An Integrated Patient Care Team

At the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, we take a holistic approach to assembling a patient’s core rehabilitation team. These individuals then work together to form an integrated patient care team focused on delivering excellent rehabilitative care.

The Physiatrist

Physiatrists — or physicians certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation — can be described as the team leaders. They look at the whole patient, and diagnose and treat conditions using:

Rehabilitation techniques
Medical management
Pharmacotherapy

Their main objective is to help you restore function and overcome physical limitations following an injury.

The Rehabilitation Nurse

Rehabilitation nurses make sure that your day-to-day needs are met, making them the team members you’ll see most.

They also will:

Help you apply what you are learning to your daily activities
Assist you in putting all of the pieces of your care together
Interact with family and friends to further involvement and cooperation

The Physical Therapist

Physical therapists — also called PTs — work with you to improve function and mobility.

To help you be as independent as possible, PTs use:

Therapeutic exercise
Mobility devices
Techniques for pain relief
Advanced equipment

The Speech-language Pathologist

Your speech-language pathologist — who may be referred to as an SLP — focuses on communication abilities. SLPs work on retraining cognitive functions like memory, attention, and language and may help treat swallowing disorders.

Specific treatment tools can involve:

Logbooks
Calendars
Other communication and cognitive devices

The Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists — also called OTs — work closely with you to regain skills and abilities for daily living, such as:

Eating
Getting dressed
Preparing a meal

OTs also provide you with assistive devices and may offer creative, adaptive solutions, such as:

Orthotics
Tools that help grab or reach for items
Splints
New methods to help you do familiar tasks

Family and Friends

Family members and friends also play an important role in the patient care team.

They receive education about helping the recovery process and making it easier for you to come home. Including family and friends in this process completes the continuum of care to help you live as safely and independently as possible.