Rehabilitation Services consists of therapists and support staff for the disciplines of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy. The role of a therapist is to assist patients to regain function, such as mobility, self care, and communication skills due to accidents, injuries or medical conditions. Therapists provided services to both inpatients and outpatients at Denver Health. Therapists work closely with physicians and other ancillary services to promote optimal functional independence for patients and to assist with the transition back to the community.
In addition to direct patient care, therapists also provide training to family members and caregivers in order to promote patient safety and well-being following discharge from therapy services. Likewise, therapists provide training to co-workers for prevention of work-related injuries.
Rehabilitation Services Clinics and Specialty Programs:
Work Rehabilitation and Pre-employment Screening
Orthotic’s Clinic
Orthopeadic Pre-Operative Clinic
Amputee – Brace Clinic
Adult & Pediatric Wheelchair Clinics
Hand Therapy
Early Intervention Community Speech Group
Breast Cancer Rehabilitation
Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
Major Multiple Trauma Rehabilitation
Research
Funded by the Komen Foundation, "Cancer Rehabilitation for Minority or Low Income Breast Cancer Patients" is a three year project with the overall objective of conducting a vanguard randomized control trial to test the feasibility of a comprehensive cancer rehabilitation program for Hispanic and low income breast cancer patients.
Patients are enrolled for this study through the Denver Health Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Clinic. All patient participants are referred to outpatient PT/OT. Patients are assigned to either a control group or an active group for therapy follow-up at the Denver Health Outpatient Therapy clinic. Those assigned to the control group are followed periodically in outpatient PT/OT for 6 to 8 sessions over a 12 week period. Those patients assigned to the active group are seen for an intensive therapy program for approximately 15 PT/OT visits over a six-week period and subsequently referred to a community-based exercise program upon discharge from therapy. This research grant will run through April 2007.