Nurse assisting patient in wheelchair down a hallway

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

A Personal Approach to SCI Rehab

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects a person’s total way of life, which is why it is vital to offer a broad range of services to address a patient’s full spectrum of needs. The comprehensive Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at Helen Hayes Hospital cares for the patient throughout the continuum, from intensive inpatient rehabilitation through outpatient therapy, ongoing medical care, and sports and wellness programs. Our philosophy is to let the patient be our guide, helping our skilled specialists design an individualized treatment plan to meet the patient’s specific needs and goals, while preventing future complications from SCI.

Each patient receives spinal cord injury treatment from an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team under the direction of a board certified physician with a specialty in spinal cord injury. Working collaboratively toward the patient’s goals, the team consists of physical, occupational and speech therapists, rehabilitation nurses, case managers, psychologists, dieticians, and other committed professionals. The team encourages a patient’s family and caregivers to participate in the rehabilitation process through frequent visits and patient/family education and conferences.

Program Admissions

Individuals who have sustained a complete or incomplete spinal cord injury due to trauma, acts of violence, tumors, sports injuries, spinal stenosis, compression fractures, and transverse myelitis are all candidates for inpatient rehabilitation. The Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation team also treats patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS  /Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and peripheral nervous system disorders, as well as myopathies and muscular dystrophies.

Located in New York’s Hudson Valley, the program serves patients from throughout the New York Metropolitan region, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and also from across the country.

Customized SCI Treatment Plan

The strength of the HHH Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Program is its capacity to address all of the complex effects of spinal cord injury, including paraplegia and quadriplegia, respiratory disorders, bowel and bladder dysfunction, skin care and wounds, and spasticity, as well as emotional and psychological issues related to adjustment to a new way of life. Patients with SCI are admitted directly into our specially designed and equipped spinal cord injury unit, which offers round-the-clock monitoring and the capability to care for patients with feeding tubes and ventilators. The acute rehabilitation program provides a full spectrum of services, along with access to highly specialized care and state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

Follow-Up Care

Following inpatient rehabilitation, SCI patients may benefit from HHH’s full continuum of care, including:

Helen Hayes Hospital is home to the United Spinal Association Hudson Valley Chapter, a peer advocacy program: Click to learn more

For comprehensive educational materials on SCI, please click here.

 

"I am proud to say that I am able to walk and do many things that I thought I would never be able to do again. [Your staff] gave me the courage and determination I needed to accomplish many feats…your entire hospital is run by angels and you are performing miracles every day." 

For more information, please contact the
Helen Hayes Hospital Admission Referral Center:

1-888-70-REHAB ext. 4535
845-786-4535
info@helenhayeshospital.org

To schedule a guided tour,
call 845-786-4118