For many significant medical procedures, the road to healing and complete recovery doesn’t end with leaving the hospital.
Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Program features a complete team of healthcare professionals trained to help patients recover and discover a higher quality of life post-procedure.
From physical therapy to rehabilitate a joint after an orthopedic procedure to speech therapy to assist a recovering stroke patient in their quest to regain their communication skills, Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s outpatient rehab program combines experts from multiple disciplines to work together as a team from assessment, and evaluation to treatment.
It’s this comprehensive approach that helps encourage each patient’s highest level of independence and ultimately their best quality of life, said Kimberly Gonzalez, Clinical Supervisor of Rehabilitation.
“The level of teamwork at Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s outpatient rehabilitation program is truly second to none,” she said. “We all have our own unique skills and expertise, and we work together to combine those skills and our knowledge for the ultimate benefit of our patients.”
While inpatient rehabilitation is often an important step for patients on the road to recovery, outpatient rehab takes an additional step, continuing the journey after a patient is well enough to leave the hospital.
“Outpatient rehab is a setting in which a patient benefits from aggressive therapy and are well enough to live at home and attend a facility for their treatment,” said Gonzalez, a doctor of occupational therapy who has helped patients lead higher quality lives at Valley Baptist for more than a decade. “Inpatient rehab is a setting in which a patient may have medical necessities in which they can still benefit from aggressive therapy but stay at the facility until they are discharged. Therapy is important to regain strength, mobility, and their independence to engage in their day-to-day routines.”
Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s outpatient rehabilitation team features a staff of six therapists with expert training ranging from occupational to speech therapy, serving more than 100 patients monthly, Gonzalez said.
“Our patients are treated for one hour during one-on-one, personal sessions with a therapist that is appropriate for their healthcare needs,” she said. “Through these sessions, patients will work toward recovering functions that will ultimately improve their quality of life.”
Gonzalez said it is experience and attention paid to each patient’s individual needs that set Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s outpatient rehabilitation program head and shoulders above the rest. Valley Baptist-Brownsville has served generations of families throughout the Rio Grande Valley for 100 years. The outpatient rehabilitation program’s tradition of providing compassionate, high-quality care continues daily.
“I am especially proud of this team. Our census in the outpatient setting has grown over the years, and our team has also grown. We have therapists that have been with us for a year to eighteen years,” she said. “Our team is committed to delivering compassionate care. We take pride in the progress our patients make in achieving their goals.”
To learn more about Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s outpatient rehabilitation program, visit valleybaptist.net/services/physical-therapy/outpatient-rehabilitation.
The Outpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville offers the following services:
Physical Therapy
- Neck, Back, and/or any lower extremity injury or concerns for rehab to address deficits of strength, pain management, sensory issues, edema, and range of motion
- Lymphedema treatment by a certified lymphedema therapist
- Vestibular rehab
- Prosthetic training
- Neuro-developmental Treatment
- Pain Management
- Back to work/functional training
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Pre/Post-rehab for total hip and/or knee replacement
Occupational Therapy
- Any upper extremity injury or concerns for rehab to address deficits of strength, pain management, sensory issues, edema, and range of motion
- Activities of Daily Living Training
- Hand/finger splints
- Fine/Gross Motor coordination
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Pre/Post-rehab for total shoulder replacement
Speech Therapy
- Receptive Language
- Expressive Language
- Cognitive
- Dysphagia
- Oral Motor/Feeding
- Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS)
- Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (Vital Stim)
- Speech-Articulation
- Speech Fluency
- Voice
- Stroke rehabilitation
