Each year, approximately 30,000–40,000 lower extremity amputations are performed in the United States. 30% of lower extremity amputations are performed above the knee (AKA), and 70% are performed below the knee (BKA). In every instance, intensive and specialized rehabilitation is required to adjust to a prosthesis and adapt in order to return to activities of daily living and the hobbies a patient enjoyed prior to surgery.

March is National Nutrition Month, a time for renewed focus on healthy eating habits that sustain us for life. Eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has many health and potential longevity benefits. Eating well may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer and anemia. If you already have one or more of these chronic diseases, eating well and being physically active may help you better manage them. Healthy eating may also help you reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol and manage diabetes.

We are proud to announce that Pat Henry, President of RehabCare, has been nominated as one of 2015’s Most Admired Women by Today’s Woman magazine. Pat has been nominated in the corporate category by the editorial board of Today’s Woman for her career achievements.

After discharge, there are times when our patients want to maximize the success of their rehabilitation by having continued access to the state-of-the-art equipment that helped them recover. A therapy maintenance program can be a great way for orthopedic patients to continue self-care and preserve regained function on one’s own time, under the supervision and counsel of trained therapists.

The Smart Moves wellness program from RehabCare enables our partner facilities to offer the services and guidance that aging adults need to stay active and independent, with or without chronic disease.

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) recently introduced the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (H.R. 775) last week in support of a permanent solution to the therapy cap issue that threatens patient access to essential care.

Consistent with prior years’ budget proposals, the 2016 plan seeks to pay for some of the unrelated priorities through cuts to healthcare. Rather than pursue reimbursement cuts to fund unrelated legislative proposals, as the President’s budget appears to do, Kindred and RehabCare support progressive patient-centered policy development that focuses on patient need and integrated care rather than artificial caps on services.

Cara Greenwald, PT, tDPT, Clinical Coordinator for RehabCare at El Camino Hospital Rehabilitation Center in Los Gatos, was published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation recently for her work establishing the responsiveness of the FIST test in inpatient rehabilitation.

Approximately 332,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year. Hip replacements are among the most common and effective surgeries in orthopedics, and quality rehabilitation following surgery returns restores function for patients whose activities have become limited by difficulties with walking.

It's time to appreciate the silver linings of our grey years.