When the doors opened on Johnson Memorial Health’s new
Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Center, the hospital opened the
doors on a new era in care.
The 20,400-square- foot facility – located at the 1165 Building on
the west side of the Franklin hospital campus – has been billed as
a one-stop shop for patients seeking musculoskeletal care,
orthopedic surgeons and physical, occupational and speech
therapies.
“Before this new center, a patient would show up in either our
orthopedic surgeon’s office or our pain specialist’s office and
they’d get a referral for outpatient therapy and they’d have to go to
a different building,” says JMH Chief Operating Officer Steve
Wohlford. “But now they’re going to be able to come here to the
same building and receive all of these services for the
convenience of our patients.”
Whether it’s physical therapy or prescription-based therapy, Rick
Kester, Johnson Memorial Health Vice President of Clinical
Services has faith that a patient can come to the newly opened
center and leave with a better quality of life.
“Really, what we want this to be is a rock for our patients,” Kester
says. “You come here, something’s not right, we’ll take care of it.”
In the new facility, Johnson Memorial Hospital’s experienced and
trained staff provides comprehensive outpatient rehabilitative care
for people of all age ranges, pediatrics through geriatrics,
regardless of their condition or injury. The facility offers a full
range of physical therapy services, including: Kinesiotaping,
orthotics, sound assisted soft tissue mobilization (SASTM) and
vestibular rehabilitation.
Think the center is only for patients with musculoskeletal issues?
Think again. The new facility offers neuro rehab solutions and
speech therapy as well, Kester says.
The facility has six different treatment rooms, to focus on different
speech needs for all those individuals. “The interdisciplinary team
of PT, OT, Speech can do great handoffs with kids or with adults,”
Kester says.
The new building was designed for easy patient access as well as
an easy flow between disciplines and within disciplines. This
multidisciplinary approach is an asset for anesthesiologist Dr.
Vincent R. Gathings, MD, Johnson Memorial Hospital Director of
Pain Management.
In the new facility, he will have the opportunity to work side-by-
side with two very experienced board-certified orthopedic
surgeons, Dr. James Friedlander and Dr. Martin Turner. “To be
able to have a resource right in this office with me provides a
multidisciplinary approach that will allow us to get the outcomes
that we want for our patients,” Gathings says.
“I’m really looking forward to the new facility,” says Dr. James
Friedlander. The building will offer, Dr. James Friedlander says,
“state-of- the art equipment, and easier patient access to the office
space, the office flow.”
Another perk? Parking is closer.
And the employees remain one of JMH’s best assets, he says. “I
really enjoy working for Johnson Memorial Health,” Dr. Friedlander
says. “The people that work here make it special.”
