"Rehab is often the difference between remaining independent, and re-learning skills lost due to trauma or injury."
James Stathakios, Jr., M.D., PM&R Co-Medical Director

Today, James Stathakios, Jr., M.D., is the consulting physician at McLaren’s inpatient Medical Rehabilitation Center. His team of clinical nurse specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and speech pathologists surround him for a brief progress conference before seeing the patient. What progress has the patient achieved? What seems to be difficult for the patient? How close are we to meeting the goals agreed to by the patient and the team?

Dr. Stathakios, like his clinical colleague, Dr. Ed Atty, is candid with patients and families about keeping pace with the rehab program. "We recognize this isn’t the Army," says Dr. Stathakios. "At the same time, each patient is responsible for working hard to meet individual goals. At discharge, our hope is they will have achieved enough mobility and function to meet many of their own physical needs."

"Many patients return to one of the six McLaren outpatient satellites for further skills-building. Re-gaining life skills after severe injury, trauma, stroke, heart attack, or other debilitating health conditions is usually a work in progress," says Lori Walters, Director, Therapy Services and Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Conditions that bring patients to the Medical Rehabilitation Center can include heart attacks, strokes, head or spinal cord injuries, limb amputation, orthopedic injury, neurological diseases like Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, and severe arthritis.

Patients must be able to participate in three hours of therapy. Therapy is offered seven days a week by the McLaren Rehab team:

• Inpatient Rehab Unit
• Rehab Physiatrists
• Social Work
• Recreational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy

Treatment can include:

• Strengthening exercises
• Mobility, endurance, and self-care training
• Perception re-training
• Use of adaptive equipment
• Therapeutic recreation
• Counseling to adapt to conditions physically and emotionally
• Driver education
• Cognition therapy (ability to understand and respond)
• Speech or swallowing therapy
• Learning and practicing leisure skills

In an average year, McLaren’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Center serves more than 500 patients. More than two-thirds of patients discharged return to independent or assisted living in the community.

Contact the McLaren Medical Rehabilitation Center by calling (810) 342-2384.