New Lenox Woman Recovers from Stroke with Help at Silver Cross

Aug. 6, 2017, is a day Kathy Albert won’t ever forget. When she awoke at 8 a.m. and prepared to get out of bed, she felt an unfamiliar sensation…as if a chunk of cement had been placed on her legs. She quickly realized she couldn’t move the left side of her body either.

When Albert tried to get up, she fell to the ground. Her husband Dan helped her up, but when Albert tried to a pick up the phone to dial 911, she couldn’t move her left hand. When she arrived at the Emergency Department at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, neurologist Richard Burgess, M.D., determined she had suffered a stroke.

Once Albert’s condition was stabilized, and she was ready for rehabilitation, she was moved up to a patient room where she recovered for ten days on The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s (RIC) inpatient unit. RIC has been ranked the #1 rehabilitation hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991. Through a unique partnership with the Silver Cross Neuroscience Institute, patients like Albert are able to benefit from RIC’s comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs close to home in New Lenox, Homer Glen and the west side of Joliet.

“Since Kathy had severe arthritis in the left side of her body prior to her neurological event, the stroke made the left side of her body extra weak,” said Jennifer Zolp, RN, and manager of RIC’s inpatient unit at Silver Cross. “Our team of specially trained rehabilitation physicians, therapists and nurses collaborated with Kathy and her neurologist Dr. Burgess to develop a customized plan of care so she could regain her mobility and independence.”

Three weeks of outpatient therapy at RIC’s Ability Achievement Center at Silver Cross Hospital helped Albert regain her strength and mobility. She can now steadily walk around her house, use a cane for extra safety while walking outside, and pick up items with her left hand.

“I wouldn’t go anywhere else but Silver Cross because everyone took such good care of me,” said Albert. “I was so scared when I arrived to the Emergency Department. Dr. Burgess was wonderful. He talked to me like I knew him all my life, and he made me feel so comfortable. And my speech, physical and occupational therapists all built up my self-confidence and by doing so, they gave me such great hope for a successful recovery. I am forever grateful to have received such compassionate and expert care so close to my home.”

For more information about inpatient care with RIC at Silver Cross, call (815) 300-5971. To learn the warning signs of stroke, visit www.silvercross.org/neuro or call 1-888-660-HEAL.

Know the Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Every 40 seconds in the United States, a stroke occurs; it’s critical that treatment be started quickly. First and foremost, get to know the most important acronym in stroke: F.A.S.T. The acronym stands for facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties and time to call emergency services.

To determine your risk of stroke, take our free online stroke risk assessment.

About the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Silver Cross Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) have teamed up to expand post-acute physical medicine and rehabilitation services in Will County and the southwest Chicagoland communities. The partnership provides world-class rehabilitation care for a range of conditions for patients close to home. Silver Cross is the only healthcare facility in the area with this breadth of services in partnership with RIC. Together, Silver Cross and RIC provide rehabilitation services in inpatient and outpatient care settings at four locations. Additionally, the RIC team provides physical therapy services for patients on the hospital’s medical and surgical floors. For more information about RIC at Silver Cross, call (815) 300-7110 or visit www.silvercross.org.

About Silver Cross Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Truven Health/IBM Watson 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for seven consecutive years, received a 5-Star rating for high quality and patient satisfaction by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group. With over 4,500 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 302-bed acute care hospital and 5 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. Silver Cross opened a state-of-the-art replacement hospital in 2012 at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. In 2017, Silver Cross provided over $39 million in charity care and other community benefits. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org. Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.