Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington revamps to enhance services, boost convenience

Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, previously in separate locations, are now in one space, boosting the convenience factor for patients at the Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital.

Sweeping design changes overall have created one-third more useable work space, expanding the designated area for outpatient therapy. The open floor plan also facilitates the flow of ideas and spirit of cooperation among colleagues, and enhances collaboration with nurses caring for inpatients. For example, nurses can come into the gym and give their patients their medications if they need to, see how they are progressing in therapies, and communicate with therapists to ensure carryover of learned skills after patients return to their room.

Removing large, floor-to-ceiling modules, such as a life-size car for testing patient mobility, yielded dual benefits, freeing up floor space and increasing natural light. The improvements also made room for more equipment, suchas a machine that helps patients to build strength in their lower extremities.

Wilmington Hospital’s outpatient rehab currently records about 11,000 patient visits a year, but the new, more efficient operation will enable the center to care for more people and offer more services, including a specialized program for people with Parkinson’s disease.