Where the person comes first, the goals are functional, and the care is exceptional...

Elements of Care…

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Elements of Care…

Hi.  I’m Robin, the owner and lead clinician at Synapse NeuroReLab…

I’ve never tried blogging, so give me a touch of grace as I navigate my way through this first ever post.  I was trying to find a fun way to identify the basics of what I do and make it relatable.  But, instead I came up with this idea and am going with it.  We will see if it passes the test to the second post. 

This post, being my first, deserves a special commemorative element.

Today’s element is Oxygen.  Atomic number 8,  atomic mass 15.9994.  Highly reactive nonmetal.

Oxygen is the air we breathe.  It is the life force behind our brain cells.  It stimulates neural growth – feeds our brains to keep us clear, focused, alert.  Physiologically, we need oxygen to live. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The symbolic oxygen in my life is my family and friends – the people who I pour all my love and care into.  They keep me focused, they help me grow.  The connections I have with them are vital to my life and motivation.  They are my why.

The feeling is similar with the work I do.  It is my vocational oxygen, if you will. I imagine you saying, “What do you do, Robin?”  So glad you asked.

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).  Specifically, I am a SLP specializing in neurological rehabilitation.  So now I imagine you saying, “… sooooo that means…”

It means that I help make brains work better.  Some of my patients have had injuries to their brains, some have had brain tumors resected, some have had strokes, some have genetic disorders, some have neurologically-based diagnoses (ADHD, executive dysfunction, mixed expressive/receptive language disorder, dyslexia, etc).

I don’t mean to sound ridiculous, but this is my thing.  Rehab is my thing.  I love helping someone get back to life.  It is an honor to be a part of someone’s journey, whether it is brain injury recovery or assisting someone who needs better skills to adapt to classroom learning.  I am the luckiest SLP to have the patients that I have, and to be able to provide the care that I do. 

My father was a large-unit HVAC repair technician. He did not love his job, but he had a family to support and it paid the bills.   But he encouraged us to focus on what we loved and to make that our job – to find our calling.  In neurological rehabilitation, I have found my calling.  It is hard, it is traumatic, it is work; but it is also beautiful, wonderful, and a privilege.

I worked at an amazing facility for post-acute rehabilitation in pediatric, adolescent and adult patients for 14 years in the Pediatric/Adolescent program.   Last year, I decided that it was time to grow.  I left, took a deep breath, and started Synapse.

Welcome.  Take a deep breath.  You just found the greatest (neurological rehabilitation) secret in Kansas City.   Hey! It’s me… 

          .        

*the pictures in this post are of the oxygenators in my life.

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Robin Miller-Gioia

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Robin Miller-Gioia

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© 2024 Synapse NeuroReLab, LLC. All rights reserved.

1712 Main Street * KCMO * 64108

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH),
“Neurorehabilitation is the medical process that aims to aid recovery of functioning from a central nervous system lesion or injury, thus improving resulting functional deficits.”
At SNR, the focus of neurological rehabilitation is to improve quality of life and function for people with neurologically based deficits.  In short, we do therapy to help the brain work better and smarter.
For more information on neurological rehabilitation, click here

At this time, SNR provides therapeutic intervention in the area of Speech-Language Pathology for persons birth to 30 years.  Current clinicians are well-versed in the following areas of therapeutic intervention:

For SLP:

  • Attention
  • Auditory comprehension
  • Auditory processing
  • Cognitive communication
  • Dysphagia (swallowing disorders)
  • Executive function
  • Expressive language
  • Feeding (physiological difficulty) 
  • Feeding (aversion)
  • Information processing
  • Language
  • Memory/recall
  • Problem solving/math
  • Reasoning
  • Receptive language
  • Social skills
  • Speech sound disorders
  • Verbal expression

 

Services available in English and Spanish.

Synapse NeuroReLab, LLC is happy to announce that it is accepting Missouri and Kansas Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of KC, and private pay.  SNR can also produce a “super bill” for you to submit to your insurance.  This page will be updated as provider status is achieved.  Please contact us for information regarding rates and charges.

About Robin

Robin received her undergraduate degree in Spanish and master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Rockhurst University. She is currently working on her clinical doctorate (SLPD) through KU. She has been an American Speech-Language Hearing Association certified clinician since 2008. She is licensed in the states of Missouri and Kansas and is also a Certified Brain Injury Specialist.
Her area of clinical expertise is neurological rehabilitation in pediatric patients, but she has also worked extensively across the lifespan. She created the concept for SNR because she wanted to be a part of a true, patient-centered company.
Synapse NeuroReLab, LLC was created in 2022 by Robin Miller-Gioia. An intense advocate for her patients in neurological rehabilitation, Robin wanted to develop a program that would encourage more interdisciplinary care and innovation for children, adolescents and young adults with neurological deficits and disorders as well create a network of clinical expertise to support each individual patient. While we are at the very start of our journey, SNR has high hopes to improve the quality of care for individuals, improve equity in healthcare delivery, and provide person-centered growth and support as the patient transitions back into their community.
There is always going to be paperwork, productivity standards, and a plethora of things that contribute to a business, but before we are companies or workers, we are people. In healthcare, the patient oftentimes gets lost in all the plans and doesn’t get what is needed because we are throwing all the things at them and not listening to what they need.
In starting SNR, Robin hopes to bring about change, even if it is small, to remind people that they are worth the time and effort.
Robin was born and raised in the heart of Kansas City. While she loves to travel, her heart and home are here. She loves to spend time with her husband and two magical, creative, awesome children. In her spare time she loves plants and flowers, reading in her hammock, watching soccer, kayaking and playing with her dogs.
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What is a synapse?

A synapse is the moment in the brain where two neurons connect and pass messages to each other. We create these as we learn and grow throughout our lifetimes. These synapses create the thoughts, the movements, and actions that we need to complete basic life functions. 

In naming the company Synapse NeuroReLab (SNR), We aim to provide the connection to improve the quality of life for our patients and families by utilizing a combination of therapeutic techniques and tools. The goal of SNR is to provide intelligent, comprehensive, and compassionate care that helps foster growth and independence.

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