Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

A disability or injury can have far-reaching effects on a person's life. At Upstate University Hospital Community Campus, we treat the whole person by bringing together a team of highly trained professionals to work with every aspect of treatment and recovery.

Contact Information

Upstate University Hospital Community Campus
Phone: (315) 492-5231
Fax: (315) 492-5318

Our acute rehabilitation program is an inpatient program that provides ongoing care and prepares the patient to return home with assistance from family members or other health care providers. People find that our program is different from a routine hospital stay - we believe in helping people learn to do as much for themselves as possible. We focus on the person's abilities rather than their disabilities.

Our rehabilitation program treats patients with functional limitations resulting from:

  • Stroke
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Amputations
  • Major multiple trauma
  • Arthritis
  • Hip and knee replacements
  • Hip fracture
  • Congenital deformities
  • Degenerative neurological disorders
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Guillain-Barre Syndrome
    • Parkinson's Disease
    • Other progressive neurological impairments

Common problems benefiting from rehabilitation include:

  • Balance and coordination impairments
  • Inability to swallow
  • Inability to move in bed or from one place to another
  • Problems with self-care skills
  • Cognitive/perceptual deficits or speech problems, in conjunction with physical limitations
  • Inability to work or function in the community due to physical impairment
  • Weakness or limited motion in arms and or legs

Treating the Individual

To be eligible for admission, a patient must:

  • Require more than one form of therapy three hours a day/five days a week or have the potential to build up to three hours a day within 10 days.
  • Be medically stable.
  • Have the potential to improve function or achieve independence.
  • Demonstrate willingness, along with the family, to be involved in a rehabilitation program.
  • Have the potential to return to the community.

A free pre-admission screening is provided to all referred patients by one of the members of the rehabilitation team. The program's physician is responsible for authorizing a patient's admission. In the event a denial occurs, alternative recommendations are provided.

Upstate University Hospital Community Campus's rehabilitation program is covered by most major medical insurance carriers, including Medicare.

Team Approach

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team includes:

  • Supervising rehabilitation physician
  • Rehabilitation nurses
  • Physical/Occupational/Speech therapist
  • Social worker
  • Dietitian

Family members are also an important part of the rehabilitation team. They are encouraged to assist in goal setting, to participate in the care of the patient and to attend scheduled therapy sessions with the patient. The family is educated on the patient's limitations and strengths, and how to help the person continue to improve at home.

The most important member of the team is the patient and success depends upon his/her commitment to reach their goal.

What is the difference between acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing rehabilitation?

  • An acute rehabilitation program (ARP) is required to provide three hours of therapy five days a week whereas a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is not.
  • ARP is required to have a medical staff specially trained in rehabilitation medicine whereas an SNF is not.
  • An Acute Rehab program is required to provide a multidisciplinary team approach to patient treatment whereas an SNF is not.
  • An Acute Rehab program is required to provide 24 hour rehabilitation nursing whereas an SNF is not.

Because no two people will face an injury, illness or the process of aging in exactly the same way, our treatment programs are tailored to meet individual needs. After a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's needs, appropriate goals are set and a treatment program is implemented with the intention of returning the person to the community as independent as possible.

Patients participate in a daily schedule, including:

  • One-on-one therapy
  • Group treatment
  • Community re-entry and adaptive leisure activities
  • Patient and family education
  • Training and support

Patient Admission Process

Referrals are accepted by the department from physicians and other health care providers, discharge planners, case managers, family members and patients themselves.