By Jeffrey Felshman
We regret to inform you that the KINESIOTHERAPY CLINIC and POOL Programs for the patients of bldg 228 will be eliminated as of FEB 17, 1998. If you have any questions about the elimination of these services, Please feel free to contact:
Sincerely,
An earlier attempt to scale down facilities in Chicago had stalled–all four area VA hospitals remained in full operation. A couple years ago West Side VA almost lost its surgical program, but this move was blocked by an intense lobbying effort from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Medicine. Now Albert thought Hines was a target.
Albert assumed there would be some sort of KT at the hospital even if the fifth-floor gym were closed. Developed in 1946 as a rehabilitative program for injured soldiers returning from Europe, kinesiotherapy has grown into a demanding discipline requiring 1,000 hours of training in subjects such as psychology, physiology, anatomy, and neurology. “KT raises serotonin levels and comforts depression,” Albert says. “It’s obvious, but now they finally have a study that says so.”
Half-Irish, half-Cherokee, Albert grew up in Westchester, the eldest of three and the only boy. He was a teenage greaser who went to Elmhurst College, then dropped out to become eligible for the draft. “I didn’t want someone else going in my place,” he says. “I asked myself, ‘Could I live with myself if I didn’t go?’” The answer was no. “I didn’t want any special treatment. I just wanted to be the average guy.”
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
“The issue here at Hines, and at many VAs across the country, is the budget reduction,” Almy began. “And one of the ways that we have to deal with budget reduction is to look at all of our various and sundry programs at the hospital.”
