Celebrating 30 Years of Life-Changing Physical Rehabilitation

November 22, 2019
Celebrating 30 Years of Life-Changing Physical Rehabilitation

In the late 1980s, when residents of Enid had to travel outside of the area for inpatient rehabilitation, a doctor in the community had an interesting idea. Why not open a rehab facility at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, where patients could get skilled inpatient therapy right here close to home?

That doctor is neurologist Joseph Knapik, MD, the medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute at St. Mary’s. The inpatient rehab unit he envisioned recently celebrated 30 years of service. “It’s nice because we’re in a community where everybody knows everybody else,” Dr. Knapik says. “We’ve all had family up here; we all like to see them go home and do well. To see a patient who can be critically ill then go back in the community independent again, that’s very satisfying.”

The Rehabilitation Institute has grown over the years from a 10-bed unit to a 22-bed facility, with all-private rooms and bathrooms, and a multidisciplinary team of therapists, rehab-certified nurses, dietitians, wound care specialists, social workers and case managers. Patients receive intensive physical, occupational and speech therapy to help restore their independence for conditions ranging from stroke, brain injury and spinal cord disorders to cardiac conditions, respiratory failure and orthopedic injuries.

Program Director and speech therapist Brittney​ Buller, MS, CCC-SLP, says the staff keeps the mood upbeat with activities like yoga and morning stretch, and opportunities to participate in fundraising events that the rehab team sponsors. Since the Rehabilitation Institute opened, it has cared for approximately 14,000 patients. “I just love watching patients get better, go home, and then come back and see us,” says Buller.

Making the Grade

Earlier this year, St. Mary’s was pleased to share the grades it received for inpatient rehab on a report card from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF®). St. Mary’s well exceeded the average 2018 goal for functional gain, which measures patients’ functional improvement during their program. It also received high marks for helping patients return home. “When you have an average 80 percent return to home … that’s what sets us apart,” says Buller.