Occupational and Speech Therapy

Shelby Memorial Hospital is committed to assisting community members and their families in their goals to get back to family, work and life following an injury or illness with Occupational and Speech Therapy.

SMH Occupational & Speech Therapy

Occupational therapy is designed to help patients gain independence in their everyday lives following an illness or injury. This therapy focuses on restoration of self-care skills such as dressing, bathing, cleaning and grooming and also helps with memory and problem-solving skills related to these everyday activities.

Occupational therapy also treats the upper extremity/hand after trauma, cumulative injury, fractures, and pain onset. Treatment may include pain management, joint movement, strengthening, splinting, home exercise program, or work/ home adaptations to prevent further injury.

Our staff in the occupational therapy department is dedicated to using all available tools to help patients get on the road to recovery. During therapy, our trained and professional staff will teach patients how to compensate for side effects they may be experiencing, by developing skills and educating with assistive equipment (such as splints, reacher, grab bar placement, and bathroom equipment).

The staff in the occupational therapy department focuses not only on helping patients during rehabilitation, but also in the community. Fall prevention and wellness are areas of education we are able to provide. Our caring and compassionate staff will work with patients and their family/ caregivers to reach individual goals through evaluation, treatment, education, patient and family teaching, provision of specialized programs and follow-up care.

Our department provides a wide-variety of strategies for patients ranging in age from child to geriatric with the following conditions:

  • Acute and chronic pain
  • Amputees (acute rehab)
  • Arthritis
  • Burn treatment
  • Cardiac surgical and non-surgical
  • Congestive Heart Failure/ Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • Cumulative injuries
  • General debility
  • Joint mobility limitations
  • Neurological disorders (stroke, TBI, SCI, Parkinson's, MS, etc.)
  • Orthopedic injuries/surgeries, pre- and post-op treatments of joint replacements
  • Stroke

Speech therapy

Speech therapy is designed to help patients with disorders, conditions and disabilities improve their communication abilities. Our speech therapy staff works with patients of all ages, from children to senior citizens, to ensure every patient has the ability to express themselves, a trait that heightens confidence and a sense of belonging.

Expression can be much more than just talking. Our professional staff will teach other forms of expression like gestures, body language and signing. Patients who have trouble with forming sentences correctly or recalling words will also find relief through our speech therapy department.

Our speech and language department can help treat the following issues:

Speech Disorders

  • Apraxia of Speech
  • Articulation and Phonological Processes
  • Dysphagia
  • Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
  • Speech Sound Disorder
  • Stuttering/Cluttering
  • Voice

Language Disorders

  • Aphasia
  • Cognitive-linguistic communication
  • Language Delay
  • Language Based Learning Disabilities

Medical Conditions

  • Augmentative and Alternative
  • Autism
  • Brain Injury
  • Cancer/ Post- Reconstruction
  • Communications (AAC)
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Stroke

To discuss or schedule treatment with the Occupational and Speech Therapy department, please contact us at 217.774.6434. Hours of operation: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday. Please let us know if you have special scheduling requirements.

Meet our Rehabilitative Services Manager/Occupational Therapist

Tonya Bowrey

Rehabilitative Services Manager/Occupational Therapist

Tonya Bowrey, OTR/L is the Rehabilitative Services Manager/Occupational Therapist at Shelby Memorial Hospital. Her primary focus is to provide occupational therapy services on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, helping patients regain functionality after an illness or injury. She is a licensed occupational therapist with 16 years of experience in providing quality patient care. Ms. Bowrey graduated from Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Occupational Therapy Health Sciences. She comes to SMH after spending much of her 16-year career at Decatur Memorial Hospital where she started as an Occupational Therapist and later became the Manager of Rehabilitation Services. She is nationally board certified and is an active participant in community and outreach activities.

 Tonya Bowrey