Acute Rehabilitation Comes to the Antelope Valley

March 30, 2017
Acute Rehabilitation Comes to the Antelope Valley

Palmdale Regional CEO Richard Allen (center) and Mayor James Ledford do the honors in a ribbon cutting ceremony while others look on.

"We're providing a service in the community that nobody else is providing. Patients no longer have to travel out of the area for this specialized care. They can now find it right here, close to home."
— Ryan Tingey, Associate Administrator

The Rehabilitation Institute at Palmdale Regional Medical Center is now open to help patients recovering from stroke, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and other disabling physical and neurological conditions.

The Institute features 27 private rooms with their own bathrooms and 24-hour nursing support. A skilled therapy team provides individualized care to help patients regain function and improve their quality of life.

“The goal is to focus on what patients will need when they leave the facility,” explains Teresa Mendoza, RN, Nursing Director of Rehabilitation Services. “For example, a patient who has suffered a stroke may need to learn how to communicate or walk again,” she says. For other patients with multiple traumatic injuries, the goal may be to restore function so they can go back to work, she says.

Three hours of speech, occupational and/or physical therapy are required each day — plus, patients can practice daily living tasks in shared spaces, including a full kitchen.

“We want to provide a more realistic setting, where patients can work on getting back to their regular routines,” says Ryan Tingey, who oversaw the opening of the new unit.

Gyms at the Institute provide dedicated therapy spaces with equipment to help improve balance, function and endurance. The program also offers a robotic Vector Gait & Safety System®, which provides weight-bearing support to help patients who are relearning how to walk.

As patients are preparing to transition out of the unit, they and their family members can spend time in the facility’s transitional apartment, where patients can practice being more independent with the support of trained care providers nearby.

“To see a patient leave us with a higher level of independence and healing is a success for us,” Mendoza says. “We’re excited about the unit and the difference we can make throughout the High Desert region.”

Celebrating a Very Special First

The Rehabilitation Institute is making a difference already for patients in the community — and for visitors to the area as well. We thank the facility’s first patient, Barry Kiel of Minnesota, for taking time out to share his experience.

Barry was visiting family in Ridgecrest last December when he suffered his second stroke in less than a year. On December 27, he was transferred to the Rehabilitation Institute at Palmdale Regional where he became the first patient to be cared for in the new unit.

While at the Institute, Barry focused on mobility, balance and the use of his legs and his right arm and hand. He had speech therapy to help with language and occupational therapy to work on daily activities. “It was strenuous,” he says. “I worked hard to progress.”

“I felt the therapists were very supportive and right on in their assessment and the things they gave me to do,” he says. “All the nurses and therapists were very skilled and professional,” he says.

Beyond the physical work, Barry says he was strengthened by the emotional support he received — first from his wife, Karen, who was with him every day and was an integral part of his therapy, and also from the Institute’s staff. “We became friends,” he says.

Barry is now back at home in Minnesota, continuing to work on his recovery. “I’d like to publicly thank the rehab unit and the therapists,” he says, remarking on the positive experience he and his wife had. “We are very grateful.”

Following your stay at the Rehabilitation Institute, specialty care is available through outpatient therapy and other services at Palmdale Regional.

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Outpatient Rehabilitation

The Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute at Palmdale Regional can provide specialized care to help patients when they leave the inpatient unit, says Youngsun Kim, DPT, OCS, SCS, Manager of Outpatient Therapy. "We communicate with the inpatient team and can ensure consistency," he says. The therapy team continually works to improve the patient experience, he notes. "We are pleased that many of our patients have had very good things to say about the care they've received," he says.

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