Linda Alexander Joins Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Senior Management Team

Detroit, MI – DMC’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan is pleased to announce that Linda Alexander, RN, BSN, MBA has joined its senior management team as Administrative Director of Post Acute Services and Physician Relations. In this role, Linda will be responsible for overseeing RIM’s post acute continuum as well as overseeing referral services and case management functions.

Prior to joining RIM, Linda served as a Senior Healthcare Consultant for Plante & Moran Resources Associates, LLC. However, Linda is no stranger to the DMC. From 2006 to 2009, she served as Administrative Director, Clinical Resource Management and Strategic Initiatives for Harper University and Hutzel Women’s hospitals.  

Alexander, received her nursing degree from the University of Detroit and her MBA in Human Resources/Organizational Development from Wayne State University.

Mike Utley to fund Scholarships for Persons Recovering from Spinal Cord Injuries at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan

Former Detroit Lion, Mike Utley, is supporting scholarship opportunities for persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to maximize their recovery and improve their quality of life.

Through the generous support of the Mike Utley Foundation, Utley will be funding three scholarships to Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). The Scholarships will provide qualifying recipients with one free month of intense therapy and fitness training. The program will include nutrition consultations, physical therapy, personal training and biofeedback therapy.  

As a leader in the treatment of spinal cord injury, RIM sees more SCI patients than any other program in Michigan, including the most complex cases. RIM is also home to the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery (CSCIR). The CSCIR is one of the first hospital-based programs of its kind in the U.S. to provide long-term, high-intensity, activity-based therapy, to optimize health and function in persons with spinal cord injury. The program incorporates the latest scientific research and innovative therapeutic techniques, in the quest to make recovery from spinal cord injury a reality.

Utley, was paralyzed during an NFL game in 1991. In the years since his injury he has inspired others with his own drive, determination and incredible motivation to strive for optimal physical performance.

“Dedicating myself one hundred and ten percent to physical therapy and strength training is a big part of who I am and how much I have been able to achieve since my injury, says Utley. “That is why, I am so excited to be working with the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan to bring this opportunity to other individuals with spinal cord injuries so that they too can have the opportunities and tools for success.”

Applications are now being accepted for the Mike Utley Scholarships. To download the scholarship application form, please visit www.RIMrehab.org. Under Community Programs, select Mike Utley Scholarship. The deadline for submitting the application is April 1, 2010.

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Names Frank Torre Chairman, Board of Directors

Detroit, MI – The Detroit Medical Center’s Board of Directors, recently approved the appointment of Frank Torre, Jr. as Chairman, Board of Directors, for DMC’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM).

 Torre succeeds, Frank D. Stella. Stella has served on RIM’s board for over 10 years. Stella will remain Chairman Emeritus and continue to be a valued asset to the board and RIM’s leadership.

 Torre, of Bloomfield Hills, is president and CEO of Torre & Bruglio, Inc. Torre joined RIM’s board in 2001 and had served as Chairman of RIM’s Fund Development Committee.

 “I look forward to working with Frank Torre, his passion, energy and proven leadership uniquely qualify him for this role,” said William H. Restum, PhD, President, RIM. “I am confident that Frank along with the rest of our board can navigate us through these challenging times in health care and continue RIM’s legacy as a world-class provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation.”

 ”I’d also like to thank Mr. Stella for the outstanding job he did as Chairman of the Board,” Restum added. “He was a key figure in promoting RIM’s outpatient expansion in the community.”

 In 1997, RIM operated three outpatient facilities. Today, RIM has one of the largest networks of outpatient rehab facilities than any other provider, with over 31 outpatient sites in 5 counties.

Emery King: A Man Dedicated to Healthy Living

For nineteen years on Channel 4 WDIV, we all watched him as he gave us the evening news with a sense of honesty, integrity and humor. Now, Emery King, 59, is the Communications Director for the Detroit Medical Centers, a post that he assumed two and a half years ago. The electric energy of working for a medical facility as comprehensive as the DMC is on par to working in the lightening bolt pace of a newsroom. For Emery, he has found his element once again.

As part of this month’s celebration of men’s health, we thought we would sit down with this famed former newscaster and learn about what makes Emery, who turns sixty later this month, move and think like he was thirty years younger.

Being mindful of his health has always been in the forefront of Emery’s mind and actions. Getting in shape has never been a problem for him. It is maintaining the weight that he worked so hard to achieve that challenges him.

“I’m not one of those people who is blessed with a fast metabolism. I’m a naturally big guy and as I’ve become older, it becomes much harder to take off those extra pounds that are so easy to put on,” says Emery.

When he was younger, he was an avid runner but a few sprained ankles and the wear and tear of pounding the pavement day after day took its toll on him.

“I loved the solitude of running but I never liked the process of it,” says Emery who now takes full advantage of The Brasza Center, the state-of-the-art fitness center the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan maintains for its patients and DMC employees.

In order to combat the tendency for the pounds to creep on, Emery works out a minimum of three times a week and sometimes with the extra guidance and motivation of his personal trainer, Pam Haretski. Variety is key for this media man who mixes it up by doing a variety of cardiovascular exercises with strength training.

“On the weekends, I get in a lot of walking even in the colder temperatures. During the summer, I’ll add swimming and even yard work to my weekend routine in order to keep things interesting,” says Emery.

His health challenges and goals are just the same for men his age. In order to make sense of all the wellness information we receive, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has put together a list of the six most important things men of all age can do to be healthy. Here’s a look at what they are:

• Get the recommended screening tests. Consult your doctor to find out what tests apply to you and how often you should be screened.

• Be tobacco free. If you do smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting.

• Be physically active. Try to get in 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

• Eat a healthy diet. Think color and fresh by emphasizing vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean protein.

• Stay at a healthy weight. Make sure that your intake balances out with your energy expenditure.

• Take preventive medicines if you need them.

Emery can put a check mark next to virtually every one of these recommendations. But he does admit to one Achilles heal when it comes to his diet:

“My one bad habit is ice cream. Even in the cold weather in the winter doesn’t stop me from eating it,” he says.

When he is in his zone, he prefers to not have any of the creamy stuff around. Even though Emery’s personal trainer has been lecturing him on the value of moderation and how a healthy diet should not eliminate any one kind of food, he still prefers having ice cream chilling in the grocery store frozen section rather than in his icebox.

He also tries to keep red meat and refined carbohydrates down to a minimum and instead up’s his intake of fish and vegetables. Being on the go during the day, he avoids the temptation to get the quick fast-food meal on the run and instead opts for Caesar or Greek salads and takes advantage of the DMC cafeteria for healthy selections when he is in the office. With breakfast as his favorite meal, he skips the pastry section of Starbucks and instead skillets up his own egg white omelets.

For all the men out there who aspire to have the energy and discipline that Emery does, he has his own thoughts of advice for all Detroit men who are looking to stay on top of their health goals.

He recommends finding work that is meaningful, getting enough sleep and taking some time away to free your mind. Turning off the computer, cell phone and blackberry and having time to yourself to meditate or simply sit quietly is a vital component of any healthy lifestyle, he says.

Additionally, he suggests casting fear aside and schedule a physical examination. “Arming yourself with knowledge and action can put truth to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s adage of ‘the only thing to fear is fear itself,’” says Emery.

Working for one of Michigan’s largest medical facilities has also rubbed off on him in some very important ways.

“With the technology and medical advancements that I see all around me, I become more and more fascinated by the human body, its capacity to heal itself and what we can do to prevent illness,” says Emery.

He takes this intrigue and applies to his own life by keeping up with his regular physical examinations including seeing a urologist twice a year since prostate cancer has such a high incidence among Black men. As he has gotten older, he has become more concerned about his health and takes the necessary preventive steps to ensure that he is doing all he can to live a long and healthy life. And, if his personal trainer has any say in his lifestyle choices, a dish of ice cream every now and then is an okay part of this healthy living plan.