HealthSouth Launches Program

LUDLOW — HealthSouth Rehabilita-tion Hospital has implemented a Community Re-Entry Day Program for people with brain injury, stroke, and other neurological injuries. New to Western Mass., the program provides comprehensive outpatient treatment to help individuals return to independent living.
“Although HealthSouth and other area facilities provide individual therapies for people with neurological injuries, we recognized a real need for a cohesive, intensive program to help these individuals resume their roles as contributing, functional members of the community,” said Margot Greenwald, a speech-language pathologist and program coordinator.

Following a multidisciplinary evaluation, the program’s treatment team meets with the client and family to discuss goals and develop a rehabilitation program. The client then participates in up to six hours of individual and group therapy three to five days per week.

Individual therapy sessions are dedicated to addressing the client’s specific deficits, working on relearning skills, and developing strategies to compensate for deficits. Group therapy focuses on applying those skills to practical daily activities, including planning and preparing a meal or organizing and executing a shopping trip. If a client’s goals include return to work or family responsibilities, therapists conduct on-site job observations and home evaluations.

Balin Eye & Laser Center Expands Northampton Office

NORTHAMPTON — The Balin Eye & Laser Center in Northampton has completed an office expansion that will offer patients access to the newest equipment available for laser vision correction and the diagnosis of glaucoma. An expansion of the waiting room and eye exam room were also included in the expansion project.

“Our patient base has grown steadily,” said Nancy Balin, M.D., on the reason for project. “This is the third expansion to our office space that’s been required over the past decade to accommodate patient needs.”

Among the new equipment added to the office for LASIK surgery, which eliminates the need for glasses or contacts, is a new diagnostic system, the VISX Wavescan System.
The equipment captures a fingerprint of the eye that is 25 times more precise than what was previously measurable by standard methods. It will enable doctors to perform a new procedure to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism that was approved by the FDA in May.