Jeff Messinger. The Siskin Hospital. finds new hope after complications from surgery threaten his life. Beloved Owner of Mt.

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1 The Siskin Hospital pirit Spring 2018 Beloved Owner of Mt. Vernon Restaurant Jeff Messinger finds new hope after complications from surgery threaten his life A look at highlights from 2018 Possibilities Now you can Refer Yourself for Outpatient Physical Therapy Introducing Next Step exciting new program at Health & Fitness Center

2 Carol s corner by Carol Sim, President & CEO Siskin Hospital Will Reeve inspired us with his Give More Than You Take presentation to a sold-out crowd at this year s Possibilities Luncheon. We re pleased to say it was also a successful event in terms of funds raised for our Charity Care Fund. In Fiscal Year 2017, Siskin Hospital provided $1.1 million worth of subsidized care to 180 people in our region. Thank you to our supporters whose generosity benefits their fellow Chattanoogans! Photos of the event are in this issue and on our Facebook page. Also in this issue is the recovery story of our patient honoree, Navy veteran Mike Wilson. Our Outpatient department has increased the number of patients seen per day by nearly 50 percent over the previous year. You can now refer yourself for Outpatient physical therapy through our new Direct Access program. All you need to do is to call our Outpatient Therapy Services to schedule an appointment. We do the rest including checking your insurance and requesting your physician s referral. With the increased number of outpatients, we ve realized the need for increased space in the Gunbarrel Road outpatient clinic. Our new location on East Brainerd Road is larger, more accessible, and will accommodate more patients and equipment. We expect to be in operation at the new location sometime in May. As much as we hope you find this magazine enjoyable and informative, our true successes cannot completely be captured in print. They are instead measured by the number of patients who return to their families, prepared to resume an active and independent life. Thank you for your support that helps us to do that! Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation Main Campus: One Siskin Plaza Chattanooga, TN Siskin Outpatient Therapy Locations: Cleveland Downtown- Main Campus East Brainerd Please call to schedule your outpatient appointment and visit for information about our many support groups. If you would like to have your name removed from our mailing list, please contact the Siskin Hospital Marketing Department, One Siskin Plaza, Chattanooga, TN 37403, Send us your address! Stay up to date on Siskin Hospital news by sending your contact information to info@siskinrehab.org or visit to sign up on the list. JOIN US on Facebook & Twitter! - where news, events, and hospital happenings are updated to keep you informed! Facebook.com/SiskinHospital Twitter.com/SiskinHospital The Spirit is produced by the Siskin Hospital Marketing Department. Writer: Deborah Taube Graphic Designer: Sherry Price Contents: Jeff Messinger: A story of hope 3 A look at the Next Step 4 It just got easy, peasy to refer yourself 5 Outpatient facility moves to new E. Brainerd locaiton 5 Possibilities 2018 was a tremendous success 6 You can help change lives 8 Your donations provide hope & make a difference in our patients lives!

3 After years of managing a well-known family landmark, J Jeff Messinger was left fighting for his life & his future eff Messinger knew he was dying. It wasn t supposed to be this way. Jeff had complications from diagnostic tests and back surgery that landed him in the ICU. At the time, all they could think of was alleviating the pain. Now, as Jeff lay in the ICU, he heard a nurse rushing toward him, shouting, We re losing him! They did what good nurses do and salvaged the spark of life, but for the next several days he remained in critical condition, hemorrhaging at one time in the brain, abdomen, and colon before it was arrested. Eventually, Jeff stabilized enough to be evaluated for admission to Siskin Hospital. Though his back incision still had not healed, he and his wife Cindy had already learned to hope through their interactions with Siskin Hospital s Admission Liaison Nurses. They were so kind, their phone number was available to us and we could call with questions any time, says Cindy. It was so encouraging to know there was a next step and to have kind of a life line. The nurse liaisons gave us the encouragement we needed to look forward and to believe. For Jeff, however, his physical limitations were a stern reminder of reality once he was transferred to Siskin Hospital. All of a sudden, I had to have help to the bathroom, to the shower, to get to physical therapy. I felt my independence was gone forever, he says. Jeff s therapy began immediately, even though he was wheelchair bound. His therapists helped him improve his strength with sitting exercises, and then one day, quite unexpectedly, a therapist he teasingly Jeff and Cindy Messinger in front of their Mt. Vernon Restaurant. Photo is courtesy of the Lookout Mtn. Mirror. calls Mean Jeannine pushed him over to the parallel bars and told him to stand up and walk. I couldn t get out of the wheelchair at that point, says Jeff. One therapist stood behind the wheelchair, and Mean Jeannine stood beside me at the parallel bars. She wouldn t take no for an answer, so I stood up and held onto the bar. When I did that, she said, I want you to take two steps. But I couldn t I couldn t walk. She said, You re going to have to trust me. Trust that if you take one step and you feel like you re going to fall, I ll catch you. And if you fall backwards, he s (the other therapist) got you. So she encouraged me to take those steps I didn t think I could take. And I did two steps, then two more steps, and we got half way across that parallel bar. And then we did the whole parallel bar. I thought I was quite the athlete! For Jeff, another difficulty that arose from his lost independence was his inability to get out and socialize with the many friends he and Cindy had made during the decades they owned and operated the Mt. Vernon Restaurant. Continued on page 4 3

4 4 Messinger s miracle recovery Continued from page 3 One day, Dr. Elsegroth, (Siskin Hospital physician) asked me if I was depressed, says Jeff. I told him I wasn t. The next day when Dr. E came by to check on me, I told him he either knew something about me that I didn t know, or I was affected by the power of his suggestion, because today I m depressed! A short time later, psychologist Dr. Gina DelGardo introduced herself to Jeff. Dr. DelGardo was so nice and so comforting, he says. She helped me understand part of my problem was that I had been so involved socially in the community and all of a sudden was feeling isolated. You go from helping people, doing things to suddenly losing your independence. It s a pretty humbling experience. And being in a position of needing and having to accept help from others was difficult, though we are so grateful for it, adds Cindy. Jeff s therapists taught him how to compensate for his physical limitations while he was recovering. Though he felt that everything he d done unconsciously before was now a great effort, it was encouraging to know there was a way to accomplish his will, even if it had to be done differently. Jeff transitioned from a wheelchair to a walker until he was strong enough to walk one lap around the gym. When he graduated to Outpatient Therapy, he was walking five laps. Jeff s inpatient stay had strengthened him and restored his mobility and optimism. Outpatient Therapy Services focused on giving him back his independence. Sitting in the car was extremely painful for Jeff, says Cindy. So Carroll (outpatient physical therapist) would figure out the best way to get in, which cushion worked best, or whether a towel versus a seat pillow worked better. It made the drive from home to Siskin Hospital s outpatient clinic tolerable. Cindy sees the same genuine caring and concern in the Siskin Hospital staff that she observed in Siskin brothers when, as a teenage volunteer at the Operation Crossroads facility established by Mose and Garrison to help severely disabled children, she witnessed first-hand their frequent interactions with the patients. Mose and Garrison Siskin came in almost every afternoon from the foundry, still with their coveralls on, to see the children, says Cindy, who later majored in Above: Jeff and Cindy talk with Cody Workman, Supervisor of the Health & Fitness Center at Siskin Hospital. special education and became a preschool teacher at the Siskin Children s Institute. They would bend down and laugh and hug the children, and buckle them into their seat belts. They just wanted to be there in the afternoon to see those little tiny tykes. When Siskin Hospital opened its doors in 1990, Jeff and Cindy say it was so exciting to see Mose and Garrison s dream expanding to help not only children, but everyone, never for a moment thinking they might someday need its services. Contemplating his options in If it weren t for Siskin Hospital, I d probably still be in a wheelchair...we re just so blessed to have this hospital in Chattanooga. - Jeff Messinger light of his traumatic medical experience, Jeff says If it weren t for Siskin Hospital, I d probably still be in a wheelchair. There was no way I could tolerate a ride to Nashville or Atlanta for physical therapy. We re just so blessed to have this hospital in Chattanooga. Jeff has completed his outpatient sessions for the time being and is now following a prescribed therapy/exercise program under the direction of a therapist at the Siskin Health & Fitness Center. Today he is walking short distances and continues to improve. Cindy quotes her life verse, Isaiah 41:13. I, the LORD your God, hold you by your right hand. And I say to you, Don t be afraid. I am here to help you. Not only is He holding our hand, but He provided Siskin Hospital with its highly skilled and compassionate staff to hold our hands and walk this journey with us, she says. is moving to a new location in the Pavilion at Panaroma The East Brainerd location of Siskin Outpatient Therapy is happy to announce that they are moving to a bigger location in the Pavilion Panaroma shopping plaza on East Brainerd Road. This facility is larger, more accessible and will accomodate more patients and equipment. The new facility is expected to open sometime in May. Services at this location will include Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy, with specialty programs for Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation & Orthopedics. For you to refer yourself for Outpatient Physical Therapy through Direct Access! When life hands you lemons, like joint pain, back aches, dizziness, or more there is no need to suffer! And now getting help is easier than ever before! Siskin Hospital has made it easy to refer yourself when you need Outpatient PT. Just call to schedule your appointment.* No longer a spring chicken? When aches & pains ruffle your feathers, call us! A friend told me about the Direct Access program, and even gave me the name of someone to ask for. I called Siskin Hospital and asked for the person. They made an appointment for me right away in the first available slot! - Geneva Spence *Some insurance exclusions may apply. Call to clarify details about your plan. 5

5 Left: (L to R) Possibilities Co-Chairs John & Marilyn Boxell with Will Reeve and Siskin Hospital CEO Carol Sim. Right: Will shared his message of hope. Below: (L to R): Tom White, Senior VP Unum; Will Reeve; event emcee Cindy Sexton, Channel 3; & Jim Samples. Close to 800 people attended the 2018 Possibilities Luncheon and were inspired with Will s memories of how his father, Christopher Reeve, triumphed over disability to live a full and productive life. Attendees also celebrated the accomplishments of patient honoree, Mike Wilson. The event was a huge success and helped to raise more than $160,000 that will be used to provide hope and help to people who need therapy services but who do not have insurance or the means to pay for it. Thanks so much to everyone who attended and all who made donations! Because of you, we will continue to be Caring People. Changing Lives. 6 Jeff and Cindy Messinger (seated center) and many of their friends attended the luncheon. Jeff & Cindy took a few moments during the lucheon to share their gratitude for Siskin Hospital and ask others to offer their support. Patient Honoree Mike Wilson (seated center) and his family visited with Will Reeve after the luncheon. Possibilities 2018 Will Reeve delivered a SUPER-inspiring message about living life beyond disability!

6 Patient Mike Wilson honored at Possibilities Luncheon Mike Wilson suffered a spinal cord injury from totally unexpected surgery complications. Instead of an overnight stay in the hospital, Mike ended up in Vanderbilt s ICU, paralyzed from the chest down. Mike s surgeon recommended Siskin Hospital for rehabilitation, and Mike and Cindy were glad to be closer to their home in Georgia. But Mike refused to accept his paralysis as a new normal. I told them when I first came to Siskin Hospital, You wheeled me in, but I m walking out, says Mike. A Navy veteran, Mike was disciplined and determined. Each day, he pushed himself to top the previous day s gains, with the goal of leaving his wheelchair behind. The therapists and nurses all pushed me, he says. They pushed and I pushed, and I did it. All I thought about was whatever it takes to get out of this wheelchair. Mike had six days of therapy a week for the more than two months he spent at Siskin Hospital as an inpatient. All the hard work paid off when he walked with assistance out the door to go home. The therapists, nurses, techs, and physicians all worked together so well, says Mike. We ve become a family. And everyone made me feel like the star patient. I ve told everyone I know about Siskin Hospital. Mike Wilson s therapy helped him to walk again! next the tep The Next Step Program is for individuals who have recently completed physical therapy or have experienced functional limitations due to an injury. The Next Step certified specialist will guide you to ensure you are safely and effectively carrying out your personalized exercise program. Let us help you reach your fitness goals and live a healthier lifestyle without risk of re-injury. Call to schedule. $60/week (members) $120/week (non-members) Program benefits include: Initial fitness assessment to measure current ability Continuation of fitness assessment to track progress and prescribe new exercises Increased strength, mobility & reducing risk of re-injury Motivational support working in a group environment a specialized program by 7

7 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Chattanooga,TN Permit No. 172 R Caring People. Changing Lives. One Siskin Plaza Chattanooga, TN Kenny walks for the first time in 6 years! Kenny suffered a serious head injury in 2011, followed by three strokes in He s been in a wheelchair and hasn t walked since - until his 8th Outpatient session at Siskin Hospital, which also happened to be his wife Becky s birthday. We re privileged to help our patients, who, like Kenny, often experience amazing improvement to life-limiting disabilities. Help us keep alive the spirit of Caring People, Changing Lives... by making a donation using the envelope enclosed in this magazine. You may also visit our website at or call