 Rehabilitation Medicine or Post Acute Care Medicine? At one our departmental faculty meetings, I asked my faculty if they wanted to change the name of our department from Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR) to "Rehabilitation and Post Acute Care Medicine". The decision was not as important as the discussion. Our department still has PMR in our name and our mission; and the name will not change, but the mission will. Across the nation, health care reform is occurring. We can no longer afford to be complacent and comfortable with 'the way things are'. Although Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF's) are part of the post acute care continuum, they are a small portion (data below). Skilled nursing facilities (SNF), long term acute care facilities (LTAC), outpatient therapy and home health are a more significant portion of the post acute care provided to our patients. A health care system that provides the right care at the right time is desirable. Having our department provide 'post acute care' medicine and not just inpatient rehabilitation medicine is one of the goals. For example, the ability to provide a post acute care consult and not just a consult that considers inpatient rehabilitation is paramount. Our physicians are trained in post acute care medicine as part of our specialty. We consider not just if an IRF is the optimal location after acute, but address if a SNF, LTAC or home setting is the right care at the right time. Education of our resident and medical student learners in post acute care medicine is needed so the resources available within our health care system are accessible to our patients. The learners that understand the level of medical and therapy available at each step in the continuum are better able to help match our patient's needs with resources in our community. Research is another important aspect of care. We must add to the body of knowledge so others can learn from our experiences. Also, in order to advocate for our patients, evidence of appropriate care with positive outcomes is needed. This can help us leverage access to resources that are becoming more limited. Although the department name will remain the same, our mission to provide the best post acute care will occur in collaboration with Vidant Health Systems and our CARF accredited rehabilitation center. Daniel P. Moore, MD, Professor & Department Chairman Board Certified, American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation |
