Rehabilitation Services

If you or a loved one have a condition that requires rehabilitation as a patient in our hospital, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital’s Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation offers an extensive array of early rehabilitation care to begin the recovery process. The program also is supported by many other Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital resources – all of which are available to meet patients’ needs. Together, these programs enable our team to provide the most comprehensive rehabilitation services during your stay.

Personalized Rehabilitation Plans

All patients admitted to Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation are evaluated by a team of providers skilled in rehabilitation care. Our interdisciplinary approach and community reintegration activities focus on relearning skills that allow patients to return home and increase their independence. Whether you are in the hospital for orthopedic surgery, heart care or as a stroke or trauma patient, be assured that you will receive a personalized rehabilitation treatment plan focused on your individual needs and goals. Treatment plans include participation from family or caregivers as well. 

Our Team

Weekly meetings with the team review patient progress and revise goals, if needed. Our interdisciplinary clinical team includes:

• Medical director and physicians board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Physical and occupational therapists
• Speech-language pathologist
• Nurse case manager
• Nursing staff, specially trained in rehabilitation nursing
• Admission nurse liaison
• Dietitians
• Pharmacists
• Pastoral Care

Our team is committed to providing quality and compassionate care, together with innovative technology, to positively impact every patient’s life.

Admission Assessment

Our goal at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital’s Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation is to provide the highest level of rehabilitation care for patients and their families. Each patient is thoroughly assessed prior to admission to our program, to determine eligibility and weigh the benefit of rehabilitation care, based on their condition.

To be eligible for admission, the individual must meet these criteria:

• Requires daily access to a rehabilitation physician, who will oversee the medical needs and functional plan of care
• Requires 24-hour rehabilitation nursing care
• Needs at least two types of therapy (physical, occupational, speech)
• Is able to tolerate a demanding therapy regimen, consisting of a minimum of three hours of therapy per day, five days a week
• Has the ability to demonstrate weekly progress and achieve rehabilitation goals

If accepted, the patient will need to have:

• A minimum of four changes of clothing (labeled with the patient’s initials)
• Sleepwear
• Shoes and jacket
• Any specialized assistive devices used prior to hospitalization; standard canes, walkers and wheelchairs are provided

Transitioning Home

The average length of stay on the Rehabilitation Unit varies for all patients. Discharge planning begins on the day of arrival to our program. This will include the patient and their support system who will assist at the time of discharge. The rehabilitation team will recommend and set up any services and equipment needed to ensure a safe and successful transition to home.

Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital’s Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation services are covered by most major medical insurance providers, including Medicare. To learn more about our services, contact us at (727) 893-6795.

Bayfront Health St. Petersburg’s Outpatient Rehabilitation provides evaluation and treatment of patients with a wide range of orthopedic, neurological or musculoskeletal conditions. From chronic pain issues to recovery from a surgical procedure or injury, our rehabilitation specialists provide a range of services to help you return to your highest level of function and achieve your recovery goals — whether that means performing daily personal care activities or returning to work or sports. Every individual is different, so our rehabilitation team provides a customized recovery plan tailored to the unique needs and abilities of each patient.

Our Facility and Services

Our Outpatient Rehabilitation services are provided at the Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Family Health Center, conveniently located on our hospital campus. This facility offers:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech-language pathology
• Case management

Our rehabilitation team includes skilled, caring professionals committed to providing quality care and support to help you get back to doing the things that matter most to you, as quickly as possible. For more information about outpatient rehabilitation services, call (727) 893-6747.

Bayfront Health St. Petersburg's Occupational Therapy Team provides evaluation and treatment for patients with a wide range of orthopedic, neurological or musculoskeletal and cognitive diagnoses. From chronic pain issues to recovery from surgical procedure or injury, our rehabilitation specialists provide a wide range of services to help you return to your highest level of function and work toward your recovery goals - whether that means performing daily personal care activities or returning to work or sports. Every individual is different so our rehabilitation team provides a customized recovery plan tailored to the unique needs and abilities of each patient.

At Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, our physical therapists treat a variety of conditions to help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit physical disabilities. Our physical therapists treat a variety of diagnoses, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), neurological diagnoses (Stroke, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS)), and vestibular, post surgical and orthopedic/musculoskeletal conditions to help restore, maintain, and promote overall wellness. We offer specific treatments for vestibular rehabilitation and LSVT BIG for Parkinson's Disease.

Just as every person has different rehabilitation needs, specific illnesses and conditions present their own unique rehabilitation requirements. Bayfront Health St. Petersburg is able to offer rehabilitation programs that address all of these variables. Focused therapies and resources ensure each patient receives the unique care and support they need regardless of their condition. In addition to clinical care, our therapists serve as educators to empower patients, family members and caregivers with information and knowledge to meet any recovery challenges. They also help motivate patients through the support and encouragement needed to succeed.

Our multidisciplinary rehabilitation team provides care and support in many focused areas of rehabilitation care, including:

• Arthritis – Stretching, exercise and pain management therapies to preserve and improve range of motion
• Cancer – Recovery strategies focused on managing side effects and regaining strength and movement
• Heart and vascular conditions – Exercise, diet and education to aid in improving overall heart health
• Joint replacement – A focus on physical rehabilitation for regaining mobility and returning to normal activities
• Neurological conditions – Treatment for cognitive, physical and emotional needs to regain the highest possible level of independence
• Pulmonary conditions – Building endurance to reduce symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue

Speech-language pathology is a type of rehabilitation therapy that cares for patients with disabilities affecting speech and language cognition and swallowing abilities. In addition to therapists, a multidisciplinary team that includes ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctors, neurologists and other experts provide comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for a variety of conditions, including:

• Cognitive communication disorders (memory and problem-solving)
• Language disorders (aphasia)
• Motor speech disorders (dysarthria, apraxia)
• Speech conditions caused by Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders
• Swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
• Voice disorders (dysphonia)

Our speech-language pathologists provide customized treatment plans for each patient’s unique challenges, utilizing a range of treatment options, such as:

• Cognitive retraining after stroke or other neurological impairments
• Customized exercises to strengthen muscles used in speaking or swallowing
• Electrical stimulation, such as VitalStim therapy, to retrain motor nerves in the throat used in swallowing
• Evaluation and training for communication devices 
• Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) to aid in treating communication issues caused by Parkinson’s disease
• Nutrition or diet modifications