Centegra Health System has unveiled a new driver rehabilitation program, according to a recent news release. The program is designed to assist in a safe return to driving for individuals who have sustained a traumatic injury or serious illness. 

The release notes that the Centegra Driver Rehabilitation program offers patients a comprehensive assessment and training intended to assist in determining if it is safe to begin driving again. Centegra Health System explains that its program is comprised of a 3-hour, two-part evaluation. 

“The results will be sent to the ordering physician,” Barb Wasilk, program supervisor at the Centegra Neuro-Rehabilitation Center, Crystal Lake, Ill, explains. “Patients who pass the driving evaluation are instructed to talk with their physician before they resume driving to obtain medical clearance. If a physician feels that a patient should not drive based on the results of the evaluation, the physician should notify the Secretary of State’s office,” Wasilk says.

The organization reports that the specially adapted car used in the program was donated to the Centegra Neuro-Rehabilitation Center by the security department at Centegra Hospital-Woodstock, Woodstock, Ill. Centegra Health System adds that the Centegra Health System Foundation donated more than $3,500 for equipment and Mobility Products & Design donated another $1,500 for equipment and $2,500 for installation. 

Wasilk emphasizes the importance of driving rehabilitation specialists and their key role in the driver rehabilitation program, as the specialists have skills necessary to address the need of driving in a wide array of patients. “They are able to understand disabilities of all types and have a background in vision and visual problems, an in-depth understanding of cognition and how it affects the skill of driving and the physical requirements for driving when working with elderly or people with disabilities.”

In the release, Centegra Health System notes that potential program participants should have a doctor’s order with a diagnosis, a valid driver’s license, and a list of current medications. 

For more information, visit http://www.centegra.org

Source: Centegra Health System