A Wealth of Resources for Brain Injury Outpatients

“Brain injuries in and of themselves are very complex. Typically, cognitive, communication and physical deficits all come together in a brain injury. While there are common threads, no two brain injuries are the same because of how complex — and individualized — the brain is for each person,” said Gina Brunetti, PT, DPT, NCS. In the outpatient setting, patients with brain injuries can get the one-on-one, individualized therapies they need — neuro, physical, speech and/or occupational therapies — at one of Brooks’ 39 clinics throughout Florida.

“What’s great about Brooks is how many resources we have available,” said Dr. Brunetti. “Specifically, at the Healthcare Plaza outpatient clinic where I work, we have a neurologic gym and an orthopedic gym. So, if someone has both a brain injury and a limb injury, I can draw on the orthopedic specialists to assist me. Our Motion Analysis Center is here also, so we can readily do a gate analysis for neurological impairments that affect walking.”

For Dr. Brunetti, working with outpatients means having the opportunity to be with them for a longer period as they transition back to their day-to-day lives. “Helping brain injury patients get back to doing the things they love, participating with their families and community again, has made a deep impact on me.”