PEDIATRICS

PediatricS

Children require a different approach to rehabilitation. To meet these needs, Madonna offers family-focused care in a secured unit, and each pediatric patient’s room is designed for an additional family member to stay. Moreover, Madonna enjoys a clinical affiliation with Children’s Nebraska. This partnership ensures a seamless transition to Madonna. Physicians from Children’s Nebraska oversee Madonna’s pediatric care team.

Parents, siblings and other important family members are invited to be part of a child’s rehabilitation at Madonna whenever possible. 

Children learn by playing, so Madonna provides plenty of playtime activities to help our pediatric patients thrive. We have both an indoor and outdoor playground designed for accessibility and inclusivity. 

For most children, returning to daily life means returning to school. Recognizing this vital component in a child’s recovery, Madonna has an onsite classroom program called the Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC). The TLC serves both inpatients and outpatients at Madonna. Each pediatric patient meets daily with a certified teacher with additional rehabilitation training and experience. The child or teen is exposed to real-life challenges within the classroom and works with his or her Madonna care team to overcome any limitations preventing them from returning to their community school system. Young adults who are in college and need academic structuring may also participate in the TLC program. In these cases, the educational specialist works with the university department of students with special needs, and the therapists work with patients on completion of school assessments on campus to simulate real-life re-entry.

A rigorous therapy schedule allows children and teens to regain skills and heal quickly.

• Each day will have 3 hours+ of OT, PT or speech therapy
• Weekly updates of patient care plan are shared in preparation for discharge
• Meals are offered in patient rooms or the common area
• Downtime can be filled with activities in the common area including TV, movies, gaming, age-appropriate play spaces
• Recreational and unit activities occur intermittently throughout the patient’s stay
  

Madonna provides a full continuum of care for pediatric patients, regardless of the severity of illness or injury. Our hospitals are equipped to care for patients on ventilators or in a minimally conscious state, including patients who have suffered mild trauma or are recovering from an illness.

Once patients are healthy enough to be discharged to their communities, our Rehabilitation Day Program (RDP) may be appropriate. Patients return to our campus two to five times per week for several daily hours of therapy, split among multiple disciplines of occupational, speech and physical therapy. A registered nurse is a team member on the RDP program allowing for closer medical management in collaboration with the referring physician to support the intensity necessary to continue recovery in the community. RDP allows for community reintegration while still benefiting from a rigorous therapy schedule.

We offer a variety of outpatient therapy services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and neuropsychology. The frequency of treatment is unique to each patient. Outpatient therapy can include one or more disciplines and vary in frequency depending on patient needs.

Offering multiple levels of care within the same organization allows for collaboration and communication between therapy teams and a predictable, proven therapy model to maximize outcomes.

Assistive technology professional-certified therapists provide seating and positioning evaluations for patients who require a wheelchair for mobility. Additionally, we also offer computerized pressure mapping assessments for individualized wheelchair prescriptions and recommendations for driving and vehicle modifications.

Madonna offers radiology services that include X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, echocardiogram, venous doppler, arterial doppler, Holter monitor, sleep study and electroencephalogram (EEG).

Madonna’s hospitals utilize in-house laboratory services to help diagnose and monitor patient conditions. Tests such as anticoagulation, hematology, chemistry, therapeutic drug level testing and urine analysis services with results are often available the same day.

Madonna provides a full range of inpatient pharmacy services, including medication distribution, patient education and clinical/dosing services.

Helping parents and other caregivers feel confident in caring for their child at home is a critical component of our pediatric program. The Parents Engaged in Rehab for Kids Success PERKS program meets weekly and is designed to target topics that prepare families for home and community reintegration. Therapy and nursing staff work together providing education and one-to-one opportunities to practice daily living activities, medical procedures, operation and maintenance of assistive devices, transfers in and out of vehicles, and other important skills necessary upon return to the community. When appropriate, families may practice new skills in a transitional living apartment to confidently ready themselves before the transition home.

Upon admission to Madonna, the TLC educational specialist contacts each patient’s community school to gain records and establish a relationship with them. Throughout the child or teen’s inpatient stay, the educational specialist keeps the school updated on his or her progress and as the child moves closer to discharge, begins processes related to re-integration. This might involve a trip to the school to assess and/or practice mobility skills, a joint meeting with therapists, teacher(s), and parents to discuss strategies, or the development of an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) jointly with the school personnel. Contact with the school does not end when the patient is discharged. The child/adolescent may continue therapy and TLC at Madonna as part of their outpatient or Rehabilitation Day Program with gradual integration into the community school program. Regardless, the educational specialist follows up with school personnel after the patient re-integrates into their community school to ensure things are going well.

Madonna is committed to our patients’ lifelong success and wellness. When appropriate, we offer services, such as home assessments, home modifications, assistive technology, orthotics, prosthetics and emotional support resources for patients during and after their preparation to return home.

Madonna coordinates with local, regional and national organizations to help patients find the most helpful online resources. View our recommended pediatric rehabilitation resources here.

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals is a leading regional provider of pediatric rehabilitation services for infants and children through 19 years of age. Families requiring highly specialized rehabilitation services following an illness or acquired injuries such as brain injury, spinal cord, or stroke come to Madonna to access our focused pediatric services provided throughout the continuum of care on the Lincoln and Omaha campuses.
Click here to view Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ Pediatric Scope of Service.