Nursing Rehab Manager

The Vineyard Nursing Association has named Kathleen Samways, PT, DPT, manager of rehabilitation services and continuous quality improvement. The VNA said it created the new position to respond to the growth in demand for physical and occupational therapy services, which has more than doubled in five years. In 2007 there were 296 therapy patients, the VNA said; in 2011, 654 patients sought the same services.

A longtime seasonal resident, Dr. Samways comes to Vineyard Nursing by way of the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, where she was the program manager for the Individual and Family Advocacy Committee. She has worked as a physical therapist in educational settings, centers for independent living, hospitals, and was the rehabilitation supervisor for the Greater Providence Visiting Nurses.