Published Dec. 8, 2009
By Sara Schilling, Tri-City Herald staff writer
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| Rehabilitation patient Cusie Bumpous is helped by physical therapy assistant Heather Bethards as she gets into a car on Monday at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. Columbia Basin College’s autobody program donated the refurbished truck to help patients who are recovering from strokes and other disabilities practice getting getting in and out of vehicles. CBC students modified the vehicle, which included removing the engine and wiring and cutting off the rear end. Photo by Richard Dickin of the Tri-City Herald |
Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s rehabilitation clinic has several stationary bicycles, a set of parallel bars used to help people relearn to walk and some large fitness balls.
Now add an SUV to the list.
Students in Columbia Basin College’s autobody program modified a 1991 Isuzu Rodeo so patients who have had strokes or other illnesses or traumas that affect their mobility can practice getting in and out of cars.
The vehicle “will make a (big) difference to people in the community,” said Angela Mohondro, director of rehabilitation at the Richland hospital.
More than 300 patients come through the clinic each year. For many of them, it’s stressful relearning to get in and out a car and to adjust the seats, Mohondro said.
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| As Columbia Basin College student Gary Amidan holds the windshield, fellow student Nestor Silva, left, applies epoxy to the frame of a 1991 Isuzu Rodeo they and some other students in the autobody program donated to Kadlec Regional Medical Center Monday. Photo by Richard Dickin of the Tri-City Herald |
Patients also have to figure out how and where to store equipment like wheelchairs and walkers in their vehicle, she said.
Patients used to have to practice on their own cars in the parking lot, Mohondro said. That was less than optimal, particularly in bad weather.
But that changed Monday, when several second-year autobody students from CBC in Pasco brought the Rodeo to the clinic. They spent about 1 1/2 months modifying the vehicle, including taking out the engine and wiring and cutting off the rear end.
They used bungee cords and even a foam football to create resistance so the steering wheel and pedals would feel like a working car as patients use them.
Students also painted the Rodeo deep red and created decals for the door and hood. They also put a CBC sticker at the top of the windshield.
The students said they’re proud of their work. The hardest part of the project, they joked, was getting the Rodeo through the door of the clinic. To do that, they had to remove the top and reassemble it inside the clinic.
The vehicle was donated by Pasco Auto Wrecking. It was turned in under the “Cash for Clunkers” program.
Assistant Professor Rhody Hayes said there are 17 second-year students in the autobody program, which is one of a few at the college that’s being phased out because of sweeping state budget cuts.
CBC and Kadlec officials said the vehicle is a great addition to rehabilitation services at the hospital. Only one other hospital in the state has a similar vehicle, Mohondro said.
“We had a lot of fun,” said student Francisco Figueroa about the project. “It feels great to help out people, to know something you worked on is going to help a lot of people in the future.”
Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.