Gen. Neal Barlow
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are approximately 500,000 people that injure themselves falling from a roof or ladder and more than 300 die every year. Nationally an estimated 81 percent of all patient falls treated in the emergency room involve the use of a step stool or ladder. Falls are the number one injury in our area too, and yes, step stools and ladders are a major cause.
For 62-year-old Neal Barlow, the services he received through Fort Walton-Destin Hospital's Trauma ER, Surgical, and Inpatient & Outpatient rehab allowed him to get back to a normal life. During his care and continued treatment, he has been given the occupational and physical skills for a bright and productive future. Neal Barlow is a United States Air Force Brigadier General with a decorated career that spans 41 years, who recently retired in 2015 and started his home remodeling business.
In the later part of 2018, Gen. Barlow fell from a ladder and completely shattered the bone in his pelvis, along with his left arm. He was transported to Fort Walton-Destin Hospital Trauma ER where he was admitted and had emergency orthopedic surgery. Soon after surgery Gen. Barlow was transported to the Northwest Florida Rehabilitation Institute. "I received the utmost care during my stay at rehab," he said, "They worked tirelessly to get me back to where I needed to be during my stay, they pushed me to be my best." While his intensive inpatient therapy is over, Gen. Barlow continues to receive outpatient therapy two times a week at our Outpatient Clinic.
Selina Mantanona, is the Outpatient Rehab Services Manager at Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and played an important role in Gen. Barlow's care. "We are dedicated to the community to provide a comprehensive treatment plan for people of all ages and abilities, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology for a strong interdisciplinary approach, practicing the most evidence-based medicine, with exceptional quality of care and customer service," she said. "We see individuals sometimes at their lowest point following insult or trauma, and build them back up to being functional individuals with the highest quality of life. We are compassionate and empathetic to the individual's needs in their recovery and provide support and resources needed for them to succeed in reintegrating back into their community."
Our team of experienced outpatient rehabilitation specialist work closely with the patient and family. The outpatient programs have the same evidenced based interdisciplinary approach as our inpatient programs. Our therapy staff are dedicated to providing quality care to meet your rehabilitation goals.
Today, Gen. Barlow is still receiving two days of outpatient occupational and physical therapy. He is looking forward to the future of returning to remodeling homes. He says the care and strategies he is learning in outpatient therapy have already improved his quality of life since his fall. "If I would not have come to the care of your in and out patient rehab, I would not be where I am today. Your team restored my quality of life."