Brain injury rehabilitation program marks anniversary
Progressive Health marks 15th year in Milford, By Gary Mabie MILFORD In March 1994 Progressive Health opened its doors on East Harford Street. With 16 employees and clients they embarked on the task of creating a community based brain injury rehabilitation program. The term “community based program” means just what it says. People with brain injuries return to the community to live in the manner of the rest of us normally or as normally as possible after such a devastating injury. They come from all walks of life: firefighters, chefs, engineers, students, wives, mothers, husbands, and parents, someone you may know. Rehabilitation continues. Healing continues. Regaining one’s abilities continues. Life continues to improve. The task was a daunting one. To do this type of program correctly you need a staff of neurophsycologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. All difficult to find and in short supply. You also need residences, vehicles, support staff, clinical space office space, and an enormous amount of expertise in brain injury. There is an overwhelming need for this type of facility. Every 22 seconds in this country a person acquires a brain injury. The person’s life is changed, dramatically. Without doing any math, that is a lot of people. Most of them do not have the opportunity to take advantage of such a program; there just aren’t enough, anywhere. Through difficult times, with enormous amounts of work, the staff and clients merge into a new sort of family. Trust develops, and the clients have a new “home,” a home with support and the reality of getting out, everyday, to do something productive - to live life. The clients live and work in the community and contribute their abilities to the community as well. They volunteer at nursing homes and hospitals in the area. They maintain the beautiful flowers around town in the spring and summer. They work in local businesses. Clients Helping Others, a program created by Progressive Health and their clients, works on a variety of community causes. A few of these causes include: the American Cancer Society, the Milford Food Pantry, the Pike County Humane Society, Litterpluck, Milford Music Festival, March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon, and the Packages to Soldiers Drive. Thousands of hours, dollars, and pounds of food have been donated to support Milford and the surrounding area. Fifteen years have passed so quickly. Progressive Health has grown into to a premier brain injury program. The company has had 203 people with brain injuries pass through their doors. They now employ 140 people in this community - at a time when jobs are disappearing, they are still hiring. The company purchases literally tons of groceries, thousands of gallons of gasoline, and heating oil a year. Progressive Health has purchased, renovated, and currently pays taxes on 20 buildings in the community, without affecting the school system in any way. Progressive Health and Milford has been a “marriage” of sorts. Milford provides a wonderful environment for people with a brain injury to live and thrive. The community in general has embraced Progressive Health and their client with open arms. It’s been a successful marriage of 15 years. Gary Mabie, is the Progressive Health vice president, for Corporate Development