The brand new Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapies (SMART) Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital now offers patients a more convenient option for comprehensive, state-of-the-art rehabilitation services, including helping those with total joint replacements to get back on their feet and athletes to get back in shape.
“We see a broad spectrum of patients at the SMART Center,” said Shawn Bastin, director of Rehabilitation Services at Cabell Huntington Hospital. “There is definitely a growing need for rehabilitation services in general. People are spending less time in the hospital and they’re coming home sooner, so rehab components are a growing market overall.”
The center, which opened March 3, is located just off the atrium of the Marshall University Medical Center, a prime location at the main entrance of the hospital offering easy access, a central location and free valet parking. The location – near the departments of orthopedics and neuroscience – was selected, in part, to accommodate the many patients who require rehabilitation therapies after orthopedic surgery or because of neurological conditions.
More than 2,000 square feet make up the SMART Center, including three private rooms, four semi-private rooms and an open gym area. The center is well-staffed with three physical therapists and a physical therapy assistant, as well as an occupational therapist. Though it is not the largest rehabilitation center, Bastin said the smaller size lends itself to a more personal, hands-on approach by the staff.
“We don’t have a warehouse feel here. We’re a very hands-on group and we want to treat each patient individually. Sometimes, you get into a larger gym area and it becomes a more supervised workout mentality. We wanted to avoid that. We pride ourselves on individual, one-on-one treatment,” he explained.
To that end, treatment is customized based on the patient’s diagnosis and at the discretion of the referring physician and attending therapist.
“We can accommodate any physician in the area who refers to us. Most of our sessions run 45 minutes to an hour, but we structure our program based on the individual,” Bastin said.
Bastin said the center sees all types of patients, including those who’ve recently undergone neurosurgery, patients with joint replacements or ACL reconstructions, those with sprains and strains, and patients with pulled muscles or carpal tunnel syndrome.
“We do a lot of work with athletes – we cater to them, but our center is not completely devoted to sports medicine. We see all types of illnesses and injuries,” he explained. “We call ourselves the ‘Sports Medicine And Rehabilitation Therapies’ Center; but, in reality, we’re probably more rehabilitation first, and then sports medicine.”
The SMART Center is equipped with the most advanced equipment in the rehabilitation industry. Bastin said because the center is part of the Cabell Huntington organization, the staff and patients have access to some of the finest “toys” in the field.
“The equipment we have is pretty standard for most rehab facilities – general exercise equipment, free weights, stationary bikes, but we also have a lot of specialized equipment such as a hand center and larger pieces like unique isokinetic machines that test strength,” he explained. “Working with a large organization like Cabell Huntington Hospital gives us access to some of the nicest equipment out there, and they’ve made the commitment to offer those things for our patients’ benefit.”
The addition of the SMART Center to the Cabell Huntington Hospital family of services shows a commitment to the level of care offered to the Tri-State. Prior to the SMART Center, patients received all outpatient rehabilitation services at the Fairfield Building, located at 1616 13th Avenue. That facility, which is home to the Cabell Huntington Hospital Balance Center, is now focused on providing state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment options for balance and mobility disorders.
“We outgrew our space at the Fairfield Building,” said Bastin. “Our rehabilitation services have grown and expanded out of that center, and now they’re able to focus primarily on balance issues over there.”
The SMART Center’s hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. SMART Center staff can be reached by calling (304) 526-2411.
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