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Patients who are admitted to a Kindred LTAC hospital typically:

  • require acute care services as determined by a physician assessment
  • cannot be treated effectively at a lower level of care
  • have multiple acute complexities that require daily intervention by a physician

The admission criteria include:

  • mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure
  • pulmonary hygiene
  • tracheotomy with respiratory insufficiency
  • exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • IV and oral anticoagulation/therapeutic INR (international normalized ratio)
  • postcardiac surgery with acute care needs
  • external wound infection management
  • stage III or IV decubitus ulcer care
  • complex medical conditions
  • high-level orthopedic conditions
  • pre- and post-organ transplant care
  • low-tolerance rehabilitation

Kindred’s 80 LTAC hospitals feature an interdisciplinary environment where staff combine their expertise to provide quality care to medically complex patients who require prolonged treatment plans and extended recovery time.

Kindred hospitals have particular expertise in the following areas:

1. Pulmonary care

More than 20 years ago, Kindred Healthcare pioneered the first hospitals in the nation to emphasize pulmonary treatment, including ventilator management and weaning.

Patients received comprehensive treatment overseen by a board-certified pulmonologist who makes daily rounds to review the effectiveness of therapies such as:

  • chest percussion therapy
  • inspiratory muscle training
  • Passy-Muir valve replacement
  • noninvasive ventilator management
  • end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring
  • airway management
  • fiber-optic bronchoscopy

Our tailored weaning care plans are designed to liberate patients from mechanical ventilation. These plans include interdisciplinary team conferences with pulmonologists and therapists.

2. Long- and short-term rehabilitation

Kindred hospitals feature a staff of our trained rehabilitation therapists employed by Peoplefirst, Kindred’s rehabilitation division. Patients can take advantage of our well-equipped rehab gym and activity rooms or they can receive rehab services bedside.

A customized program, including physical, speech and occupational therapy, is developed specifically to fit the patient’s ability, and the rehabilitation team implements its components. Kindred’s rehabilitation program specializes in concurrent management of the patient’s medical illness while advancing the patient in physical rehabilitation.

3. Advanced wound care

Program goals focus on restoring and preventing skin care complications in a cost-effective manner. We treat surgical wounds, pressure ulcers and wounds associated with:

  • infections requiring IV antibiotics
  • amputations
  • diabetic ulcers
  • necrotizing fasciitis
  • osteomyclitis
  • peripheral vascular disease
  • venous stasis
  • post trauma
  • burns

4. Critical care services

We accept long-term acute and chronic cases directly from the ICU and critical care units of short-term hospitals. These patients do not need to meet the usual and customary discharge criteria if they are being transferred to a long-term acute care hospital. Services we offer include TPN (total parenteral nutrition), IV antibiotics, ventilator care and dialysis. In addition, many of our cases include stage III or IV decubitus and MRSA (methicillin-resistand staphylococcus aureus).