Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Opens Rehab Center
LOS ANGELES — Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) held a grand opening and dedication of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation Rehabilitation Center on April 16.
While the event was the official opening of the center, patients and staff moved into the new 22,000-square-foot unit late last month. The safari-themed Petersen Rehabilitation Center is one of the largest acute pediatric rehabilitation centers in the country. It has 22 patient beds and features 16 private rooms, three semiprivate rooms and two medical isolation rooms for patients with fragile immune systems.
Patients admitted to the rehabilitation unit stay anywhere from one to five months while they receive intensive therapy. It’s common for families to drive long distances to be with their child during care, so the new facility aims to help with a family’s needs for privacy while maximizing their interaction as a family during recovery. Every patient room includes a family sleep area, bathroom, shower and free wireless Internet. The rehabilitation unit is also offering the GetWellNetwork, an interactive patient care system developed for pediatric patients and their families that allows them to learn and play while in the hospital.
“Our rehabilitation unit serves approximately 200 patients each year. This tremendous state-of-the-art facility will not only allow us to serve more patients, but we can now care for our patients with the healing environment they deserve and provide our staff with the therapeutic amenities to match the excellent level of the care they provide,” said Richard D. Cordova, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in a statement.
The rehabilitation unit also features the Fundación TeletónUSA Rehabilitation gym with 1,750 square feet of physical and occupational therapy space. There is also an occupational therapy craft room, a speech therapy room, a recreation therapy room and the Child Life playroom. There, patients work with a Child Life specialist who can focus on the emotional and developmental needs of children and their families through the use of play and other forms of communication.
The unit also provides a kitchen for therapeutic training with patients and a large common dining area that encourages communal dining.
The Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at CHLA is a major referral center for challenging cases that cannot be treated at other Southern California hospitals. The division provides coordinated care through working with specialists in medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, hearing and speech therapy, social work, the Child Life program and other professional specialties. This team treats children with some of the most complex and diverse diagnoses, including stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, brain tumors, bone tumors, seizures, spinal disorders and rheumatologic disorders. After a child’s mobility has been affected by trauma or illness, rehabilitative care helps develop function as quickly as possible while supporting patients’ sense of independence and wellbeing.
“The sooner a child begins the coordinated, specialized rehabilitative care offered at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the better his or her chances are for recovery and a return to a happy and healthy life. The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation Rehabilitation Center will give a patient access to the latest in rehabilitative equipment and care as well as a family-friendly space that allows the child’s mind and soul to thrive,” said Kevan Craig, chief of the CHLA Division of Rehabilitative Medicine, in a statement.
The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation Rehabilitation Center is named after Margie and Robert Petersen, whose sons, Bobby and Richie Petersen, died in a 1975 plane crash. The Petersen’s foundation gave $5 million and offered matching donations from other donors up to $3.5 million in March 2014 to help build the new rehabilitation unit.