Stroke is the 5th most prolific cause of death and leading cause of disability in the United States. Those who suffer from a stroke can experience a number of communication effects. One of the more common communication impairments stroke survivors experience is aphasia, which is a speech and language disturbance that affects all areas of communication. Often following some kind of brain injury such as stroke or traumatic injury, those diagnosed with Aphasia may have difficulty using or understanding hand-body gestures or facial expressions that we often use to communicate. This June we’re bringing awareness to National Aphasia Month by recognizing some of our staff who help to educate and care for those suffering from aphasia.
Teofilovsky (Teo) Aquino
Registered Nurse
At REHAB, Teo works as a Registered Nurse in our inpatient hospital. One of his duties at REHAB is to care for patients who have experienced a life changing event such as a stroke or traumatic brain injury. He also educates patients and their families on how to transition back home and into the community with their newly found abilities. Teo’s favorite part of his job is helping patients with their recovery and keeping them motivated during their therapy. He feels a sense of pride when he sees patients progressing and becoming more independent with their everyday activities such as eating, bathing, and dressing.
Teo started his REHAB journey as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in 2002. While working as a LPN, he continued to pursue his bachelors of science in nursing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Teo chose REHAB knowing he would gain a one-of-a-kind experience rebuilding lives. With REHAB’s help, Teo was given the tools and opportunities necessary to continue his education advance his career. During his time at REHAB he became a CBIS Certified Brain Injury Specialist and a Registered Nurse (RN).
Kori Mizuta-Yamamoto
Speech Language Pathologist
For 21 years, Kori Mizuta-Yamamoto has been a Speech Pathologist in one of our outpatient clinics, REHAB’s Specialty Clinic at Nuuanu. The Kailua native attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she received her Master’s Degree, Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology.
Kori’s first encounter with REHAB was through acceptance of an internship during her last semester of graduate school. She connected deeply with REHAB’s mission to rebuild lives as well as the people she met and worked with at REHAB. Just as Kory had enjoyed working with the people of REHAB during her internship, she now enjoys working with patients and their families, which is her favorite part of her job! Although stroke can be an unpredictable whirlwind, Kori has seen first-hand how strong stroke survivors remain throughout all the obstacles and challenges thrown their way. She advises those in the field of speech pathology to keep learning because every patient is different.