Frazier Rehab Institute
Working with the right rehabilitation hospital can be critical to your health and well-being, but often times, knowing the right questions to ask of a given rehab hospital can be daunting at best. Rehabilitation hospitals may all have different approaches, different staff qualifications and expertise, and different areas of specialization. Where to start? Here.
Based on real-life questions that every consumer should ask, this question-and-answer checklist is meant to help you identify which rehabilitation hospital will best meet your needs. See how the leading rehabilitation hospitals answer these key questions, as we continue to expand the number of rehab hospitals included.
Families are encouraged to take notes when asking these questions as a way to both compare programs and understand what to expect of the rehabilitation facility chosen.
- How many patients who have injuries similar to the patient I know are treated per year at this facility?
- 1920 patients in 2008
- Orthopedic 24.5%
- Stroke 17.5%
- Brain Injury 16.9%
- Spinal Cord 7.7%
- Neurologic 5.5%
- Movement Disorders 4.3%
- General 8%
- Pulmonary 5.8%
- Cardiac 3.6%
- Amputee 6.1%
- How many patients are being treated for this type of injury right now?
- Frazier Rehab Institute is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation for Rehab Facilities (CARF), as well as Joint Commission. Specialty programs include Stroke, Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. Frazier has specialized in these areas since 1954.
- Are there patients here whose ages are about the same as the patient I know?
- 1920 patients in 2008
- Ages 0-17 were 4.7%
- Ages 18-64 were 47%
- Age 65 and older were 48.3%
- Is the facility a specialty center, and if so, for how long has it focused on that specialization? What specialty accreditations does the facility have?
- Frazier Rehab Institute is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation for Rehab Facilities (CARF), as well as Joint Commission. Specialty programs include Stroke, Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. Frazier has specialized in these areas since 1954.
- How many years of experience do the physicians have, on average? Staff?
- 20+ years
- Staff?
- 7+ years
- How long have the physicians practiced at the facility? Are they full-time or part-time?
- 10-15 years
- Are they full-time or part-time?
- Both.
- Which physicians, therapists, and other professionals will work with the patient I know?
- Physician, Board Certified in Physiatry (specialist in rehab medicine)
- Nurse
- Case Manager
- Registered Dietitian
- Physical, Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists
- Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and “Madison” our facility dog
- Pulmonary Rehab Clinician
- Psychology Professional
- Neuropsychologist
- Who will be the patient’s primary physician, and does he/she specialize in this particular injury?
- The physician caring for the patient will be a physiatrist, who is a physician specially trained in rehabilitation medicine.
- Is air transportation available?
- Air transportation is always an option for patients whose medical conditions require it. The care manager at the referring facility will coordinate this if appropriate.
- Are specialty education programs available for patients and families? What are they?
- Brain Injury Family Education Group
- Stroke Education Group for families of stroke survivors
- Stroke Survivor Peer Visitor Program where stroke patients can work with peer stroke survivors
- Neuro Rehab Program, an outpatient day program for brain injury survivors which has a focus on community reintegration
- Spinal Cord Medicine Patient / Family Education Group
- Pulmonary Education Group
- What is the family’s role? What are the policies regarding family visitation?
- Family involvement is encouraged, and a primary caregiver must be identified prior to a patient being admitted to Frazier. Part of the treatment includes caregiver/family education so that the patient has an adequately trained caregiver to assist in recovery once returning home. Also, Frazier involves the patient’s family in weekly family teaching sessions with the rehab team to learn about the patient’s care and progress.
- A family member can stay overnight with the patient if appropriate, and visiting hours are from 9:00 AM-9:30PM.
- Is there designated low cost housing available near your facility?
- A primary caregiver is allowed to stay, even overnight if appropriate, with the patient in the patient’s room.
- For family members of pediatric patients, the Ronald McDonald House is available less than a block away.
- For family members needing accommodations, the Hospitality House provides a place to stay for a very minimal cost. Hospitality House is located a few blocks away.
- Frazier Rehab Institute also has a low, negotiated rate with the Hampton Inn located nearby. Shuttle service is available.
- Who will help with discharge planning before the patient comes home?
- Each patient is assigned a designated Case Manager who will assist with the coordination of services and follow-up after discharge.
- Are long-term follow-up services provided? If so, what are they?
- Frazier Rehab Institute offers 23 outpatient therapy locations in Louisville and Southern Indiana, as well as 3 hospital based outpatient therapy departments for ongoing physical, occupational and speech therapy services.
- Are the physicians and staff currently involved with research and training? If so, in what areas?
- Frazier Rehab Institute, in partnership with the University of Louisville, is the only facility in the region specializing in Movement Disorders/Parkinsons treatment and research under the direction of Dr. Irene Litvan.
- Frazier Rehab Institute is the lead center in the country of the Neuro Recovery Network. Frazier is pioneering research and treatment of spinal cord injuries under the direction of Dr. Susie Harkema of the University of Louisville and funding from the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
- Most nurses at Frazier are Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses.
- What is the caseload size for the nursing, treatment, and counseling staff?
- The average patient to nurse ratio is 1 nurse for every 5-7 patients, depending on the acuity of the patients.
