Area Merchants Donate... May 20, 2003 Area Merchants Donate Plants To CVMC’s InPatient Rehabilitation Garden One of the pleasures of summer for many area residents is working in the flower or vegetable garden. But when accident or illness occurs, gardening may be put on hold. Because of several generous local merchants, patients at Catawba Valley Medical Center can recapture their gardening skills while in rehabilitation therapy, according to Heather Bissell, Recreational Therapist in the Inpatient Rehab Department. “Our patients in recreational, occupational, physical and horticulture therapy are receiving the benefits of our annual garden due to the generous donation of vegetable and flowering plants by Home Depot of Hickory, Carolina Sunshine Greenhouses and Kenneth Propst of Propst’s Crossroad,” said Ms. Bissell. “Time spent in the garden can be purely for the enjoyment of the plants or as a means to improve the patient’s ambulation, endurance, upper body strengthen or basic motor skills.” Raised beds in the garden allow easy access for patients in wheelchairs. In addition, vegetables harvested during the growing season can be prepared in the kitchen as part of recreational or occupational therapy. Both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation are available through CVMC. To learn more, contact Garrett Synder, Rehabilitation Administrator, at 828-326-2137. Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. It was recently designated as the thirty-second Magnet facility in the nation and the second in the Carolinas.