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Fisher-Titus receives $22,000 pediatric therapy grant from Norwalk Elks

Norwalk Reflector - 5/18/2020

May 18--NORWALK -- Officers from the Norwalk Elks Lodge No. 730 and the Norwalk Elks Cerebral Palsy Committee presented a $22,000 check recently to the Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department.

This $22,000 grant from the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Board was submitted by the Local Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee and the Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Team. The grant will help support programs for pediatric patients with cerebral palsy.

"We are very pleased that for the fourth time, we applied for the grant and Fisher-Titus received the funds," said Laura Wheeler, the local chapter's chairperson for the Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee. "Each year the Norwalk Elks sends funds to the state Elks association and we are happy to see the money come back to our community again this year."

The Norwalk Elks Lodge hosts a fundraiser annually to support cerebral palsy, which is the primary charity focus for the Ohio Elks Association. Members of the Norwalk Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee include Wheeler, grant coordinator Scott Whitehurst, DeEtte Zimmerman, Dori Weir, and Mel Holida. The local Elks event is designated in memory of Errol "Chum" Zimmerman, a member of the local Elks chapter who had cerebral palsy and died in 2013. Chum also had ties to Fisher-Titus as both a patient and a volunteer.

"Fisher-Titus is excited to receive this grant and will use it to help serve the needs of patients with cerebral palsy. We thank the Elks for thinking of Fisher-Titus as a grant recipient again this year," said Mary Helton, vice president of ancillary services at Fisher-Titus. "In total, we have obtained $72,000 in grant money for pediatric therapy services from the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Board."

On average 7 to 10 percent of pediatric therapy patients seen are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, according to Helton.

This year's grant will be used to support two voice output devices and an Easy Stand device. Speech disorders are common among those with cerebral palsy and the augmentative and alternative communication devices help to give a voice to these individuals. The voice output devices will help our providers more efficiently evaluate and treat children and adults with cerebral palsy. The Easy Stand device can be used with older children and young adults with cerebral palsy to assist with transfers and weight bearing.

"The Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department is looking forward to expanding services for individuals with neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy through the purchase of additional equipment and staff training that will help patients more quickly reach their potential," Helton said.

The Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department provides evidence-based pediatric therapy services to children with a variety of physical and communicative impairments. On average, staff see 250 children per month in the outpatient therapy department and offer specialized summer camps/programs to about 50 children each summer. The pediatric therapy team includes 10 speech therapists, nine occupational therapists and three physical therapists. For more on Fish

31st Annual Fisher-Titus Foundation Golf Tournament

NORWALK -- The Fisher-Titus Foundation's 31st Annual Golf Tournament has a new date. Due to COVID-19 challenges, the tournament will now take place at Eagle Creek Golf Course rain or shine on Wednesday, Aug. 5 with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

"The challenges of COVID-19 have provided us with so many lessons, reminding us how interconnected we all are, how incredibly generous the people of this community are, that together we can meet any challenge, and how good it is just to be together," said Dr. Brent Burkey, president and CEO of Fisher-Titus. "This year's golf outing will be extra special as we come together to celebrate community and raise much needed funds for the Fisher-Titus Foundation'sCrisis Response Fund."

The Fisher-Titus Foundation Crisis Response Fund was created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the Fisher-Titus COVID-19 response. In rising to meet the community's medical needs during the crisis, Fisher-Titus has incurred extraordinary expenses and revenue losses. Given the population they serve and those most vulnerable to COVID-19 complications, they also anticipate increased charity care, unreimbursed care, and patient account write-offs.

The Crisis Response Fund helps fund the supplies, equipment, facility improvements, training, and assistance needed to protect staff, patients, and the community through the pandemic.

Individuals can participate in the tournament and support the Crisis Response Fund by registering as a sponsor or a golfer. Several sponsorship and golfer entry options are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

For more information and to register, visit fishertitus.org/golf.

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(c)2020 the Norwalk Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio)

Visit the Norwalk Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) at www.norwalkreflector.com

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