Why Choose WMCHealth for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Following a stroke, an injury or an illness, the facility you choose to provide your physical rehabilitation can impact the rest of your life. The physical medicine and rehabilitation care you receive can impact your future mobility, independence and day-to-day functioning. That's why it is important that you choose the inpatient rehabilitation facility or outpatient program that is right for you.
Inpatient Services
Our inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation program offers comprehensive physical rehabilitative care for persons recovering from stroke, acquired brain injury, orthopedic trauma, amputation, spinal cord injury, and other acute and chronic illnesses and injuries.
Outpatient Services
Our outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation program offers comprehensive evaluation and rehabilitative management of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders including:
- Back and Neck Pain
- Arthritis
- Non-surgical treatment for tendon or ligament injury or inflammation
- Sports-Related Injuries
- Stroke and Brain Injury-Related Impairments
- Spasticity Management
- Pre- and Post-Operative Spine Care
- Pre- and Post-Joint Replacement
- Non-Surgical Care for Spinal Cord Injury, Peripheral Nerve Injury
- Muscular Dystrophy Management
- Rehabilitation for Cancer Patient
- Acute and Chronic Pain
- Impairments In Balance and Gait
- Prescription of Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Neurocognitive Rehab
- Dysphagia Evaluation and Treatment
Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
The Westchester Medical Center 18-bed comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation unit is located in Taylor Pavilion on the campus of Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in Valhalla, NY. A multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation healthcare professionals provides intensive rehabilitation focused on maximizing functional recovery and independence with the goal of returning home.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Provider Specialties
Our rehabilitation team of providers includes:
- Physiatrists (specializes in training of rehabilitation medicine)
- Consulting Physicians (specific to your clinical aspect of care)
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Social Work
- Neuropsychology
- Rehabilitation Nursing
- Respiratory Therapy
- Pastoral Care
Inpatient Services
Our physical medicine and rehabilitation services include:
- Close physician oversight and medical management by a Physiatrist (Physician who specializes in the Rehabilitative care of patients)
- Consultative care by WMC medical and surgical specialists and subspecialists
- An intensive 15-hour per week rehabilitation program
- An individualized rehabilitation treatment plan specifically designed with your goals in mind
- Advanced rehabilitation equipment including the ArmeoPower for upper extremity robotic-guided therapeutic exercise, the Ekso Exoskeleton for gait retraining and ZeroG for gait and balance
Conditions Treated
Conditions commonly treated include:
- Stroke
- Brain Injury
- Hip Fracture
- Spine Surgery
- Amputation
- Multiple Trauma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Guillain Barre
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Other acute and chronic neurological disorders
- Generalized debility
- Sports Injury
- Spasticity Management
Do I Qualify for Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation?
If you have experienced a functional decline as a result of an acute or chronic medical condition, you may qualify for acute inpatient rehabilitation.
Following hospitalization, you may not be ready to return directly home if you are having difficulty walking, transferring in and out of bed, or performing self-care activities such as grooming, bathing, dressing, etc. Acute inpatient rehabilitation is an intensive rehabilitation program designed to get you stronger, more independent, and back home. During your inpatient rehabilitation stay, you remain on the campus of Westchester Medical Center, are followed closely by a Physician specializing in Rehabilitation Medicine, can readily access the hundreds of medical and surgical specialists at WMC. You will get a customized intensive rehabilitation program which includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and (when indicated) Speech/Swallow Therapy. Your Social Worker will work with you, your family, and the rehabilitation team to help prepare for you discharge home. This includes arrangements for home healthcare services or continued outpatient therapies, equipment needs such as a wheelchair, walker, tub bench, etc., and follow-up appointment.
Acute inpatient rehabilitation is covered by Medicare and most third-party payers with preauthorization.
Your hospital social worker can refer you to the WMC Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at your request.
To qualify for acute inpatient rehabilitation, you need to meet the following criteria:
- Experienced a functional decline that necessitates continued hospitalization on an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit prior to return home
- Require at least two skilled therapies, which may include any combination of physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy
- Would benefit from continued close monitoring by a physician for medical management
- Have the ability and endurance to participate in a minimum of three hours of skilled therapies, five days per week
- Have specific functional goals that can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. For example, a treatment goal may be to walk independently prior to discharge home. The average length of stay on the WMC Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is approximately two weeks but could range from one to four weeks.
Age does not preclude you from qualifying for acute inpatient rehabilitation. Many patients of older age receive acute inpatient rehabilitation following a hip fracture, stroke, or other debilitating illness or injury. As long as you meet the above criteria and your goal is to return home, you are likely to qualify for acute inpatient rehabilitation.
What is the Difference Between Acute and Subacute Inpatient Rehabilitation?
In instances where you do not qualify for an acute inpatient rehabilitation stay or will require a prolonged stay in a skilled nursing facility, a physician or case manager may recommend subacute rehabilitation. Subacute rehabilitation generally refers to skilled nursing facility with physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy. A subacute rehabilitation program is less intensive, the average age of the patients is higher, and the length of stay is typically longer (up to 100 days). Physician visits are less frequent and a higher percentage of patients will transition to a long-term care facility when ready for discharge.
If you would prefer a more intensive rehabilitation program with closer physician monitoring, you should request that your case manager refer you to an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit to determine whether you qualify. As discussed above, geriatric patients who wish to be as functionally independent as possible and can tolerate a more intensive rehabilitation program should consider an acute inpatient rehabilitation.
What to Expect During Your Inpatient Rehabilitation Stay
Your rehabilitation program will begin at the time of your admission to the PMR unit. You will have an initial evaluation with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and, if needed, speech/swallow therapy within the first 24 hours of your admission. The evaluation findings will be discussed during an interdisciplinary team conference. This interdisciplinary team will design a treatment program specifically tailored to your needs and goals with you and your family included every step of the way.
Outpatient Physiatry Specialty Practices
To see or refer to one of our physicians, contact Physiatry Specialty Practices:
Registration Phone: 914.909.4168 (Registration)
Fax: 914.909.4170
Kathy Aligene, MD
- Acute and Chronic Pain
- Interventional Spine Procedures (Fluoroscopic Guidance)
- Musculoskeletal Medicine
Paul Diamond, MD
- Neurorehabilitation
- Geriatric Rehabilitation
Negin Gohari, MD
- General Rehabilitation
- Cancer Survivorship
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
Anusha Lekshminarayanan, MD
- Sports Medicine
- Electrodiagnosis
Xin Quan, MD
- Acupuncture
- Musculoskeletal Medicine
- General Rehabilitation
- Electrodiagnosis
Jordan Stumph, MD
- Spasticity Management
- General Rehabilitation
Postgraduate Training – PM&R Residency
The WMC Center for Rehabilitation Medicine offers an ACGME-accredited 16-position four-year categorical residency training program in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R). Learn more.
For information, please contact Annaisha Healy at Annaisha.Healy@wmchealth.org or 914.493.1769.
Undergraduate Medical Education
The Department of PM&R offers a third-year medical student clerkship in collaboration with the Department of Neurology. Medical students may also opt to request an elective as a third- or fourth-year medical student. Please contact Dr. Kathy Aligene, Co-Director, Neurology/PM&R clerkship.
Kathy Aligene, MD: Kathy.Aligene@WMCHealth.org
Contact Us
Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Admissions: 914.493.8609
Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Reception Desk: 914.493.6259
Outpatient Physiatry Specialty Practices: 914.909.4168
WMC Main Line: 914.493.7000
WMC Social Work: 914.493.7631
How to Refer a Patient
Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
For inpatient unit referrals contact our admissions team.
Phone: 914.493.8609
Fax: 914.493.5004
PMRAdmissionsTeam@WMCHealth.org
You may also request that your case manager submit a referral online through the Allscripts Referral Network.
Outpatient Physiatry Specialty Practices
To refer a patient to our outpatient physiatry specialty practices, please call:
914.909.4168
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Paul Diamond, MD
Director and Chief of Service
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
PM&R Residency Program Director
- Internal Medicine
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Ashley Kakkanatt, MD
Associate Medical Director
Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
MidHudson Regional Hospital
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Vera Tsetlina, MD
Medical Director of Pediatric Physiatry
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Pediatrics, New York Medical College
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pediatric Rehabilitation
Administration
Lisa Maniscalco, MS CCC-SLP, Administrative Director of Rehab Therapies 914.493.6058
Kimberly Blaschke, LCSW, CCM, Social Work 914.493.6603
Lauren Selsky, MS, OTR/L, Admissions Liaison 914.493.8609
Maria Monzillo, CCC-SLP, Admissions Liaison 914.493.8609
Jeanne Campbell, OTR, IRF PPS Coordinator
Kara Cartelli, Department Coordinator 914.493.3727