NEW BERN, N.C. — Although many businesses are most successful if they get you to stay inside their doors, at a hospital the goal is to help you get out. The physical rehab center at CarolinaEast Rehabilitation Hospital has been doing well with that goal.
What You Need to Know:
CarolinaEast Rehabilitation Hospital was named No. 2 in North Carolina
Patients recognize the exceptional work of CarolinaEast therapists
Some patients are in rehab due to long-term COVID-19 effects
Janice Sawier Shorey had a spinal stroke in August that left her unable to move the lower half of her body. She arrived at CarolinaEast in September and has been going through rehab to gain her muscles back.
“I'm getting stronger,” Shorey said while using a machine to help her stand up. “I got a strong upper body. It's just my lower body is not working right now.”
Shorey spends three hours every day doing physical and occupational therapy. It's a lot of hard work, but she says the CarolinaEast rehab team has been patient and cooperative.
Occupational therapist Laura Obregon says Shorey is making great progress.
“I think I told you it took people weeks to get where you're going,” Obregon said. “But because her arms are strong to begin with, she's come a long way. ... And as this gets better, she's going to be doing it on her own and not need us.”
CarolinaEast was recently named the No. 2 physical rehab center in North Carolina by a Newsweek magazine research study. Shorey says the center deserves that title.
“I would highly recommend this facility to anybody who has to have rehab because it is a good place,” Shorey said.
“What we really do is try to work hard getting patients back home and in the community and get them independent as possible,” said Andrea Terry, medical director for CarolinaEast rehab. “I know our patients appreciate us being here for them, and so we're going to keep doing what we do.”
Terry says the staff has been through a lot of struggles and hardships with every type of patient coming through their doors.
This year some of their patients are in rehab due to long-term COVID-19 effects. Some people who were in the hospital with COVID-19 for an extended period of time need rehab to work on their lung compliance to get them off oxygen or muscle weakness from being bedridden.
However, the staff at CarolinaEast is tackling the challenge head on and working hard to get their patients home.