Regional rehab director Bethany Sattovia completes marathon

On Oct. 28, 2023, Bethany Sattovia, Life Care’s Missouri Region rehab director and 2022 Fit For Life winner, reached a big personal milestone when she completed a marathon.
 
Bethany finished the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, a 26.2-mile course, in just 4 hours and 32 minutes.

She ran alongside members of her local women’s running group and was supported by a crowd of cheering friends and fans.
 
Knowing she had friends on the track helped Bethany stay motivated to finish, and by the end of the marathon she was “on top of the world” and “ready for more.”
 
“I wanted to take something that is incredibly hard and train to achieve it,” Bethany said about why she wanted to complete the marathon.

“A 26.2 is something I had never done, and I wanted to make that a goal and then go out there and do it.”

Bethany spent several months training for the event, often getting up before sunrise to run with her group or going out on humid summer afternoons to jog 20 miles. She said her passion for running stems from her love of facing a challenge and finding ways to improve.

“Some days are easy, and others are a struggle, but every run is an opportunity for improvement,” Bethany said.

“I love a challenge and stepping out of my comfort zone, pushing myself mentally and physically. I think the best thing overall about the marathon was just the experience and pushing through mentally and physically and showing myself that I could do it.”
 
While Bethany has already passed the finish line, she comes to work each day with the same motivation, energy and passion that helped her train for and complete the marathon.

As regional rehab director for Life Care, she supports the rehabilitation departments at nine Life Care buildings across the state of Missouri.

From creating therapy programs and establishing treatment plans to helping physical, occupational and speech-language clinicians provide better care, she’s constantly inspiring and motivating others to achieve their goals.
 
“I love the opportunity to go around to the different buildings and visit all the different therapists and the directors of rehab and really look at each building and see how we can improve and what we can do to get the best patient satisfaction and provide the best customer care,” Bethany said about her job.
 
Bethany’s passion for her work is best seen in her willingness to do whatever it takes to help her patients reach their rehab –– and life –– goals.

In 2014, she learned that one of her patients had never been taught to read, and she determined to help him achieve his lifelong goal of reading.
 
Every day, Bethany brought the patient books out of her home and gave him homework assignments to complete.

Her compassion, encouragement and dedication to this resident helped him succeed, and by the end of his stay at the facility, he could read an entire children’s book with minimal assistance.
 
On the day of his discharge, Bethany escorted him around the facility so he could read a thank-you speech he had written to associates.

Later that year, Bethany received Life Care’s Central Division Whatever It Takes And Then Some Award for this act of service and for her overall excellence and dedication to residents.
 
Whether she’s running a marathon or helping therapists and patients reach their goals, Bethany goes the distance by approaching each situation with passion and determination.

According to Bethany, success is setting goals and then finding a way to achieve those goals –– always with a smile on her face.
 
We’d say Bethany’s latest achievement is a huge success, and we can’t wait to see what great strides she makes next. Way to go, Bethany!