W-GATEWAY PUBLICATIONS
Health & leisure
SHARON SILKROSKI, one of the athletic trainers at Moon
Township's Workfit Center, monitors a patient using the static lifting platform (above). At right, she helps the injured worker on
the exercise cycle. People injured on the job can benefit from the
wide range of diagnostic and work-simulator equipment designed
to enhance,their strength, balance, coordination and functional
capabilities. Often, thesei workers return to the job in better,
physical shape than before the accident occurred..
Worker rehab center opens
;■ Watson Healthcare Inc., a sub---
sidiary of D.T. Watson Rehabilitation Services, has introduced a
comprehensive injured workers'
rehabilitation program to western ,
Pennsylvania with the opening of
its Workfit Center in Moon
Township. '
' The Workfit Center allows
employers and insurers to pur-,
chase an entire comprehensive
rehabilitation program or to purchase specific components of the
overall program. This makes it-
possible.-vf or companies and insurers with existing programming
to-add the Workfit program into
their framework.
, "The Workfit Center's flexibility is the key for the business com--
munityy" said John Rubar, vice„
president and chief operating of-:
ficer of Watson Healthcare.
\!, "The center provides the exper--;
Use and equipment necessary to
help injured workers return to
work more quickly. The combination of accurate job analysis and
comprehensive work" conditioning
can enable employees to go back
to work in better physical condition than they were prior to the
sustained injury."-
j; Workfit has created a networking system with several area
hospitals so that evaluation and
assessment of the patient can occur in the hospital emergency
room immediately following the
accident. te'u -^
.-.•• "Workfit is not in competition
with local hospitals for this patient
population," said Drexel Brown,
rehabilitation counselor and pn>-
gram director. "We work in con-.
junction with the hospitals to ensure that the patient is receiving
proper followup and conditioning.
rfor the type of injury incurred."
Rubar said free patient tracking
provides critical information to
the employer and insurer. The
program -. is ^patterned after, the
already-existing -Work- Injury In-"
structioh Network of Norristown,
* Pa.' a prbgramwith proven suc-
cess in: the /Philadelphia-,
marketplace.
, Employers can choose to use the
work;: hardening/conditioning
component of the program, that is
tailored to the patient's specific
needs; >■ Fot example,* patients
develop, work.' tolerances^ by < per-
. forming tasks identical to their job
requirements. As the patientpro-
gresses, intensity mcreases to. approximate the employee's regular
workday; \
The program focuses on improving strength, endurance, balance
and coordination as well as reducing or eliminating functional
limitations. In addition, the
Workfit team addresses personal
adjustment needs of the patient
and his family. ■-;'
Training and education to. prevent the risk of reinjury also are
provided to the injured worker.
i Workfit Center as located: on
Thorn-Beaver Place, near : the
Greater Pittsburgh. International
Airport.1 The team includes
physiatrists, orthopedic surgeons,
physical therapists, an athletic
trainer and-a vocational
rehabilitation counselor;
