The Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, along with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the occupational therapy profession. Mayor Pete Saenz proclaimed the month of April as National Occupational Therapy Month at the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center.
Jacqueline Rodriguez, executive director of the Cowl Center expressed appreciation for the dedicated staff that offers expertise in occupational therapy. She recognized Clarissa L. Idrogo, a registered occupational therapist (OTR), who attended the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where she earned both a Bachelors in Health Care Sciences and a Masters in Occupational Therapy; Perla A. Johnson, a certified occupational therapist assistant (COTA) and a Laredo Community College graduate with over eight years experience; Nancy Rodriguez, a certified occupational therapist assistant (COTA) and an LCC graduate with over seven years experience; Sylvia Lucio, therapy tech, began volunteering at the Ruthe B. Cowl in 1975.
Occupational therapy at the Cowl Center focuses on helping patients perform activities of daily living to their highest potential. Occupational therapists and assistants assist patients recovering from injuries to regain skills, aid an older adult to remain as independent as possible, help stroke survivors re-learn how to bathe, groom, dress, and cook for themselves, and offer the specialized support and services to people of all ages and in all circumstances that only occupational therapy can provide. The Center has a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom and showers in a homelike setting to better simulate these activities.
Independent studies have established that occupational therapy is the only therapy that reduces hospital readmissions and nursing home admissions.
Over the past 100 years, occupational therapy practitioners have facilitated function and independence by helping countless children of all abilities to access education, helping adults relearn life skills lost as a result of illness or injury, supporting persons with mental illness to thrive in their communities, and helping older adults age in place.
Since 1959, the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center has touched countless lives by providing millions of therapy visits to all who need care and compassion. The Center’s dedicated and qualified staff, its equipment, its many services, and its specialized team approach have helped many.
For questions regarding physical therapy, please call (956) 722-2431.
