Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation -- October 16, 2009

On our trip to IPMR, we learned about the 60-year history of the Institute, its non-profit mission, and its intriguing connection to Bradley University's School of Horology.

In the late 1930s, injured World War I veterans had little options when they returned to the United States -- jobs were extremely scarce and there were no rehabilitation facilities. As a result, many injured veterans were placed in clock and watch repair programs acoss the country. One of those programs was right here in Peoria -- Bradley University's School of Horology.

In the early 1940s, Dr. Harold Vonachen, the medical director at Caterpillar Tractor Company (headquartered in Peoria), knew that his company would be unable to meet production demands after the war if workers returned with war injuries. To avoid this problem, he gathered the area's bankers, realtors, psychologists, and Blue Star mothers to help create a comprehensive plan to get injured vets back to work.

The "Peoria Plan for Rehabilitation" became the blueprint for the world's first comprehensive vocational rehabilitation center -- today's IPMR. Besides helping war veterans return to work, the Institute also helped children with polio, victims of automobile accidents (a sharp increase in car travel in the 1950s led to a dramatic increase in wrecks), and began using new technology for splints and prothesises.

Today, IPMR provides rehab services in 18 different locations and employs more than 122 clinical staffers. During our tour, Marketing Director Barbara Campbell explained how IPMR focuses on the functioning of the body and the mechanics of problems, such as arthritis, stress fractures, and strokes. She led us through many of the rehab areas of the facility, including the balance rehab center and occupational rehab center.

OLLI thanks IPMR and Barbara Campbell for providing such an informative tour!

For more information about IPMR, please visit its website.