Donna Keegan, Program Coordinator of CWRS, says rehabilitation involves more than the obvious physical aspects. Her staff is trained to recognize that healing is a multidimensional process involving both the physical and mental.

CWRS at Union Memorial Hospital opened for business in the early 1970’s to help rehabilitate injured workers recovering from traumatic upper extremity injuries as well as all types of work related injuries. It is located on the second floor within the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital, a MedStar Health affiliate.

CWRS offers a variety of occupational rehabilitation services to individualize treatment for worker’s compensation clients. Specialized services such as Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) more objectively help in assessing a person’s ability to return to employment. Other work related services include work hardening and conditioning, ergonomic consultations, job task analysis, career assessment and injury prevention education programs.

The CWRS staff: (Top row) Carolyn Shiflett, Donna Keegan, Laura Lipke; (bottom row) Charlotte Cameron, Lawang Lewis

Members of the CWRS team include Donna Keegan, M.Ed., CRC, CVE, Laura Lipke, M.S., OTR/L, Carolyn Shiflett, M.S., CRC, Charlotte Cameron, rehabilitation technician and Lawang Lewis, administrative coordinator. Jason Leadbetter, MPT recently left the CWRS team to become the site coordinator for Stadium Place, a NRH Regional Rehab outpatient therapy facility. He has continued to perform FCE’s for CWRS on a part time basis so that CWRS may continue to provide services in a timely manner until the PT vacancy is filled.

CWRS is the only CARF accredited facility in the MedStar Network. This CARF program features a team approach where clients work with a number of professionals during their work rehabilitation experience. All CWRS clients referred for FCE or Work Hardening receive an orientation from Charlotte and an initial vocational interview with Donna. Then, depending on the situation, clients may have an FCE only or participate in Work Hardening with Laura as their primary therapist. All Work Hardening clients attend weekly psychological and educational sessions. CWRS clients may also work with other specialists at the center including social workers and nutritionists. As the vocational evaluator of CWRS, Carolyn works with all clients referred for Career Assessment.

“This comprehensive approach ensures the best possible outcome for the client”, explains Donna Keegan. “Willie’s experience is representative of a healthy rehabilitative environment where the patient can succeed.”

A warehouse employee at Cloverland Greenspring Dairy located in downtown Baltimore, Willie injured his right shoulder while on the job. After participating in preliminary physical therapy the decision was made to operate and repair the tear in his right rotator cuff. Dr. Richard Hinton of Greater Chesapeake Orthopedic Associates in Baltimore, Maryland performed the operation. Following surgery and post operative physical therapy, Willie received a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) to determine his current level of physical capability and was placed in a work hardening program at CWRS.

Since Willie had already participated in outpatient physical therapy at Union Memorial, he looked forward to returning there for the work rehabilitation program at CWRS. The first step was to build an individualized program for his return to work. Donna met with Willie to determine the specific physical demands of his job. She then contacted his employer to verify the job demands. Since there were some aspects that were not clearly defined, Donna arranged for Willie’s therapist to visit his work setting to get a better sense of what the job entailed. Willie worked in the warehouse moving dairy products, loading trucks, and operating forklifts. His therapist weighed and measured various products and further examined the physical demands of Willie’s daily work activities. Once he felt he understood the physical requirements of the job he was able to tailor Willie’s program back at CWRS.

Willie’s therapist recommended that Willie attend work hardening three days a week at CWRS and continue working light duty the other two days at the warehouse. During the three days each week that Willie was at CWRS he was able to use many tools and resources in the more protected work rehabilitation environment, which helped him to build strength and endurance as well as confidence that he could return to his previous job safely and without re-injury. The two days at Cloverland allowed Willie to participate as a team member with his regular work group and feel a part of his company while recuperating. Willie felt his work rehab period was very productive and he felt that people cared how he progressed. He was happy with both his employer and his rehab team and relayed, “It was an excellent experience because Bob, my therapist, was a great teacher and the whole staff was excellent. They are professionals and they helped me remarkably.”

The mental and physical combination is critical in a return to work situation, explains Donna. Jayne Gribble, Program Manager for worker’s compensation programs across the NRH Regional Rehab Network, agrees that the mind body connection must occur for a patient’s rehabilitation to be completed successfully. It is important that a client feel he is part of the team with his therapists and also with his employer. The light duty aspect allowed Willie to return to work more quickly. Donna and Jayne believe that if more employers, like Cloverland, would allow for light duty programming during the rehabilitation period, clients would transition more easily and much more successfully.

Willie’s work rehabilitation program included simulated job tasks that were increased as tolerated as well as strengthening and conditioning activities including weight training. He also attended educational sessions presentations including such topics as body mechanics, fitness, nutrition, back safety, and understanding worker’s compensation. The focus of these sessions is to prevent injuries in the future by helping clients understand proper body mechanics, back safety, correct posture and appropriate lifting techniques as well as increase their overall fitness level.

After six weeks in the work hardening program, Willie reached his goals and was granted a work release by Dr. Hinton. Since then, he has been able to return to work full-time and is doing everything that he was capable of prior to the injury. When asked how things are going now and how he has been doing, Willie reported, "I’m feelin’ good, just like I was before."

For more information on the Curtis Work Rehabilitation Services or to refer a client, please call 410-554-2170 for work rehab, or 410-554-2976 for Career Assessment. If you are interested in arranging a tour please call Donna Keegan at 410-554-2975.