Daily physician oversight and intervention is the distinguishing factor of any acute care hospital versus a skilled nursing/rehab facility (SNF). As a hospital, we offer 24-hour rehabilitation nursing care and daily physician management.
When compared to SNFs, rehabilitation hospitals usually provide more intensive therapy services. Rehabilitation hospital patients can typically expect to participate in three hours of therapy services per day, at least five days per week.
At Ballard Rehabilitation Hospital, each patient works with a team of professionals from multiple medical and rehabilitation disciplines, called an interdisciplinary team. The team is led by a physician specialist who is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as a physiatrist. This interdisciplinary team meets weekly to discuss each patient and welcomes their family members to participate as well. These meetings are a unique requirement for rehabilitation hospitals.
Both rehabilitation hospitals and SNFs provide valuable medical services. Each has its own unique requirements and specialties. For this reason, some patients may be more appropriate for one level of care over the other.