Ruby Valley Medical Center Expands Rehabilitation Services
The Ruby Valley Medical Center has broadened the scope of its rehabilitation services to include Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy with the addition of Dorothy DeHart, MOT and Lawrence Grall, MS/SLP-CCC. Occupational and speech therapy, in combination with our renowned physical therapy team, provides essential rehabilitation services for both our outpatients in the local community and our hospital’s inpatient and transitional care patients. Rehabilitation is available close to home, or just down the hall!
Dorothy DeHart – Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists support patients in restoring their daily functional activities following an injury, surgery or debilitating event such as a stroke. They have unique training to provide a fully integrated plan for the patient to regain skills and achieve their social and functional objectives.
Dorothy DeHart has over 35 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound and received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Montana. A native Montanan, Dorothy was raised in Conrad.
Dorothy remains very enthusiastic about her profession due to the diversity of her patients, the variety of diagnoses and the ongoing improvements in patient care technology. “In the old days,” Dorothy explained, “we used to spend a lot of time making splints. Now we can pull one off the shelf, adjust it with a hair dryer, and make it fit!” She enjoys learning new ways of helping patients that weren’t available 35 years ago.
One of Dorothy’s specialties is treating lymphedema which is a swelling that lasts longer than 24 hours and can be caused by removal of the lymph nodes, poor circulation, diabetes or an injury that isn’t healing properly. “Lymphedema was barely discussed in school because it was unknown in terms of therapy. We didn’t know how to treat it,” Dorothy said. “Now, it’s a specialty!”
Dorothy commutes from Dillon 2-3 days every week, usually Tuesday and Thursday mornings, plus additional days as needed.
Lawrence Grall – Speech Therapy
Lawrence has been a speech therapist for over 25 years, but he admits that this is his second career. He first spent 13 years working for Chevron. When his job took him to Albuquerque, New Mexico, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico’s Master’s program for Speech-Language Pathology and happily left the oil business behind. Lawrence specializes in adult and geriatric speech therapy with a focus on communication and swallowing disorders.
Coming to Montana in 2015 from Canyon Lake, Texas, Lawrence initially worked at Livingston Health Care, seeing patients in the acute, outpatient and home health setting. He moved to Ennis shortly after the pandemic started and, after commuting to Bozeman for several months as a home health therapist, was fortunate to accept a contract at the Madison Valley Manor. It didn’t take long for the Tobacco Root Mountains Care Center to contact Lawrence to provide rehab and long-term care services. Adding Ruby Valley Medical Center to his client list was almost inevitable.
Lawrence is experienced across all healthcare settings from Critical Care to hospital acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing/long-term care, outpatient, and home health. His previous positions include Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital Clinical Director. “The best part of my work is providing education and understanding of communication disorders and swallowing difficulties in such a way as to make a difference in people’s lives. I tell my patients I am foremost their guide. The more I can educate and train both patients and caregivers about their loss of function, the more they can participate and determine their goals of treatment,” Lawrence said. What excites him most about his profession are the changes toward more evidence-based therapies which have resulted in more expedient and effective outcomes.
Lawrence is available at the Ruby Valley Medical Center four days a week. Initial appointments are arranged with a doctor’s order. He is available by phone to answer questions regarding consultations. Lawrence’s areas of specialty include memory health/dementia services, providing patient assessment and family/caregiver education.
Please call the Ruby Valley Medical Center at (406) 842-5453 to make an appointment with Dorothy, Lawrence or a member of the physical therapy team.
