Knox Community Hospital’s Acute Rehabilitation Services unit offers care for patients experiencing serious, debilitating illnesses.
The overall goal is to restore independence and return them to their homes and communities. Approximately 74% of patients admitted to an acute rehabilitation unit return home.
“An acute in-patient rehab unit is highly specialized for patients who have experienced things like strokes, orthopedic traumas, traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries,” Medical Director Dr. Jonathan Pedrick said.
Situated on the hospital’s fifth floor, the department includes a gym for physical and occupational therapy; eight private patient rooms and a group dining room with a kitchen, washer and dryer.
“Previously, hospital care at this level has had to be completed out-of-county either in Columbus, Mansfield or Newark,” Pedrick said. “So we're bringing this level of care to the community within Knox County and the surrounding area.”
The hospital’s rehab investment includes trained nurses in rehabilitation nursing covering both daytime and nighttime shifts and a hospitalist who oversees the patients’ medical care. Pedrick is responsible for advancing the unit’s services to other hospitals and care providers.
“I’m in charge of general marketing and developing the referral patterns and making connections with the larger hospital systems in the region so that once patients receive more specialized treatment from larger hospitals outside of Knox County, they can then return to Mount Vernon for their rehabilitation,” the physician said.
Pedrick said different aspects of rehabilitation are offered at KCH, including physical, occupational and speech therapy. Speech therapists work to improve cognition and even the ability to swallow. Occupational therapy focuses on activities of daily living like dressing, feeding or bathing. Physical therapy focuses on being able to stand, balance or walk with assistance, independently or using adaptive equipment or a wheelchair if needed.
Because losing one’s independence after a stroke or other illness can affect a patient’s emotional state, part of the rehab regimen targets mental health.
“Patients who suffer acute strokes and life-changing injuries tend to suffer from what we call an ‘adjustment disorder,'” Pedrick said. Losing independence takes “a psychological toll on all human beings. What we can provide is actual guidance and a timeline toward recovery. Once patients see the healing process in motion, they start to improve from a psychological standpoint.”
Pedrick is also an assistant professor at Ohio State University and said his father was a longtime oncologist at KCH. Observing the impact of cancer, combined with an interest in science, Pedrick was inspired to pursue a medical career in rehabilitation.
“We get to see people at some of the toughest times and lowest moments in their lives and help guide them through the recovery and healing process,” he said.
According to Pedrick, KCH’s Acute Rehabilitation Unit offers something unique to the community.
“We are bringing rehabilitation expertise to Knox Community Hospital, something Knox County has not had previously,” he said. “Now, families no longer have to commute to see their loved ones while they’re undergoing rehabilitation.”
