Hey, there! This is Jennifer checking in. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been working as Nancy’s part-time receptionist and social media guru for nearly six months! During my time here at Helping Hands Rehab, I’ve learned a great deal about the world of Occupational Therapy and Certified Hand Therapy. Nancy amazes me with her dedication to our patients, and our patients amaze me with their determination! Oh, and they have the best stories to share!
One thing that I’ve noticed is that many of our new patients do not realize that they have the complete ability to choose where they go and who they see for their therapy. We’ve spoken to many patients who live in Roscoe or Rockton, and think they have to drive into Rockford for their therapy. That is simply not the case.
Another thing I’ve learned is that since 2013, the State of Illinois has been considered a direct access state. This law enhances access to occupational therapy services by allowing for direct access (not needing a referral from your physician) in certain cases and settings. If you think this applies to you, please contact our office to discuss further.
To make it easier for our patients to advocate for therapy the way they want it, we have developed a new referral form for patients to print out and bring to their physician’s office. Or, we can fax it to the patient’s physician’s office as well. We hope that this form will help facilitate therapy the way our patients want it.
In addition, this form has been added to the Client Resources tab on our website. Printed copies are also available at our front desk.
Thanks for reading!
Jen