Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Impact Report – 2025-2026

Motivated by love: Home is where her heart is

Kaitlin Gregory doesn't remember anything about the events of December 15, 2023. In the days leading up to that Friday, she had been nursing a sore throat. She got a rapid strep test; it was negative. But by the end of the week, her condition had worsened severely. Her husband Matt rushed her to the ED at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and within 30 minutes, she coded on the table.

"From the impact of my heart stopping, I had three strokes," says Kaitlin, who has pieced together the details from Matt and her doctors. "They admitted me to the ICU immediately, and did surgery on my throat to drain the strep infection. I went septic from strep throat."

Kaitlin, who had no history of chronic sore throats or heart issues, went into Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), a life-threatening infection caused by Group A strep bacteria that releases toxins into the body, leading to organ failure and shock. To increase blood flow to her heart and other major organs, she was transferred to Lankenau Medical Center and put on ECMO, a life-support system that acts as an artificial heart and lungs, pumping and oxygenating blood outside the body to remove carbon dioxide. She was also put on high doses of vasopressors, which constrict blood vessels and, combined with ECMO, can obstruct blood flow to the extremities, causing severe infections or gangrene that may necessitate amputation.

Read Kaitlin's story

Driven by determination: Recovery fueled by grit and resolve

"I was driving home, and the next thing I know, I'm in the hospital," recalls Celeste Nasuti, the CFO of Summerwood, a Conshohocken-based company that operates more than 200 Taco Bell and KFC franchises across six states.

It was 5:30 p.m. on December 5, 2023. Celeste, then 71, was driving her regular route home from work with her dog Marci in the back seat when, according to the police report, she swerved to avoid something in the road. "That's an area where you could have had deer coming across the street," she says. "Anything's possible. It was night, it was dark."

Celeste was involved in a collision and suffered major head trauma. Firefighters arrived on the scene to assist the paramedics in extricating her from her car (they rescued Marci as well, who sustained no injuries), and Celeste was transported to Lankenau Medical Center. A CT scan revealed a subdural hematoma — bleeding around the brain that was causing dangerous pressure and swelling — and she was rushed into emergency surgery.

Read Celeste's story

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital achieves 3-year CARF accreditation for outpatient concussion program

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is proud to announce that our outpatient concussion program has been awarded a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) a distinguished recognition of quality, safety and patient-centered care.

This achievement places Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital as the first accredited outpatient concussion program for adults, adolescents and children in Pennsylvania, as well as in the broader tri state region. The accreditation reflects CARF's rigorous evaluation standards and confirms that our program delivers innovative, measurable and accountable rehabilitation services that prioritize patient safety and clinical outcomes.

Innovative technology elevates neurological rehabilitation

The Bertec posturography system delivers precise diagnostics and advanced treatment for concussion and vestibular disorders — made possible by philanthropy.

A severe concussion can be a challenging and potentially dangerous diagnosis due to the complexity of the brain and the influence of factors such as underlying injury, psychological factors, and individual variability. At Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, concussion assessment and treatment have become more precise and effective — and, according to some patients, even "enjoyable" — with the donor-funded Bertec Computerized Dynamic Posturography system with Vision Advantage capability.

This advanced system creates an immersive virtual reality environment that enhances both evaluation and rehabilitation of balance and mobility impairments. The system also provides wireless clinical assessment of the vestibular ocular reflex — another critical component of concussion recovery.

Thanks to generous donor support, the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Foundation funded this cutting-edge technology, significantly advancing care for patients with balance, mobility, and vestibular disorders. With immersive VR, wireless head tracking, and objective, norm-based testing, the Bertec system sets a new standard for the rehabilitation of concussion, vestibular conditions, and other neurological impairments.

This investment ensures our clinical teams can continue delivering the most effective, evidence-based therapies — made possible through the power of philanthropy.