Chevie Lay, Occupational Therapist at Memorial Hospital, recently received her certification as a stroke rehabilitation specialist, making her an expert in the care and rehabilitation of stroke patients.
Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, and occupational therapy plays a critical role in recovery. By earning this certification, Chevie has demonstrated her commitment to providing her patients with the highest quality of care.
To complete her certification, Chevie was required to take ten hours of online coursework before going to Dallas, Texas, for a three-day training. Chevie spent an intensive thirty hours between online instruction, workshops, labs, and in-person training, followed by a three-hour exam before becoming certified.
Chevie plans to use this certification for the acute and post-acute stroke population, both with transitional care/swing bed patients and some chronic stroke patients living on the Hancock Village campus.
Chevie mentioned how she has always had a special interest in stroke. While attending graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she was involved with helping develop a student-run stroke clinic that provided free occupational therapy services to uninsured individuals in the St. Louis area. “After coming to Memorial Hospital and seeing the effects of COVID-19 and the inability to transfer stroke patients really pushed me to gain that knowledge and experience by becoming a Certified Stoke Rehabilitation Specialist. By becoming a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist, Memorial Hospital can grow and expand our transitional care/swing-bed program by offering more specialized services locally”, Chevie said. Within the region, Hannibal, Missouri, and Peoria, Illinois, are the closest facilities with a stroke rehabilitation specialist.
Memorial Hospital is proud to have Chevie Lay on its team and looks forward to the impact she will have on the lives of stroke patients.
