We understand that living with disease, disability, illness, or chronic pain can be a serious challenge. These things can all take a tremendous toll on a patient, causing emotional, physical, mental, and financial stress. Once treatment has been approved by your insurance company, our team helps to minimize the complications of recuperation so you can recover quickly and affordably. At Queen of the Valley Medical Center, we specifically specialize in caring for adults who are in need of intensive and comprehensive rehabilitation therapies. Utilizing state-of-the-art technologies coupled with care from our distinguished doctors and other members of the rehabilitation team, we provide unparalleled services for our patients.

Your rehabilitation team includes: 

• Physician: The medical director is a physiatrist, also known as a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor. The physiatrist will be your “attending physician” in charge of managing your daily care. We encourage you and/or your family/caregiver to ask questions about your rehabilitation program. Consulting physicians are brought in as needed to manage other medical needs.
• Nurses: You will have nursing care 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. In addition to routine nursing responsibilities, our nurses are here to provide you and your family/caregiver extensive education on a variety of topics including bowel and bladder programs, wound care, and much more. This is essential to prepare you and your family/caregiver for your safe return home. In addition, the nurse will encourage you to actively participate in your care and will carry over many of the activities that you have been working on during your therapy sessions. For example, they may assist you with transferring in and out of bed, ambulating into the bathroom, or with dressing and bathing activities. The goal is for you to preform as much of the activity as you can SAFELY do on your own, to promote your independence and return to your prior level of function.
• Physical therapists: The physical therapist's role is to assist you with all aspects of mobility. This may include wheelchair mobility, transferring, ambulation/gait, strengthening, range of motion, and improving your activity tolerance and endurance.
• Occupational therapist: The occupational therapist's role is to assist you with increasing independence in all aspects of your activities of daily living – such as dressing, bathing, grooming, and hygiene. They may also address upper body strengthening and range of motion, as well as activity tolerance and endurance. In addition, the occupational therapist may address your level of independence with IADL’s such as cooking, money management, and other activities essential to a safe discharge home.
• Speech language pathologist: The speech language pathologist will evaluate and treat deficits in communication, cognition, and swallowing.
• Social worker: The social worker will assist you with identifying resources necessary to facilitate your discharge home. They can provide information about insurance benefits, help coordinate your discharge plan, and assist you with social, financial, and environmental issues that can impact your safe discharge home.
• Dietician: The dietician will evaluate our nutritional needs, ensure those needs are being met, and provide education on any specific dietary restrictions.
• Chaplain: Hospital chaplains are available for spiritual and emotional support.

During your treatment, we ask that you wear comfortable clothes that do not restrict your range of motion. We ask that you or your family/caregivers launder any clothing to ensure maximum comfort and hygiene during your stay. Suggested items to bring include:

• Three changes of loose-fitting clothing
• Sturdy, non-skid shoes (tennis shoes)
• Undergarments
• Robe and nightclothes
• Sweater or jacket

The Acute Rehabilitation Center offers a safe and caring atmosphere for patients to learn how to improve independence in self-care, mobility, communication, cognitive skills, and other daily activities. The Rehabilitation team will assess your needs as a patient and develop a daily treatment plan with attainable goals, allowing for a safe discharge home.

It is our intention to discharge you home safely. Discharge planning begins at the time of admission. A case manager or social worker will assist you and your family with all discharge needs including ordering equipment, home care referrals, outpatient therapy or other services offered within the community.

Your family and your caregivers (if needed) are encouraged to take an active role in your recovery and rehabilitation. We ask family and/or caregivers to always consult our team of expert rehabilitation therapists before observing or participating in any treatment session. Some restrictions may be necessary depending on the injury or the illness of the patient. We always warmly welcome visitors and family members during your journey through rehabilitation. See our current visitor policy.

Although many of the services you receive in the acute rehab unit may be similar to services available in a SNF, the intensity of our program is much greater. You must be able to participate in three hours of therapy per day, at least five days per week. In a SNF, your therapy program would be far fewer hours and you may not be seen on a daily basis. Also, in our program you will have physician visits five times a week to monitor your progress and make changes as needed, whereas you may only see a physician once a month in a SNF.

The average stay is just under two weeks, although this can vary on a case-by-case basis. During your initial evaluations, you and your family/caregivers will work with your treatment team to identify both short and long-term goals. Your treatment team, led by your physician, will estimate your duration of stay and track your progress daily until you are ready to move to the next level of care (typically through home health or outpatient therapies).

See our current visitor policy.

Family training is an ongoing process and begins early on during your stay with us. Your family/caregiver may be asked to demonstrate their ability to provide the appropriate level of assistance you will need at home. This allows them to take over all aspects of your care for the first 24 – 48 hours after your discharge home.

Most patients continue therapies in either their home (home health) or outpatient settings. Your team may make recommendations for durable medial equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, etc.) or basic modifications to your home to improve safety (ramps, grab bars, etc.). You will be given prescriptions for a 30-day supply of all medications at the time of discharge. Most of these prescriptions can be called in to the pharmacy of your choice so that your family/caregiver can pick them up before you get home. It is very important that you make an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible because we will not be able to provide prescriptions for any refills once your 30-day supply runs out. If you need additional help at home (not including skilled therapy or nursing services) your social worker can check your insurance coverage and provide you with option for providers and make any necessary referrals.