Pediatric Rehabilitation

Our Pediatric Rehabilitation program is here to support you, your child, and your family. The number one goal of our team is to make a difference in the lives of our patients – one day, one milestone, one miracle at a time. Together, we overcome obstacles. We achieve together. We work hard every day to help you reach your goals, and we have fun along the way! Our multidisciplinary rehabilitation team is honored to be a part of you and your child’s rehabilitation journey.

The Pediatric Rehabilitation program at TGH is a CARF accredited, family-centered program specializing in meeting the rehabilitation needs of infants, children and adolescents. Patients and families are the focus of our services. Our highly skilled, multidisciplinary team create treatment plans that are individualized to meet each patient’s unique needs and interests. By providing developmentally appropriate care that acknowledges each child’s / adolescent’s need to learn and play, we optimize patient participation and outcomes.

Pediatric Rehab Program Overview

Our Services

Conditions We Treat

Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord injury
Brain tumors
Cerebral palsy (CP)
Congenital defects
Deconditioning related to illness, surgery, or injury
Developmental delay
Encephalopathy
Failure to thrive
Feeding problems
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Musculoskeletal injuries
Neuromuscular disease
Prematurity
Spina bifida
Amputation
And other conditions that result in functional impairment or disability

Services Offered By TGH

Therapy Services: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Life, Respiratory, Medical Nutrition Therapy
Medical Services: Physiatry, Pediatric Nursing, Medical Consultative Services, Dialysis, Ostomy/Wound Care, Spasticity Management, Burn Management
Psychological Services: Psychology, Neuropsychological Testing for Return to School
Supportive Services: Chaplain, Social Work, Financial Counseling, Integrative Medicine, Music Therapy, Pet Therapy
Diagnostic: Radiology, Lab, Audiology

Additional Services Available by Referral

Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology
Florida Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center
Substance misuse counseling
Driver rehabilitation
Environmental modification
Orthotics/prosthetics
Peer support
Rehabilitation engineering
Visual assessment /ophthalmology
Hospital/Homebound school
Vocational rehab

Our Program

Admission Criteria

Birth – 17 years of age. Patients 17-21 years of age may be admitted to the pediatric unit as an exception by the pediatric physiatrist/medical director/administrative director, depending on the developmental and emotional needs of the patient and family.
Presence of treatable medical rehabilitation diagnosis
Patient must be medically stable
Patient must be non-ventilator dependent
Need comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program as determined by physiatrist
Have the ability to participate in and benefit from intensive rehabilitation
Generally able to tolerate about 3 hours of therapy/day, depending on their age (5 of the 7 days of a week)
Able to follow commands and actively participate in therapy
Patient should be approved by insurance company for admission to inpatient rehab
Patient should have a defined achievable discharge disposition

Hours of Operation

Rehab physician/designee – available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Rehab nursing – available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Therapy services – available 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Therapy Schedule

Patients admitted to the pediatric rehabilitation program are scheduled for up to three hours of therapy Monday through Friday. On weekends, patients will receive a minimum of one discipline (physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy) with additional therapy services offered as available and as tolerated by the patient.

Insurance

Tampa General accepts most major health plans. For a complete list of accepted insurances, click here.

Financial Services

Financial counselors are available to assist with insurance authorizations and identifying any co-payments/deductibles that might need to be met prior to admission.

Referral Sources

Referrals are accepted from TGH, other acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, community physicians, and community therapists. Patients admitted from home will need to complete an office visit with the physiatrist for inpatient rehab prior to admission. To contact the Physiatry office, please call (813) 228-7696.

Discharge Information

From the moment of admission, the rehabilitation team will work with you to establish goals for discharge. Within the first 10 days of admission, the team will meet with you to review the care plan, anticipated goals and discharge date. The team will meet weekly to review your child’s progress and update you.

Family training is an important part of the discharge planning. One family member who will be the primary caregiver will need to attend the family training sessions.

Discharge/Transition Criteria

Patient has met all the goals set in collaboration with the Rehab Team for inpatient stay.
Patient not showing any measurable gains
Patient not complying with the expectations laid out in a behavioral contract
Non-voluntary discharge when patient is not medically stable for continued participation in a Rehab Program.
May require admission to hospital.
Insurance company ready for providing care for next level of care for the patient.