News & Media

August, 2010

ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON BRAIN TUMOR REHABILITATION

(North Providence, RI, 2010) -- "Brain tumor rehabilitation" is the subject of the 17th Annual Professional Development Conference, sponsored by the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center on October 1, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza. This annual conference provides a professional forum for discussing complex therapeutic issues in rehabilitation.

This year's focus will be on the challenges of providing rehabilitation for patients with brain tumors. The conference is intended for physicians, nurses, therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, case managers, therapeutic recreation specialists, and others who work in a rehabilitation setting.

To register, please visit www.snerc.com or call 401-456-3825.

"We are pleased to once again share the latest information on rehabilitative care with our colleagues from the region," said Dr. Jon Mukand, Medical Director of the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center. "This year's conference will address the best rehabilitation approaches for assisting the recovery of patients with brain tumors."

Renowned presenters at the conference include a neurosurgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a neuropsychologist who will discuss the impact of surgery and radiation on rehabilitation therapies and cognition. Workshops will focus on psychosocial issues, community resources, speech-language pathology treatments, and pain management. The major theme of the conference is the role of rehabilitation in improving the functional outcomes and quality of life for patients with brain tumors.

Michael Hartley, Laura Hartley, and Mary Lou Palumbo are the luncheon speakers at this year's conference. They will discuss the book, "Michael's Journey," the compelling book (2009) based on the journal Ms. Hartley kept after her 13-year-old son Michael was diagnosed with brain cancer in June 2004. Co-authored by Ms. Hartley and Ms. Palumbo, "Michael's Journey" candidly shares the pain and perseverance that the Hartley family experienced during Michael's treatment and recovery.

The Southern New England Rehabilitation Center is a joint venture combining the rehabilitation strengths and experience of Rhode Island Hospital and St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island. The Center, which maintains academic affiliations with Boston University, Brown University and Tufts University, recently relocated to Fatima Hospital in North Providence.