Acute Rehab

The Acute Rehabilitation Unit cares for patients who have suffered a functional loss due to:

Our Rehab team focuses on getting patients home and back into the community. We encourage family and caregiver involvement throughout the rehabilitation program and the discharge planning process.

Medical Leadership

Kala Danushkodi, MD, is one of the Acute Rehab Unit's medical directors. She is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Danushkodi coordinates treatment plans and works closely with patients, families and the care team to help patients achieve the rehabilitation goals.

Adam Schulte, MD, is one of the Acute Rehab Unit's medical directors. He graduated from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Schulte's primary interests are inpatient rehabilitation, physiatry consultation and electrodiagnostic medicine.

Paras Shah, MD. Dr. Shah is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Admissions team. Our clinical liaisons are licensed professionals specially trained to assess patients for inpatient rehabilitation. They help ensure patients understand and meet inpatient rehab criteria, explain what to expect throughout the rehab process, verify benefits, obtain preauthorization for insurance coverage and support a smooth transition from the referring facility to the rehab unit.

Rehab nurses. Our nurses provide care and support 24/7. They are specially trained in rehabilitation nursing, including skin care and wound prevention, medication management, disease management, bowel and bladder care, disease process and prevention education, care coordination and discharge planning. Rehab nurses also help patients practice the skills and techniques they learn in therapy. Throughout the rehab program, nursing staff asks patients to complete certain functional tasks to monitor progress towards rehab goals and help determine the length of stay.

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Patient Care Techs (PCTs). Our CNAs and PCTs collaborate with nurses and therapists to monitor the patient’s progress outside of therapy sessions. They help patients practice the techniques they learn during therapy.

Rehab Techs. Our rehab techs transport patients to and from therapy appointments, assist therapists and nurses and maintain equipment and treatment areas.

Physical Therapists (PTs). Our physical therapists help patients increase independence with mobility improvements. This may include getting in and out of bed, standing up and sitting down, walking, using a wheelchair, navigating stairs and getting in and out of a car. Therapy sessions focus on building strength, endurance, balance and coordination.

Occupational Therapists (OTs). Our occupational therapists help patients increase their independence with everyday activities, such as grooming, bathing, dressing, getting in and out of a tub or shower and using the toilet. Other areas of focus may include feeding techniques, meal preparation, housekeeping, hobbies and returning to community activities

Speech Therapists (STs). Our speech therapists help patients increase their independence with communication, problem solving, memory skills, social interaction, medication management and swallowing.

Case Managers (CMs). Our case managers coordinate and communicate each patient’s plan of care, facilitate family and caregiver involvement throughout the rehab process and help with discharge planning.

Additional team members may include:

• Dietitian - Provides nutritional counseling
• Orthotist - Designs and fits supportive devices
• Prosthetist - Designs and fits prosthetic devices
• Pharmacist - Manages medications and provides education
• Psychologist - Supports mental health and emotional well-being
• Respiratory therapist - Teaches breathing techniques and supports lung health
• Chaplain - Offers spiritual care and support

Program Features

Our ARU has 48 private rooms, an 1,800-square-foot gym and a car simulator.

Our home-simulated activity rooms include a kitchen and washer/dryer used to train patients how to perform daily living tasks so they can make a safer transition from hospital to home.

Another feature that sets our ARU apart from other facilities is its location inside the NKC Health hospital campus, which gives patients access to a full medical staff in case of an emergency or complex health condition.

Bioness

NKC Health now offers two rehabilitation devices that help patients regain mobility and independence. Our Bioness^® lower extremity and hand function systems help people living with:

• Brain injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury
• Stroke
• Other central nervous system disorders

Goal Tracking

One way we encourage patient and family involvement during the recovery is through RehabTracker.

The RehabTracker app lets patients:

• View their personalized goals
• See and track their progress in real time
• Share their progress with friends and family
• Receive messages of support from loved ones