Adena Health Patient Praises Rehab Team at Greenfield

When Danny Long went outside to chop wood and perform other chores one November afternoon, he had no idea he was about to embark on a journey that would reinforce his belief that Adena Greenfield Medical Center’s (AGMC) rehabilitation program is a community treasure.

The Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) seems to agree with that sentiment, having recently informed the hospital that accreditation for its inpatient rehabilitation program and stroke specialty program has been renewed. The rehabilitation program has held an accreditation since 1996.

This year, however, for the first time, AGMC’s amputation specialty program also was accredited.

“AGMC inpatient rehab strives to provide the highest quality of care to our patients and to continually challenge ourselves to enhance the services we provide,” said Cheryl Beckman, rehab manager of operations at AGMC. “Achieving accreditation means we have demonstrated our commitment to delivering safe and effective services and ongoing performance improvement. We take pride in being a CARF-accredited inpatient rehab facility with amputee and stroke specialty certifications as it speaks to our main goal of providing services that best support our community and surrounding areas.”

It was a trust in that level of quality care that made a big difference in Danny’s life. On the evening of that fateful November day, he began feeling funny and suffered a fall down some stairs. It was the result, he would later learn, of a series of mini strokes he had been experiencing. Relying on the knowledge he already had about the inpatient rehabilitation program through his role as a board member at AGMC, he decided to pursue his own rehab care there following treatment to address his injuries from the fall and damage from the strokes.

“The health system has done an excellent job selecting people for those particular jobs in the rehabilitation center at Greenfield,” Danny said. “They’re very knowledgeable about what they’re doing, they’re kind, and they don’t just treat you like a number. They are very concerned about getting you back on your feet and moving around again, and they would often go above and beyond to help me out.”

Because members of the rehab staff take the time to really get to know their patients, involve them in their personal goal setting, and discover what motivates each one, they understood that Danny wanted to complete his inpatient rehabilitation within weeks to be able to spend the holidays with his family. Tailoring his program toward that goal and with the support and encouragement of the staff, he was able to achieve that end.

Results such as Danny’s can be seen repeatedly when comparing key AGMC statistics against national averages. Patients of AGMC’s inpatient rehabilitation program, on average, have shorter hospital stays with a greater amount of improvement within the time they are hospitalized than the national average. For example, in orthopedic rehabilitation, the average length of stay is 10 days to achieve the desired results compared with an average of 22 days at other skilled facilities.

“Not only do we get them home, we get them home quicker,” said Lynn Harris, AGMC director of operations. “We help patients and their families understand that while they may have to drive a little bit farther to come to the hospital than maybe going to a nursing home in their hometown, the amount of time they are going to have to be away from home is going to be significantly less when they come to us.”

Patients also benefit through a strong continuity of their care each step of the way. Rehab program staff coordinate with other clinical departments, health care providers, and other care facilities to make sure there is a smooth transition from the time a patient enters the treatment process through its conclusion.

As part of that rehab care, being in the hospital setting itself is a benefit because all hospital amenities such as 24/7 nursing care, emergency room, and imaging services are available, if needed. Additionally, a hospitalist care team consisting of a physician and two nurse practitioners -- one of whom specializes in rehabilitation nursing – is on site, a somewhat unique situation among other similar-sized facilities.

It all comes together in a process, Danny said, that is truly special for residents of Highland County and those in the surrounding areas.

“I think the rehab program at Greenfield may be the best-kept secret in Greenfield,” Danny said.

For more about Adena Greenfield Medical Center, its health care providers, and its full range of services, visit Adena.org/AGMC.