Published: March 12, 2008 02:21 pm            

New therapy center

NovaCare Rehabilitation to open next week

By PAUL LORENZ

paul.lorenz@mcleansborotimesleader.com

McLEANSBORO — Hamilton County residents will soon have another local option for physical or occupational therapy.

NovaCare Rehabilitation will open a center here at 208B S. Washington St., in the Family Medicine of McLeansboro building just southwest of the downtown square.

The target opening date for the center is Tuesday, Stephanie Mings, business development manager for NovaCare, said earlier this week during an interview in the partially furnished facility.

“We feel like there’s a need here ... especially with our specialty services we are going to offer,” Mings said.

In addition to physical and occupational therapy, the new center will offer specialty services dealing with urinary incontinence, vestibular rehabilitation and work conditioning, according to information from NovaCare.

NovaCare Rehabilitation is a division of Select Medical Corp. of Mechanicsburg, Pa. McLeansboro will be the site of NovaCare’s fifth rehabilitation facility in Southern Illinois, joining Nashville, Mt. Vernon, Benton and West Frankfort; the latter three were formerly known as Physical Rehab Works, which NovaCare took over about a half-dozen years ago, Mings said.

“We’re local, but with the resources of a big company,” Mings said.

Holly Russell, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, will head up the McLeansboro center, joined by occupational therapist Leslie Powell and physical therapist assistant Jennifer Steele. NovaCare is in the process of hiring an office employee, Mings said.

NovaCare becomes the second physical therapy provider in Hamilton County, joining Hamilton Memorial Hospital District.One of NovaCare’s goals, Mings said, is to “get our patients in quickly.”

“When someone is in pain, we try to work our schedules around to get that person seen,” she said.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.