Our department physicians serve as medical directors and admitting physicians for Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospitals. Each year, our patients benefit from expert rehabilitation care provided by our unified academic faculty, who have access to the full range of specialty consultants, sophisticated laboratory and imaging resources, and Cleveland Clinic treatment protocols and carepaths. In addition, care in all of our rehabilitation hospitals is organized by a single electronic medical record and ordering system, promoting the best communication with doctors and caregivers throughout the health system.
An Overview of our Rehabilitation Services
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation emphasizes a multidisciplinary team approach. This team, under the guidance of the Department Chairman, Frederick Frost, MD, coordinates its efforts to effectively manage any special needs of the patient.
Patients with multiple medical problems also benefit from having access to all of Cleveland Clinic’s more than 2800 physicians in over 120 medical specialties and subspecialties in one location.
Our full range of rehab services includes acute inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, outpatient care and home care services. This broad spectrum enables us to address the needs of the individual during each phase of the rehabilitation process, as well as when transitioning from one phase to the next. This continuum allows us to effectively coordinate inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation to help people maintain the gains they have achieved as inpatients.
Our Rehabilitation Team
- Physiatrists (physicians who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation) are responsible for the patient's overall medical care, and for the coordination of therapies and services provided by the rehabilitation team.
- Physical Therapists assess, evaluate and treat patients' physical abilities. They develop treatment programs to help patients maximize their mobility and minimize pain through exercise and training.
- Occupational Therapists assist patients in developing the skills necessary for activities of daily living such as getting dressed, taking a shower, or eating. They evaluate patients' ability and develop treatment programs to help patients achieve a maximum level of independence.
- Rehabilitation Nurses work with other team members to help patients achieve the very best outcomes in terms of health, independence and function.
- Orthotists asses the needs of patients who require support for their spine, an arm or leg. Often, an orthosis (brace) is custom fabricated at Cleveland Clinic to specifically meet the needs of the patient.
- Prosthetists design prostheses (artificial limbs) for patients who have undergone an amputation or present with a congenital anomaly. The prosthesis is custom designed for each patient to fulfill individualized needs.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors evaluate patients with disabilities and make recommendations to ensure they have the resources and knowledge to live successfully, be meaningfully employed, and enjoy being productive members of the community.
