When Ron Duck offered to help one of his employees on July 27, 2006, he had no idea it would change his life forever. An accident on the loading dock resulted in a spinal cord injury, leaving him unable to speak and with limited movement.

“I couldn’t even scratch my nose,” he recalls.

Ron spent nearly six months in hospitals, where he gained medical stability and began the rehabilitation process. He came to Sheltering Arms for outpatient physical and occupational therapy, and to this day he is an active fitness and Club Rec member at our Midtown location.

He has developed a special bond with fitness specialist, Carmelo Vazquez, who pushes him a little farther each time they work together.

“He and I understand each other. He shows genuine concern and has given me the confidence to come as far as I have,” says Duck. “When I first starting coming to Sheltering Arms, I didn’t even have enough strength and control to close the door. Now, I can close it and lock the deadbolt. I’m not so dependent anymore and that’s a great feeling.”

Ron and his wife have found a second family at Sheltering Arms, helping them to do many things they didn’t realize were possible, such as making wreaths, painting and even traveling.

“Being among the folks here, you realize it’s okay to be where you are. We’ve all lost something, but Sheltering Arms gives us the courage to get it back,” he adds with a smile.

To learn more about the Sheltering Arms Club Rec program and/or fitness center, call (804) 764-5275.

(Richmond, Va.) – Richmond-based Sheltering Arms is announcing a partnership with a nationally-recognized firm that’s designed to provide a number of new services for patients. Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers and HealthPRO Rehabilitation have signed a formal collaboration agreement to offer contemporary rehabilitation services in the post-acute healthcare setting (where patients go following a hospital stay) throughout the area.

“When we team up with long-term care providers, Sheltering Arms is able to offer knowledge of leading-edge therapy techniques, ongoing training of licensed therapists, and an emphasis on exceptional clinical outcomes,” says James Sok, Sheltering Arms President and CEO.

HealthPRO, a growing, community-oriented company, has developed a strong reputation on the basis of its knowledge of the post-acute rehabilitation industry, and specifically its IT solutions – documentation, management, and reporting systems, which are unsurpassed.

This unique hybrid approach developed between Sheltering Arms and HealthPRO will bring the best of both worlds together and provide skilled nursing facilities with an option that previously was not available – top-notch clinical services and management, combined with superior industry knowledge and software tools.

HealthPRO, which has a strong presence in the Northeastern states but not in Virginia, is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Sheltering Arms because of its reputation, skilled staff and excellent outcomes in the rehabilitation settings.

The need for quality rehabilitative care is growing. As the baby boomer population ages, a larger number of people will find themselves in need of comprehensive, quality rehabilitative care and Sheltering Arms is working to ensure that the highest quality services are available in Virginia.

About Sheltering Arms
Sheltering Arms helps patients find the Power to Overcome the obstacles of illness and injury with a complete range of physical rehabilitation and wellness services. To learn more about Sheltering Arms’ two hospitals and eight outpatient clinics visit http://www.ShelteringArms.com, call 1-877-56-REHAB, or connect with Sheltering Arms on Facebook or Twitter.

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With a history of more than 120 years, Sheltering Arms has many longtime supporters.  Two of its most generous and influential supporters, however, are Robert Watkins and deVeaux Riddick.  The two mainstays of Richmond theater were asked in 1957 to help Sheltering Arms create a new fundraiser.  The event they helped create, the Bal du Bois, continues to be an annual tradition, and Watkins and Riddick have designed the set for every one since its inception.

The two men will be honored this Friday night by the Woman’s Club, where many of their plays have been staged.  The evening will celebrate their decades of contributions to local theater.  The Richmond Times-Dispatch today ran a story on the upcoming event…

The evening will focus on the 22-year run of drawing-room comedies Watkins and Riddick staged at the theater of the Bolling Haxall House, the downtown Richmond home of the Woman’s Club for more than 100 years. But it’s more than that, said organizer Ann Belk and countless others who have known and worked with Watkins and Riddick through the years.

The evening is called “As Far As Love Can Reach,” and will feature nine love scenes from some of Watkins and Riddick’s most memorable plays.  It will take place at the theater at Bolling Haxall House.  For more about Riddick and Watkins, and for information on how to attend “As Far As Love Can Reach,” check out the article in today’s Times-Dispatch.

The Valentine’s Day surprise for patients at Sheltering Arms’ Hanover County inpatient hospital was named a “Mech Moment” by the Mechanicsville Local this week!  For more details on the surprise, read this post.  A scan of the image in the Mechanicsville Local is below!

Mechanicsville Local, February 17, 2010

Valentine’s Day may be two days away, but the celebration was well under way at Sheltering Arms’ inpatient hospital at Memorial Regional Medical Center today.  A former patient arranged for a quartet to perform for our current patients in honor of Valentine’s Day!  Some pictures are below.  Click the images to see larger versions.

The Mechanicsville Local, the weekly newspaper for the town of Mechanicsville, published a story this week about the new stroke rehabilitation accreditation for The Sheltering Arms Hospital.  The story is scanned and posted below.  Click it for a larger version!

(Richmond, Va.) - The Sheltering Arms Hospital has been given a rare honor that reinforces the high level of care its Inpatient Rehabilitation teams give to patients every day. The hospital received a ‘Disease-Specific Care Certification’ in Stroke Rehabilitation through The Joint Commission - with no requirements for improvement!

The certification and Gold Seal of Approval^TM from The Joint Commission means that Sheltering Arms’ Stroke Rehabilitation program complies with the highest national standards for safety and quality of care. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs throughout the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

“We’re thrilled with this honor, and I would like to thank our physicians, nurses and therapists for their hard work, leadership and high level of clinical competence which made this possible,” said Sheltering Arms CEO James Sok. “We’re told it is nearly unprecedented for an organization not to be asked to make changes in order to receive the certification, and that is a tremendous source of pride for us.”

Stroke survivors often face complex problems and challenges that are as varied as each individual person. Accordingly, a stroke rehabilitation program must be broad and sophisticated to assist each patient toward maximal progress and recovery. Sheltering Arms offers a full range of services to help stroke survivors and their family members at its two hospitals and seven outpatient clinics, utilizing personal care and technologies as BIONess and SaeboFlex.

The certification is effective beginning January 22, 2010.

About Sheltering Arms
Sheltering Arms helps patients find the Power to Overcome the obstacles of illness and injury with a complete range of physical rehabilitation and wellness services. To learn more about Sheltering Arms’ two hospitals and seven outpatient clinics, visit ShelteringArms.com, call 1-877-56-REHAB, or connect with Sheltering Arms on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Steve Mullen
(804) 372-7677
steve-at-endgamepr-dot-com

As announced earlier on this blog, The Sheltering Arms Hospital recently received a huge honor — a Disease-Specific Care Certification in Stroke Rehabilitation through The Joint Commission with no requirements for improvement!

The video below celebrates this achievement

Despite being more than 120-years-old, Sheltering Arms is always learning new things!  Join us over at Twitter, on our brand new account!

Follow Sheltering Arms at @SheltArmsRehab!

On Thursday, January 21st, The Sheltering Arms Hospital accomplished something that few healthcare organizations are able to do - a Disease-Specific Care Certification in Stroke Rehabilitation through The Joint Commission with no requirements for improvement!

This certification and Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission means that Sheltering Arms’ Stroke Rehab program complies with the highest national standards for safety and quality of care.

We are very proud to share news of this designation, which signifies our organization’s dedication to clinical excellence and reinforces that Sheltering Arms continues to be the #1 choice for physical rehabilitation in Central Virginia.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs throughout the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.