BETHESDA, MD -- Chindex International Inc., an American healthcare company providing services in China through the operations of United Family Healthcare, a network of private hospitals and affiliated ambulatory clinics, announced June 19 the official opening of the Beijing United Family Rehabilitation Hospital. Chindex held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Gary Locke, the U.S. Ambassador to China, representatives from national and municipal governments, international and domestic ...

PHILADELPHIA -- The Good Shepherd Penn Partners board of directors announced June 13 that it has approved the following appointments: John A. Kristel, MBA, MPT, president and chief executive officer of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, takes on the role of board chair, effective June 1, following the retirement of former chair Sara T. "Sally" Gammon, FACHE. Gammon also formerly served as president and CEO of Good Shepherd. Roy Schwartz, MBA, vice president, managed care and payer relations for Penn ...

ENGLEWOOD, CO -- Craig Hospital and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announced June 5 that Craig has joined the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), a national network of rehabilitation centers promoting functional recovery and quality of life for people with paralysis. Funded by the Reeve Foundation through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NRN translates the latest scientific advances into effective, ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has unveiled its sixth annual American Fitness Index™ (AFI) data report. Established six years ago with support from the WellPoint Foundation, the AFI data report evaluates the infrastructure, community assets and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles in the 50 most populous metro areas in the United States. For the third consecutive year, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Minneapolis-St. ...

A retrospective study in the June 5 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) examined whether lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) had an impact on bone fragility and vertebral fractures (spinal fractures). A higher number of injections was associated with increased risk. Authors concluded that LESIs may lead to increased bone fragility over time, and while injection therapy is useful in some cases, it should be approached cautiously for patients at risk for fractures associated with ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Lydia George, a student in the doctor of physical therapy program in the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is one of only three physical therapy professional education students in the United States to receive the 2013 Mary McMillan Scholarship Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. George will be recognized for her achievement at the association's annual meeting in June, according to IUPUI. The $5,000 ...

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- In a study published in the April 2013 edition of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, a randomized controlled trial determined the efficiency of early physical therapy for individuals affected with the facial paralysis condition Bell's palsy. "Physical therapy is an extremely integral part in harnessing a full recovery anytime a nerve has become compromised," said Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, director of the Facial Paralysis Institute in Beverly Hills. "In cases where an individual ...

NEW YORK -- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital announced June 11 that it is ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties on the 2013-14 U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" survey -- more than any other New York metropolitan area hospital, according to a release. In the annual survey, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is nationally ranked in cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and ...

WOODBURY, CT -- Cornerstone Physical Therapy LLC celebrated its 15th anniversary with an open house on April 16. Owner and physical therapist Marge Owens, MSPT, CLT, offers individualized physical therapy for orthopedic and neurological problems, industrial rehabilitation, and a golf enhancement program. Owens received special training in golf enhancement by Paul Calloway, a physical therapist who works with golfers on the PGA tour. "We also provide functional capacity evaluations at Cornerstone Physical ...

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA -- Seniors with musculoskeletal disorders, such as arthritis or broken bones, who get rehabilitation at home are less likely to need admission to hospital or long-term care homes, say researchers from the University of Waterloo and University of Toronto. The study, published in the June 2013 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, also found that older patients who receive physiotherapy and occupational therapy in their own home are more likely to be ...

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) announced March 14 that Arkansas has become the third U.S. state to limit patient copays and other forms of cost sharing for services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. Senate Bill 277 was signed into law by Gov. Mike Beebe. SB 277 specifies that patient copays, coinsurance, and office visit deductibles charged by health benefit plans for services provided by physical therapists, ...

GREENSBORO, NC -- Seven men and women have joined team captain Beth Deloria to form Allard USA's TeamUP, a group of athletes with disability that will attend fitness events and awareness activities across the country. Each team member faces paralysis in one or both of their legs as a result of foot drop. Each has overcome their limited mobility with a carbon fiber orthotic device made by Allard USA. Deloria is a marathon runner who was sidelined in 2004 due to a spinal injury, which resulted in foot drop. ...

KOCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, MI -- Brian Sheridan, OTR/L, opened Level Eleven Physical Therapy, located at 5815 Bay Road, Kochville Township, in May 2013. The staff at Level Eleven specializes in the treatment of neurological diseases and injuries, along with orthopedic injuries and conditions. The clinic offers a high-intensity, activity-based program, Sheridan said.He opened his first Level Eleven clinic in Grand Blanc Township in 2009. "We believe in a comprehensive model of recovery," Sheridan said. "We look ...

ATLANTA -- Wayne Offenhauer, Garol Orr and Bill Orr announced June 5 the opening of 101 Mobility Atlanta, a mobility sales and installation provider in North Georgia offering mobility products ranging from stair lifts, auto lifts, ramps, and porch lifts to patient lifts, power wheelchairs, scooters and more. "We hope customers notice the difference in service quality, from the way we answer our phones to the way we deliver on our commitments," said Orr. "We want to become the most recognized name in ...

PHILADELPHIA -- MossRehab, a provider of inpatient and outpatient physical and cognitive rehabilitation in the Philadelphia region, announced May 30 that it will host They Will Surf Again -- a free, one-day adapted surfing event -- on Sat. June 15 in Wildwood Crest, NJ. The event will feature double the amount of volunteers as last year's event and an official sponsorship, according to a press release. A team of 40 MossRehab therapists, staff and supporters will help participants with disabilities get up ...