 LONG BEACH, Calif. – Members of the Young Professionals Association (YPA) presented Kimberly BeDell, MD, medical director, Pediatric Rehabilitation, with a check for $37,919 at the YPA celebration reception on Feb. 25. These funds donated will go to purchase the GAITRite walking system for Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Department.
This act of kindness would not have been possible without the dedication of Scott Jones, chair of the Young Professionals Association. Scott Jones started the YPA, a group that focuses on building the culture of philanthropy into a new generation, after spending Valentine’s Day 2008 with his wife at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach as they stood by the side of their son. Scott felt there was a need in the hospital for the children in rehabilitation and he decided to do something about it.
Members of the YPA are committed to making a change in the lives of patients trying to recover and the families supporting them. Scott set a goal to raise $33,000 to purchase the GAITRite walking system. The generous goal was exceeded and now the children will directly be impacted with a piece of equipment that can change their lives.
The GAITRite Portable Walkway System is designed to measure cadence, step length, velocity and other gait perimeters. With this system all parameters can be tracked, reported and graphed within minutes. It can assess step- by-step variability to determine dynamic balance and predict fall risk. This piece of equipment will assist the therapists in helping the children gain their mobility back.
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