New therapy unit

Blanche Bagley said the pain she's suffered from a bruised knee has been the most painful thing she's ever endured.

But the Odessa resident is glad she's been able to recover from it at Odessa Regional Medical Center's new inpatient therapy unit.

"I have no complaints," she said. "It's been nice. They help me a lot."

The rehabilitation unit opened this month in space once leased by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Odessa. The five-year lease was originally signed with Alliance Hospital, which ORMC's parent company bought last year.

Brian Kwiatkowski, ORMC's rehabilitation unit director, said the hospital wanted to start its own rehabilitation area because of a lack of inpatient therapy services in Odessa. Along with ORMC's 14 beds, Medical Center Hospital has a 22-bed rehabilitation unit.

"There were a lot of patients having to travel to Midland for inpatient rehab services," he said. "It's really a shame for them to have to travel that far, so I think it's good for the community to open our own inpatient rehab."

The unit offers physical, occupational and speech therapy, along with rehabilitation nursing. With an average length of stay of 10 to 12 days, it helps patients suffering from stroke, hip fractures, devastating illnesses, knee, joint and hip replacement and other ailments.

Kwiatkowski has worked as a physical therapist in the area for more than a decade at MCH and most recently at Rehab Care hospital in Midland. He started Sept. 9 at ORMC and, along with the hospital's other therapists, had to move to get ready for the opening.

Having therapists he's worked with before has made the job easier, Kwiatkowski said.

"You can put this in there, we have the best therapists in West Texas," he said. "That may make some of my colleagues I've worked with upset."

Physical therapist Cecilia Ochoa said it's been a challenge getting the unit running. For instance, ORMC still is waiting on some equipment that's on backorder.

"What we've learned is it's the minor details that are usually most important," she said.

Treating patients makes it worth it for Ochoa.

"The main thing is seeing people improve and seeing people go home and go back to the life they were living," she said.

Occupational therapist Jay Foote said he has a rewarding job working with patients, who exercise a minimum of three hours a day.

"It feels great," he said. "You have a patient who came in needing total assistance. When they go home they can do everything for themselves."