Rehabilitation Medicine

Call Now: 914.909.4168 (Outpatient) | 914.493.8069 (Inpatient)

Overview
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Outpatient Services
Residency and Medical Students
Contact Us
Our Providers

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 (physicians with specialized training in 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 and the Ekso Exoskeleton for gait retraining

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 quickly 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, and receive a customized intensive rehabilitation program which includes regular physical therapy, occupational therapy, and (when indicated) speech therapy. Your social worker will work with you, your family, and the rehabilitation team to help prepare for 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 appointments.

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. In general, 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 and can range from one to four weeks.

Older age does not preclude you from qualifying for acute inpatient rehabilitation. Many patients in their 80s and 90s 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, your physician or case manager may recommend “subacute rehabilitation.” Subacute rehabilitation generally refers to skilled nursing facility-based physical, occupational, and or speech therapy. The 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 be considered for acute inpatient rehabilitation.

What to expect during your inpatient rehabilitation stay

Your rehabilitation program will begin at the time of your admission. Within the first 24 hours of your admission and continuing during the first several days of your admission, you will be participating in evaluation sessions provided by multiple members of the rehabilitation team who will be working with you during your inpatient stay. 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.

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 either Dr. Kathy Aligene, co-director, neurology/PM&R clerkship or Meredith Cutaia, administrative director, PM&R student clerkship and electives.

Kathy Aligene, MD: Kathy.Aligene@WMCHealth.org

Meredith Cutaia: Meredith.Cutaia@WMCHealth.org

Contact Us

Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Admissions: 914.493.8069
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