Dear All:

I am submitting this listserv proposal for your consideration.  I am
interested in starting a listserv for displaced rehabilitation services
employees - physical, occupational, and speech therapists and the staff
that supports them.  Generally, these rehab services personnel are
highly educated, computer literate, and well-paid.  To my knowledge, no
other listserv exists for this subject.

Due to drastic changes in Medicare funding, many rehab services
employees are finding themselves out of jobs.  For some, this is coming
as a complete surprise, as we felt we were in recession-proof careers.
Recently, US News listed Speech Pathology and Physical Therapy as "hot
careers" - but neglected to mention that many employers (Vencor, for
example) were laying off their therapists wholesale (2000 therapists
nationwide in one day, in Vencor's case).

Last week, I was "downsized" from my department as well.  I was fully
expecting this to happen, as I've kept abreast of the Medicare changes,
so I suppose I'm more fortunate than others.  But for each one of us who
was prepared for these changes, there is at least one other person who
was caught off guard.  I'll be contacting our Employment Security
Commission tomorrow to see about starting unemployment benefits.

I feel the benefits of a "displaced rehab services employees" listserv
are as follows:  resources and support to help us help each other with
the ins and outs of unemployment, the potential for career changes,
financial assistance for these career changes, and job leads.

I hope you'll consider hosting such a listserv.  Please email me
directly at mailto:[log in to unmask] if you have any additional
questions.

Sincerely,
Laurie Gray
Speech Pathologist