The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Department of Therapy Services provides occupational, physical and speech therapy within an individualized state-of-the-art model of care in conjunction with world class physicians and medical practices. As a highly trained pediatric team with an international reputation for excellence, the staff tailors therapy to each child's developmental stage and individual needs for the most effective results. Now, pediatricians, patients and families have the convenience of accessing these services at a new location near Progress West Hospital.
Sarah Becker, speech language pathologist, joins the show to discuss services offered and when a pediatrician should refer a patient to a therapy specialist.
Selected Podcast
Children's Therapy Services Now Available Near Progress West Hospital
Featured Speaker:
Sarah Becker, MS CCC-SLP
Sarah Becker, MS is a therapy and audiology services manager at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Transcription:
Children's Therapy Services Now Available Near Progress West Hospital
Melanie Cole (Host): The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Department of Therapy Services provides occupational, physical and speech therapy within an individualized state-of-the-art model of care in conjunction with world class physicians and medical practices. Now, pediatricians, patients and families have the convenience of accessing these services at a new location near Progress West Hospital. My guest to tell us about this today is Sarah Becker. She is the Therapy and Audiology Services Manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Sarah, I’m so glad to have you join us today. Please start for us by describing the therapy services just generally offered at St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s main location.
Sarah Becker MS, CCC-SLP (Guest): Well thank you for having me. At the St. Louis Children’s Hospital main location and we also have another satellite center; we offer physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to a variety of patients. So, this breaks down into developmental treatment, orthopedic treatment, hand, feeding and swallowing, we treat vocal cord dysfunction. We have some specialized teams for augmentative communication and wheelchair assessment. We do gait analysis, pelvic floor therapy, vestibular therapy and concussion therapy and then we also have the young athletes center at our location on Mason Road which is a great program that is leaned toward the athlete and getting them to return to sports but avoiding sports injuries in the first place.
Host: I know about that young athletes center. I’ve done shows about it and it is wonderful and does help those young athletes. So, with the Progress West Hospital expansion, tell us what prompted the need then to expand these services that are already so comprehensive?
Sarah: So, we have just found a huge need within our community here within St. Louis City, St. Louis County and all of the surrounding counties. So, our team was really focusing on where can we go to reach the patients in the community, near their homes to make it more convenient for them. So, what we are really trying to do is help offset some of our volume at our main locations and then be able to serve more patients because it’s such a highly specialized service that we provide.
Host: So then tell us a little bit about the new location Sarah. Where is it and as well as some of the features and amenities, access to parking? Tell us all about it.
Sarah: Okay well, we’re really excited. We’re in the very final leg of construction right now and actually just getting all of our equipment installed and delivered. So, it is directly adjacent to Progress West Hospital. So, if you were travelling west on highway 64 and you get off on highway K, if you look right there off the highway, Progress West hospital is on the left and our building is on the right.
It actually says CHUB on the side of it which I have heard is an insurance provider, so the building there doesn’t just have medical facilities within it. There’s a variety of businesses. So, the parking we do have some parking on the west side of the building that’s designated for Children’s Hospital and they’ve actually been so gracious as to move some of our handicapped accessible spaces to that entrance as well. The sign and the other entrance is on the south side of the building that faces the highway.
And then there’s a café there at that location as well. The way that we designed the clinic. We have a nice gym area that’s very open and it’s really exciting how we do these things but our architects are very talented and they build some of our pediatric tests into our floor. They are in the gym which is really nice and then we have four private treatment rooms that can be used for a variety of treatments, both physical, occupational and speech therapy there.
Host: So, then in terms of the services offered. Does the new location differ from the main location Sarah? What’s different between them?
Sarah: So, it’s obviously not as big. So, we don’t have nearly the square footage. So, what we are really focusing on here is more of our general developmental population so we looking at developmental PT, OT and speech. And then we think that there will be quite a bit of focus on orthopedics and further carrying on the Young Athletes Center brand. So, that even some of our therapists are overlapping with the Young Athletes Center. So, we would be able to offer the same protocols and the high level of treatment that they receive at the Young Athletes Center there in our other location.
Host: So, then why would a pediatrician refer to this and or the other SLCH location, but is there a specific reason you would like pediatricians to know about this new location?
Sarah: I think for any of our locations, the therapists at St. Louis Children’s Hospital are the foremost experts in the field. We are so proud of our team. there is such a high focus on education and the level of collaboration that we have; it’s a big team. And so, they are very fortunate to have each other as great resources and so it’s all the great minds think alike but they are so focused on research and outcomes and getting the very best treatment for our patients that as we do that in a group, and work together; we are able to leverage our level of expertise but then also look for the most cutting edge and effective treatment that we can offer.
Host: Then along those lines, Sarah, tell us about your multidisciplinary team. There are so many specialists as you said and some of really the country’s greatest. So, tell us a little bit about your team.
Sarah: Right so, depending on the type of disorder that a patient might have or the type of service that they are looking for; we do several different types of service that are collaborations. For instance, our wheelchair clinic that we offer at our main campus and our specialty care center is a physical therapist and an occupational therapist that are working together to meet different needs that the patient might have that are related to their specialty.
We have an augmentative communication team which looks at children that can’t speak and this is giving them; we use technology and teach the children to access technology in a way that helps them communicate. So, the speech pathologist is there to help with the vocabulary development and decide what type of vocabulary we need and maybe the type of software we need but then the occupational therapist might be looking at how the child accesses that so if they have paralysis or other issues; do they need to use eye gaze to be able to identify whatever it is that they are trying to say and then the occupational therapist also helps with positioning. So, that’s an area that we use both disciplines.
We also use multidisciplinary approach to feeding therapy. So, we are looking at kids that are having difficulty with feeding and swallowing and so they might have a physiological issue but also have some sensory issues that go along with that. So, there’s a role for multiple disciplines on each of these teams.
Host: What great information and as I said before, how comprehensive. So, as we wrap up what else would a referring physician need to know about this location and the broader therapy services provided by St. Louis Children’s Hospital?
Sarah: I think at this location we just want our referring physicians to know that we’re here to serve them. And so if there are services – we have so many specialties and the ability to continue to expand those specialties so, if there is something that they are looking for in particular, we would love to reach out and hear about programs that they feel would be beneficial to that community and just the services in general, we just want everyone to know how focused that we are on outcomes and making sure that our patients get to the very best level and highest functioning that they can.
Host: Well you certainly made that clear today and congratulations on the expansion and we’ll be looking forward to hearing about it when it’s done. Thank you so much Sarah, for joining us today and telling us all about it.
And that wraps up this episode of Radio Rounds with St. Louis Children’s Hospital. To consult with a specialist or learn more about services or resources available at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, please call Children’s Direct Physician Access Line at 1-800-678-HELP. Or you can always head on over to our website at www.stlouischildrens.org for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. If you as a provider found this podcast informative and as interesting as I did, please share on your social media, share with other providers and be sure to check out all the other fascinating podcasts in our library. Until next time, this is Melanie Cole.
Children's Therapy Services Now Available Near Progress West Hospital
Melanie Cole (Host): The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Department of Therapy Services provides occupational, physical and speech therapy within an individualized state-of-the-art model of care in conjunction with world class physicians and medical practices. Now, pediatricians, patients and families have the convenience of accessing these services at a new location near Progress West Hospital. My guest to tell us about this today is Sarah Becker. She is the Therapy and Audiology Services Manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Sarah, I’m so glad to have you join us today. Please start for us by describing the therapy services just generally offered at St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s main location.
Sarah Becker MS, CCC-SLP (Guest): Well thank you for having me. At the St. Louis Children’s Hospital main location and we also have another satellite center; we offer physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to a variety of patients. So, this breaks down into developmental treatment, orthopedic treatment, hand, feeding and swallowing, we treat vocal cord dysfunction. We have some specialized teams for augmentative communication and wheelchair assessment. We do gait analysis, pelvic floor therapy, vestibular therapy and concussion therapy and then we also have the young athletes center at our location on Mason Road which is a great program that is leaned toward the athlete and getting them to return to sports but avoiding sports injuries in the first place.
Host: I know about that young athletes center. I’ve done shows about it and it is wonderful and does help those young athletes. So, with the Progress West Hospital expansion, tell us what prompted the need then to expand these services that are already so comprehensive?
Sarah: So, we have just found a huge need within our community here within St. Louis City, St. Louis County and all of the surrounding counties. So, our team was really focusing on where can we go to reach the patients in the community, near their homes to make it more convenient for them. So, what we are really trying to do is help offset some of our volume at our main locations and then be able to serve more patients because it’s such a highly specialized service that we provide.
Host: So then tell us a little bit about the new location Sarah. Where is it and as well as some of the features and amenities, access to parking? Tell us all about it.
Sarah: Okay well, we’re really excited. We’re in the very final leg of construction right now and actually just getting all of our equipment installed and delivered. So, it is directly adjacent to Progress West Hospital. So, if you were travelling west on highway 64 and you get off on highway K, if you look right there off the highway, Progress West hospital is on the left and our building is on the right.
It actually says CHUB on the side of it which I have heard is an insurance provider, so the building there doesn’t just have medical facilities within it. There’s a variety of businesses. So, the parking we do have some parking on the west side of the building that’s designated for Children’s Hospital and they’ve actually been so gracious as to move some of our handicapped accessible spaces to that entrance as well. The sign and the other entrance is on the south side of the building that faces the highway.
And then there’s a café there at that location as well. The way that we designed the clinic. We have a nice gym area that’s very open and it’s really exciting how we do these things but our architects are very talented and they build some of our pediatric tests into our floor. They are in the gym which is really nice and then we have four private treatment rooms that can be used for a variety of treatments, both physical, occupational and speech therapy there.
Host: So, then in terms of the services offered. Does the new location differ from the main location Sarah? What’s different between them?
Sarah: So, it’s obviously not as big. So, we don’t have nearly the square footage. So, what we are really focusing on here is more of our general developmental population so we looking at developmental PT, OT and speech. And then we think that there will be quite a bit of focus on orthopedics and further carrying on the Young Athletes Center brand. So, that even some of our therapists are overlapping with the Young Athletes Center. So, we would be able to offer the same protocols and the high level of treatment that they receive at the Young Athletes Center there in our other location.
Host: So, then why would a pediatrician refer to this and or the other SLCH location, but is there a specific reason you would like pediatricians to know about this new location?
Sarah: I think for any of our locations, the therapists at St. Louis Children’s Hospital are the foremost experts in the field. We are so proud of our team. there is such a high focus on education and the level of collaboration that we have; it’s a big team. And so, they are very fortunate to have each other as great resources and so it’s all the great minds think alike but they are so focused on research and outcomes and getting the very best treatment for our patients that as we do that in a group, and work together; we are able to leverage our level of expertise but then also look for the most cutting edge and effective treatment that we can offer.
Host: Then along those lines, Sarah, tell us about your multidisciplinary team. There are so many specialists as you said and some of really the country’s greatest. So, tell us a little bit about your team.
Sarah: Right so, depending on the type of disorder that a patient might have or the type of service that they are looking for; we do several different types of service that are collaborations. For instance, our wheelchair clinic that we offer at our main campus and our specialty care center is a physical therapist and an occupational therapist that are working together to meet different needs that the patient might have that are related to their specialty.
We have an augmentative communication team which looks at children that can’t speak and this is giving them; we use technology and teach the children to access technology in a way that helps them communicate. So, the speech pathologist is there to help with the vocabulary development and decide what type of vocabulary we need and maybe the type of software we need but then the occupational therapist might be looking at how the child accesses that so if they have paralysis or other issues; do they need to use eye gaze to be able to identify whatever it is that they are trying to say and then the occupational therapist also helps with positioning. So, that’s an area that we use both disciplines.
We also use multidisciplinary approach to feeding therapy. So, we are looking at kids that are having difficulty with feeding and swallowing and so they might have a physiological issue but also have some sensory issues that go along with that. So, there’s a role for multiple disciplines on each of these teams.
Host: What great information and as I said before, how comprehensive. So, as we wrap up what else would a referring physician need to know about this location and the broader therapy services provided by St. Louis Children’s Hospital?
Sarah: I think at this location we just want our referring physicians to know that we’re here to serve them. And so if there are services – we have so many specialties and the ability to continue to expand those specialties so, if there is something that they are looking for in particular, we would love to reach out and hear about programs that they feel would be beneficial to that community and just the services in general, we just want everyone to know how focused that we are on outcomes and making sure that our patients get to the very best level and highest functioning that they can.
Host: Well you certainly made that clear today and congratulations on the expansion and we’ll be looking forward to hearing about it when it’s done. Thank you so much Sarah, for joining us today and telling us all about it.
And that wraps up this episode of Radio Rounds with St. Louis Children’s Hospital. To consult with a specialist or learn more about services or resources available at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, please call Children’s Direct Physician Access Line at 1-800-678-HELP. Or you can always head on over to our website at www.stlouischildrens.org for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. If you as a provider found this podcast informative and as interesting as I did, please share on your social media, share with other providers and be sure to check out all the other fascinating podcasts in our library. Until next time, this is Melanie Cole.