Physical therapy helped James Higgins grow stronger after he broke his hip. Nevertheless, it was the fellowship and encouragement of others at Bakersfield Rehabilitation Hospital that he says accelerated his recovery.

“It’s just a huge motivator when you have other people cheering you on,” James said. “There was a smile from the moment I walked into my door and daily since. The staff is friendly, and the hospital is the nicest I have ever been in. ”

Before his injury, James was very active. He enjoyed horseback riding, racing motorcycles, cycling, hiking, and training his three dogs. One day, while cycling with his wife at the coast, James hit a patch of loose gravel going downhill, which caused him to lose control and wreck his bike. The wreck caused an injury to his left hip, which James described as excruciating. Mrs. Higgins called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. While in transport, the ambulance hit what seemed to be a large pothole, which jostled him violently and caused a sudden “pop” in his already injured leg.

James was evaluated at the hospital and sent to another rehabilitation hospital for care. However, he described it as “a horrible experience” and spent just twelve hours there. With anger and frustration, James pushed to transfer back to the acute hospital. Until he left to go back to the hospital, James recalls arguing with the staff about his care.

“I felt very hopeless,” James noted. “Until my wife told me about hearing about Bakersfield Rehabilitation Hospital. I asked my doctor to get me in there.”

Read more