Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy is a health care specialty involved with evaluating, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to restore maximal functional independence to each individual patient. To achieve this goal, physical modalities such as exercise, heat, cold and massage are utilized.
Physical therapy is provided by physical therapists who are licensed health care professionals with a master’s or doctorate degree in physical therapy. Physical therapists evaluate, diagnose, and manage the physical therapy treatment plan, customizing it to the patient’s needs.
Physical therapy is ordered by a physician when it is felt that such a course of treatment would be beneficial. It is offered to a wide variety of patient’s for a variety of different reasons.
Physical therapy is useful in treating many different medical disorders. Sport and orthopedic injuries, neurological and muscular illness, as well as cardiopulmonary diseases are only a few pathologic conditions which physical therapy plays a treatment role in.
Through patient and therapist interaction, physical therapy can help restore movement and function helping patients return to their prior level of independence.
Physical Therapy
At Hartselle Medical, physical therapy is vital to our comprehensive plan for patients who are physically limited due to an accident, illness, handicap, or injury.
Hartselle Medical Center’s goal is to provide quality care with a comfortable and personal environment. Our physical therapist offers a one-on-one approach with every patient and gives a thorough evaluation with treatment plans and goals established with each patient’s needs. Our top priority is to aid patients into a quick recovery.
Our licensed physical therapist creates a comfortable atmosphere for our patients as they go through the rehabilitative services. You can expect the highest level of therapeutic treatment. For more information or to schedule an appointment with our physical therapist, call 256-751-3000 ext. 419.
Hartselle Medical Center Rehabilitation Services
Hartselle Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center is a comprehensive, hospital-based rehabilitation facility serving Hartselle and the surrounding area. The Center is dedicated to assisting patients in their recovery on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. An interdisciplinary team of licensed physical, occupational and speech therapists work together with rehabilitation nurses and social workers on an individual plan of therapy for each patient, helping them to regain abilities or to adapt to permanent disabilities. Psychology services are available for consult as needed.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Center
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center offers services to patients diagnosed with:
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Amputation
- Hip fracture
- Neurological disorders
- Major multiple trauma
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Burns
Hartelle’s Rehabilitation Center is also concerned with preventing work-related injuries before they happen. Qualified professionals are available to provide area companies with education programs and job assessments. For more information on any of the services offered by Hartselle Medical Center Rehabilitation Center, call 256-751-3000 ext. 419. .
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists are available to help patients adjust to, or overcome, the effects of illness or injury, and address activities of daily living:
- Dressing, cooking, hygiene
- Upper extremity – strengthening, flexibility, coordination
- Mobility in the home
- Cognitive skills
- Perceptual skills
- Adaptive equipment
Occupational therapists at HMC are certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association and are licensed by the State of Oklahoma. Occupational therapists are graduates of accredited university programs, holding Bachelor’s or Master’s Degrees in Occupational Therapy.
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy is provided and is an integral part of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. Physical therapists address mobility, lower extremity strengthening, coordination and sensation. Therapy may address:
- Joint range of motion
- Muscle strengthening & endurance
- Mobility – by ambulation or wheelchair
- Need & use of braces or artificial limbs
- Car transfers
HMC’s physical therapy staff consists of experienced licensed physical therapists and trained physical therapy technicians. All physical therapists are licensed by the State of Alabama, and are graduates of accredited university programs in physical therapy.
Speech Therapy
Our Speech Language Pathologists have a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology, are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and are licensed by the State of Alabama Board of Examiners. We are in the position to treat our patients from the beginning of their illness in the acute hospital, through their rehab stay, and then in their outpatient program. Our therapists offer speech therapy for:
- Communication
- Language
- Cognition
- Memory
- Swallowing
- Speech
- Hearing Screenings
- Voice
We offer these services for a multitude of disorders/diseases, such as the following:
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Other neurological disorders
Individual therapy sessions are designed to build on the patient’s strengths to improve their communication and processing skills enabling them to become better communicators and more functional in their environment.
Social Services
Disabilities affect more than a person’s physical abilities. They also impact the psychosocial and emotional well-being of the patient and their family. Rehabilitation social workers offer a variety of services to help patients and their families adjust to changes caused by illness or injury. HMC’s social workers serve as liaisons for the treatment team with patients and families. They focus on family counseling and education on illness and disability. They stay in close contact with physicians, nurses and other professional personnel to help coordinate patient care. Social workers also aid in making a smooth transition from hospitalization to post-rehabilitation care by identifying resources and services needed when patients leave HMC. The rehabilitation social service staff are either licensed by the State of Alabama and have earned graduate degrees in social work, or are under the supervision of a licensed social worker.
Rehabilitation Nursing
Teaching independence is the goal of our rehabilitation nurses at HMC. In addition to primary patient care, nurses work one-on-one with patients, helping to retrain activities of daily living, educating in proper medication schedules and addressing patients’ cognitive, physical and social skills. Members of the staff are licensed in the State of Alabama and are graduates of accredited nursing schools. Nurses hold Associate or Bachelor Degrees in Nursing and may become Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN) after completing specified qualification.
Hartselle Medical Center Social Services
The Social Services Department at Hartselle Medical Center works with patients and families, providing discharge planning, short-term counseling, referral to outside resources and assisting with end-of-life issues such as Living Wills and Advance Directives. The Department is staffed with skilled and experienced social workers who have bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
HMC social workers specialize in handling medically related issues and work with a variety of patients including victims of abuse, severe trauma, terminal illness, permanent disabilities and drug or alcohol addiction. Social Services is the liaison between patients and family members and the medical team, keeping the lines of communication open. Social workers take a look at the “whole picture,” focusing on patients’ needs following their discharge from the hospital — helping them to adjust to illness and the changes they will be faced with.
There are many support groups, community service groups, social agencies and sources of financial assistance available in the Hartselle area for patients and their families. Social Services helps identify these resources and services for patients to help make the transition from the hospital to home as easy as possible.