REHAB PROFESSIONALS AT MERCY FITZGERALD HOSPITAL Help Patients Regain Motion, Function and Renewed Grasp on Life
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n illness or injury can turn anyone’s world upside down. Losing the ability to move, think, or speak as you once did can not only limit activities, but can also lead to loss of self-confidence and a reduced quality of life. The good news is, rehabilitation can help you become whole again and return to everyday living as quickly and as safely as possible.
In the Acute Rehab Unit at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Occupational Therapist Janet Bronstein (right) watches as Marilyn Wagner, who is recovering from back surgery, safely puts on socks. Jim Maher practices passing an exercise ball to Nurse Anne Marie Dallago as Physiatrist Dr. Pasquale Colavita looks on in the Acute Rehab Unit at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
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DELAWARE COUNTY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
“Rehab is essential to achieving recovery from acute illnesses, injuries, and chronic conditions,” says Michele Zappile, DPT, OCS, a physical therapist and director of rehabilitation at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. “Rehab professionals help each patient work towards their goals, whether it’s restoring motion and function, regaining ability to perform daily tasks, decreasing pain, or preventing disability.” Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital has a team who provides rehab services in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Physiatrists (physicians specializing in rehab medicine), rehab nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, all work together and with the patient’s primary physicians to develop and administer the most appropriate treatment. Therapists hold specialty certification in the areas of orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, wound therapy and hand therapy.
ACUTE REHABILITATION FOR COMPLEX NEEDS The Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital provides services for patients who have suffered functional loss due to disabling illness or injury, such as stroke, neurological disorders, non-traumatic spinal injuries, hip fracture, and heart disease. Patients undergo intense physical and occupational therapy at a minimum of three hours a day at least five days a week. They have access to social services, specialized care by a physiatrist, 24-hour nursing care, and comprehensive pre-discharge education.
“Our overall goal for each patient is that they successfully return to home with skills and confidence in using those skills,” says Joanne Agnew, PT, director of the inpatient rehabilitation program. “Discharge planning begins as soon as patients enter the unit, with the patient and family involved in every aspect of the process.” The majority of patients who are discharged from acute rehab go home, as opposed to nursing homes or other facilities. Patients report high satisfaction rates, with 99 percent saying they would recommend the program at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION FOR ONGOING CARE Outpatient rehab at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital includes physical, occupational, speech, audiology and cardiac rehab services aimed at improving musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Specialty services include aquatic therapy, hand therapy, hearing and balance services, custom foot orthotic casting, pediatric
rehabilitation, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) evaluation and treatment. A certified cardiac rehab program helps patients recover from various types of heart disease and heart procedures. Certified lymphedema treatment is also available. A formal cancer rehab program that addresses the common side effects from cancer treatment will launch in 2016.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE The rehab team at Mercy has an impact beyond the physical accomplishments that their patients reach. “It’s common for patients to praise the quality of care and the compassion they received from our rehab professionals,” says Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Executive Director Susan Cusack. “It’s inspiring to learn how well they’ve recovered and gained a new lease of life, in great part due to the meaningful work of our rehab team.” For more about rehabilitation services at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, please visit www.mercyhealth.org/services/rehab-therapy or call: 610.237.2573 for Acute Rehabilitation, 610.237.4231 for Outpatient Rehabilitation.
Mercy Oncologist Dr. Eugene Choi (left) is one of many members of the cancer care team that patients have immediate access to in the Mercy Cancer Center at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital has provided high-quality healthcare to the communities in Delaware County for more than 80 years.
BECAUSE YOU DESERVE MORE IN ADDITION TO REHABILITATION, MERCY FITZGERALD HOSPITAL IS HOME TO A RANGE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES: • Mercy Heart and Vascular Program, the award-winning service line comprising medical and interventional cardiology, 24/7 cardiac cath labs, the Heart Valve Center, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, and cardiac rehab. The hospital is an accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• Convenient access to quality diagnostics and imaging services, including walk-in services for lab, screening mammography and X-rays.
• Advanced surgical sub-specialties, such as cardiac surgery in affiliation with the Penn Heart & Vascular Network and neurosurgery in affiliation with the Jefferson Neurosciences Network.
• Comprehensive behavioral health programs and a Crisis Members of the cardiac catheterization team are pictured in one of two upgraded cath labs that are available 24/7 at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. Recently, the team added complex electrophysiology ablation and carotid artery stenting to its capabilities.
• Mercy Bariatrics, a leading weight loss program that has helped more than 1,300 people in the region attain a healthier lifestyle. The hospital is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®.
Response Center.
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Emergency care, including Mercy EMS and an Emergency Department that handles 42,000 cases annually.
• New Primary Care & Multi-Specialty Center, the central location of several primary care and specialty physician practices.
• Advanced Wound Care Center with specialized healing techniques for chronic and diabetic wounds.
• Mercy Cancer Center, the one-stop access point to cancer experts
• Mercy Pharmacy, a full-service retail pharmacy open to the public. • Free programs for the community, including educational programs,
and state-of-the-art treatments for all cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers.
screenings, support groups, and smoking and tobacco cessation classes.
• Endoscopy Center with patient-friendly amenities and featuring Direct Access Endoscopy.
For more about what Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital has to offer, visit www.mercyhealth.org/fitzgerald or call 1.877.GO MERCY.
WINTER 2015/2016 DELAWARE COUNTY REGIONAL NEWS
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