The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital is now Bethany Children’s Health Center.
The new Adaptive Recreation & Fine Arts Center at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital is now open. Last week, hospital leadership was joined by Bishop Thomas McGhee of Int. Pentecostal Holiness Church and Pastor John A. Reed, Jr. of Fairview Missionary Baptist Church for a moving and inspiring prayer dedication of the facility. Employees were able to watch the event virtually for safety purposes.
The facility features an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) center, where children of differing abilities can explore, experiment and practice all of life’s important skills in a safe and realistic environment. It will also host recreational and arts facilities. This center is the first of its kind to be affiliated with a pediatric hospital.
“The opening of the Adaptive Recreation and Fine Arts Center is the result of years of prayer, planning and community support,” said Nico Gomez, Chief Executive Officer. “This exceptional facility will not only offer an unprecedented high level of care in rehabilitation therapy, but also further the connection between the local community and children with differing abilities.”
The ADL center enhances rehabilitation therapy by allowing children and their families to practice in specially designed simulated environments such as a house, a car and bus, a shop and a café. The state-of-the-art facility also includes an aquatic therapy pool, indoor recreation court, greenhouse, art and dance studios, and a performance center. The hospital plans to develop special programs focusing on recreation, the arts and vocational training, along with opening the center for performances and other community events.
Chief of Rehabilitation and Education, Becky Vogt, explains, “The center offers children opportunities to participate in meaningful, functional activities, which has a positive impact on their overall well-being, motivation levels, and outcomes. It is also a place where families’ fears and questions can be calmed and hope for their child can be rekindled as they see their child participate in community integration and recreational activities such as sports or the arts.”
The center will be further enhanced by the addition of an adaptive field and recreation area including an all-accessible multipurpose/baseball field, a water splash pad, and a general playground area with adaptive swings specifically designed for children with wheelchairs.