HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts will join HealthSouth hospitals across the nation on Sept. 20-26, 2009, in celebration of National Rehabilitation Week.

The week will be highlighted by a Patient Reunion and a Employee Picnic to conclude the week long events. Other events include a patient trip to the Big E Fair in West Springfield Massachusetts.

"During National Rehabilitation Week, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts recognizes the healing effects of rehabilitation and applauds the accomplishments of people with disabilities," said Scott Keen, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts CEO. "It provides a great opportunity for our hospital to hold events to inform members of the community, patients and their families on the importance of rehabilitation in a patient’s recovery."

For more information on these events, visit us on the web @: www.healthsouthrehab.org. National Rehabilitation Week was established in 1976 to create awareness of people with disabilities and the effects of rehabilitation. In 1990, a presidential proclamation designated the third week of September as National Rehabilitation Week, which has grown to include more than 7,000 organizations.

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts is a 53-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital that provides a higher level of rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from stroke and other neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injury, amputations, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Accredited by The Joint Commission, the hospital is located at 14 Chestnut Place, Ludlow Massachusetts and on the Web at: www.healthsouthrehab.org.

HealthSouth is the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellites, and home health agencies. HealthSouth strives to be the nation’s preeminent provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services and can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.