Saint Therese serves nearly 1,000 people each day. Many of those individuals are supported by the efforts and expertise of the rehab division of Saint Therese called Saint Therese Rehab (STR).
Mark Stanfield was a physical therapist for STR at the Saint
Therese of New Hope campus. He began his career at Saint Therese in August
2007; he was hired as a physical therapist to support the development of the
Better Balance for a Better Life program.
“Mark was adored by residents, tenants and staff,” said Amy
Taylor-Greengard, Executive Director of Saint Therese Rehab. “His easy going
attitude and commitment to physical therapy made him a favorite among many at
Saint Therese.”
Mark supported a variety of patients as they recovered from
illness, injury or surgery. He was instrumental in establishing the therapy
clinic in the apartment building at New Hope. Mark made a difference in so many
ways, to so many lives, as he took the time to make sure each individual he
worked with felt heard and that their concerns were addressed.
Tragically, in the summer of 2015, STR therapist Mark
Stanfield unexpectedly passed away. As the Saint Therese community mourned the
loss of their therapist, co-worker and friend, the wheels began turning on the
best way to memorialize Mark’s commitment to physical therapy, seniors and
personal development.
Mark’s Legacy
Taylor-Greengard shared that Mark was always looking for ways
to improve the rehabilitation experience for residents and tenants through
education, “the education of his own interest, of his fellow therapists and of
the individuals and families he served,” she said.
“When we started receiving memorial gifts in honor of Mark
we knew we wanted to do something special; something Mark would have wanted,”
said Taylor-Greengard. “We wanted to recognize his dedication and commitment to
professional development.”
Therefore, the Saint Therese Foundation along with generous
support from Mark’s family, the Mark Stanfield Memorial Scholarship was
established, shortly after his death.
Candidates for the Mark Stanfield Memorial Scholarship must
be full-time therapists at Saint Therese Rehab in physical, occupational or
speech therapy. Recipients are nominated by their peers as someone who emulates
Mark’s commitment to serving others by providing an exceptional level of
compassionate care, as well as a drive for continued excellence in their field
over the past year.
“We’ve chosen to
award one recipient each October for at least the next 10 years,” said
Taylor-Greengard. “The therapist will receive a $500 scholarship to be applied toward
continuing education in their area of interest.”
Additionally, each recipient’s name and year awarded, will be
engraved on a plaque showcased in the rehab gym at the New Hope and Oxbow Lake
campuses.
The First Recipient
In October of 2015 the Saint Therese Foundation awarded the
first recipient of the award: Iva Carey. With 30 years of dedication to her
profession, Iva delivers quality, compassionate and personalized physical
therapy to those in need.
According to the STR staff, Iva has demonstrated her commitment
to providing superior care by earning her certification in NDT
(Neuro-Development Technique) and by becoming a Geriatric Clinical Specialist.
Additionally, she serves as STR’s Clinical Mentor for the University of Minnesota’s
Geriatric Clinical Residency program as well as operating as the lead physical
therapist at New Hope.
“Iva consistently
goes the extra step to support patients and other therapists to ensure the best
outcome possible and states she ‘really enjoys her patient care time,’” said Taylor-Greengard.
Iva plans to use her scholarship to pursue additional education
related to treatment of neurological disorders and treatment of balance
disorders.
“We are just thrilled to be able to offer this scholarship in
memory of Mark,” said Taylor-Greengard. “We truly believe he would be proud
knowing others will carry on his commitment to our field.”
If you would like more information about the Mark Stanfield
Memorial Scholarship call 952.283.2217.
To learn more about Saint Therese Rehab visit www.sttheresemn.org/str.
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