how physical therapy can lead to a better, stronger tomorrow.

Our physical therapists are here to guide patients through every step of recovery, from hospital to home. For our patients, that means helping them return to the moments that matter. For our physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, it means making a difference and helping people move forward.

Join us throughout the month as we highlight the power of physical therapy.

09/30/2025

For patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and their families, discharging from the hospital is a critical period. The process can be emotional and overwhelming for some with lots of information to absorb.

The goal of the discharge process is to help patients and families navigate the medical, functional and psychosocial aspects of life after SCI. Patients are provided individualized training sessions, home exercise programs, education on bowel/bladder management and daily care materials. Physiatrists – medical doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) – welcome the support of family and friends as part of a compassionate transition.

Among these resources is the Community, Healing, Education and Training (CHET). It provides straightforward education guides about SCI and other conditions and what to expect throughout a patient’s recovery journey: https://chetcommunity.com/recoveryGuideDetails/EQEXAYWiliIR4sfxw20La

09/27/2025

Michael Scott has a lot of faith in physical therapists. And he has a lot of faith in himself. When a motorcycle crash paralyzed his legs, it didn’t take long for the 29-year-old to move from acceptance to adapting to and overcoming his spinal cord injury. A physician-led team of physical, occupational and recreational therapists from HonorHealth Rehabilitation Hospital were there to help, with innovative technology and helping him develop strategies for everyday tasks like dressing himself.

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

Lying in his hospital bed moments after a doctor gave him some of the worst news of his life, Michael Scott found solace.

09/26/2025

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) demand highly specialized care. At Select Medical specialty hospitals, an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, therapists, and dietitians and others collaborate to address the complex challenges patients’ face – from blood pressure fluctuations and pain, to muscle loss, pressure sores and digestive issues that can lead to malnutrition.

“Good nutrition plays a supportive role in recovery,” said Camilla Johnson, clinical dietitian, Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation. She supports and educates patients with SCI during their rehabilitation. “In the hospital, good nutrition reduces the length of stay and … it enhances overall outcomes,” she said.

Here are four ways our dietitians contribute to patient care to promote healing and prevent complications.

09/25/2025

Laz Reeder checked into a hospital for hernia surgery, but aspirated during anesthesia and went into respiratory failure. The 35-year-old Florida man needed two life support machines to survive. A month later when Laz had stabilized, his wife Sierra turned to the continuum of care at Select Specialty Hospital - Pensacola and Select Medical Rehabilitation - Pensacola to continue his recovery and rehabilitation. Laz had mountains of motivation waiting for him at home: his baby daughter, Nyla.

Read his full story: https://bit.ly/3IEJZPj

09/25/2025

Life changes with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Nurses play an important role in supporting patients with an SCI and their loved ones as they navigate their recovery journey.

As instrumental players on our physician-led multidisciplinary care team, nurses direct care and advocate for their patients’ physical and emotional needs as they recover and prepare to return home after rehabilitation.

Our Registered Nurses (RNs) provide 24-hour hands-on care, tending to a range of needs from administering medications to monitoring patients’ bowel and bladder functions to ensuring patients change position frequently to avoid pressure wounds. Nurses also reinforce therapy, helping patients put into practice exercises to strengthen deconditioned muscles and new ways of dressing and grooming.

Additionally, nurses offer emotional support to their patients with an SCI – problem-solving with them as they work through challenges. In preparation for discharge, nurses also ensure patients and their loved ones are aware of community resources to support their independence and well-being.

09/24/2025

Pain is a significant problem for patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and can come in many forms. Working closely with the patient’s physician and therapy team, the pharmacist will develop a comprehensive pain management plan that helps mitigate and manage pain throughout the patient's journey.

Pharmacists regularly review medications to help these patients manage their pain, calibrating dosage and mitigating side effects. Here are the types of pain experienced by patients with an SCI.

09/23/2025

We’re pleased to announce the DAISY regional award winners for our critical illness recovery hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. Recognized by patients, colleagues and families for the extraordinary care they provide, these nurses are fully invested in their patients’ recoveries: https://bit.ly/3KiGxKG

Critical Illness Recovery Hospitals DAISY Winners
Select Specialty Hospital – Camp Hill: Bhawana Baskota
Select Specialty Hospital – Columbus: Caroline Weber
Select Specialty Hospital – Ann Arbor: Cheryl Moran
Regency Hospital – Cleveland West: Ivana Gacic
Select Specialty Hospital – Wheeling: Jill Blake
Select Specialty Hospital – Belhaven: Kallie Law
Select Specialty Hospital – Fort Myers: Marsha Reid
Select Specialty Hospital – Grosse Pointe: Nicole Riley
Select Specialty Hospital – Downriver: Sanar Hermiz
Select Specialty Hospital – Springfield: Thomas Klouse

Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals DAISY Winners
Banner Rehabilitation Hospital West: Cecille “Joy” Alima
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester: Divina Macagba
California Rehabilitation Institute: Fely Ann Vilk
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange: Izabela Skorupski
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange: Peyton Taylor

Learn more about exciting employment opportunities with Select Medical by viewing our openings here
https://bit.ly/4nLKxBX

DAISY Foundation

We’re pleased to announce the DAISY regional award winners for the second quarter of 2025. These nurses have earned praise for their extraordinary care from patients, families and colleagues. Here’s what makes them special:

09/22/2025

Patients living with spinal cord injury (SCI) can experience sensory challenges that inhibit mobility and create fall risks. Fall prevention education is a focus throughout the SCI rehabilitation journey by Select Medical specialty hospital teams, including physical therapists.

Physical therapists help educate individuals with SCI about fall risk by integrating safe mobility strategies early into their care plan. For instance, the introduction of any new equipment, such as a bed or wheelchair, increases the risk for falls. Fall prevention is also underscored in a comprehensive rehabilitation plan of care across disciplines to incorporate equipment that builds muscle strength, promotes balance and improves mobility.

Deep commitment and collaboration across the interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists is essential to ensuring the safe discharge of our patients with an SCI.

09/19/2025

Back home and back to living…

Nick is happy to be spending time with his wife and young daughter and has returned to one of his favorite pastimes – running.

06/19/2025

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