When Diane Marchesi was about 3 years old, she contracted polio, and about three years ago, as an adult, she developed post-polio syndrome, which causes new, progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, joint pain, and more. As a patient at Marshall Orthopedics, Marchesi now has access to one of the most innovative pieces of physical therapy equipment in the world: the ZeroG® 3D robotic rehabilitation system that’s installed at Marshall’s Center for Sports Rehabilitation and Active Living, located at the new 25,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility here in El Dorado Hills.
“For people like me,” Marchesi says of the rehabilitation system, “it’s a lifesaver. For walking, balance, getting my legs stronger . . . I finally can get help.”
For Marchesi and other patients, the magic comes from the boost provided by the system, which suspends a harness from specialized bars in the ceiling and gives patients a safe, supported basis from which to work. While connected to that overhead harness, they can engage in complex physical movements and daily activities without the risk of falling. Marchesi, for example, walks heel-to-toe on a low, cushioned beam, able to safely challenge her balance while training her muscles to capably negotiate the raised plank beneath her feet.
“It’s brilliant engineering,” says local philanthropist Robert Pepper, who with his wife, Star, gifted the funds for the ZeroG® 3D system to the Marshall Foundation for Community Health through their own community foundation. “There are plenty of places to give,” he adds, “but I can’t think of a place where you get more satisfaction out of seeing the results. When you see the face of someone who has been able to push themselves to the limit in their recovery because of the difference the ZeroG® makes . . . it puts a smile on our faces. I want to see that thing running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Unveiled just this past December, Marshall’s ZeroG® 3D is the first of its kind in use west of Salt Lake City. It is a significant advancement in rehabilitation and recovery for patients who’ve had strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries, or are living with complex neurological conditions.
“We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of Robert and Star,” says Sol Nisbet, Chair of the
Marshall Foundation for Community Health. “Their gift represents an extraordinary and visionary investment in the recovery and independence of patients throughout our region—from Georgetown to Folsom and beyond. It will be a transformational tool in helping Marshall’s teams return their patients to the active lifestyle we know they desire and deserve.”
Diane Marchesi is deeply grateful as well—so much so, she becomes emotional when she talks about the potential ahead. Because of the ZeroG® 3D, she says, “I am going to walk out that door one day. Without a walker. I really believe it.”
While the life-changing ZeroG® 3D is a prime example of the cutting-edge technologies Marshall is bringing to the region—at its 111-bed acute care hospital in Placerville and its outpatient clinics throughout the foothills—the nonprofit health care organization also excels in its community outreach. Its engagement in advancinglocal youth sports programs, for example, includes providing sponsorship and support in the form of injury prevention, education, and wellness training before, during, and after kids’ games. You might see Marshall staff at events, matches, and tournaments, working with young athletes to help them stay safe and healthy while competing.
For more information about Marshall and the ZeroG® 3D, visit marshallmedical.org and marshallfound.org.