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Providing Physical Rehabilitation is Mission
Author: | Tuesday January 30, 2007
Dedication to rehabilitation sets facility apart.
Company Profile
Rehab/Transition
Program Emphasized
Whitehall Boca Raton
Case managers seeking rehabilitative care for their ventilator patients may want to consider Whitehall Boca Raton's Transitions Program. Under the direction of Lucy Allocca, RRT, an aggressive therapy plan supported by a rehab-oriented administration, has resulted in a number of patients being weaned from their ventilators and returned to their homes.
On any given day the rehabilitation unit at Whitehall Boca Raton is teeming with activity as therapists work with their patients and in an already large therapy center that will soon be expanded.
"Whitehall has the vision that an individual has the potential, with the right environment, to get back on their feet," said Medical Director of the Rehab Unit, Jeffrey Samuels, M.D.
In the case of ventilator patients, Lucy Allocca, RRT, Director of Respiratory Care, personally visits each potential patient. "We take the individuals who come from the acute care setting and design a comprehensive rehabilitation program to maximize their potential," Allocca said. "They often have missed out on building up their strength while they were in the acute care setting."
That is where the physical therapists at Whitehall come into play. Robyn Budine, P.T. said that the "team approach" is a key element in patient rehabilitation. There are 38 therapists on staff. including PT, OT and Speech, and, if needed, patients are teamed with those who are specialists. "The patients also connect with each other, regardless of their ages, backgrounds or physical challenges, and that often encourages them to make an effort to get better," Budine noted.
Whitehall is seeing more traumatic cases recently as a result of hospital length of stay being shortened and many patients surviving what in years past might have been life-ending injuries. "We are getting patients in their 20s and more traumatic cases among young patients," said Leslie V. Curtis, Director of Business Development.
The development of the rehabilitation program is a natural process for Whitehall which has always included an aggressive rehab component at the 82,000 square foot Skilled Nursing Facility. "We have evolved to meet the needs of the community and that includes treating according to need regardless of the payer source," Curtis added.
"We have created an environment where we do what we need to do regarding rehabilitation."
Dr. Samuels noted that the response to need is something that he greatly appreciates as a physician. "If I say something needs to be done for a patient they do it, and this is not something that happens at many other facilities. We hold team meetings each week on every patient to discuss the status of patient progress or barriers that we can overcome," Dr. Samuels added.
Case managers are involved from the beginning and the philosophy is that discharge planning is started at the outset, according to Curtis. Whitehall has a specially designed room set up representing an apartment or condo where patients can begin practicing for their independence. There are also "outings" where patients might go to a grocery story with a therapist to "practice" activities of daily living.
"The Whitehall philosophy addresses the needs of the entire family, from the initial interview throughout their entire stay," concluded Steve Mulder, Executive Director.
Ed. Note: For more information contact Leslie V. Curtis, Director of Business Development at 1561-392-3000. The web site site provides detailed information on services. Visit www.whitehallboca.com
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