Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital:
Getting Patients Back to Their Lives
The moment you walk through the front doors, you can sense that there’s something very different, very comforting and very special about the newest healthcare facility in the Lancaster General family.
Designed with its patients’ specific needs in mind, the new Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital is focused entirely on helping patients overcome the effects of an injury or illness and prepare them for their lives back home.
“We have been able to expand our services and provide an enhanced level of therapy options to patients beyond what was possible at our rehabilitation facility at Lancaster General Hospital,” says Geoffrey Eddowes, Senior Vice President, Post Acute Care at Lancaster General.
“Our goal was to take the resources that have been here at Lancaster General Hospital for many years and build upon them,” adds Tammy Ober, CEO, Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital. “We’re able to treat some really complex injuries at this facility.”
In June the new hospital opened at 675 Good Drive, Lancaster, across from Women & Babies Hospital. The 52,800-square-foot facility is a cooperative partnership between Lancaster General and Centerre Healthcare, a national rehabilitation hospital company.
“By partnering with Centerre Healthcare, Lancaster General was able to observe national best practices to develop the best product possible,” Geoff says.
Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital features 50 private rooms, doubling the size of the current unit and providing space for intensive inpatient physical rehabilitation following strokes, trauma or other healthcare problems.
“It’s a much better setting for the patient, and allows them to have more quiet time in the room,” Tammy says.
The on-site therapeutic pool is designed specifically for aquatic therapy, and the modern gymnasium features equipment that qualified therapists use to help patients improve their physical skills.
Patients can gain confidence in their walking skills by practicing on a variety of terrains and textures in the outdoor ambulation course.
The hospital also features a fully equipped apartment, called the Activities of Daily Living Suite, to help prepare patients for what they may experience when they return home.
The Rehabilitation Hospital provides programs for people recovering from:
- Multiple trauma
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Burns
- Stroke
- Orthopedic conditions
- Neurological conditions
- Amputation
The hospital provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, (for swallowing disorders and language improvement), cognitive therapy, respiratory therapy and pet therapy.
There are four rooms designed to accommodate bariatric patients, and a secure unit specifically for brain injury patients who are cognitively impaired so they can safely move.
“We are equipped and trained to handle many patients who have complex rehabilitation needs,” Tammy says.
“Keeping a patient’s family and doctors involved in the process is essential for successful rehabilitation,” says Leslie Jones, Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital Director of Marketing. “A doctor who understands the history of a patient can follow-up and provide a continuity of care that aids in the recovery.”
“This is more of an opportunity than ever for treatment teams to work together in the same space,” Tammy says. “It’s a more intimate setting, so the family will get to know the treatment team that is caring for their loved one,” Leslie adds. “It’s a supportive environment where everyone has the same goal… to increase a patient’s independence and get them back home.”
The dining room is designed to allow families to dine with patients rather than just eating alone in their room. Day passes are also offered, where the family is encouraged to take a patient home for a few hours and return to familiar surroundings.
“The building design and interior detail is very warm and inviting,” Geoff says. “We tried to make it feel less institutional so patients would feel more comfortable during their rehabilitative care.”
Psychologically, transferring from an acute care hospital to a facility solely focused on rehabilitation helps in a patient’s recovery. “Patients are able to get out of the hospital and say, ‘I have just one more stop before I go home,’” Leslie says.
An average patient stay at the rehab hospital is one to two weeks, during which time a case manager works with the patient to help prepare them for their discharge, and make sure the patient is properly cared for at home with the appropriate outpatient service provider of his or her choice.
Fan Xi, MD, Medical Director, Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital, arrives with extensive inpatient rehabilitation experience at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, especially with neurological patients.
“Compared to many of the rehab facilities I have seen, this one is truly state-of-the-art,” says Dr. Xi. “The entire hospital is designed with rehabilitation in mind. There are no steps, and single rooms provide space for the family to not only visit, but stay overnight if necessary. Many rehab facilities do not allow that.”
For many patients, the new hospital allows them to recover from injury and illness that previously would’ve required travel to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for comparable treatment.
“Rehabilitation is about community re-entry for our patients,” Dr. Xi says. “This facility will accommodate that, and always with patient dignity in mind.
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The Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital physical therapy gym
features open space and state-of-the-art equipment. Pictured
here are (from left to right) Leslie Jones, Director of Marketing;
Dr. Fan Xi, Medical Director; and Tammy Ober, CEO. |