Owatonna Hospital partners with Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
OWATONNA, Minn. 10/26/2009--The Center for Rehab & Wellness Center at Owatonna Hospital has partnered with Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute bringing their renowned rehabilitation resources to the Owatonna community to help patients recover from injury or illness.
"We’ve always delivered top notch, high quality rehabilitation care," says David Albrecht, president, Owatonna Hospital. "By partnering with Sister Kenny, whose sole purpose is rehabilitation, we’re able to provide enhanced care and access to best of practice."
When the new hospital opened Friday, Oct. 16, the Center for Rehab & Wellness became Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – Owatonna. "You can expect the same excellent care and service delivered by our expert therapists, but with more specialty services," says Linda Hoffman, occupational therapist and manager of Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – Owatonna.
Sister Kenny is the leading rehabilitation provider in the region. The Institute provides rehabilitative care at six other Twin Cities hospitals and multiple Sister Kenny Sports & Physical Therapy Center locations. This new partnership combines the strength of all those therapy teams and allows for better sharing of evidence-based clinical best practices to provide exceptional care to patients.
Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – Owatonna offers physical, occupational and speech therapy for children and adults and treats a variety of conditions, including brain, hand and orthopedic conditions, lymphedema, adult incontinence and stroke rehabilitation. The center also offers cardiac rehabilitation and senior wellness programs.
Located in the new Owatonna Hospital, Sister Kenny has its own entrance on the northwest side of the hospital with convenient parking. The new location means all therapy services can now be provided in one location, rather than spread around the hospital, as in the past.
"Team members now work together much more efficiently and offer patients more comprehensive care," says Hoffman. "For example, many patients who need occupational therapy also benefit from physical therapy. These services are now located right next to each other."
Other improvements include a full kitchen and accessible training bathroom for occupational therapy as well as a dedicated pediatric treatment area featuring a climbing wall, gym and private treatment rooms. Physical therapy and cardiac rehab services will be enhanced by the generous donation of new exercise equipment from CYBEX International. The Owatonna community also will benefit from a new therapeutic pool at Sister Kenny once construction is complete later this winter.
About the Institute
Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is the leading rehabilitation provider in the upper Midwest. The Institute is named after Sister Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian woman trained in nursing — the title "Sister" is used in British countries to designate a head nurse. Elizabeth Kenny’s work with polio patients and her pioneering principles of muscle rehabilitation helped lay the foundation for modern physical therapy.
Today, the Institute provides rehabilitative services to more than 70,000 patients a year who experience an injury, pain or disease at six Allina Hospitals, including Abbott Northwestern, United, Unity, Mercy, Buffalo and Owatonna Hospitals. Sister Kenny Sports & Physical Therapy Centers are located throughout the Twin Cities. Sister Kenny specializes in treating stroke patients, spinal cord injury, brain injury, work or sports- related injuries and neurological or muscular disorders including arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, speech-language disorders and chronic pain.
About Owatonna Hospital
Part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Owatonna Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves in and around Steele County. Owatonna Hospital provides a full range of health care services including a birth center, emergency care, surgery and rehabilitation. Allina has built a replacement hospital in Owatonna, off Interstate 35. # # #
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