2/16/2012 - It was announced in a press release by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, that the compliance date for ICD-10 will be pushed back

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Rehabilitation is a diverse field that contains many players, each with a different role and responsibility towards patient care. Each brings to the table a unique scope of knowledge that is tailored to restoring and rehabilitating each patient’s mind and body. It’s no secret that many patients require the collaborative care of a complete rehab team: Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech-Language Pathologists alike. How does each one fit into the rehab puzzle?

Physical Therapists: Through diagnosis, intervention, and health promotion, Physical Therapists maximize the quality of life and movement potential (range of motion, strength, flexibility, etc.) of their patients. In a long-term care setting, Physical Therapists focus on improving walking ability over all surfaces (level, uneven, stairs) through skilled gait training, education in assistive devices (e.g. canes and walkers), improving bed mobility and transfers, balance, coordination, and hands on manual therapy for improving joint mobility and pain.

Occupational Therapists: Ensuring that patients can successfully perform activities of daily living (ADLs) is of paramount importance to an Occupational Therapist. As the saying goes, a PT will teach you how to get to the kitchen, but an OT will show you what to do once you get there. Occupational Therapists accomplish these goals through a number of different methods including, but not limited to, strength-building exercises, neurological reeducation, orthotic development and fitting, energy conservation training, patient education, and the development of compensatory strategies to accomplish tasks in the face of cognitive, sensory, or physical deficit.

Speech-Language Pathologists: The scope of Speech-Language Pathologists encompasses impairments related to voice; motor speech functions; language comprehension and expression; cognition; and swallowing disorders also known as dysphagia. Swallow function is improved via use of compensatory swallow strategies, oral motor exercises and neuromuscular stimulation targeting oral, pharyngeal, and upper esophageal structures in order to increase one's ability to effectively manipulate various food textures and reduce the risk of aspiration. Additionally, SLPs provide a number of cognitive therapies that improve skills related to sequencing, problem solving, and memory for the purpose of improving overall safety awareness and independence.

Through a synergistic combination of the unique therapies that each of these three disciplines provide, our therapists maximize our patients’ quality of life. When we make reference to quality of life, we are referring to a patient’s physical, social, and emotional well-being. Evergreen Rehab's skilled team of therapists is focused on delivering quality patient care and providing the support and understanding that our patients and their families deserve. For more on Evergreen Rehabilitation's core competencies and our approach to patient care, click here

© 2012 Evergreen Rehabilitation, LLC

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The word ‘hospitality’ often conjures images of an industry devoted to giving people what they want; of posh hotel suites, lavish dinners, and indulgence. But that is only one small aspect of what hospitality is. The word ‘hospitality’ is derived from the Latin hospes, which literally means “guest, host, or stranger.” In the Latin, ‘host’ can be read literally as “lord of strangers,” and here we begin to touch upon what hospitality truly means: to provide for, and respect, one’s guests and to treat them as equals.

Hospitality is commonly associated with the hospitality service industry (resorts, hotels, casinos, etc.) but it also provides the root for the terms hospital, hostel, and hospice. The latter category preserves more of the altruistic, personal care connotation that is at the root of hospitality, but what does hospitality mean to us as healthcare professionals and therapy providers?

For Evergreen Rehab, hospitality means treating everyone with the respect and dignity that they deserve. It means showing common courtesy and goodwill not just to our friends and patients, but to our neighbors, co-workers, and strangers alike. The title of this post is a quote from the late Thomas Merton – monk, poet, and social activist – and we feel it captures the altruism that is at the heart of true hospitality.

We believe that hospitality and courtesy at all levels of our organization is the best practice for maintaining talented, happy employees and providing our patients with the highest standard of care.

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Hillcrest Healthcare Center, an Evergreen Rehab client, has an internal fundraising program, Lucky Stars, designed to make the dreams of their residents come true. Through fundraising, and the combined efforts of Evergreen Rehab and facility staff, residents can have a special trip or event paid for completely (including hotels, food, transportation, etc.) by the Lucky Stars program.

Recently, the Lucky Stars program at Hillcrest helped an 89-year-old World War II Veteran live out his dream of seeing the World War II monument in Washington, D.C. Almer “A.J.” Binkley enlisted in the service when he was only 15-years-old. Binkley said that he had to lie about his age to get in. He soon found himself stationed in Normandy amongst thousands of other young men all prepared to fight, and possibly die, for their country and the courage of their convictions. As Binkley visited the monument in Washington D.C., the memories of his comrades came flooding back to him. His entire trip was spent at the monument, moving up and down the stone walls, running his hands over the names of the young men who had never returned home, remembering.

For the full story and video of Mr. Binkley’s visit to the monument, click here. And thanks again to the team at Hillcrest Healthcare and Lucky Stars for the profound difference they were able to make in this man’s life, as well as the difference they make in the lives of all of their patients on a daily basis. To learn more about how to donate to the Hillcrest Lucky Stars program, click here (.pdf)

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Perhaps you have a little free time on your hands and you’d like to turn it into some extra money by working per diem? Maybe you’d just like to see if the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence? If you found yourself answering in the affirmative to any of these questions, then Evergreen Rehab encourages you to visit www.evergreenrehab.com/careers to see all that we have to offer.

Founded in 2000, Evergreen Rehab is a fast-growing therapy provider currently operating in 18 states. We provide rehab services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, full-service continuing care retirement communities, and outpatient clinics across the nation. At Evergreen, we believe in empowering our employees and therapists by providing competitive compensation and benefits, promoting from within, and providing the latest and most relevant billing and rehab compliance information for our practicing therapists. Who you work for can make all the difference between a job that you tolerate versus a career that you love. There is a reason that Evergreen Rehab enjoys one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. Discover the Evergreen Rehab advantage today!

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