that
is a process of partnership and passion. Within our walls, you’ll find the most positive, committed hearts and minds in our field of care. Where there is a will, there’s a way back.
CARF, the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, has commended us for excellence.
U.S.News & World Report consistently ranks us as one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the country, and our physicians are “Top Docs.”
Our patients and their caregivers have honored us with exceptional confidence and faith for more than half a century.
Magee is the Philadelphia region’s first rehabilitation hospital having opened its doors in 1958. We’re also home to the nation’s first brain injury rehabilitation program to be accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). In conjunction with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Magee serves as the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley
Our inpatient and outpatient services offer lifetime rehabilitation and wellness programs for people living with many conditions:
• Spinal cord injury
• Stroke
• Orthopedic injury
• Multiple trauma
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Geriatric rehabilitation needs
• Neurological disorders
• Work-related injury
• Brain injury
• Amputation
• Joint replacement
• Pulmonary disorders
• Arthritis
• Pain syndromes
• Cardiac disease
Magee offers one of the nation’s preeminent rehabilitation programs for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). With more than 4,000 individuals being cared for throughout our system, we have clinical experience and peer resources that no other regional rehab program can match.
Since 1978, we’ve partnered with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to form the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley. As a model SCIsystem of care, Magee is involved in up-to-date clinical care, research and education related to spinal cord dysfunction. We provide coordinated, lifetime care for people with SCI and their families. Magee’s SCI program is also accredited by CARF.
Ours was the first brain injury rehabilitation program in the nation accredited by CARF. The program is built on years of experience in helping people recover to their maximum level of independence. We use proven, hands-on evaluations and therapies complemented by the latest technology.
Magee treats all the complex consequences of stroke, and helps survivors maximize every opportunity to return to a productive and active life. We offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient programs. Magee’s stroke program has earned the “Specialty Program” designation from CARF.
MAGEE REHABILITATION In Brief “ I thank everyone on the third floor who gave me my life back.”
This in- and outpatient program helps people adapt both physically and emotionally to lifestyle changes. Rehabilitation goals are tailored to each patient and focus on increasing function and independence in daily life activities.
As orthopedic medicine has advanced, Magee has advanced orthopedic rehab. Our comprehensive program treats patients with a wide variety of conditions that affect their muscles, bones and connective tissues.
We offer comprehensive rehab to people with many conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, cardiac disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, status post organ transplantation, and functional decline after a prolonged illness or neurologic disorders.
Ventilator services increase the independence of patients who need mechanical breathing assistance because of spinal cord injury, neurologic disorder or other medical conditions. Magee is one of only a handful of centers in the country that can offer this specialized rehab environment.
With a culture of caring and more than 60 years of excellence in disability treatment, Magee Rehabilitation is a renowned provider of healthcare services for patients with work-related injuries.
If appropriate, our return-to-work plan begins on the day of admission. Our team of rehab professionals is focused on helping each patient achieve his or her highest level of functioning. We offer the full continuum of care, including inpatient, outpatient and Day Rehab programs. We also offer a community-based Wellness Program and Gaining Ground, an activity-based neurological recovery program.
Our care teams include physicians, case managers, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, respiratory therapists, recreational therapists, registered dieticians, adolescent and young adult coordinators, speech therapists and vocational counselors. They work together with patients and families to:
• Establish rehabilitation goals
• Address current rehabilitation care needs
• Plan for lifetime continuing care options
Patients can be admitted to Magee directly from an acute care hospital, sub-acute facility, nursing home or their own home. We admit patients seven days a week. The process begins with a referral to our Admissions Department. The referral may come from a patient’s attending physician, primary care physician, insurance company representative, or hospital discharge planner (social worker, nurse, or case manager).
Next, a Magee Clinical Liaison will review the patient’s chart and sometimes will visit the patient and family to discuss rehabilitation options and perform a clinical evaluation. This helps patients, families and treating professionals find out if rehabilitation is appropriate and what options are available. Liaisons can also help manage insurance issues.
Referrals for outpatient therapy services don’t require evaluation by a Magee professional. Your personal physician can prescribe the services you need.
“ Words cannot express what a remarkable experience this was for me. I had superior care 24 hours a day.”
DANIEL GAINES came to Magee for rehabilitation after being injured on the job while working as an arborist. The accident left the 24-year-old with both spinal cord and brain injuries. As a patient at Magee, Daniel participated in multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment, including physical, occupational, speech, recreational, and art therapies.
When Daniel first arrived at Magee, he had no sensation; he was dependent on a ventilator to help him breath. The use of assistive technology was key in helping him accomplish tasks of feeding himself, holding a toothbrush and washing his face. His left hand was actually stronger than his right, so the therapy team focused on helping him adjust to using his non-dominant hand for things like cell phone and computer use. Art therapy became an integral part of Daniel’s weekly therapies, as it helped Daniel work toward his fine and gross motor skill goals. His paintings reflect his love of nature and were later used to create notecards for Magee.
Prior to his injury, Daniel was an avid hiker and had enjoyed hiking in many beautiful places across the United States. Daniel lives in Phoenix and continues to enjoy hiking with a walking stick.
HEATHER SCHULTZ suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident. “Coming to Magee was the best thing that could have happened for me,” Heather said. “The people were so welcoming and supportive.”
After inpatient care, Heather started outpatient rehabilitation at Magee’s Riverfront Outpatient Center so she could use the Locomotor Training (LT) Program. In LT, patients wear a harness attached to an overhead bar that is suspended over a treadmill. In this dynamic position, therapy staff facilitate leg movements to practice walking. For Heather, it worked. “When I came to the Riverfront, I was basically only using a wheelchair,” she said. “Now, I can walk with two fore-arm crutches.”
Magee’s Riverfront facility also offers advanced technology such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) bicycles, Lokomat and several exoskeletal devices.
In addition to inpatient rehab, Magee offers a complete continuum of outpatient and day treatment programs. Patients may enter at any point. You don’t need to be a Magee inpatient to access outpatient services. Our outpatient programs are different from most others because our resources are more coordinated and comprehensive. This allows us to tailor more programs to meet more patients’ needs. Outpatient services range from formal Day Rehab programs to individual therapies. They’re provided at the Magee Riverfront at 1500 S. Columbus Blvd. in South Philadelphia, Magee at Watermark, located between 17th and 18th and Callowhill and Vine Streets in Center City, and Magee at Oxford Valley (Bucks County). In New Jersey, Magee has an outpatient therapy location adjacent to Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital.
Rehabilitation inpatients can often shorten their hospital stays by moving into a Magee Day Rehab program. Our day rehab is appropriate for anyone who needs multiple therapies, but not around-the-clock nursing care. These patients take part in structured, day-long rehabilitation activities and go home every night. The programs are offered for a variety of physical and neurological problems. Patients have access to physicians, nurses, therapists and a case manager who will work with the patient to help manage medications, transportation and continuing care needs.
Injured workers and other people with pain syndromes may benefit from Magee’s Work Fitness program. This care team includes physicians, nurses and therapists, forming one of the most comprehensive approaches to work-related disability care. The goal is to return patients to work while preventing further injury.
Our specialty clinics help prevent health problems and expensive surgeries, and improve quality of life. They focus on several key areas:
• Speech and swallowing disorders
• Pressure sores and wound care
• Gait problems / balance disorders
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• Wheelchairs, prosthetics and equipment
• Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
and prescriptions
“They did a good job in helping me get back to life. Thank God. I love them all. They were so good to me. What can I say? Thank you.”
Rehabilitation is more than physical. There are many ways to enhance the quality of life for anyone facing short- or long-term disability. The patient isn’t the only one who gets involved; family members and friends play an important role in the rehabilitation process as well.
Magee is deeply committed to supporting the lifetime health and wellness of all our patients, families and caregivers.
We offer many services for our patients’ families, especially those from out-of-state. We can help you locate everything from takeout food to haircuts to affordable housing. Our Concierge Services are like those at a fine hotel, helping families find amenities, support and comfort while they’re here.
Magee is home to some of the most advanced technology in the world. Customized assistive devices enable our clients to improve their mobility, communication, access to their home and community, as well as try all types of specialized environmental control equipment.
Magee offers a wealth of expertise to the patient and family throughout the patient’s life. Patients learn what to expect from life with a disability, how to care for themselves and how to prevent complications. The patient and the family learn how to support each other, solve problems and become advocates for their health care rights.
We have a full calendar of support and resource group activities for patients, family and community. They’re invaluable for patient education, emotional health and community re-integration. More information about these groups is available at JeffersonHealth.org/Magee.
• Amp-Peers (amputee support program)
• Aphasia Support Group
• Brain Injury Mentors Program
• Brain Injury Support Group
• Caregivers Support Group
• Family/Peer Support Group
• MS Support Group/MS Healthy Living Program
• Spinal Cord Injury Resources Group
• Spinal Cord Injury Inpatient Support Group
• Spinal Cord Injury Mentors Program
• SCI Young Adult Group
• Stroke Club
• Stroke Support Group
“ Thank you to everyone involved in my son’s care. It was exceptional. Everybody is a miracle worker. ”
SURIA NORDIN had a successful career as an international accountant and a wonderful boyfriend – she had it all.
It was during a trip to Jamaica that everything changed. An accident on a water slide caused a fracture in Suria’s C6 and C7 vertebrae. She was helicoptered back to Philadelphia for surgery and arrived at Magee a few weeks later, paralyzed from the chest down. “The first day of rehab I saw myself full-length in a wheelchair,” Suria recalls. “That’s when reality kicked in.” Rehab was challenging and emotional.
While visiting Magee’s rooftop garden, Suria and her boyfriend, Kirby, decided it was time to get married. In just a week and a half, friends, family, and Magee staff came together to give Suria and Kirby an unforgettable wedding outside in Magee’s Healing Garden. After Suria’s discharge, Kirby made renovations to his home to accommodate his wife’s power wheelchair and set up her iPad to allow her to control the home’s temperature, doors, televisions, and more.
Shortly after, Suria returned to her accounting job.“My employer gave me everything I needed to be successful and the flexibility to work from home when I need to. I was anxious, but so many good people have been here to help me.”
It was 2015 when CYNDI CORCORAN’S life changed forever.
A lifelong athlete working as a physical education teacher and coach, Cyndi began feeling hip pain after running. She was treated with a series of epidural injections.
After the second injection, she immediately knew something was wrong. Cyndi had suffered a stroke in her spine, an extremely rare complication. She spent five days in the hospital and then came to Magee for eight months of intensive therapy. She was able to walk with crutches and regained some movement in her left leg.
The athlete in Cyndi was still not satisfied. That’s when she enrolled in Gaining Ground, an intensive, specialized exercise program where participants receive one-to-one therapy. Proper technique and repetition has helped preserve her energy and progress her recovery and Cyndi was able to celebrate a recent birthday in Disney World with family and friends. “It’s been a long journey, but every little step is an important one.”
Rehabilitation is a process that continues throughout your lifetime. Magee’s Lifetime Follow-Up System of Care gives patients, families, homecare agencies and professionals continued access to the rehabilitation team.
Like everyone else, people with disabilities can stay fit and have fun with sports. Magee sponsors a number of disability sports teams including basketball, soccer, rugby, tennis and water/snow skiing, and provides access to other community agencies. Sports participation can be recreational or competitive. Many wheelchair sports have regional leagues and national and international governing bodies.
Patients, family members and staff all enjoy this beautiful rooftop oasis which includes a center for horticultural therapy, an art studio, numerous outdoor gardens and Segal Street, where patients practice their walking skills on an indoor/ outdoor streetscape with different traveling surfaces and curbs, and a compact car. This lovely and serene environment offers families beautiful views of the city skyline as well as a Meditation Center for quiet reflection.
Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is used to assess and treat anxiety; depression; social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and neurological problems.
Horticultural therapy uses plants, gardens, nature crafts and gardening activities to provide therapeutic and rehabilitation outcomes. These are coordinated with physical and occupa tional therapy rehab goals as a team approach. Horticultural therapy has benefits including increasing strength, range of motion, balance, sensory stimulation and improving cognitive sequencing skills. Magee Rehabilitation is the only rehab hospital, in Center City, that provides a direct Horticultural Therapy Program and has a rooftop greenhouse.
Magee is proud to be the only acute rehab hospital in the Philadelphia area offering music therapy. Music therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing,
moving to, and/or listening to music. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.
Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) is a holistic creative art therapy which uses movement to help individuals feel integrated on a physical, emotional, cognitive, and social level. It incorporates a range of movement experiences, such as breathing exercises, gentle stretching,small gestures, and large movements. In dance/movement therapy, the focus is on the quality rather than quantity of the movement, how movement influences an individual’s mood or emotional state, self-expression, and connection with the self and others. In a medical rehabilitation setting, dance/movement therapy can help individuals cope with changes in physical and cognitive abilities, process and express complex emotions, and experience their bodies as sources of health, hope and healing.
Facility dogs are carefully bred and expertly trained dogs that partner with a facilitator in a professional setting, like Magee, to assist patients with achieving their therapy goals. Facility dogs work side-by-side with trained professionals to engage patients in sessions designed to improve functional outcomes, stimulate healing and recovery, and provide comfort and unconditional love. While many healthcare facilities may have animals visit with patients, these animals are generally handled by volunteers and are not used to help patients meet specific, planned treatment goals. Through Magee’s Facility Dog Program, the treatment providers are health and human service professionals and patient outcomes are documented and measured.
The Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) is a nonprofit organiza tion that provides free civil legal services to low-income people with disabilities and to the deaf and hard of hearing in the Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. LCD was founded in 1987 through a collaboration of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and the Young Lawyers Divisions of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. LCD is co-located with Magee at Thomas Jefferson University, Center City Philadelphia campus. Working in conjunction with Magee healthcare staff the LCD provides direct legal services to Magee inpatient or outpatient individuals who face legal barriers to positive health outcomes or to living safely and independently in their communities. LCD assists eligible clients with a wide range of issues including child custody or support, protection from abuse, landlord-tenant disputes, estate planning, benefit consulting, consumer fraud, and employment discrimination.
“I met with my therapists and they were so kind. They helped me relax and we began to joke around. I returned to my room later to rest and, when I woke up again, I felt…okay. Yeah, I was paralyzed and, yes, I might never be able to do some of the things I once loved, but every person around me was there for me.
Then, three and a half weeks after entering Magee, I stood up and walked out. I know I was one of the few lucky ones, but I also know that it was the care and attention from every single person in Magee that gave me the strength to push through.”
Magee welcomes questions about patient and community services, and we’re happy to arrange on-site tours. Please refer to the numbers below:
ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT
215-587-3117 to schedule a tour or to arrange for an evaluation by a Magee clinical liaison.
FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM OF CARE 215-587-3394 to schedule an appointment with a Magee rehabilitation physician (physiatrist).
MAGEE REHABILITATION – RIVERFRONT 215-218-3900 for comprehensive outpatient and therapy programs.
MAGEE REHABILITATION – WATERMARK 215-496-0797 for outpatient physical and occupational therapy.
MAGEE REHABILITATION – OXFORD VALLEY 267-789-2914 for outpatient physical and occupational therapy, wheelchair clinic.
MAGEE REHABILITATION – CHERRY HILL 856-922-5090 for outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy.
GENERAL INFORMATION 1-800-96-MAGEE for information about Magee services.
Visit JeffersonHealth.org/TourMagee for a virtual tour. In-person tours may be avaiable upon request. Please call 215-587-3117 for more information.
If you’d like to make a donation to Magee, please call 215-587-3090
PATIENT ROOMS 215-587-3000
EVERYDAY BUSINESS INQUIRIES 215-587-3000 JeffersonHealth.org/Magee
NICK RICK, former patient