ECMC takes pride in providing individual patients with the services they need for optimal outcomes. This support includes rehabilitation for some patients.
Mark LiVecchi, Chief of Service of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Erie County Medical Center, shares information about the hospital's rehabilitation services.
ECMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services
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Learn more about Dr. Mark LiVecchi
Mark LiVecchi, DMD, MD, MBA
Dr. Mark LiVecchi serves as Chief of Service for the Department of Rehabilitation at ECMC, where he helps ensure the best care for patients needing physical medicine and rehabilitation.Learn more about Dr. Mark LiVecchi
Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): The rehabilitation services at ECMC are provided at several levels of care to ensure that each patient receives the specific support they need to achieve better outcomes. Whether recovering from trauma or improved mobility after a minor injury. Here to talk with us about ECMC physical medicine and rehabilitation services is Dr. Mark LiVecchi, Chief of Service Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at ECMC. Dr. LiVecchi thanks for your time. So, what are the specific types of injuries you treat in the medical rehabilitation unit?
Mark LiVecchi, DMD, MD, MBA (Guest): Well thank you for having me. We treat a myriad of injuries such as traumatic brain injury, nontraumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries and strokes.
Bill: And Dr. LiVecchi what types of conditions and diseases do you treat as well?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well we also treat the disease as a whole and the patient as a whole with respect to vascular issues such as high blood pressure which can obviously lead to stroke, or unfortunately amputation in certain populations, diabetes is another disease we are well-equipped to treat with its unfortunate sequelae of amputations and in addition, we have begun a multidisciplinary approach with the transplant surgical team here helping those folks who have multiple issues such as renal and their inherent medical issues such as transplant rejection and we have a team of several folks monitoring them. As well as trying to incorporate the rehabilitation efforts here within ECMC.
Bill: So, you cover a lot of ground Dr. LiVecchi so I’m going to get back to the traumatic injuries. Earlier you were talking about brain injuries, spinal cord injuries. For those types of injuries, what types of treatments then do you provide?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well we start with again, it’s a team effort, multidisciplinary. There are some specific medical treatments, medications, anti-inflammatories and neuro-stimulants which are employed, but also, we have a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists who are complimentary to the pharmacologic and medical management that help the person with respect to their recovery as well as their ability to improve and hopefully return to the community.
Bill: Dr. LiVecchi you mentioned a team effort. Who would generally be on the care team?
Dr. LiVecchi: Oh, most certainly. Well any surgical providers who have been involved in the patient’s care prior to their arrival are most certainly available to us whether neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery, spine surgery in addition, any medical physicians who are following along in their specialties such as renal physicians or ophthalmology and hospital dentistry for example in some of our facial traumas. In addition, we have a cadre of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, discharge planners, social workers, nutritionists. It really does run the gamut. It’s a large team.
Bill: And speaking of physical therapists, are these services provided on an inpatient and outpatient basis as well?
Dr. LiVecchi: Yes. We have a continuum. We have the physical therapists who are on the station in the acute hospital as well as here on the medical rehabilitation unit which are inpatient based. And we also have a group of outpatient physical therapists and occupational therapists for that matter who are stationed in the outpatient setting downstairs on the ground floor at ECMC and we also have physical, occupational and speech therapists stationed at our long-term rehabilitation center attached here to the hospital.
Bill: And how do patients come to you? Are they generally referred to by their family doctor or through the emergency department? How does that work?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well ECMC is a unique situation. It’s most of our referrals are internal from the medical/or trauma units here at ECMC. We do get some out of house referrals from adjacent hospitals who do not have the needs that the patient requires, cannot meet their needs such as some of the spinal cord injuries or the more complicated traumatic brain injuries do end up here at ECMC.
Bill: And Dr. LiVecchi what else should we know about the rehabilitation services offered at ECMC?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well ECMC is uniquely positioned. We have great outcomes in our trauma units and our surgical services and as of the last report I reviewed; we have among if not the top complexity for admission case mix index in the United States for medical rehabilitation units. So, if you have a medical rehabilitation need; I believe ECMC is uniquely positioned to handle it whether it be more straightforward or extremely complex.
Bill: Very good information and great to know. Dr. LiVecchi thank you so much for your time today. for more information on ECMC visit www.ecmc.edu, that’s www.ecmc.edu. This is the True Care Healthcast from Erie County Medical Center. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): The rehabilitation services at ECMC are provided at several levels of care to ensure that each patient receives the specific support they need to achieve better outcomes. Whether recovering from trauma or improved mobility after a minor injury. Here to talk with us about ECMC physical medicine and rehabilitation services is Dr. Mark LiVecchi, Chief of Service Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at ECMC. Dr. LiVecchi thanks for your time. So, what are the specific types of injuries you treat in the medical rehabilitation unit?
Mark LiVecchi, DMD, MD, MBA (Guest): Well thank you for having me. We treat a myriad of injuries such as traumatic brain injury, nontraumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries and strokes.
Bill: And Dr. LiVecchi what types of conditions and diseases do you treat as well?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well we also treat the disease as a whole and the patient as a whole with respect to vascular issues such as high blood pressure which can obviously lead to stroke, or unfortunately amputation in certain populations, diabetes is another disease we are well-equipped to treat with its unfortunate sequelae of amputations and in addition, we have begun a multidisciplinary approach with the transplant surgical team here helping those folks who have multiple issues such as renal and their inherent medical issues such as transplant rejection and we have a team of several folks monitoring them. As well as trying to incorporate the rehabilitation efforts here within ECMC.
Bill: So, you cover a lot of ground Dr. LiVecchi so I’m going to get back to the traumatic injuries. Earlier you were talking about brain injuries, spinal cord injuries. For those types of injuries, what types of treatments then do you provide?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well we start with again, it’s a team effort, multidisciplinary. There are some specific medical treatments, medications, anti-inflammatories and neuro-stimulants which are employed, but also, we have a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists who are complimentary to the pharmacologic and medical management that help the person with respect to their recovery as well as their ability to improve and hopefully return to the community.
Bill: Dr. LiVecchi you mentioned a team effort. Who would generally be on the care team?
Dr. LiVecchi: Oh, most certainly. Well any surgical providers who have been involved in the patient’s care prior to their arrival are most certainly available to us whether neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery, spine surgery in addition, any medical physicians who are following along in their specialties such as renal physicians or ophthalmology and hospital dentistry for example in some of our facial traumas. In addition, we have a cadre of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, discharge planners, social workers, nutritionists. It really does run the gamut. It’s a large team.
Bill: And speaking of physical therapists, are these services provided on an inpatient and outpatient basis as well?
Dr. LiVecchi: Yes. We have a continuum. We have the physical therapists who are on the station in the acute hospital as well as here on the medical rehabilitation unit which are inpatient based. And we also have a group of outpatient physical therapists and occupational therapists for that matter who are stationed in the outpatient setting downstairs on the ground floor at ECMC and we also have physical, occupational and speech therapists stationed at our long-term rehabilitation center attached here to the hospital.
Bill: And how do patients come to you? Are they generally referred to by their family doctor or through the emergency department? How does that work?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well ECMC is a unique situation. It’s most of our referrals are internal from the medical/or trauma units here at ECMC. We do get some out of house referrals from adjacent hospitals who do not have the needs that the patient requires, cannot meet their needs such as some of the spinal cord injuries or the more complicated traumatic brain injuries do end up here at ECMC.
Bill: And Dr. LiVecchi what else should we know about the rehabilitation services offered at ECMC?
Dr. LiVecchi: Well ECMC is uniquely positioned. We have great outcomes in our trauma units and our surgical services and as of the last report I reviewed; we have among if not the top complexity for admission case mix index in the United States for medical rehabilitation units. So, if you have a medical rehabilitation need; I believe ECMC is uniquely positioned to handle it whether it be more straightforward or extremely complex.
Bill: Very good information and great to know. Dr. LiVecchi thank you so much for your time today. for more information on ECMC visit www.ecmc.edu, that’s www.ecmc.edu. This is the True Care Healthcast from Erie County Medical Center. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.