Craig Hospital

03/20/2026

Meet John Bohr. John grew up in Massachusetts, moved to Denver about nine years ago and, after an AVM rupture, began his neurorehabilitation journey at Craig. This BI Awareness Month, we’re sharing his story and the support, care and persistence that continue to shape his progress.

03/19/2026

As we celebrate Healthcare HR/OHS Week, we’re also recognizing someone very special to our Craig community. After nearly 21 years at Craig Hospital, longtime recruiter Susi Szaltzer will retire this week.

Susi has helped bring so many talented people to Craig and has been a steady presence for our teams since 2005. We are grateful for her dedication and the impact she has made.

Thank you, Susi and the entire HR/OHS team, for everything you’ve contributed to Craig and the people who make this place what it is.

03/18/2026

Did you know every patient at Craig has a dedicated clinical care manager? This team helps families and patients understand next steps, navigate complex systems, and stay grounded during the uncertain times that come with a life-changing injury.

These amazing individuals work to bring clarity, problem‑solving and steady support from admission through discharge. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but the impact of their care is felt every day.

This Social Work Month, we’re grateful for our Clinical Care Management team and the compassion and professionalism they bring to every interaction 💙

03/16/2026

The Craig Foundation Impact Celebration: Performing Arts is returning on April 10, an unforgettable night where Craig grads will take the stage with art, creativity and pure joy. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, powerful performances, and a moment to make an impact.

Performances include:

Shay Arcella-Bohman | Singer
Chris Barnett | Singer and Pianist
Erik Finney | Singer
Dan Heath | Magician
Alex Martinez | Singer and Guitarist
Sona Olorunsola | Rapper
Jayden Pump | Singer and Pianist
David Sample | Singer
Robert Michael Sanders | Singer
Sam Sparks | Singer

Tickets are going fast; secure yours here: https://craighospital.org/events/impact-celebration-performing-arts

03/16/2026

03/13/2026

Research Spotlight: Language Disturbance After TBI

Aphasia is a language impairment that occurs when the brain networks that support language are disrupted. While aphasia after stroke is well described, language disturbance following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting has been far less explored.

A new study led by Craig Hospital researchers in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology examines acute post-traumatic language disturbance (aPTLD) in adults with TBI during inpatient neurorehabilitation and how it relates to functional and cognitive recovery.

Key Findings:

→ Common in acute rehabilitation: About 70% of individuals with TBI in this inpatient sample showed aPTLD, most often confrontation naming difficulty and fluent (often anomic) aphasia.
→ Persistent for many patients: Language impairment persisted from admission to discharge in more than half of the group, even as overall functional and cognitive status improved.
→ A patient’s RLAS level at admission or discharge (i.e., lower or higher RLAS level) did not indicate whether their language abilities would be affected.
→ Implications for assessment: Findings underscore the need for early, structured language assessment in inpatient TBI rehabilitation, including confrontation naming tools such as the Boston Naming Test–2. Because many standard cognitive assessments rely on verbal responses, unrecognized aPTLD can affect how clinicians interpret cognitive performance, determine status, and estimate prognosis.

This research highlights a critical gap in how language disturbance after TBI is identified and assessed and supports a more network-based view of brain-language relationships in trauma.

Read the full study: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2025_AJSLP-25-00241

03/12/2026

Craig's team is here at Conference and grateful to be part of this week’s conversations on advancing care.

Don't forget to stop by Booth #6 to meet members of our clinical and research teams.

Craig presenters today and tomorrow include:

→Director of Speech-Language Pathology Kim Frey today at 11:15
→Executive Director of Research Candy Tefertiller today at 13:30
→Director of Speech-Language Pathology Kim Frey tomorrow at 13:30

Thank you to everyone who has already stopped by to connect. We look forward to speaking with more colleagues throughout the conference!

03/09/2026

Aging affects every part of the body, including the brain. For individuals living with a brain injury, understanding these changes can help support long‑term health and daily functioning.

Join us on March 24 from 2 to 3 p.m. for Living Well With Brain Injury: Aging After Brain Injury, a free webinar on what aging can look like after a brain injury and how to support cognitive and physical wellness over time.

Learn more and register here:

Join us for a webinar on the aging process and how to support your body and brain. Whether you’re living with a brain injury, know someone who is or simply want to understand aging better, you’ll learn practical ways to optimize health and maintain cognitive abilities. A Q&A will follow the pres...

03/06/2026

After experiencing severe headaches, muscle spasms and seizures in the fall of 2024, Saeng learned she had sustained a stroke. When she came to Craig for neurorehabilitation in early 2025, her goals were simple but deeply important to her: return to work, run again and regain her independence.

At Craig, Saeng worked with an interdisciplinary team—including Hayley, an occupational therapist in Craig's donor-supported Community Reintegration Program—to recover movement on the right side of her body and return to her career and independence.

“Returning to work after an injury creates a sense of stability, confidence and enjoyment,” Hayley explains. “For some individuals, it’s an essential part of their identity. And because this was so important to Saeng, the entire care team worked together to help make this a reality for her.”

Today, just a year after her stroke, Saeng is back at work 20 hours a week and running 1½ miles several times a week!

“From the very beginning of my stay, my care team asked me about my goals," Saeng shares. "I loved that they focused on me as a person—and not just a patient. Being independent was vital to me.”

You can read Saeng’s full story by visiting our blog here: https://craighospital.org/blog/recovery-in-action

03/05/2026

We’re looking forward to joining colleagues from across the country at the North American Brain Injury Society (NABIS) Conference next week.

This year, Craig is honored to be a Gold Sponsor! We will also have a booth onsite and several Craig leaders will be presenting throughout the conference, including:

→Director of Speech-Language Pathology Kim Frey on Thursday, March 12, at 11:15
→Executive Director of Research Candy Tefertiller on Thursday, March 12, at 13:30
→Director of Speech-Language Pathology Kim Frey on Friday, March 13, at 13:30

Thank you to the organizers at NABIS for the opportunity to connect and learn alongside so many dedicated professionals in the brain injury community.

If you’re attending, we look forward to seeing you there!

03/01/2026

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month 💚

At Craig, we stand alongside individuals and families living with brain injury every day. This month, we’re sharing education and stories from our community to help those impacted by BI feel seen, understood and supported.

Follow along and share to help raise awareness!

02/27/2026

When a friend suggested Jessica try watercolor painting, she didn’t expect it to become such an important part of her life.

“I was recovering from a spinal cord injury, and starting a brand new hobby was the last thing on my mind,” she says. “But painting actually became my lifeline.”

Jessica sustained a spinal cord injury on her 30th birthday after diving off a dock into shallow water at Clear Lake in northern Iowa. She immediately recognized she was paralyzed.

During her four months in SCI neurorehabilitation at Craig, Jessica focused on physical, occupational, recreational, art, horticultural and aquatic therapy, as well as adaptive driving.

Today, she is thriving back home in Iowa. Jessica continues to develop her watercolor art and now sells her notecards in boutiques and hospital gift shops across several states. She also renewed her nursing license and is working with vocational rehab to return to the profession she loves!

Read her full story here: https://craighospital.org/blog/approaching-life-with-grit-determination-and-positivity