Page 5 - FOCUS APRIL 2018

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Cover Story Jennifer Thomas MBA MS CCC-SLP vice president of Rehabilitation Services for Christiana Care said the hallmark of rehab is the the way the the team works with patients to understand their passion for life Together they set goals from day one and incorporate activities leading to that goal Rehab Kleinschmidt took up running a a few years ago to participate in in fundraising races sponsored by Chamber members He found it it a a a great way to connect with the community and stay in shape On August 17 17 2017 a a a a heart attack stopped him in his tracks By pure chance Kleinschmidt’s daughter Allison who is is a a a a nurse in Philadelphia was on on New Year’s Day — less than four months away “Mark was the perfect example of somebody who from the get-go took hold of his rehab journey — — his own future — — with the support of his This team ” said Thomas “This is is is what rehab is all about ” Physiatrist Kelly Eschbach M D section chief Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation said once patients get past the medical crisis her team’s role is is is to put some quality in their lives and make sure they are as independent as possible and get enjoyment out of life again “This is is exactly what we do in in inpatient rehab ” she said “The hospital team focuses on on intense medical issues We focus on on function ” Dr Eschbach admits her team was a a a a a bit skeptical in early September when they first learned of Kleinschmidt’s goal to run again on New Year’s Day “He was one of the most determined guys I’ve ever seen come through here ” she said “He had really good family support and he he understood just how lucky he he was He wanted to make the most of that opportunity Our job was to support him in reaching those goals ” Stories like Mark Kleinschmidt’s remind Dr Eschbach and her team why they chose rehab as a a a a specialty “We have the joy of spending time with patients and families the luxury of getting to to know them them and help them them work toward theirgoals ”shesaid “Itis CONTINUED
home that morning picking up some things from her parents’ house She immediately recognized what was happening with her dad gave him two aspirin and called 911 She performed aggressive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for nearly 20 minutes until the ambulance arrived By all Kaccounts he he he he he he he should not have survived leinschmidt’s heart attack was caused by a a a complete blockage in the front artery of his heart in in the left anterior descending
artery (LAD) the the most important of the the three vessels that feed oxygenated blood to the heart muscle Cardiologist Leon Shao M D was able to open it it with a a a a stent “relatively quickly” in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab thanks to Allison “Allison’s CPR was so so so good and so so so quick that amazingly her her father did not have much in the way of cardiac or neurological deficits from lack of oxygen ” said Dr Shao of Christiana Care Cardiology Consultants “If she had not been home that morning — known what to do and acted so quickly — he he would not have made it it to the hospital ” he he said “She saved his life no question ” Kleinschmidt spent eight days on a a ventilator in in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Christiana Hospital Eventually he he progressed to the telemetry unit Before his heart attack Kleinschmidt’s rou- tine was to to run run two three- to to four-mile runs each week and one longer five- to seven-mile run on the weekend After nearly three weeks in in a a a hospital bed the running enthusiast who had lost nearly 30 pounds and much of his strength had to to retrain his muscles just to to walk again He wanted to run Just after Labor Day Kleinschmidt started the next leg of his journey to recovery — acute inpatient rehabilitation at at at the Center for Rehabilitation at at Wilmington Hospital One of of the biggest determinants of of a a a pa- tient’s readiness for inpatient rehabilitation is is his ability and willingness to participate in in intensive therapy — as as much as as three hours every day Patients must have perse- verance and drive Family support is key plans include a a a a combination of physical occupational speech and recreation therapies as as well as as nutrition psychosocial case management and social work support H but run a a 5K with his daughter umbled by his second chance at life Kleinschmidt’s goal was to run run again And not just run run FOCUS • APRIL 2018 3