Dear Marquette community,
I’ve known about the transformational work that happens in our Neuro Recovery Clinic in the College of Health Sciences since it opened in 2019, and I am excited to feature our faculty and students who are changing lives in a new episode of Campus Connections.
The only facility of its kind in Wisconsin, the Neuro Recovery Clinic serves patients who have a range of neurological diagnoses or injuries and have exhausted traditional therapeutic care. Our faculty experts develop personalized rehabilitation or exercise plans that incorporate state-of-the-art equipment, like a robotic body weight harness that supports safe walking, and opportunities to participate in research studies led by their Marquette colleagues. Patients work closely with physical therapy faculty and students over weeks, months or years to work toward or achieve goals, enhance their fitness levels or return to optimal function.
Dr. Ashley Miller, clinic coordinator; Dr. Jeff Wilkens, clinic director; and Charlie Lindell, student physical therapist, detailed their work with patients during my recent visit to the clinic. I spent some time with Bill, a patient who suffered traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries in 2018 that affected his ability to walk. When he was discharged from the hospital, he could only take a few aided steps. Bill has steadily gained strength and now is able to walk the length of the clinic floor with a walker thanks to the work he has put in with the clinic team.
An avid golfer prior to his accident, Bill’s rehab includes using the clinic’s practice putting green. While it’s not quite the same as playing a round at one of his favorite courses, I imagine there were days Bill wondered if he would ever be able to hold a club again. It’s evident that working with our faculty and students has done more than just restore Bill’s mobility: his weekly visits to the clinic have also created an important community for him.
Students like Charlie practice what they are learning in the classroom and hone their skills in the Neuro Recovery Clinic. More importantly, they are learning how to become Marquette physical therapists, which will have a lasting impact on the patients they serve throughout their careers.
I hope you enjoy this edition of Campus Connections and if you have an idea for a future video, please send it to president@marquette.edu.
President Kimo
