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.
Who is in Charge of the Hospital Discharge Planning Process? Spoiler Alert – Pursuant to the Medicare Conditions of Participation, It’s You!
Did you know that under current Medicare requirements, a hospital discharge planner must, if possible, honor a patient’s goals and preferences in the discharge planning process, including where to be discharged to? These requirements, called Medicare Conditions of...
Senior nursing students from St. Thomas and St. Croix gained valuable clinical time in a continuation of the study abroad partnership between Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford and the University of the Virgin Islands.
We were thrilled to welcome another group of UVI students to hone their nursing skills at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford. Ten senior students and two instructors were at Whittier for clinical rotations from October 22nd to November 1st. This group was...
**Updates from our renovation at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough**
Pardon our mess, but our new look will impress! Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough is continuing with facility renovations. Here’s an update on the progress: The East Wing nursing station will reopen at the beginning of next week. The TCU nursing station is...
To our patients and visitors at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough: business as usual, but pardon our appearance during renovations!
The East Wing Nursing Station renovations are now fully underway here at Whittier-Westborough. During this time, the centrally-located East Wing Nursing Station will be closed off to the all staff and patients and only open to renovation contractors. In order for...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on developing your regular exercise routine.
When I was young, I ran for exercise. I wasn’t fast, but I had endurance and fantasized about the Boston Marathon. Later, running got difficult. Quarter-mile tracks were boring, and road work on inclines and slopes hurt my knees. I switched to outdoor walking and...
Barbara Kruschwitz, PT at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford, with a Physical Therapist’s advice on expectations and therapy after total knee replacement surgery.
Life is about expectations, and it is especially true for patients who have had total knee replacement surgery.This surgery has evolved, and the results are amazing due to improved surgical techniques and state-of-the-art knee components that replace worn, damaged...
Pierre Claud’s “Five Star” Recovery at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital – Bradford’s TCU
Pierre Claud had a stroke in February and came to Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital - Bradford’s Transitional Care Unit on March 17th. Originally, he went to another local acute rehab hospital, but left because they weren't a good fit for him, as he was not making the...
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,...
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...
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 Whittier Health Network's facilities and services. She brings her passion for treating patients like family at all levels of post-acute care: LTAC, IRF, TCU, SNF, and Outpatient. What is your favorite...
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...
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 Clinical Manager Holly Sylvestre, MS CCC-SLP and Dietitian Ashley Raymond, 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...
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...
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...