Program Overview - Inpatient Rotations
Inpatient PM&R Service at UW Hospital
Residents develop a progressive level of expertise in managing general medical and functional problems encountered in people with acute and chronic disabilities. The focus of inpatient rehabilitation is identifying the barriers to discharge and setting goals for functional skill levels for patients. The inpatient rehabilitation service sees patients with a wide range of functional impairments including spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, neuromuscular disease, burns, amputations, post-surgical impairments, and disabilities associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and/or prolonged hospital stays.
Residents help to establish and supervise the plan of rehabilitative care while managing patients’ medical issues. They lead interdisciplinary team conferences and family conferences under the supervision of the attending faculty, and learn valuable case management and team leadership skills. Members of the treatment team include nurses; occupational, physical, speech and recreational therapists; health psychologists; social workers; vocational counselors; and others. Residents learn the roles, responsibilities, and skill sets of each member of the treatment team, and learn to direct the team’s efforts toward maximal independence for the patient. Discharge planning is also emphasized, including outpatient follow-up and therapy, obtaining medical equipment, as well as coordinating community resources for patients.
Inpatient PM&R Service at Central Wisconsin Center
Central Wisconsin Center (CWC) is a state residential and short-term treatment facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. It is located in Madison, WI. This rotation is designed to provide training in the care of individuals with severe disabilities. Residents work in the Short-Term Care Unit, which admits individuals from the community for acute medical needs, post-operative care, or to help coordinate medical care. Responsibilities include admissions, daily care, and discharge summaries focusing on both medical and rehabilitative needs. Multi-disciplinary team meetings and family meetings are run by the resident and PM&R faculty. Residents directly coordinate rehabilitation needs and equipment needs with the therapists at CWC. Observation of therapists is readily available, including participation with audiology, recreation therapy, education, custom wheelchair development, and psychiatry.
Procedure experience is also available for Botox and phenol injections during this rotation. Other specialty clinic exposure is available since specialists from UW Hospital also provide care and have clinics at CWC, including neurology, orthopedics, and neurosurgery.
Inpatient PM&R Service at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital
Gundersen Lutheran Hospital is located in La Crosse, WI. La Crosse is a community of 50,000 people in western Wisconsin, about 2.5 hours from Madison, WI. Gundersen Lutheran Hospital is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as the Western Academic Campus. They have multiple residency programs at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, including general surgery, transitional residency, internal medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, podiatric medicine and surgery, sports physical therapy, pharmacy practice, and fellowship training for minimally invasive bariatric surgery and advanced laparoscopy.
Inpatient PM&R at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital allows residents to experience a community hospital setting and a more traditional rehabilitation medicine service. This rotation is typically scheduled after all other inpatient rotations have been completed since it allows the resident more autonomy. Residents work directly with PM&R staff at Gundersen Lutheran to run the inpatient rehabilitation unit and also perform consults in the hospital.
Residents are encouraged to take advantage of other opportunities for learning at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital. The Industrial Rehab Center is available to learn about vocational rehabilitation and work hardening. Procedures such as trigger point injections, joint injections and prolotherapy are available as well.
Furnished housing is provided within walking distance of Gundersen Lutheran Hospital. Meals are provided for both morning and lunch teaching sessions (grand rounds, case presentations, lectures, etc). Families or significant others are welcome to accompany residents to La Crosse, WI.
Consultation Service
Residents on the consult service see patients at UW Hospital at the request of other inpatient services, mainly trauma, neurosurgery, neurology, and orthopedics. The focus of this rotation is assessing whether patients meet acute inpatient rehabilitation unit admission criteria and determining whether the inpatient rehabilitation unit is the most appropriate place for the patient. Communication and systems-based practice is emphasized in this rotation with coordination of patient care between multiple medical services, social work, and nursing.
• Overview
Rehabilitation UW Department of Orthopedics
and Rehabilitation
First published: 12/25/02 Last updated: 11/24/09 webmaster@ortho.wisc.edu
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