Whittier Health Network
Company News
Caring for our patients and employees is part of Whittier Health Network’s tradition of excellence since 1982. Read on and see first hand why WHN is your first choice in Health Care.
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT, DPT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on climbing stairs safely
We asked Physical Therapist Barbara Kruschwitz for some advice about climbing stairs. Here's what she had to say. "Patients and residents often tell me how climbing stairs is ‘good exercise.’ The truth is, stairs aren't ‘good exercise.’ For even the fit and healthy,...
A yearlong journey of recovery, a wife who never gave up, and a Whittier doctor who took a chance on him: Gary Nihan rides again!
“Would like to send Dr. Tollman a video of myself cycling. As a patient last summer/ early fall Dr. Tollman knew my goal was to be able to ride again.” When we received this email from Gary and Marian Nihan, we knew we had to contact them to learn more about his...
Nursing students from the University of the Virgin Islands travel to Massachusetts for clinical rotations in a study abroad experience at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford.
On Sunday March 19, a group of ten UVI nursing students and two professors from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands boarded their flight bound for Haverhill, Massachusetts. For some of the students, it might have been their first trip to the Northeast; for others,...
Corporate Recruiter Tyler Soucy on building his skills and career path at Whittier Health Network.
Tyler Soucy is only 25 years old, but he’s already been a part of the Whittier Health Network for eight years! Originally from Rowley, Massachusetts, his career started in high school when he enrolled in Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School’s Healthcare...
Port Healthcare Center Earns a Five-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Port Healthcare Center has just received the highest rating for delivering quality care and customer satisfaction to our residents and patients — earning an Overall Five-Star rating! This overall rating is based on a nursing home's performance on 3 sources: health...
Physical Therapist Cristian Jimenez, DPT, on working at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford: “If you want to get a unique level of experience and work with a supportive team, then Whittier is the best place to work.”
We recently spoke with Physical Therapist Cristian Jimenez about his passion in working with older adults and why working with such a close team at Whittier makes a difference. How many years have you been at Whittier?I have been at Whittier for ten years, with seven...
Benjamin Kim, DPT, discusses his rewarding Physical Therapy career at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford: “I get to be an educator AND a therapist – all the things that are important to me!”
Benjamin Kim, DPT, is a Physical Therapist at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford. We recently caught up with him about his career, and the rewards of working at Whittier. How many years have you been at Whittier?I started in 2005 as a rehab aide in the original...
A talk with Heather Grondin, Director of Nursing at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford, on Whittier’s commitment to staff training and continuing education.
We recently caught up with Heather Grondin, our Director of Nursing at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford, who joined the Whittier team in July. Heather became a nurse’s aide in 2001 and a Registered Nurse in 2007. Her clinical experience includes cardiac care,...
John Evans on his road to recovery at Whittier Westborough: “They believed in me. It was their belief in me that gave me the confidence to believe in myself.”
When John Evans was first evaluated by his therapist, he was asked the usual questions. One of which was, "What are your goals?" There was no hesitation in his reply, “I want to walk out of this hospital.” This goal would be a lofty one for John, and that was a fact...
Three Whittier Health Network facilities have been rated among Best in Massachusetts by U.S. News & World Report
Masconomet Healthcare Center, Port Healthcare Center, and Whittier Bradford Transitional Care Unit have all been recognized as Best Nursing Homes for short-term rehabilitation for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report. The annual Best Nursing Homes ratings, now in...
A talk with Traci Aubin, OTR/L, Corporate Director of Business Development for Whittier Health Network, on building and cultivating partnerships in healthcare.
Traci Aubin is the Corporate Director of Business Development for all 16 Whittier Health Network facilities and services. She brings her passion for treating patients like family to all levels of post-acute care: LTAC, IRF, TCU, SNF, Outpatient, and Home Care. What is...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT, DPT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford with a Physical Therapist’s advice on “Is a wheeled walker best for me?”
Barbara says: Yes it is! Wheeled walkers and grocery carts help improve both lung tidal volume AND youthful appearance! Many patients are eager to progress from using a wheeled walker to using a straight cane. It’s a sound idea. A cane is less cumbersome and it lets...
Hannah Duston Healthcare Center was voted the #1 Senior Living facility in the Greater Haverhill area by readers of the Eagle Tribune and the Haverhill Gazette!
Over 20,000 votes were cast for more than 1,800 different businesses, people, and places by over 1,200 different residents of the Greater Haverhill Area, and Hannah Duston was voted Greater Haverhill’s Best of 2022. “The staff at Hannah Duston Healthcare Center are...
Clinical Wound Specialist Maura Bucher is a valuable resource for Whittier’s wound patients.
The ABWM (American Board of Wound Management) Foundation has named June as Wound Healing Awareness Month (WHAM). This month is meant to recognize the challenges experienced by individuals whose lives are affected daily by chronic wounds and to bring awareness to the...
Jess Villnave, RN, on the rewards of being a valued member of the LTAC patient care team at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough.
Jess Villnave has been a nurse at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough for nearly 14 years, starting as a graduate nurse out of college. Jess works in the Long Term Acute Care unit (LTAC), where she cares for medically complex patients. "There is such a...
For Amber Abderrazzaq, RN, working at Whittier is full of opportunities and professional growth.
Amber Abderrazzaq will be the first to admit that she did not know what to expect when she applied and interviewed at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough. Two years later, she is thrilled with her decision. "After learning about the LTAC unit and the acuity...
Michaela Carlson, LSW Director of Social Services at Hannah Duston Healthcare Center, discusses the role of the Social Worker in the skilled nursing setting.
We recently sat down with Michaela Carlson, LSW, Director of Social Services at Hannah Duston Healthcare Center, to talk about the role of the Social Worker in the skilled nursing setting and how that role has become even more important in these last few years. What...
A Dietitian and a Speech-Language Pathologist at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford explain how they work closely together to tailor dietary needs to care for our compromised patients: “It’s a balance between keeping people safe but also piquing their interest in food.”
Speech-Language Pathologist Holly Sylvestre, MS CCC-SLP and Dietitian Ashley Iannaco, RD, LDN met with us recently to talk about their different roles and to explain how they collaborate to meet the nutritional needs of the patients under their care at Whittier...
Whittier’s Director of Psychology and Neuropsychology, Michael Sefton, Ph.D., offers advice on winter sports and traumatic brain injury.
Michael Sefton, Ph.D., Director of Psychology and Neuropsychology at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough, has treated a lot of winter sports traumatic brain injuries during his career. Here he shares some thoughts on the causes, treatments, and prevention of...
The Differences Between LTACHs, IRFs, and SNFs
When you are a patient at a hospital following an injury, critical illness, or surgery, you might still require additional monitoring and care upon discharge. Several different types of facilities can assist you. These facilities can give you the extra time,...
An interview with NaDarron Fort, Nurse Practitioner at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough: “Always treat your patients as you would want to be treated. It’s just as easy as that.”
Our clinician spotlight at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough is NaDarron Fort, NP, a licensed Nurse Practitioner who has been working under the guidance of Dr. Deborah Markowitz of Pulmonary Associates of Metro West. For over 5 years now, NaDarron has been...
Celebrating our employees and their years of service at Whittier Health Network!
At Whittier, celebrating milestones is an annual event! Every year, all of our network facilities hold Years of Service celebrations. We gather to honor and recognize our employees and thank them for their contribution and longevity with the Whittier team. Our...
The Whittier Way: Michael Griffin, MSPT, discusses the different approach to Physical Therapy at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough’s Outpatient Clinic
Michael Griffin is a Physical Therapist specializing in helping patients reduce pain, restore mobility, rehabilitate an injury, and increase movement and overall function. Michael is going on 7 years of service at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital, Westborough's...
Paul Renfrew’s recovery at Whittier-Westborough Outpatient Center: “…an enjoyable, pleasant and forward thinking physical experience.”
Perseverance, by definition, is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition. Paul Renfrew is perseverance personified. As a retired physical education teacher and coach for fifty years, Paul has always taken great joy...