The Ben Berman Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at St. Mary's Medical Center is a full-service rehabilitation program designed to help those living with a disability improve their mobility, independence, physical health and emotional well-being. 

We use a coordinated approach to care. Our Center brings together a multidisciplinary team of experienced rehabilitation professionals who work together toward a common goal - to help patients achieve the highest level of independence possible.

Experienced Rehabilitation Team

Our staff members have extensive experience in the rehabilitation field and are highly skilled in a wide variety of therapeutic techniques. Depending on the patient’s needs, their therapy team may include one or more of the following specialists:

• Physical Therapists
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Neuropsychologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiatrists

When patients are first admitted to our program, our rehabilitation specialists assess their condition and develop a personalized rehabilitation plan that may include one or more of the following specialties:

• Physical Therapy Services - Our physical therapists focus on restoring, maintaining and enhancing a patient’s optimal physical function. Physical therapy helps improve patients’ range of motion, strength, endurance and motor control for easier bed mobility, transfers, wheelchair mobility, gait and community mobility. Additionally, our staff helps patients reduce their risk of falls and fractures by training them in balance, walking and coordination. Exercise instruction and patient and family/caregiver education are critical for helping patients maintain their health and mobility once their outpatient therapy goals have been achieved. 
  
  Physical therapy may also include aquatic therapy. Our indoor 93°F pool has a hydraulic lift for easy access and includes private changing rooms and showers. Following discharge, patients can continue to use the therapeutic pool for unsupervised exercise for a nominal fee.

• Occupational Therapy - Our occupational therapy program helps focus the body and mind on maximizing independence, preventing or minimizing disability and maintaining health. Through goal-oriented activities, our therapists help patients improve their self-care and homemaking skills, and prepare them for community life and returning to work. Using our driving simulator, we can evaluate a patient’s ability to drive safely, and coordinate adapted driving instructions. We also conduct home and/or worksite assessments, recommend modifications as necessary and educate patients and their caregivers about maintaining their skills at home.
  
  Our occupational and physical therapy services also include evaluations for splinting, orthotics, prosthetics and other adaptive devices such as custom wheelchairs and seating and positioning systems.
  
  
• Speech/Language Pathology Services - At St. Mary's, we focus on restoring or adapting speech, and preventing disorders of speech, voice, language and swallowing. Our speech therapists help patients improve their skills in communication, reading, writing and swallowing. They also work on memory, problem solving and attention. To help patients continue making progress at home, we train their family and/or caregivers on improving their communication skills, and develop a home therapy program to follow.

• Neuropsychology Services - Our caring and supportive neuropsychologists can help patients focus on their emotional and psychological needs as they learn to adjust to the changes in their life. They also work with patients to improve brain functions such as memory, attention, problem solving and logical thinking. In addition to one-on-one sessions, we offer support groups for counseling and provide counseling and support for family members.
  
  
• Physiatrist Services - People living with ongoing disabilities often have unique medical needs best managed by a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (a physiatrist). Patients receiving therapy services at Ben Berman can easily schedule an appointment with a physiatrist to manage their ongoing medical needs. Our physiatry team serves patients with the following diagnoses: stroke and brain injury, spinal cord injuries,  multiple sclerosis, post-polio, sports injuries.