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| MEET RACHEL STEWART Meet The Therapist Name__Rachel Stewart Address__DCH Hospital, Outpatient Therapy, 809 University Boulevard East Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 Website/Phone__205-759-7860 to schedule appointments Tell me a little about yourself: Tuscaloosa is a fairly small town in west Alabama. My husband and I moved here from Montgomery, Alabama when he started Law School at the University of Alabama. What inspired you to become involved in Lymphedema Therapy? I was first exposed to this specialty as a student in Physical Therapy school and was interested immediately. I really enjoy the one on one time with patients. Where did you study and how long? I graduated in 2000 from UAB (University of Alabama Birmingham) with a BS in Biology, in 2003 with a MS in Physical Therapy and have attended a full 3 week certification course in March 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia in the Casley-Smith method of Complex Lymphatic Therapy. How long have you been practicing? 2 years as a Physical Therapist in Outpatient Therapy and 7 months as the sole Lymphedema Therapist in Tuscaloosa, AL. Do you have other areas of expertise? Prior to beconig a lymphedema therapist, most of my experience in physical therapy is in outpatient orthopedics. What insurances do you take? Do you offer any fee reductions for cash clients? To my knowledge we accept all major insurances including Medicare and Medicaid. We are a not-for-profit organization and have a charity program for those who qualify. What is your approach to understanding the individual needs of your clients? A thorough initial evaluation is performed on all patients. In addition to obtaining a thorough medical history, we also discuss the patients curent lifestyle and the effects lymphedema has had on it. Patients are encouraged to state their goals for therapy during this time. Are you involved or affiliated with any professional Lymphedema, Physical Therapy, or Massage Therapy Associations? I am a member of the National Lymphedema Network, and am in the process of joining the International Society of Lymphology. I have been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association until this year. I feel the lymphedema associations are more relevant to my current practice at this time. What else would you like us to know about you? Although I am eager to accept new patients, as the only lymphedema therapist in this area, I have accumulated a waiting list to begin the intensive phase of treatment that is now about 3-4 months wait. I usually get patients in for an evaluation within a week of their referral. During this we usually discuss the precautions for lymphedema and I typically recommend use of a compression garment to contain the limb volume and prescribe the decongestive exercises until we can begin the daily treatments. Most of my exposure at this time involves lymphedema of the arm, leg and trunk. My training did expose me to treatment of the face and genitals but at this time I have not actually treated these specific conditions. Also, because of the Physical Therapy State Practice Act, I am unable to consult with patients in any way unless I have a doctor's referral for that patient. If you would like to schedule an appointment I usually recommend the following wording on the referral: Diagnosis: (Edema/Lymphedema) of the (Arm/Leg/Trunk...) Referral: Complex lymphatic therapy with compression garment as indicated |
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