Catholic Health Services . . . Making a Splash in Rehab!

Ask any doctor, nurse, therapist or even the patients, what the common goal is when in treatment at a Catholic Health Services Rehab Hospital and they will all tell you the same thing: “to maximize each patient’s level of independence and help them achieve a higher quality of life!”

Catholic Health Services has been in acute medical rehabilitation for almost 25 years. In 1983, St. John’s Rehab Hospital was built to meet a growing need in the community for high level rehabilitation and to complement the Nursing Center at the CHS North Campus in Broward. Now it is a new stand-alone hospital, equipped with the latest technology in medical rehabilitation, including an indoor aquatic center. It was renamed St. Anthony’s Rehab Hospital and it certainly made a Splash in Rehab when it opened its doors in the winter of 2004. Since then, not only has St. Anthony’s been at the forefront in rehabilitation, but its sister hospital, St. Catherine’s Rehab Hospital in North Miami is on the upswing also!

Therapist working with patient at outpatient clinic

St. Catherine’s Aquatic Center, currently scheduled to open in September, is a project brought to life through a $1million grant from the North Dade Medical Foundation. This state of the art indoor pool will provide physicians and their patients all the many therapeutic interventions that facilitate and promote overall rehabilitation and wellness. St. Catherine’s West Rehab Hospital broke ground on construction in May. Located in Hialeah Gardens, an area that has been identified as high density and in great need of acute medical rehabilitation services, will also have a pool. Private rooms, high tech equipment and indoor therapeutic aquatic centers are quickly becoming signature features for CHS Rehab Hospitals! Look for the grand opening in late fall 2008!

Therapist with patient

“Catholic Health Services’ Rehabilitation Hospitals are positioned to become the centers for excellence in neurological rehab care in the south Florida area”, says James A. Ball, COO of CHS. “We have some of the finest medical directors heading up our specialty programs and our physicians are committed to providing the best and most comprehensive treatments to our patient base. No other post-acute care system in South Florida has as comprehensive a program as CHS, nor cares for as many patients on a daily basis as we do.” Catholic Health Services medical facilities help patients of all ages with problems such as spine and extremity disorders, gait abnormalities, paralysis, post polio syndrome, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, trauma, Parkinson’s, and amputation as well as others diseases and disabilities. Additionally, CHS operates several outpatient medical specialty clinics in conjunction with the University of Miami, Department of Neurology. In areas such as Post-Polio Syndrome, Parkinson’s and ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s disease), patients are first seen by the physicians at University of Miami and then referred to the multi-disciplinary clinic at St. Catherine’s Rehab Hospital. The team uses all state-of-the-art equipment and modalities, such as the SaeboFlex, which is a fairly new treatment technique and the Balance System SD, a new device essential in neuro-based practices.

St. Catherine’s Aquatic Center

CHS is also ahead of the curve in education with their geriatric physical therapy residency program in association with the University of Miami which was initiated in March 2004. The program is the first fully credentialed geriatric residency in Physical Therapy in the United States. The year-long program offers therapists the ability to gain structured experiences in a variety of settings. Residents are mentored by expert faculty, including six board certified geriatric specialists. Additionally, residents take applicable courses on-site through their partnership with University of Miami. “These partnerships and opportunities allow for continuously improving medical care and patient oriented services, all part of the goals in developing our rehabilitation programs,” comments Program Director, Greg Hartley, PT, MSPT, GCS, and Director of Rehabilitation at St. Catherine’s Rehab Hospital.

“While our Rehab Hospitals continue to exceed compliance levels with the CMS’ 75% Rule which restricts admissions to impairments such as CVA, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury, CHS rehab hospitals have the great advantage of sharing their medical campus with Villa Maria, St. John’s and St. Anne’s Nursing Center,” Ball comments. Due to the proximity and shared therapy staff, patients in need of intensive medical rehabilitation have access to programs through the skilled nursing units of the CHS Nursing Centers. Total Joint replacement patients now find impressive progress through a fast track program developed at special units within the Skilled Nursing Facilities, as well as post CABG (Coronary artery bypass graft/open heart surgery), Central Line/Port Maintenance and even patients with VRE, MRSA, C-Diff (serious infection management).