Memorial Hospital occupational therapist receives stroke certification

CARTHGE, Ill. — Chevie Lay, an occupational therapist at Memorial Hospital, recently received her certification as a stroke rehabilitation specialist, making her an expert in the care and rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, and occupational therapy plays a critical role in recovery.

To complete the certification, Lay was required to take 10 hours of online coursework. She then went to Dallas, Texas, for a three-day training where she spent 30 hours on online instruction, workshops, labs and in-person training, followed by a three-hour exam before becoming certified.

This certification will allow Lay to work with the acute and post-acute stroke population, both with transitional care/swing bed patients and some chronic stroke patients living on the Hancock Village campus.

While attending graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Lay was involved with helping develop a student-run stroke clinic that provided free occupational therapy services to uninsured individuals in the St. Louis area.

In a press release, Lay said, “After coming to Memorial Hospital and seeing the effects of COVID-19 and the inability to transfer stroke patients, it really pushed me to gain that knowledge and experience to becoming a certified stoke rehabilitation specialist. By becoming a certified stroke rehabilitation specialist, Memorial Hospital can grow and expand our transitional care/swing-bed program by offering more specialized services locally.”