Ludlow, Massachusetts - HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts will join facilities nationwide Sept. 16-22 in celebration of National Rehabilitation Week, which recognizes the positive effects of rehabilitation and applauds the accomplishments of people with disabilities.

The week will be highlighted by A Rehabilitation Career Day at Ludlow High School on September 25th from 10-2pm and Our Tenth Annual Patient Reunion, Wednesday, September 24th from 11:30-1pm. Other events include Patient Picnic, Iron Chef Pot-luck Competition for HealthSouth Employees.

Nearly 70 percent of people in the United States will face some form of rehabilitation in their lifetime, either through temporary or permanent disability. National Rehabilitation Week was established in 1976 to create awareness of people with disabilities and the effects of rehabilitation. In 1990 a presidential proclamation permanently designated the third week of September as National Rehabilitation Week, which has grown to include more than 7,000 organizations.

For more information on these events call Gail Kowalewski RN, CRRN Director of Marketing Operations. 413-589-7581 ext 3249.

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts is an Acute Inpatient rehabilitation Hospital which serves all the major hospitals in Western Massachusetts with a 53-bed capacity. There are additionally 4 Outpatient clinics operating under the hospital with convenient locations in Belchertown, Ludlow, Holyoke and West Springfield.

HealthSouth is one of the nation's largest providers of healthcare services, operating outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare facilities nationwide. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouthrehab.org.