Nov 18 24

GSPP Rehabilitation Stands Connected

by Mike Walbert

We Stand Connected from GSPP Rehabilitation, official therapy provider for Penn Medicine

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Good Shepherd Penn Partners is thrilled to announce an exciting evolution in our identity. As part of our ongoing commitment to exceptional, person-centered care, we have unveiled a fresh new name, look and brand message.

As we embark on this new chapter, here are a few updates to look forward to:

1. New Name and Logos

Our employer brand will now be GSPP Rehabilitation, displayed in a modern, balanced design and color palette.

In addition, you will notice a new logo treatment for our Outpatient Therapy services and Specialty Hospital. The new look features the Penn Medicine and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation logos, side by side, to honor our partnership.

Below, you can explore a visual map of our brand evolution and how each logo connects us all:

A downloadable PDF is available, too.

You’ll begin to see these logos displayed across our materials, reinforcing our presence and commitment to the community.

2. Brand Messaging

A new tagline, “We Stand Connected,” embodies the strength, unity and commitment we share with one another, our partners and the people we serve.

Over the years, we have built meaningful partnerships rooted in trust, collaboration and a shared vision of compassionate, high-quality care.

This new branding represents that collective spirit—uniting our people, our passion and our purpose.

Check out our exciting, new hype video and experience the message in action:

A Shared Commitment to Exceptional Care

We are proud of this new chapter for GSPP Rehabilitation and excited for what lies ahead.

Together, We Stand Connected — and this rebrand is just another way to reflect the strength and unity that we share in our mission of care.

To learn more about GSPP Rehabilitation, including our parent organizations, visit our About Us page.

May 2 24

Rick’s Story: Finding Guidance, Hope and Strength

by John Weiss

PHILADELPHIA — Rick Berkman enjoyed his retirement, spending it golfing, walking, swimming and playing tennis — until he contracted COVID.

The illness led to a lengthy hospital stay. Rick lost 40 pounds, he was on oxygen and he had trouble walking.

With the unwavering support of his wife, Toni Seidl, Rick found guidance, hope and strength at Penn Medicine Rehabilitation, an inpatient rehabilitation unit of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, to return home and get back to the activities he enjoys.

“While it was hard work, it was the kind of hard work I like. You had a goal and you kept moving the goal up a little bit; going up more steps, taking more walks. I knew if I kept working at it, it would work — and it did,” Rick said.

“For people who are looking for rehab, I can’t imagine a better rehab setting than this.”

Watch the full video:

Penn Medicine Rehabilitation is a 58-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital managed by Good Shepherd Penn Partners. It is located at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse, 1800 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146.

To learn more, call 215-893-6570.

Mar 13 24

Small Steps, Hard Work, Excellent Results for Field Hockey Player

by John Weiss

Katie Kohn loves playing field hockey, so an injury followed by surgery and months of outpatient rehabilitation was not in her plans. She knew recovering and returning to her collegiate team would be tough, but she met the challenge with the help of her physical therapist.

Katie was in the first few minutes of a field hockey game in her sophomore year at Swarthmore College when she suffered a non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Only four games into her season, and on track to be the top scorer for the second year in a row, Katie was devastated.

Back at home in Maryland, Katie underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL. She began rehabilitating her knee near home but needed a physical therapist near Swarthmore when she returned to college for the fall semester.

Katie did her research and found a therapist who could help her get back on the playing field. At Penn Therapy & Fitness, she began working with Erica Tully, PT, DPT, LAT, ATC, who knew the athletic trainers at Swarthmore.

Erica’s first task was to create a customized treatment plan based on Katie’s goal to play field hockey again. Because she had a nerve block during surgery, Katie had leg numbness and weakness but not a lot of pain. Her activity was limited and she was using two crutches.

With a focus on walking, increasing range of motion and strengthening her knee, Katie began working with Erica in early therapy sessions to activate her quadriceps.

“Being immobile was a hard transition for me because I had been so active,” says Katie. “But Erica was so positive and told me the first time we met that she was committed to working together to get me back to not only walking but to peak performance.”

Within two weeks of working with Erica, Katie was able to transition to one crutch. She progressed in her twice-weekly sessions to walking without crutches and going up and down stairs. Later – in the eight months of working with Erica – Katie advanced to running, jumping and cutting.

“Katie’s path to success started on day one of her rehab,” says Erica, who has a background in athletic training. “She was motivated and worked hard during our sessions. We set small goals that helped reinforce Katie’s progress, but she also did the work required outside of the clinic and never lost sight of her goal to play field hockey again.”

Katie was cleared for non-contact participation at Swarthmore the spring after her injury and slowly worked her way back to field hockey contact drills. She continued working out at the gym after therapy ended and prepared for tryouts.

Last September, she played in her first game since the injury and says her knee felt great. She played the rest of the season and excelled, leading the team in scoring with 11 goals and 5 assists for 27 points. She had 3 multi-goal games. Katie was selected to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region V Team in late 2023.

Erica says not everyone can return to that level of performance after an ACL injury. But through the “power of therapy,” hard work and a great attitude, Katie achieved her recovery goal and much more.

Jun 24 25

GSPP Completes University City Outpatient Expansion

by Mike Walbert

A physical therapist and patient go through a session at Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy at University City using an elastic band

PHILADELPHIA – Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy (formerly Good Shepherd Penn Partners | Penn Therapy & Fitness) at University City has expanded by 3,200 square feet, providing more space and enhanced, person-centered care.

Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy is an outpatient service of GSPP Rehabilitation, Official Therapy Provider for Penn Medicine.

Located inside Penn Medicine’s University City medical facility, the expansion at 3737 Market Street allows us to provide:

Dedicated gym and treatment area for hand therapy
Larger, private rooms for lymphedema therapy
New 3^rd floor check-in area specifically for hand and lymphedema therapy
Same specialized care you have come to expect — just in a bigger space

Outpatient Therapy Services at University City

In our expanded space, we will continue to provide patients with leading-edge outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy services in the following areas:

Certified hand therapy
Lymphedema therapy
Neurological rehabilitation
Strength After Breast Cancer
Vestibular rehabilitation
Women’s pelvic health
Work conditioning

3rd floor waiting room space and hand therapy gym

The front desk of Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy at University City — 3rd floor waiting room space and hand therapy gym

To make an outpatient therapy appointment at University City, call 215-349-5585 or request an appointment online.

For all other outpatient therapy locations throughout greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, call 1-877-969-7342.

This is a licensed facility of Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Specialty Hospital.

May 20 25

Arcadia Outpatient Therapy Earns Patient Experience Award for Teamwork

by John Weiss

The group at Arcadia proudly pose for a group photo, celebrating their achievement.

ARCADIA, Pa. – GSPP Rehabilitation proudly congratulates the team at Penn Medicine | Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Outpatient Therapy in Arcadia as the recipient of this quarter’s Patient Experience Award for Teamwork.

Each quarter, the GSPP Rehabilitation Patient Experience Leadership Team recognizes excellence in Innovation, Service and Teamwork. This quarter, Arcadia stood out for its exceptional collaborative care, earning high praise from leadership and patients alike. The award was personally presented by Executive Director Jessica Cooper, highlighting the team’s remarkable efforts.

Frances Schneider, site manager at Arcadia, credited the award to the team’s broad clinical expertise and unified approach to care:

“Patients at Arcadia receive a high level of care from a trusted team that has extensive knowledge and experience,” she said. “We approach every patient as a team, combining our expertise to provide the best possible care.”

GSPP Rehabilitation is the Official Therapy Provider for Penn Medicine.

Apr 28 25

Recipients Announced for 5th Cycle of Good Shepherd Innovation Grants

by John Weiss

A person wearing a grey sweat-jacket holds a certificate that reads "Congratulations" and a bouquet of flowers.

PHILADELPHIA and ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Congratulations to the recipients of the latest round of Good Shepherd Innovation Grants, a program created to invest in idea generation for team members at GSPP Rehabilitation and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.

The enthusiasm and spirit of innovation were felt throughout the application and pitch process. Pitches ranged from new clinical programs and research investigations to advancing care within the inpatient and outpatient settings.

The following GSPP Rehabilitation (GSPP) and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation (GSR) colleagues received Good Shepherd Innovation Grants this cycle:

Learn Grants

Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation (GSR)

Leads and Team Members: Kelly Troxell, MA, CCC-SLP, and Sarah Sawadski, OTR/L

Hypermobility Clinic (GSPP)

Lead: Alyson Malitsky, PT, DPT, OCS

CrossFit (GSR)

Leads and Team Members: Samantha Partington, PT, DPT, and Samantha Weinstein, OTR/L

Create Grants

Quantifying Effort: Developing a Rate of Perceived Cognitive Exertion Scale (GSPP)

Leads and Team Members: Monica Coran Kuns, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS; Benjamin Abramoff, MD, MS; Timothy Dillingham, MD, MS; Ava-Kathleen Rybicki, MA, Agostina Casamento-Moran, PhD, and Rebecca Hunting-Pompon, PhD

Resonant Voices: Gender Affirming Voice Support Group (GSPP)

Lead: Alyssa Tarantino, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS

Early Motor Assessment Clinic (GSR)

Leads and Team Members: Kimberly Kuchinski, MD, MPH; Erika Carter, PT, DPT, PCS; Erika Steinke, DOT, MS, OTR/L; and Mandula Seneviratne, MS, CCC-SLP

4 people are smiling while holding a certificate that reads "Congratulations" two balloons are at their side of the number 5.

A person in a blue quarter-zip holds a balloon that reads "Yay!" and a certificate that reads "Congratulations"

Apr 9 25

Participate in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Help Shape the Future of Local Healthcare

by John Weiss

PHILADELPHIA – As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, charitable hospital organizations, such as GSPP Rehabilitation, are required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years. This initiative aims to identify significant health challenges in the community and develop strategies to address them effectively.

In collaboration with the Healthcare Improvement Foundation and other local health-care providers, GSPP Rehabilitation is working to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of individuals with disabilities in our area. As part of this effort, we are inviting individuals aged 18 and older who have disabilities to participate in the CHNA survey and/or focus groups.

By participating, you’ll help us gather valuable insights that will directly impact health-care services and programs tailored to the needs of our community. Your feedback will help ensure that we are meeting the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and making informed decisions about health-care resources and support.

How to Get Involved

CHNA Survey. We’ve designed a survey to collect information about the challenges you face and the services you may need. If you’re 18 years or older and have a disability, your input will help shape our approach to improving local health-care services.

Learn More About the Survey.
Focus Groups. If you prefer to discuss your thoughts in a more interactive setting, focus groups are available where participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions in a group setting.

Learn More and Sign Up for a Focus Group

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Health Care. Your voice is crucial in helping us better understand the specific health-care needs of individuals with disabilities in our community. Through these efforts, we will continue to improve the accessibility and quality of care available to everyone.

Thank you for your participation and support in improving our community’s health.

Mar 26 25

GSPP Rehabilitation Celebrates the 2025 ACE Awards

by John Weiss

PHILADELPHIA — On March 6, GSPP Rehabilitation gathered at Penn’s Hall of Flags to celebrate the outstanding dedication and service of our team members at the 2025 Annual Celebration of Employment (ACE) Awards.

More than 110 colleagues were recognized for their impressive service anniversaries, ranging from five to 35 years of commitment. In addition, we acknowledged individuals with special honorable mentions for their exceptional accomplishments throughout the year.

We are truly grateful for the contributions of each honoree and remain proud of their continued excellence.

View the full ACE Awards album .