UPMC Children无毛视频檚 expands rehab services in Washington, McMurray
Broadens access to pediatric care resources
From the moment Jacob Walker was born, his parents, John and Ashley Bennett of Houston, knew his life would bring challenges 无毛视频� but that it would also be filled with love, joy and hope.
Jacob, 7, was born with Dandy-Walker malformation, a rare, congenital brain defect, and Down syndrome.
无毛视频淟ike many parents receiving unexpected news about their child, we found ourselves entering a world we never anticipated. There were moments of fear, grief, uncertainty and overwhelming questions about our future and what it would hold,无毛视频� Ashley Bennett said.
When Jacob was 9 months old, Bennett walked into UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Rehabilitation Therapies in search of additional support for her son, who was struggling to meet milestones.
Jake and the family got that support. And, more importantly, Bennett said, they received hope.
无毛视频淲hat I remember most about those first visits was not just the therapies or the evaluations, it was the feeling we were no longer alone. We were instantly enveloped by a team that looked at our son with hope and confidence and simply said, 无毛视频榃e无毛视频檙e going to help him reach his goals,'无毛视频� said Bennett.
Those words mattered, she said, 无毛视频渂ecause when you无毛视频檙e a parent navigating diagnoses and specialists and uncertainty, you desperately need people who can see possibility when you can无毛视频檛 see it yourself. And yet that无毛视频檚 exactly what this team has been to us and our family for the past seven years.无毛视频�
On Wednesday, Jake and his family attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Washington location of UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Rehabilitation Therapies, which was celebrating the expansion of its outpatient therapy network.
Jake 无毛视频� with his trademark smile that does, indeed, light up a room 无毛视频� sporting a bow tie and orange-and-red Nikes, cut the ribbon with a pair of oversized purple scissors as his siblings, Avalyn, 11, and Jeb, 8, other family members, and UPMC staff surrounded him and cheered him on.
Starting June 1, the UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Rehabilitation Therapies locations on North Avenue in Washington and Waterdam Plaza Drive in McMurray will formally operate as part of UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Hospital of Pittsburgh, providing families in Washington County and surrounding areas access to one of the nation无毛视频檚 top-ranked children无毛视频檚 hospitals.
无毛视频淭his is an exciting milestone for the families we serve across Washington County,无毛视频� said Diane Hupp, president, UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Hospital of Pittsburgh. 无毛视频淏y bringing these locations fully into UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Rehabilitation Therapies, we are strengthening the connections to our nationally ranked pediatric specialty care while ensuring children and families can continue to receive high-quality, compassionate care close to home.无毛视频�
The transition will not impact patient access or continuity of care. Families will continue to see the same therapists, at the same locations, with the added benefit of access to expanded pediatric specialty resources.
UPMC Children无毛视频檚 has expanded its services in the Washington and Greene county areas in order to connect its specialists with community-based care sites. UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Express Care and UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Specialty Care, which includes physical medicine and rehabilitation, provide services locally. UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene provide local emergency department care backed by UPMC Children无毛视频檚 pediatric specialists.
无毛视频淔amilies in our community rely on these services every day, and this transition reinforces our shared commitment to meeting their needs,无毛视频� said Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, noting the rehab centers have been in operation for more than 25 years. 无毛视频淭hrough our partnership with UPMC Children无毛视频檚, we are enhancing access to specialized care and bringing even greater resources and expertise to the patients and families we serve locally.无毛视频�
Jake has received physical, occupational and speech therapy at UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Rehab Therapies. Bennett said a neurodevelopmentalist at UPMC Children无毛视频檚 Hospital recently marveled at the progress he has made.
无毛视频淎s a family of faith, we thank God daily for the miracle of Jake无毛视频檚 life, but I also stand here today to fully recognize that Jake无毛视频檚 progress and quality of life has been profoundly affected and shaped by the therapists at Children无毛视频檚 Therapy Center,无毛视频� said Bennett. 无毛视频淲eek after week, milestone after milestone, challenge after challenge, and through every season, his team walked alongside us.无毛视频�
Bennett said the ribbon cutting 无毛视频渋s about more than a beautiful building or expanded services.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t represents hope: hope for parents receiving difficult news, hope for children working tirelessly to overcome obstacles, hope for families searching for support close to home, hope that every child, regardless of diagnosis or disability, can be seen for who they are and all they are capable of becoming,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭o the therapists, staff, donors and leaders who made this day possible, thank you. Thank you for believing in children like our Jake and for creating a place where miracles often look like hard work, persistence, patience, and cheerleaders who never give up on your child.无毛视频�