CFVH opens new rehab location

Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) has moved their physical therapy offices to their new location in Thompson Falls. The former Old Mill building on Main Street is now home to Thompson Falls Rehab. The clinic has seen a steady flow of clients since opening on October 11.

"The decision to move Thompson Falls Rehab to a new location was primarily due to the need to accommodate our expanded primary care services at our Thompson Falls Family Medicine Office," said Tonya Revier, CFVH Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator. "In September, we welcomed Amy Schneider, APRN, who has been working with Erik Nevatt, MD and Jen Strine, PA-C. This met our need for additional space while we considered options at our current Family Medicine location. The location on Highway 200 is easy to access and provides just enough space to offer both physical and occupational therapy to the residents of Thompson Falls and surrounding areas."

Amanda Sandbloom will be Thompson Falls Rehab's physical therapist and will be working alongside Sarah Bacon, an occupational therapist at the new location. Sandbloom moved to Montana in 2020 as a contract traveler and was working in Baker, Montana when COVID-19 hit its peak. "I wanted to be on this side of the state and I like the area so much I decided to stay," she said.

Sandbloom, who will be the office's only physical therapist, says work has been steady for her and she will see anywhere from seven to nine patients a day. "I get to see them in a one-on-one session, which is what I prefer and what most patients prefer," she said. "It allows for some continuity between each session, which is a good thing."

She describes physical therapy as a way of improving someone's mobility and independence as they work toward getting back to what they enjoy doing in life. "I see all kinds of different injuries and complexities," she said. "I see people who have balance and walking difficulties, I see some who are deconditioned and I also see people who are just leaving the hospital who aren't back up to 100 percent. Physical therapy is such a broad field, there's so much we get to do."

Sandbloom says her caseload is mainly orthopedic but she also sees some neurological cases. "It varies from day to day and does not get boring," she said. With a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Franklin Pierce University, Sandbloom says her interest in the field began with her love of sports and grew from there.

While there are many ups and downs in a physical therapist's career, one aspect Sandbloom enjoys about the job is when she gets to work with a patient who has been bounced around from provider to provider without finding any relief. "After three to four weeks with me they are 80 to 85 percent better and they tell me they haven't felt that way in years," she said.

Sandbloom has lived in the area for the last year and says the work here has served as a great opportunity to spend quality time with her patients. "I get to really learn about them, who they are, what their problem is and why they're coming in to see me," she said. "Other providers don't always get to spend that much time with their patients, so it's a very rewarding feeling."

Thompson Falls Rehab is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sandbloom is currently taking on new patients with a doctor's referral. For more information call Thompson Falls Rehab at 826-4904.