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Rehabilitation Services



Acure Care Rehabilitation Services

The Acute Care (inpatient) Rehabilitation department is comprised of three disciplines including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Language Pathology.  Rehabilitation services are offered in all areas of the hospital including: Medical/Surgical, NICU, ICU, Pediatrics, Psych Units, Critical Decision Unit(CDU), and Emergency Department (ED).  Inpatient Rehab works closely with nurses, medical providers, case Managers/social Workers, among other disciplines, in a patient-centered environment with compassionate and dedicated service to provide quality care and ensure safe and appropriate discharge planning.  We have a staff of approximately 20+ fulltime, part time and per diem staff that provides therapy services 365 days/year.


Scope of Services:

PT – Physical Therapy services focus on restoration of function and safe discharge planning. PTs assess strength, mobility, ambulation, balance, and overall function using objective measurements and outcome measures to determine patients’ abilities and safety including risk of falls and ability to return home.  Recommendations for discharge are made at time of evaluation, and PTs work with the rest of the patient care team (including the patient and family) to modify that plan as necessary during the hospital stay to ensure the best discharge plan.

OT – Occupational Therapy services focus on restoration of self-care activities, functional mobility and safe discharge planning.  OTs assess strength, functional mobility, cognition, vision, and activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, etc) to determine patients’ abilities and safety with self-care tasks and ability to return to their previous level of function.  Recommendations for discharge are made at time of evaluation, and OTs work with the rest of the patient care team (including the patient and family) to modify that plan as necessary during the hospital stay to ensure the best discharge plan.

SLP- Speech-Language Pathology services focus on swallowing and communication disorders.  SLPs assess oral-motor function, swallowing, speaking, and cognition to determine patients’ ability to safely eat/swallow, and think and communicate.  SLPs do bedside evaluations as well as radiological assessments of swallowing to determine aspiration risk and make diet recommendations based on their findings.  Recommendations for discharge are made at time of evaluation, and SLPs work with the rest of the patient care team (including the patient and family) to modify that plan as necessary during the hospital stay to ensure the best discharge plan.


Department Achievements:

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – The care in the NICU is different from the adult ICU services provided.  The PTs, OTs, and SLPs that work in the NICU focus on feeding, swallowing, positioning, and enhancement of normal development.  The NICU rehab team consists of 6 therapists with special training in this area.  The NICU rehab team, in conjunction with nursing and medical providers, has recently expanded their presence in the NICU with more services based on evidence and current national treatment trends.  By offering the best care practices in the NICU, we improve the child’s outcome.  The team also works closely with the families to ensure safe discharge plans and the best plan for future feeding and development.

Oral Care – The SLP department has worked on an interdisciplinary committee to improve oral care and decrease infections including ventilator acquired infections.  This work has resulted in new improved work flows and documentation.  Patient supplies were also expanded to include toothbrushes that are smaller and more comfortable for patients.

Mobility - The rehab department has been a main initiator and facilitator of improving mobility of patients in the hospital with outcomes focused on falls reduction and decreased length of stay, with the work of the interdisciplinary committee Mobility Matters and the ICU mobility committee. 

  • As a result of the work of the Mobility Matters committee, safety equipment including gait belts and rolling walkers have been placed in every med/surg room to provide care givers with the proper equipment to move patients safely.  Documentation changes were instituted to improve the ability to document and report mobility and function of patients.   Education has been provided regarding safe patient handling and proper use of safe lifting equipment, which was procured and instituted with the initiation of the rehab department.  Activity levels were established as guidelines for nursing goals and plans of care.
  • The ICU mobility committee has been working for several years on initiating early mobility for critically ill and vented patients with the goal of reducing days on the ventilator, reducing overall length of stay, and improving potential for recovery.  Rehab services are initiated much earlier than previously with an increased presence in the ICU for all patients.