INNOVATION
to heal patients and give them hope
form
True
to
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) specialists
at the Scott & White Center for Rehabilitative Medicine
at Hillcrest are committed to their craft: helping patients
manage chronic pain and restoring their function after
life-altering injury or illness
hen a critically injured or ill
person enters the hospital,
a team of healthcare
specialists—radiologists, critical care
and emergency physicians, surgeons,
nurses, and other health professionals—
rally around that patient, delivering
life-saving care. During such an
anxious time, patients and families
may not realize that there is often a
medical specialist in physical medicine
and rehabilitation (PMR) on the
scene, working hard to assess what
downstream or secondary effects the
patient may suffer. The PMR specialist
quickly develops a treatment plan to
address the patient’s functional abilities
sooner rather than later, to prepare for
the optimal patient outcome. Coping
with paralysis, and other functional and
W
mobility issues, may certainly be part of
the patient’s road to recovery after the
most serious health issues—including
efforts to save that person’s life—have
been addressed. It is the role of the
PMR specialist to help get the patient
back on track.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
at Scott & White Healthcare, now
a part of Baylor Scott & White
Health, is a non-surgical specialty that
diagnoses and treats musculoskeletal
injuries and chronic pain and returns
patients, including those with chronic
disabilities and illnesses, to function
as much as possible after an acute
event. The multidisciplinary team
includes PMR physicians and nurses,
certified nurse assistants, physical
therapists, physical therapist assistants,
occupational therapists, occupational
therapist assistants, speech therapists,
recreational therapists, psychologists,
dietitians, social workers, and others
who focus on the individual patient’s
needs. The team creates personalized
care plans to help patients gain strength,
perform the activities of daily living to
the best of their ability, and regain the
ability to participate in athletic and
other activities as much as they can.
Among the patients that PMR
specialists treat are those patients with
acquired or congenital disabilities as
well as those with musculoskeletal and
chronic pain. Conditions addressed
include spinal cord, brain, and other
traumatic injuries; stroke; and complex
“Our facility allows
patients and
families to find
the confidence
they need with
the right care
nearby.”
—Richard E. Scott, DO
18
THE CATALYST December 14 | sw.org