Vermont Business Magazine Copley Hospital hosted its first Brain-Injury Support Group Thursday, January 18, 2024 on the hospital’s main campus in Morrisville, VT, for people suffering from acquired or traumatic brain injuries. Acquired brain injuries can result from a stroke, tumor, or surgery, while traumatic brain injuries result from falls or accidents. Brain injuries currently affect nearly 9,000 Vermonters.
“Common symptoms of brain injury include fatigue, headache, memory loss, confusion, difficulty with conversations, sensitivity to light and noise, and difficulty with daily tasks such as reading and shopping for groceries,” said Megan McCartney, an Occupational Therapist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist at Copley Hospital, who coordinated the support group and shared it was a success. “We had a diverse group of attendees who - when they were in a room together - realized they shared many of the same experiences and understood what others were going through. It was so wonderful hearing people offer strategies and solutions for dealing with this or that issue. But, what I loved the most was seeing the connections they were forming. It really was exactly what I had been hoping for.”
Support group meetings are free and open to anyone interested in learning more about their own or a loved one’s brain injury. McCartney’s goal is simple – to help attendees build community, receive support, and feel less isolated. Meetings are scheduled to occur monthly.
For information about joining the group or to learn more about brain injury care at Copley Hospital, contact Megan McCartney, OTR/L, CBIS, at 802-888-8303.
About Megan McCartney McCartney earned her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from New York University and is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. A native New Englander, she worked as an Occupational Therapist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota before joining Copley Hospital in 2020.
About Copley Hospital Copley is greater Lamoille County’s nonprofit community hospital. Copley’s core services include emergency services, diagnostic imaging, general surgery and orthopaedics, and women and children’s services. In addition, Copley provides a variety of specialty care, including cardiology, oncology, sleep medicine, and neurology on its campus in Morrisville, Vermont. Copley has been named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital and one of the Top 50 hospitals in New England based on patient satisfaction.
Source: Morrisville, VT - Copley Hospital. For more information, visit https://www.copleyvt.org/
