Helping the community
HRMC’s Lynn Johnson stays focused on serving area residents
By Brielle Kennington
Argus Observer
Thursday, January 3, 2008 9:36 AM PST
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| Holy Rosary Medical Center’s Sports and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Clinic Director Lynn Johnson demonstrates the type of work he will be doing for the free screening that will be offered to the community on area resident Carolina Jenne. |
Ontario — Lynn Johnson likes giving back to the community.
Johnson, born and raised in Nampa, helps the community through his job as the director of the Holy Rosary Medical Center Sports and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Clinic, a fairly new program at the local hospital that furnishes a variety of services to patients and area residents.
Johnson — now a resident of Homedale — worked for several area schools as a licensed athletic trainer as well as a physical therapist for other hospitals before stepping into his post at HRMC.
“I’ve worked in big hospitals, but this is a great hospital with good people and doctors; this is a great little community hospital,” Johnson said.
The Sports and Orthopaedic Rehab Clinic (SOR) helps individuals tackle an array of challenges, from sports injuries to rehabilitation after surgery, Johnson said.
Extra services planned to be provided by HRMC Sports and Orthopaedic Rehab will set it apart, Johnson said.
For example, once or twice a month SOR intends to hold a free orthopaedic screening service, a measure the hospital has sought to provide before Johnson arrived.
“We are just trying to coordinate schedules now,” Johnson said.
“We have to coordinate schedules with a local doctor.”
While a firm start time is still undecided, Johnson said hospital officials plan to offer the program on Wednesday nights for both area school athletes and residents.
More information regarding the free screenings will be available this month, he said.
“Anyone who has a muscular, orthopaedic or joint concern is welcome,” Johnson said.
He said similar screenings held in Twin Falls and other locations throughout the state were very successful.
“If we get a big load we will include a couple of our staff members,” he said. “We have a very knowledgeable staff.”
During past screening events across the valley, people arrived and waited in line for their turn, but Johnson said he plans to cut down on the delay by furnishing two to four screeners and offer prospective patients the opportunity to reserve 15-minute appointments.
Johnson is hoping the free service will be able to direct people to what they need.
He said almost half of the patients who participated in the free screenings in other areas had problems that required further therapy.
With the screenings, he said, the patients were able to gain the treatment they needed.
“We want to be able to reach out to the community and demonstrate that we are here to help them and demonstrate we have the expertise to help them,” Johnson said.
Helping the community, and working with people from all walks of life, is a key benefit to his job, Johnson said. He said the hospital’s ambition to help the community is a plus.
“The good thing about Holy Rosary is they take care of people,” he said.
Johnson also offered advice for athletes and people who are trying to get in shape and avoid injuries. Walking, he said, is the best exercise for keeping in shape because a person can start off slow and gradually add more, not to mention a person can do it anywhere.
“Condition the body to handle activity, start stretching and strengthening weeks in advance,” Johnson said. “Lungs adapt fast. Bones and tissue don’t. Get fit to play sports. Don’t play sports to get fit.”
Johnson, who graduated from University of Idaho and then went on to receive his physical therapy certificate from Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, which is now Chapman College, also said the SOR will offer free check ups for injured athletes in Malheur County.
