
NEBRASKA DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE INJURED AT WORK RETURNS HOME
March 28, 2023On an icy night in December, highway construction inspector Bradley Miller suffered a catastrophic injury while attempting to aid the passengers of a ...
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Madonna focuses on rehabilitation while providing comprehensive care to patients with complex medical conditions. From ventilator care to wound management, our programs and services are designed to ensure every need is met with expertise and managed with compassion. Our speciality hospitals are designed to care for patients experiencing cancer treatment related conditions, wounds, infectious diseases, renal conditions, complex cardiac conditions, post-surgical complications, transplants, neurological conditions and a variety of other complex issues.
Our Complex Medical program provides intensive rehabilitation for those who have survived a serious medical event and require a high level of medical care in addition to their rehabilitation needs.
A typical day in therapy is part of a custom program designed by an interdisciplinary team to help patients reach their maximum potential.
Madonna offers a variety of unique features, providing for their high level of medical need, but focused on rehabilitation and early mobilization.
Extended stays in our long term care hospital environment allows our physicians to connect with patients and see the remarkable improvements they make over the course of their rehabilitation.
Medical Care |
Patients are seen daily by a hospitalist, which is a board certified internal medicine practitioner.
Therapy |
Madonna takes an active approach to therapy. The goal in our specialty hospitals is often to tolerate increased levels of therapy to build strength and return home or move to the acute rehabilitation environment.
24-hour Nursing Care |
Registered nurses with rehabilitation training or experience are on staff at all times to care for patients.
24-hour Respiratory Care |
Madonna staffs licensed respiratory care practitioners at all times. Our respiratory therapists are able to provide arterial blood gas (ABG) services. Madonna is recognized as a Center of Excellence for Vapotherm and the Passy-Muir valve, specialized technology benefiting patients with tracheostomy tubes.
On-site Pharmacy |
Madonna provides a full range of inpatient pharmacy services, including medication distribution, patient education, and clinical/dosing services.
Diagnostic Services |
Madonna is able to provide radiology services that include X-ray, ultrasound, echocardiogram, venous doppler, arterial doppler, Holter monitor, sleep study and electroencephalogram (EEG).
Madonna's in-house laboratory provides anticoagulation, hematology, chemistry, therapeutic drug level testing and urine analysis services with results available the same day in most cases.
Offering these services on-site helps reduce the need for transfer back to an acute care hospital for routine tests and monitoring.
Nutritional Care |
Madonna has registered dietitians and licensed medical nutrition therapists who are part of the care team and ensure the patient's individualized nutrition plan is met.
Neuropsychology |
Neuropsychologists and rehabilitation counselors are an integral part of rehabilitation at Madonna. They provide a variety of services, including neuropsychological assessment, adjustment counseling, pain management, family therapy, concussion or mild brain injury evaluation, memory testing, dementia evaluation, neurofeedback, biofeedback, behavioral management and psychoeducation.
Wheelchair Seating and Positioning |
Assistive Technology Professional certified therapists provide seating and positioning evaluations for patients who require the use of a wheelchair for mobility. Additionally, computerized pressure mapping assessments for individualized wheelchair prescriptions and recommendations for driving and vehicle modifications are offered.
Mission Care Services |
Spiritual care is an important component of healing. Madonna is committed to meeting the needs of our patients, regardless of their individual beliefs. Chaplains and other spiritual care professionals consult with the care teams and visit patients to provide direct support when requested. Chapels are available on both campuses, as well as ample green spaces for contemplation and respite.
Wound Care |
Madonna's wound program serves patients with slow-healing or non-healing wounds who often have complex medical conditions. Our holistic approach focuses on prevention, intervention and long-term management of wounds while providing rehabilitation to help patients achieve the highest level of independence possible.
Additional Programs and Services |
Madonna is committed to the lifelong success and wellness of our patients. When appropriate, we offer services such as home modifications, assistive technology, orthotics, prosthetics and emotional support resources for patients during and after their preparation to return home.
A graduate of Nebraska College of Medicine, Dr. Ohnoutka completed her residency at the Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. Dr. Ohnoutka’s interests are in chronic care management and complex medical rehabilitation. She is board certified in internal medicine. Prior to joining Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Ohnoutka served as an acute care hospitalist for 11 years.
“In the long term acute care hospital, we really get to know patients and their families – they’re going through the worst time of their lives and compassion goes a long way; I’m continually amazed at the improvements our patients make.”
Dr. Susan Ohnoutka
Dr. Driewer is board certified in internal medicine. He completed his residency training at the University of Iowa, Des Moines. Dr. Driewer has been practicing medicine for more than 10 years as an internal medicine physician and hospitalist.
“I see simple acts of selflessness everyday by the staff at Madonna. We treat our patients like we would want our families treated.”
Dr. Matt Driewer
Physiatrist |
A physical medicine and rehabilitation physician is available 24 hours per day and seven days a week. They manage all the health problems and complications as a result of the spinal cord injury and other medical conditions that may have existed before the injury. The physiatrist works in conjunction with the person’s hometown or family physician and other specialists, which may include an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist or internal medicine physician.
Pediatrician |
A pediatrician is involved in the daily care of individuals 18 years or younger.
Neuropsychologist/Rehabilitation psychologist |
The Neuropsychologist is trained to assess thinking skills including memory and problem solving and assists the person to understand spinal cord injury and implement compensation strategies. The neuropsychologist consults with the other clinicians on the treatment team if adjustment, behavioral changes or learning difficulties, are slowing progress in therapies. The neuropsychologist can work with the individual and family to help with emotional and adjustment issues which often accompany a spinal cord injury. The neuropsychologist is available to counsel with families, to support and encourage survivors and families and to enhance coping skills.
Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) |
Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses are an integral part of any rehabilitation team. They have additional training and experience in rehabilitation diagnoses and their associated impairments, adaptive techniques for independent functioning, and potential complications. They develop and implement nursing care plans, provide patient family education, and supervise other direct care staff, such as nursing assistants.
Physical therapists |
A physical therapist (PT) assesses the person’s ability to move in and out of bed, a chair or car; the ability to walk or drive a wheelchair, as well as strength, balance and endurance. The therapist can provide a variety of activities to improve these areas. The PT also teaches family members and friends how to safely help the person out of the chair, into a car, to walk and go up and down stairs.
Occupational therapists |
An occupational therapist (OT) assesses a person’s present abilities regarding activities of daily living, or ADL, with the goal of community re-integration. ADLs include skills such as dressing, bathing, toileting and eating, as well as homemaking and community skills. The OT works with arm and shoulder strengthening, vision changes and higher level thinking skills such as problems solving tasks, and job-related skills. The OT teaches the use of adaptive equipment to increase each person’s ability to complete ADLs with less assistance.
Speech language pathologists |
The speech language pathologist focuses not only on the person’s speech or ability to talk clearly, but also on all aspects of communication such as talking, understanding what others say, reading, writing, taking turns in conversation, concentration and memory. They help patients who cannot talk find other ways of communicating. They also evaluate and treat difficulties the person may have with swallowing.
Therapeutic recreation specialists |
To enhance leisure skills while at Madonna, individuals are offered therapeutic recreation after a referral from the treatment team. A recreation therapist discusses leisure lifestyle preferences prior to the injury with each person and family member to determine specific hobbies or interests. Leisure education sessions focus on relearning an activity or learning to modify a leisure activity by using equipment or different rules. The recreation therapist integrates the skills learned in other therapies for leisure activities. Community outings are available with the recreation therapist to practice skills needed to return back to the community.
Case manager |
Each person at Madonna has an assigned case manager who will lead the team in efforts to help recovery. The case manager communicates with representatives from the insurance company and keeps them informed of an individual’s progress plans. They will regularly visit with the person and his or her family members to see how the person and family feel the program is progressing and to help coordinate plans for discharge. This planning is to help assure a smooth transition from the rehabilitation setting to home or an alternative living setting.
Social worker |
The social worker assists the person and family with emotional and social concerns. He or she is available to assist the person, their family and friends to understand the effects of the injury and to learn how family and friends can adjust and be helpful in the recovery process. The social worker is able to assist survivors and their families to find support groups and communicate with other survivors of spinal cord injury and their families. At the time of admission, the social worker starts working on the discharge plan with family. The social worker will discuss community support services based on the team’s predictions of the person’s needs at that time.
Spiritual care specialist |
The chapel is the center of Madonna, both literally and spiritually. It is open 24 hours a day for private meditation and prayer. The schedule of services is posted outside the chapel. Mission Services provides spiritual and religious support by offering daily Catholic Mass and regular Protestant services. A member of Mission Services visits regularly with every person to offer pastoral counseling. They also meet with individuals and their families on an on-call basis. Mission Services coordinates with the person's pastor when appropriate.
The Angel Dog program, an extension of Mission Services, combines traditional pet therapy with spiritual care. Trained handlers and their dogs can be referred to your family member for therapeutic visits.
Respiratory therapist |
The respiratory therapist (RT) provides specialized care for the individual with breathing and respiratory difficulties following spinal cord injury. The RT works with the team to wean the individual from a ventilator and/or tracheostomy. He or she also administers and monitors medications prescribed by the physician to improve a person's ability to cough, breath and resist infection.
Certified driver rehabilitation specialist |
Through the Driver Retraining Program, an occupational therapist evaluates the person's driving skills and retrains him or her, if appropriate.
Nutrition therapist |
Licensed medical nutrition therapists staff the Nutrition Therapy Department. A nutritional assessment is completed for each person during the first part of his or her stay. A person's diet history and food preferences are obtained, either from the person or from a family member. The nutrition therapist routinely assesses the individual's weight and dietary intake and adjusts his or her diet according to each individual's needs. When a person has a special diet, the nutrition therapist instructs him or her and family members about how to maintain the specialized diet while in the hospital and at home.
Education specialist |
For school-aged individuals, the education specialist is the liaison between the rehabilitation team and the school. He or she coordinates school meetings, training and assists school personnel to make the necessary modifications for a smooth transition back to the educational setting. The education specialist also works with college-aged individuals or those persons who wish to earn a general education degree (GED).
Prosthetist/Orthotist |
A certified prosthetist specializes in the fit and production of an artificial limb for those with amputations. They work collaboratively with the physician and other team members immediately after the amputation to prepare the patient’s limb for a prosthesis, and then after the wound is healed regarding the fit and proper use of the device. A certified orthotist specializes in the fit and production of a limb brace. They work collaboratively with the physician and other team members to insure proper fit and use of the brace.
View a list of awards and accreditations that demonstrate our commitment to providing the best quality of care for our patients.
We continually develop and acquire new technologies to enhance the lives of patients entrusting their care to us. Combining technical expertise with the experience of our clinical teams is critical to patients returning to work, school and community.
Contact our admissions team to learn how your loved one can begin their rehabilitation journey at Madonna.