Specialized Programs & Services

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is accredited by CARF, the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission as a Pediatric Family Centered Program in areas of comprehensive inpatient hospital, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and comprehensive outpatient programs. According to CARF: "Pediatric Family Centered Rehabilitation Programs are family-centered, culturally sensitive, interdisciplinary, coordinated and focused on outcomes....The programs use an individualized, developmental, and age-appropriate approach to rehabilitation that ensures that care focuses on preventing further impairment, reducing activity limitations, and minimizing participation restrictions while maximizing growth an development. The programs recognize the family as a constant in a child's/adolescent's life. They provide ongoing access to information about the services available within a coordinated continuum of care. The programs should encompass care that enhances the life of each child/adolescent served within the family, school, and community. A major focus should be on providing developmentally appropriate care that acknowledges each child's/adolescent's need to learn and play."

Madonna offers comprehensive programming for adolescents and children with all types of diagnoses, from those who are still in the early stages of recovery following a very severe injury to those who have suffered a minor concussion.

A dedicated adolescent and children's space located within Madonna's Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU). This area, which is decorated with a garden park theme, is equipped with six single rooms with age appropriate furnishings and accommodations for a family member to stay. A small number of adolescents age 16 years or older with complex medical conditions are served on the LTACH level of care. Children and adolescents are also served in the Rehabilitation Day Program and also by specially trained therapists on our Main Campus TherapyPlus location.

Children are not little adults. They have a constant need to play and learn, and things like family life, school and peer interactions are all very important.



Inpatient Unit: It was with these things in mind that Madonna chose the garden park theme for its six-bed unit. A mural of a garden wall and gate at the entrance of the unit beckons kids to come inside. Once inside the unit, the walls are covered with murals that depict all ages of children and adolescents involved in a variety of garden park activities, such as playing in the sand, riding a bicycle, or playing wheelchair basketball. A picnic area shows a family having fun together, and another mural shows all kinds of healthy but fun foods. There are motivational sayings written on the walls, such as a quote from Dr. Seuss "Oh, the places you shall go!"

Patient Rooms: Each of six patient rooms is decorated in an age and gender appropriate manner, with a couch that folds out into a bed for family members who wish to stay overnight. For younger children, a floor to ceiling poster of Noah's ark full of brightly colored animals is a focal point and for older children it is a big tree house with kids playing. Wood laminate flooring and cabinetry add an uplifting feel and again bring the park feel inside.

Treatment Spaces: While some children may need to receive treatment in their room or on the unit due to distractibility or medical issues, Madonna does have a special pediatric gym area that is well-suited for younger children. This gym area is brightly decorated and is equipped with many different shapes and sizes of mats, bolsters, and equipment as well as a swing and special rock climbing wall. A special area equipped with a highchair and sink is available for the speech and/or occupational therapist to work on feeding/swallowing. Many adolescents and children find working and playing in our therapeutic pool not only fun but also beneficial.

School Re-Entry: Thanks to generous donations from multiple corporations, foundations, and individuals, inpatients and outpatients between the ages of 3 and 21 are able to integrate school in the Kit Scott Therapeutic Learning Center, a two-room school within the hospital. This space has been newly renovated to include one room that is more elementary school focused and another that is more adolescent focused. Flat screen televisions and computers make this a modern classroom.

Independence Square: Madonna is the only facility in the region to have a simulated community, called Independence Square, where patients may practice real life tasks such as grocery shopping, banking, climbing up and down from a tractor, or going to a movie theater. Here, using Madonna's Angel Dogs kids may practice feeding, grooming, and walking a dog or cat as well as other common household chores such as doing their laundry.

Medical care - Each patient's rehabilitation program is directed by a physician who specializes in physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation) and the overall medical care by a pediatrician. Both doctors visit each patient daily Monday through Friday and are actively involved in treatment planning, meeting with the rest of the team on a daily basis. The core clinical staff who care for children and adolescents have completed pediatric competency training and testing, so have the skills necessary to integrate each child/adolescent's developmental as well as medical needs.

Rehabilitation - Madonna has a dedicated team of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation professionals who have completed pediatric competency training and testing. In addition to the rehabilitation physician, each child/adolescent's team is made up of physical, occupational, speech, recreational, nutrition, and respiratory therapists as well as an educational specialist, members from the neuropsychology department, social worker, rehabilitation nurse and case manager. Together they work to meet the age and diagnosis-related physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of the children and adolescents we serve. Madonna is the only rehabilitation hospital in Nebraska that has a full staff of specially trained rehabilitation and neuropsychologists on-site who are an integral part of the team, participating in team meetings, leading behavioral intervention plans, and providing counseling and support for both the patient and their family members. Use of technology such as the Body Weight Support Treadmill, Bioness functional electrical stimulation, environmental control units, custom seating and mobility systems, Tech Tots toys, and augmentative alternative communication are integrated into the treatment program throughout the continuum of care

Therapeutic Play: Madonna integrates play and peer interaction throughout its rehabilitation programming. Funding from the United Cerebral Palsy Association has helped Madonna establish and maintain a special toy lending library called Tech Tots. Whether it is interacting with peers on the unit, in the gym, in TLC or going on an outing to Madonna's Child Development Center to interact with able-bodied kids, play and social interaction are key components of Madonna's programming.

Community Re-Entry: Rehabilitation does not stop when the patient gains basic skills of self-care and mobility. Participation in a variety of adaptive sports and recreational outings can be integrated into therapy or just for fun. Adolescents may also work on specific goals related to driving, school re-entry, or visit with a vocational rehabilitation counselor about school to work transition. Madonna is also one of four regional All Kids Ride Safe Center, designated and supported financially by the Safe Kids Coalition of Nebraska. The role of the center is to operate a loan closet of specially adapted car seats and provide assessment and training regarding appropriate fit and use of the equipment.

Vision: The ability to accurately perceive the environment is often affected following a brain injury and can result in difficulties with balance, walking, reading, and attention. Madonna is the only rehabilitation provider in the region to offer a comprehensive vision program, in which all the disciplines apply integrated vision treatment strategies, specialized techniques, and equipment to improve visual processing.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Many brain injuries are not initially recognized or treated because they are mild. Often the need for treatment may not be identified until months after the incident, when academic, vocational, personal or family adjustment difficulties arise. Madonna is regionally known for its Mild Traumatic Brain Injury services - a comprehensive 2-day assessment and treatment focusing on medical, physical, cognitive (thinking) and emotional aspects of mild traumatic brain injury. A separate team with pediatric competencies is now available for kids following concussion or other mild traumatic brain injury.

Sports Concussion: Madonna also offers a Sports Concussion Assessment for persons who have recently suffered a sports-related concussion and need assessment services for physical and cognitive changes and return to activities recommendations. Brain Injury Program Manager Lori Terryberry-Spohr, Ph.D. has completed research related to concussion injuries and leads educational efforts with local school coaches and parent groups.

• Child Car Safety Seats