September/October 2024
SPIRIT is a Siskin Hospital e-newsletter for friends, supporters and patients
I was asked recently why we would undergo a $30 million renovation of the hospital and use five areas of underutilized
property to build five Healing Gardens. My answer was simply, “We are committed to
doing our part to raise the quality of life for everyone in the region.”
Our investments to improve both patient outcomes and our facility sets Siskin Hospital apart from other physical rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. By doing this, we help build a better Chattanooga that, in turn, helps businesses attract a talented workforce. The influx of high value employees increases sales on products and services, gives rise to entrepreneurs, and works to raise our standard of living.
It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “By improving yourself, the world is made
better.” He was correct because improvement is a trajectory.
In our region, it began thirty-nine years ago with a group of men and women who visualized a better Chattanooga and pursued excellence when they published the Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan. From this came the Tennessee Aquarium, the Chattanooga Visitors Center, the Creative Discovery Museum and the renovation of the Walnut Street bridge, to name a few. Across the U.S., people took notice of the momentum and Chattanooga was named a top ten family vacation destination and one of the country’s best places to live, work and play.
Fast forward to 2019 and the Chattanooga Health and Wellness District study that outlined a plan for the development of a first-class health and wellness district that will serve as a new center of innovation, economic growth, and opportunity for the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and the State of Tennessee. This district, situated along a three-mile stretch of the 3rd and 4thStreet corridor is now the home of the new Children’s Kennedy Outpatient Center at Erlanger.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has joined this pursuit as they expand important programs in Nursing and Business, and lead important discussions in Blue Zones, the areas of the world where people live the longest. From these, we will learn how to potentially add twelve years to our lives.
We have been inspired by those great Chattanoogans who began the thrust forward. As we earn accolades as a top physical rehabilitation hospital, and people hear about the region’s first healing gardens that are designed to lower patient stress and improve their sense of well-being, we hope to inspire others to also reach higher.
Just as you may have played a role in building the Aquarium, the Creative Discovery Museum or the Children’s Kennedy Outpatient Center, you can play a part in the Healing Gardens at Siskin Hospital.
Overcoming Adversity & Finding Angel Wings
It was a normal day on the job when Johnny Farrow first noticed that something did not feel right. First his left leg started feeling weak, a few days later his fingers began tingling, and before long, he had excruciating nerve pain radiating through his legs and up into his back.
After a 10-hour emergency room visit, Johnny left with a diabetic neuropathy diagnosis, but soon returned to Erlanger as the pain grew worse and his feet began to go numb. Doctors soon discovered that he was facing a rare and painful condition known as Guillain-Barre’ syndrome or GBS, where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
“The nerve pain was so bad that I would just walk the floors throughout the night, but after three days, I couldn’t even do that because it had paralyzed my legs,” said Johnny.
While the exact cause of GBS is not known, research shows that the majority of people had symptoms of an infection shortly before the onset of the condition. Johnny remembers having food poisoning two weeks before he first began to feel weakness in his legs, which may have been the catalyst.
After many days in the hospital receiving treatment and working to manage the nearly unbearable pain, it was time to choose a facility for inpatient physical rehabilitation.
“I’ve always heard good things about Siskin, and luckily I was able to get in within just a few days,” said Johnny.
Johnny made the short journey across the bridge connecting Erlanger to Siskin Hospital and immediately began working to regain his strength to be able to stand and walk without assistance.
“When Johnny first arrived to Siskin he couldn't get into a wheelchair without the help of two people and needed three people to help him stand,” said Alexis Boudavong, PT, DPT, one of the main clinicians on his case. “He never said no to anything we did in PT – from standing in the parallel bars, walking in the Lite Gait and Solo Step, the treadmill, or the flight of stairs, he would always say ‘let’s do it’.”
After a short return to Erlanger for further tests and additional medical treatment, Johnny was readmitted to Siskin Hospital and continued his rehabilitation journey. Each day he continued to get stronger, regaining more and more feeling in his legs and hands.
Johnny noted that the doctor allowing a home evaluation made him and his wife feel much more confident about returning home and many of his therapists’ suggestions have already been implemented to allow him to be as independent as possible.
“I’m going home with a positive attitude and plan to continue therapy with Siskin Outpatient. Working with both PT and OT, I am able to do so much more for myself,” said Johnny. Regaining independence is many patients’ main goal, but for Johnny it is even more important as he serves as primary caregiver for his wife who is legally blind. “I’ve got to get better so I can take care of her.”
His level of perseverance and attitude toward his recovery made him well-known and loved throughout the Siskin Hospital staff, so much so that he received a going away party with a special guest all the way from Ireland. Stacy Bean, OT, one of his main occupational therapists, was on vacation when he was discharged, but made a point to join virtually and show her support.
“The amount of people who showed up to his discharge celebration is a testament to the type of person he is! It was such a blessing working with him and seeing his hard work pay off,” said Boudavong.
After three months of inpatient therapy, Johnny left Siskin Hospital being able to stand and walk with an assistive device, something that didn’t seem possible after his GBS diagnosis and severe onset of symptoms. Many tears were shed and cheers heard as he walked out of Siskin Hospital’s doors.
“I cannot say enough about Siskin Hospital and the way they have treated me,” said Johnny. “I told my doctor that Siskin should have a box on the job application that says you have angel wings, because everyone has been an angel to me.”
Johnny, we are so happy you were able to come to Siskin Hospital and proud of all the progress you made!
Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening
On Friday, August 2nd, nearly 250 friends joined Siskin Hospital leadership to officially open Grady’s Garden, the largest of the five Healing Gardens Siskin Hospital will build to improve the lives of patients, visitors and our associates. Thanks to EPB, we were able to share a livestream of the ribbon cutting ceremony with many more friends who have and continue to support this important initiative.
For more information about the Healing Gardens, click the button below.
Second Chances at Siskin Hospital
Siskin Hospital is known for giving its patients a second chance at life after suffering from a traumatic injury or illness, but it can also provide associates a place for their dreams and passions to become a reality. Many clinicians have a traditional journey to working in physical rehabilitation but others take a more non-traditional route.
While earning her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in psychology, KD Norman, PT, DPT, NCS, started to consider applying to medical school after graduation. She also started another exciting chapter of her life after marrying her high school sweetheart David, who was working toward his graduate degree with plans to continue on with a Ph.D. They had to decide which came first: medical school or a doctoral program?
“We made the commitment to do life together, and this decision was no different,” said KD.
Deciding to first focus on David’s Ph.D. before tackling medical school for KD, the couple moved to Scotland. Needing to provide for the family, but also wanting to do something meaningful, KD took a job at an elderly ladies’ home as a caregiver, helping them with daily tasks such as getting dressed and exercising. During this time, the couple also welcomed their first child.
The years following involved relocating several times for David’s career and welcoming two more children to their family. Without having additional family support, KD quickly realized that going to medical school may not be feasible.
“I valued raising my kids myself, and I didn’t want to sacrifice that time with them.” While she was happy to be focusing on her family, she never got over the desire of wanting to do something more outside the home.
KD first encountered the physical rehabilitation field in 2008 while recovering from a torn meniscus and became interested in learning more. Unfortunately there was not a PT school close by and her children were still very young.
When they moved to Chattanooga in 2016, the pieces began to fall into place to pursue her dream. Her children were now older and more independent, her husband had a good job that was flexible, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Physical Therapy program did not have time constraints on when students took their prerequisite courses, meaning her undergraduate degree applied.
In 2018, KD began PT school, 10 years after originally discovering her interest in the field. At 40-years-old, she was at a very different stage of life than her peers, which had benefits and challenges, but she persevered through the support of her husband and three boys.
After learning about Siskin Hospital’s Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program, KD knew that this mentorship would allow her to gain years of experience in a short time span. She shadowed Matt Annessi, PT, DPT, NCS, who would later become the co-director of the residency program and solidified her passion of working with the older population through physical therapy.
She completed her last clinical rotation at Siskin Outpatient Therapy’s downtown Chattanooga location and fell in love with not only the patient population but also the organization’s mission.
“This was the only place I applied after graduation. Shortly after being hired, I applied to the residency program with the plan to continue to work at Siskin after completing the program.”
During the program, she spent eight months in the inpatient rehabilitation facility working with stroke, spinal cord and brain injury cases, along with an additional three months in outpatient therapy.
Her children, who are now in high-school and college, continue to show their support for her passion and work-ethic throughout PT school and the residency program. She also hopes that her experience will influence how her boys treat their future wives, as they possibly deal with the stress of balancing a career and family.
“My oldest children who are now in college have said to me a couple of times, ‘I remember how dedicated you were to your studies, so if Mom can do it, I can do it,’ which is nice to know that I was able to influence them in that way.”
After completing her residency, KD returned working full-time at Siskin Outpatient Therapy, primarily focused in vestibular and neurological cases, and continued studying for her Neurologic Clinical Specialist certification. In July 2024, she officially passed her board certification, continuing the residency program’s 100% passing rate. Her experience also recently came full circle after serving as a Clinical Instructor for her first PT student.
“Now that I’ve gained all this knowledge and experience, I’m excited to be able to focus completely on helping people get better while mentoring others that are passionate about this field.”
For more information about the Neurologic Residency Program, visit www.siskinrehab.org/neurologic-pt-residency-program or email neuroresidencyprogram@siskinrehab.org.
Giving Together Makes a
Big Impact
You may have noticed that Siskin Hospital’s giving initiatives are big and often require a large group of individuals who will work together to achieve a common goal. Much of this is because Siskin Hospital treats several thousand patients annually. The rest is by design. At Siskin Hospital, we know that charitable giving can feel solitary, especially when we do not understand the impact of our gifts or whether others support the same initiatives.
Conversely, when we give together, we build a sense of purpose within the group, feel fulfillment, and develop meaningful relationships around this shared cause. We experience a sense of gratitude for others who share our charitable passion and appreciate even the smallest gifts.
We certainly saw this sense of community as we celebrated the ribbon cutting for Grady’s Garden. How proud our friend, Grady Williams, would have been to see so many give to achieve something that is beautiful and beneficial to so many. Those who attended felt both proud and awed by the beauty of the garden.
As we move into the giving season, we would like to share several ways to give to initiatives that make a big impact on patients, our caregivers, and donors who choose to participate. Please designate your gifts for any of the following:
The Healing Gardens at Siskin Hospital
If you have been watching prices, you know costs have gone up. This includes building costs, along with materials and labor. Our partners have projected the final cost of our Healing Gardens at Siskin Hospital, and we are working to raise an additional $2.5 million.
If you have given towards the Healing Gardens, will you give again? If you have not given towards the Healing Gardens, now is a great time to join this group of visionary donors. Together, we can reach our goal and make a positive impact on the lives of thousands each year.
Patient Scholarship Fund
Studies show that one in thirteen people in our region are uninsured. This means that when tragedy strikes and they suffer a traumatic illness or injury, they often go without the physical rehabilitation that can restore them to their families, employment and quality of life. Your gift to our Patient Scholarship Fund creates the opportunity for them to receive the physical rehabilitation they so desperately need.
Chaplaincy Program
When faced with traumatic, life-altering illness or injury, patients of Siskin Hospital and their family members often find comfort by connecting with one of Siskin Hospital’s Chaplains. Our Chaplains offer emotional and spiritual care for people of all faiths and are familiar with beliefs across many different cultures. Should these life-altering events prompt bigger questions about life and faith, our Chaplains are available to have those discussions. In 2025, Siskin Hospital would like to expand this program to better meet the needs of our patients and their loved ones.