Covenant Health hosted a dedication ceremony and open house Thursday afternoon for the newly remodeled orthopedic unit.
The 30-bed orthopedic unit includes a new gym facility featuring specialized equipment for the care of orthopedic patients.
“The Covenant orthopedic staff is excited to provide our patients with an upgraded facility where they can focus on their full recovery in a truly healing environment,” Karen Dean, R.N., B.S.N, nurse manager of orthopedics at Covenant Health, said. “Orthopedic care at Covenant takes a multidisciplinary approach which helps our patients achieve their personal goals for recovery. The renovated unit allows us to better meet our patients’ needs at the end of the day.”
Care is directed by the orthopedic physicians who work with a highly trained professional nursing and therapy staff as well as an interdisciplinary team including a case manager, social worker, dietitian, documentation specialist and pharmacist.
The unit provides care for a wide range of orthopedic patients from elective bone surgeries to trauma injuries.
The unit also features a special program for hip and knee replacement patients called Joint Ranch. This unique program operates like a summer camp, helping patients to progress through the joint replacement experience in a group setting.
Participants attend a pre-operative educational class at the Joint Ranch, then return after their surgery to participate in three to five days of group therapy and rehabilitation. A family member or friend acts as a coach through the process to ensure the patient has ample assistance once he or she returns home.
“Joint Ranch is beneficial to patients because they are fully educated on what to expect prior to surgery. Following surgery, they have the opportunity to interact and recover with other patients who have experienced similar procedures,” Dean said. “The patients actually motivate each other as they journey through the recovery process.”
The orthopedics unit is located on South 6 at Covenant Medical Center. The remodeled unit will officially open on Monday, Aug. 29.