Annual Report 2010 - Gifford Medical Center

hospital division
Left, physical therapist Patrice Conard, seated,
helps a patient get back on her feet in Gifford’s
inpatient gym.
Right, physical therapy assistant Eric Christensen
assists total-knee replacement patient Walter
Goodrich with strengthening exercises.
A key spoke in the circle of care:
Inpatient rehabilitation at Gifford
Alice Jones, 65, of Randolph had hip replacement
surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in
November. She stayed at Dartmouth for a couple of days
and then chose to return to her medical home – Gifford
– for inpatient rehabilitation.
Inpatient rehabilitation is often needed following a
surgery, like a knee or hip replacement, an accident, an
acute illness or pneumonia to help patients return to home
and hopefully, independence.
At Gifford, inpatient rehabilitation includes physical,
occupational and speech therapies as well as skilled nursing,
hospitalist care and social services.
Alice spent a total of five days rehabilitating at Gifford,
receiving physical therapy and occupational therapy in the
mornings and then a second round of physical therapy in
the afternoons.
The physical therapists got her moving, she says. And,
“Occupational therapy was great. They showed me how
to do things … get dressed and use the grabber to get my
clothes.”
Gifford Rehabilitation
“They’ve
done good
by me.”
Elwin Pierce,
Warren
Manager Eric Medved explains
that for people like Alice the
program – with its dedicated
caregivers and gym space –
“closes the gap” between
having surgery and returning
home.
“We can ensure you have the
necessary skills to transition
to home,” agrees Hospital Division Vice President Linda
Minsinger.
Elwin Pierce of Warren knows all about that. He spent
six weeks at Gifford in the fall recovering and rehabilitating
from a bad infection in his knee that required part of a past
knee replacement to be removed.
He was referred to Gifford from another hospital for his
rehabilitation, and Elwin was glad for the experience.
“They’ve done good by me,” the 69-year-old lifelong
Vermonter says. “Before I wasn’t moving much, and I
was pretty sick when I went in. They got me better. I
had physical therapy twice a day. They taught me how to
handle a walker again.”
Prior to transferring to Gifford, Elwin didn’t know
Gifford even had a rehabilitation unit. He’s not alone.
Many locals don’t know the service exists. But it does, and
as Elwin and Alice found out, it’s a quality program.
“We manage your care along the spectrum,” providing
“continuity of care,” Eric says. From your initial visit with
your primary care provider, to your visit with the surgeon,
to your surgery, to your inpatient stay, to your inpatient
rehabilitation, to your outpatient rehabilitation and doctors
visits – your care is coordinated by Gifford’s health care
professionals working collaboratively to get you better, and
get you home.
For Alice: “Gifford was my first choice.” She receives
her primary care at Gifford and was completing the circle
of care by following up with outpatient physical therapy at
Gifford’s Kingwood Health Center.
Gifford’s Best Kept Secrets - 8 -
Annual Report 2010