Among more than 71,000 employees, Iowa hospitals have countless examples of amazing people doing outstanding work.  Each year, IHA honors some of those employees as Iowa Hospital Heroes.  In the coming weeks, IHA will share the stories of our 2009 Iowa Hospital Heroes.  Below is our Hero for this week: 

Timi Brown
Med-Fit Coordinator
Covenant Medical Center, Waterloo

Timi Brown has been with Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare for 20 years, working in the Recreational Therapy Program and most recently at Wellness Services as the Medical Fitness Coordinator. She has an amazing “never give up” attitude and shows endless compassion for her patients! 

A phenomenal recreational therapist with excellent clinical skills, Timi works with patients with all types of medical conditions, ranging from stroke, cancer, obesity and diabetes, to severe arthritis, fibromyalgia and cardiac rehab issues. But what makes Timi stand out from most in her profession is her unconditional commitment to making her patients healthier, physically and mentally. She is an advocate for the “underdog” and cheers on those who may be written off by others. 

Whether by working with children in the Hals Pals Program for youth or teaching post-chemotherapy cancer patients how to rebuild their strength, Timi is always there. She goes beyond the call of duty – at times going to a patient’s home to see how they are doing or to deliver clothes and household items she purchased because the patient is not able to afford basic necessities. 

Timi has written numerous grants to fund Wellness Services that benefit many patients in the Cedar Valley. This past year, Timi worked on a grant through the Iowa Legislature to fund childhood obesity and programs like Hals Pals and Med-Fit to help those who wouldn’t be able to afford such services. Timi Brown has an amazing spirit about her and passes on good will to all around by the wonderful attitude she carries daily. She makes people smile, laugh and, most importantly, feel good about who they are. 

Timi is truly a hero to her co-workers and her patients and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is very fortunate to have her as an associate.

U.S. News and World Report added physical therapy to the 2009 best careers list based on five criteria:

1. Job outlook
2. Average job satisfaction
3. Difficulty of the required training
4. Prestige
5. Pay

As jobs such as investment bankers and editors dropped off the 2009 list, health care careers remained strong, comprising one-third of all careers listed.

Physical therapists restore, maintain and promote overall fitness and health

Physical therapists are valuable members of a health care team and provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is expected to increase much faster than average and job opportunities should be good, particularly in hospital, rehabilitation and orthopedic settings. A March 2009 Washington Post article emphasized that careers in health care, specifically physical therapy, continue to grow despite the country’s employment crisis.

Hear from a physical therapist in Iowa

A few weeks ago we had the chance to speak with a physical therapist at Cass County Memorial Hospital about how he got started and the most rewarding part of his job.

Take a look to see what it’s like working as a physical therapist in an Iowa hospital.

During the hospital celebration last week in Atlantic, IHA sat down with Mike Rohde, Director of Rehabilitation Services at Cass County Memorial Hospital, to talk about his job as a physical therapist.

Rohde shared how he got started as a physical therapist, his thoughts on the most rewarding part of his job and advice he had for others who might be interested in a career in physical therapy.

Have a question about physical therapy? Ask away!

If you have a question for Mike or about physical therapy in general, use the comment section below to ask. We’ll do our best to find answers to what you want to know.