MedStar Health News

In an instant with the crack of a bullet, the spin of a car, or the sudden burst of vessels in the brain, lives are irrevocably changed. For U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise, the innocence of a baseball game was shattered when a gunman aimed his weapon at the field where members of Congress were practicing for an annual game scheduled for the next evening.

His grave bullet wounds and his difficult journey through multiple surgeries and infection have been well documented. But like so many other patients with complex injuries, survival is just the first step in a recovery that may continue for months or years.

When the Congressman left his stay at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, he was immediately admitted to MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (MedStar NRH). His eight week stay at MedStar NRH demonstrates the critical importance of acute rehabilitation for patients who have suffered serious injury and who continue to have complex medical needs, as well.

For Congressman Scalise—and other patients with more complicated injury or illness—rehabilitation begins even before they enter the doors of MedStar NRH, explains John Aseff, MD, the physiatrist who cared for Rep. Scalise while in acute rehab.

Multidisciplinary Care Team
When the Congressman arrived at MedStar NRH, a team of rehabilitation experts had already been assigned to his care and provided an initial review of his immediate needs.

Every patient has a multidisciplinary care team that works collaboratively with one another, the patient and the family throughout hospitalization. Physiatrists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, recreation therapists, neuropsychologists, case managers and dietitians work in concert to develop an individualized treatment plan to help ensure the best possible recovery.

The care team meets weekly to share updates on the patient’s progress—and to address problems that may impede recovery. “Family meetings are also held to provide the patient and loved ones with a more global picture of the present—and the future,” explains Social Worker Joan McKinon Reeves, LICSW, MedStar NRH director of case managers.

“From the very beginning of a patient’s hospitalization, we provide an evaluation and create open communication between us and the patient and family,” she adds. “With patients who have more complex injuries, it’s important to understand what kind of support system they have at home and even begin to look at what they may require when they are discharged.

Rigorous Therapy, Six Days a Week
Working with patients who have an array of issues, care teams included therapists with special expertise working with patients suffering some type of neurological injury.

“Some patients need to relearn to walk,” says Meaghan Minzy, PT, DPT. “Our goal in physical therapy is to improve endurance, strengthen a patient’s upper body and help them use their legs.”

Amanda Summers, MS, OTR/L, ATP, says patients who present with physical weakness need to be mindful of overexertion. “Occupational therapy is focused on improving cardiovascular fitness and strengthening the upper body so that daily living tasks can once again be performed.”

For three hours-a-day, six-days-a-week, the Congressman pushed himself and his body, moving from wheelchair, to a walker and onto crutches. “In time, he went from walking 20 feet to 200,” says Minzy.

Progress like this is the result of a patient’s determination, the skill of rehab experts—plus the latest technology, such as FES, functional electrical stimulation to muscles, and the ZeroG® --the robotic body weight support system first developed at MedStar NRH.

Patients with very complex injuries face enormous challenges as they learn to “accept the injury and adjust to a new normal,” says Minzy. “For us, it never gets old to watch as patients improve and leave us able to move on with their lives.”

UPDATE at 3:30 P.M.: The 14-year-old male patient remains in good condition after receiving a gunshot wound to the thigh.

Leonardtown, Maryland (11:39 A.M.) – We are currently treating one patient, a 14-year-old male, following a shooting at Great Mills High School. At approximately 8:15 a.m., MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital received word that patients were en route following the shooting. We first received two patients, one of whom, a 16-year-old female, we stabilized and transferred to UM Prince George’s Hospital Center.   

The 14-year-old male is in good condition.

Elective surgeries that had been postponed earlier have resumed.

The safety of our patients and associates are our highest priority. MedStar St. Mary’s is a full-service hospital delivering emergency, acute inpatient, and outpatient care. We will share additional details as they become available. More information will also be shared by St. Mary’s County Public Schools and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, when possible.

About MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
MedStar St. Mary's Hospital (MSMH) is a full-service community hospital, delivering state-of-the-art emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient care in Leonardtown, Maryland. Nestled in a waterside community, MedStar St. Mary's provides advanced technology with a dedication to excellence in all services provided. The not-for-profit hospital has been named among the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals™ and is an eight time recipient of the prestigious Delmarva Medicare Excellence Award. In addition, MSMH received the Maryland Performance Excellence award at the Platinum level in 2014 – the highest in the state. Our staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate medical care for all patients by coupling innovation with our outstanding team of Medical Staff members, associates and volunteers. Visit MedStarStMarys.org to learn more.

BALTIMORE - MedStar Health’s orthopaedic and sports medicine’s pre-eminence in the region continues to grow with the opening of the latest orthopaedic and sports medicine physician and therapy site on the campus of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.

“The new center features the expertise of MedStar Health orthopaedic and sports medicine primary care physicians, as well as MedStar Health Physical Therapy’s physical therapists in one location to serve this large east Baltimore County community,” says John Brickley, MedStar Health Physical Therapy vice president for ambulatory operations and network development.

“The program occupies two floors of the Medical Arts Building directly across the street from the hospital to provide convenient, seamless care to patients.”

East Baltimore’s First Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center
The center is the first in this area to provide a wide range of orthopaedic, sports medicine and rehabilitation services. “There has been a real need for specialized care of this magnitude in a centralized location,” Brickley says. “It’s been designed in keeping with our other orthopaedic and sports medicine centers in the Washington, D.C., area, and the Greater Baltimore region in Bel Air, Timonium and Ellicott City.

“In addition to sports medicine services, we provide full-service orthopaedic and musculoskeletal care for everything from back pain and joint replacement rehabilitation to orthopaedic injuries, as well as post-surgical care. Over time, we will be expanding services to include other specialty care, such as the expertise of a certified hand therapist in the therapy area,” he adds.

The joint project with MedStar Franklin Square—one of the largest hospitals in Baltimore with the busiest emergency room—features the skills of four physical therapists and a physical therapy assistant, says Jill Anderson, PT, MedStar Health Physical Therapy assistant vice president for the Baltimore region. “The 3,500 square-foot, fully equipped rehab gym is located adjacent to the physician offices and features the AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill—unique technology that decreases the force of impact of walking and running, and increases it over time as injury heals,” Anderson explains.

“Our therapy services are focused on the full scope of sports injury rehab and prevention, including concussion care, and a ‘return to play’ program to rehab ACL knee injuries and ensure a safe return to sports activity,” she adds.

“Our physical therapists are orthopaedic certified specialists, and among the team are therapists with special certification in concussion and manual therapy,” says Laura H. Long, PT, regional director.

“We are treating both adolescents and adults—including weekend warriors and kids playing team sports. And for our patients’ convenience, we are open early and late, before and after work and school,” Long notes.

“Franklin Square Sports Medicine physicians and therapists provide services to athletes all over the area, including Maryland jockeys through the Horseman’s Health program and a variety of other professional level athletes,” Long adds.

Diverse Physician Expertise
Ten physicians are currently staffing the center, bringing together the teams of two practices with long histories of service to this community, explains David Cohen, MD, director of sports medicine at MedStar Franklin Square.

“The practice has a wide range of expertise, with orthopaedists who specialize in hand surgery, pediatrics, joint replacement surgery and general orthopaedics. Two primary care sports medicine physicians are also a critical part of the practice,” he adds.

“I provide services for the Baltimore Brigade arena football team, and Dr. Leigh Ann Curl provides orthopaedic care for the Baltimore Orioles. But we aren’t simply treating professional athletes: The center is also providing services to collegiate teams and high school athletes.

“The key feature of the center is our integrated care—including a shared waiting area for both physicians and therapists. Our location across from the hospital gives surgical patients ready access for post-procedure appointments and therapy. It is streamlined service that benefits our patients and promotes fuller recovery,” Dr. Cohen adds.

MedStar Health Physical Therapy at Rosedale
Sports Medicine ● Orthopaedic ● Musculoskeletal Services
9101 Franklin Square Drive, Suite 205
Baltimore, MD 21237
Phone: 410-282-2255 Fax: 410-238-1581

A joint MedStar NRH-Georgetown University program has been awarded a five-year, $3.5 million grant to promote career development of the next generation of academic rehabilitation clinician-scientists.

One of just four networks nationwide to receive the National Institutes of Health award, the MedStar NRH-Georgetown program is the only one in the nation designed to foster the independent research of a multidisciplinary group of researchers who will develop future treatments. 

These scholars will include individuals with any advanced neurorehabilitation-related degree including physicians (neurologists, neurosurgeons, geriatricians, physiatrists), as well as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, bioengineers, and others.  

Multidisciplinary Research Focused on One Issue

“Our grant has been designed to attract faculty-appointed rehab clinicians across disciplines focused on a single issue—disabling chronic neurological disorders,” explains Alexander Dromerick, MD, MedStar NRH chief research officer, who serves as program director with Barbara Bregman, PhD, professor of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Medicine.

The MedStar NRH/Georgetown program, named the Neurorehabilitation and Restorative Neuroscience Training Network (NRNTN), also includes an executive committee made up of some of the nation’s most successful investigators with a track record of interdisciplinary research training.  “We’re creating a community of scholars and mentors focused on approaching these diseases and injuries from many angles,” Dr. Dromerick adds.

In addition to the coordinating sites of Georgetown University and MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, NRHTN includes these additional sites: John Hopkins/Kennedy Krieger Institute; Harvard University Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Maryland/Kernan; and Cornell/Burke Rehabilitation Hospitals.

The program has three goals:

• To provide outstanding research training and mentorship for clinical scholars in neurorehabilitation
• To create a community of scholars
• To prepare rehabilitation clinician investigators for sustained and productive academic careers in neurorehabilitation

Career Development and Networking

“The program provides more than money,” says Dr. Bregman.  “These young faculty members will have access to a nationally respected group of mentors and other scholars—an environment that encourages an exchange of ideas among clinicians and researchers from across the U.S. and across disciplines, from basic science to clinical trials.“

Grantees and mentors will meet at least twice a year, once at the American Society of Neurorehabilitation and another spring meeting held at a major institution.  “As the network grows, the meetings will become a fertile ground for a cadre of hundreds of scientists—and a way to jump-start new interventions for neurorehabilitation,” says Dr. Dromerick.

Grantees are required to have a faculty appointment and be supported by a strong institutional commitment to neurorehabilitation. Four awards will be made in the first round of funding for two years of support.  The grantees may come from any institution in the country—and from any discipline as long as the research is focused on disabling neurological conditions.

“The program will ultimately help set the stage for the translation of basic and clinical research into a better understanding of the recovery of function after central nervous system injury,” says Dr. Dromerick. “The bottom line is to improve the quality of life of individuals with neurological injury and disease.”