Atlanta/Warm Springs

Wednesday 30 April 2008

As promised, Greg Schmieg, the Executive Director of Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation (www.rooseveltrehab.org) met us bright and early to discuss our orientation of the complex. This began with a guided tour by Linda Creekbaum and Mike Shadix, the Librarian and historian for Warm Springs. Between the two of them, we heard many stories about the people who passed through and the history of the buildings. For example, a number of years ago, all the old wooden columns needed to be replaced with hardier concrete at a cost of $1,000 each. Through a bit of creative promotion, they received money from a variety of sources including numerous previous polio patients. Each column that was funded bares a plaque with a short inscription, i.e. Donated by Better Carter-Wright “Where life began, again.” and John A. Swearingen – August, 1962 June, 1966 – “Here I learned to love.” We were also told that funding had been received from Rotary International’s Polio Plus Program for the 17 bronze busts known as “The Polio Hall of Fame” to be joined by a number of other prominent, more contemporary people involved in the ongoing eradication of polio and that plaques would be mounted to explain each person’s endeavours. At the moment, if you were not aware of your polio vaccine-related history, you would be none the wiser. We continued to make our way around the quadrangle to an area that had been used for walking practice. It had various steps, undulations and surfaces to negotiate. I later saw photos and a film on how this was put to use and was glad I hadn’t had to do it.

Then it was time to view the “Smithsonian at Roosevelt Warm Springs: Whatever Happened to Polio?” exhibition. There was a sign above the door reading “Contagious Entrance”. Apparently, many school children passing coming along to see the exhibition refused to pass though because they thought they would catch polio. The static display depicted the nature of the virus, the various treatments, vaccine development, and Franklin D Roosevelt’s (FDR) part in it all. Of course, what would a polio exhibition be without an iron lung, so a photo was duly taken.

By then it was time for lunch and Greg had a special treat in store for us. Mike was invited to join us and we also met up with Physiatrist (physical rehabilitation specialist), Dr W Burton McDaniel, Jr, who has worked with a number of post-polio patients and consults at Warm Springs. So the 5 of us piled in to Greg’s car for a mercifully short drive to an ‘all you can eat’ restaurant called “The Bullock House”, where they serve good ole’ Southern cookin’. Of course, I had to try Southern fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, corn bread and something called “Brunswick Stew” which is a mix of minced meats and corn kernels. All this was washed down with “sweet tea”, an iced drink that certainly lived up to its name. I am SO going to have to diet when I get home . . .

In the afternoon, Greg became our tour guide for a look at the facilities Warm Springs is now involved with. In 1974, the State of Georgia took over the operation of what had previously been run by the Georgia Warms Springs Foundation. It became a medical rehabilitation facility specialising in brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic and stroke rehabilitation, as well as other general rehabilitation services.

Today services include: Medical Services; Long Term Acute Care; Inpatient Rehabilitation; and Outpatient Services such as, Acupuncture, Aquatic Programs, Diabetic Foot Center, Post-Polio Services, Rehabilitation Technology, Seating and Wheeled Mobility Clinic, and Wound Care. Warm Springs also has an extensive Vocational Rehabilitation Unit, Therapeutic Recreation & Fitness, the totally accessible Camp Dream, and Conference Services. As a matter of fact, Warm Springs will be the location of a major, international post-polio conference in April 2009 being put together by Joan Headley at Post-Polio Health International. They are expecting around 400 participants. I wonder if I could get another grant . . .

With so many impressive facilities on site, we really had to think about what we wanted to see the most. Greg took us to the rehabilitation services area where we were met by Rene James, Physical Therapist, and Sonal Nakrani, Occupational Therapist. Rene explained the very ‘hands on’ approach Warm Springs has to physical therapy and that, although they may not have the range of high-tech equipment that private hospitals can afford, their time tested “Roosevelt Way”, together with interdisciplinary teamwork, yielded very effective results.

Next on the list was the newly opened “Blanchard Hall” where all the outpatient services are provided. After Rancho Los Amigos, Jill was very keen to see the Warm Springs Seating and Wheeled Mobility Clinic where we were shown yet another two seating pressure ‘mappers’, although Carlyle McConnell, the Administrator of Out Patient Services, told us that they rarely use these anymore because the actual cushions being used on the wheelchairs have now become so sophisticated. This facility was also home to the orthotic and prosthetic technicians. They make all their braces on site and polio survivors come from across the USA and Canada to have their old braces repaired because they can’t find anyone else to do it. Of course, newer, lighter materials such as carbon fibre could be used for bracing, but people seem to want to stick to what they know works for them.

A definite bonus of this last visit is that Jill was offered the loan of an electric scooter and did she jump at the chance! I can tell you I was certainly relieved as well because I’d had to hold her wheelchair back whilst going down a very steep hill and I wasn’t looking forward to pushing her back up. Since then she’s been all over the place because EVERYWHERE is accessible and all the doors open automatically as you approach. Because of its age, certain buildings and facilities are definitely in need of a bit of TLC but as a public operation, money for extras such as ‘beautification’ is, by necessity, a secondary consideration. However, overall, it appears to be both a restful yet dynamic complex – perfect for rehabilitation.

I was starting to get a bit of sensory overload by this stage, not to mention taking up all of Greg’s valuable time, so we took a break. I spent the next couple of hours working on the computer and uploading my previous day’s report. Jill had hopped into the car to check out a horse riding place, as she was starting to suffer withdrawal symptoms from not being on a horse. Unfortunately, it was closed but she came back just in time to join Greg and me for dinner. On the way to the restaurant, Greg drove by McCarthy Cottage which was built by FDR in 1927 and where he lived when he was in Warm Springs until 1932 when “The Little Whitehouse” was built. McCarthy Cottage was actually used on the set for the “Warm Springs” movie. Greg took us for a look around the inside and it was quite awesome to be walking through the same rooms as one of the most significant polio survivors and adored American Presidents in history. After that, we were taken to one of FDR’s favourite picnic spots called “Dowdell’s Knob” which he often visited to look over the view and contemplate life, I suppose. He was once reported as saying that anyone who felt down and could not be uplifted by the majesty of the view, was beyond rehabilitation.

After yet another mega-meal topped off by a delicious pecan pie, it was time for bed.