Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Team

During your inpatient stay, several medical professionals will work together to help you progress in your treatment and recovery. Your treatment team will be lead by a physiatrist, a member of the medical staff of Baylor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Other members of your treatment team may include:

• Clinical nurse coordinator who works with everyone involved in planning and implementing your treatment program. The coordinator will help you with issues related to financial resources and will also serve as the primary contact and inform you about your progress in the treatment program.
• Social worker who will help with issues related to financial resources and insurance benefits as it relates to discharge options and services. The social worker will provide you and your family members with discharge information and make referrals for continued services for you upon discharge.
• Rehabilitation nurse who will monitor your physical condition as well as carry out your therapy recommendations and provide training to you and your family to better manage medical issues after discharge.
• Rehabilitation assistant will provide you support depending upon your level of independence.
• Occupational therapist works with you in the areas of self care such as dressing, grooming bathing and eating and advanced self-care such as home management, cooking, cleaning money management and the use of upper extremities. The OT may also work on assessing and treating swallowing disorders.
• Physical therapist works with you in the use of your legs and assists with mobility including walking with or without the use of assistive equipment and the use of a wheelchair. The physical therapist may also make recommendations on appropriate equipment and work with you on assessing any modifications that need to be done to your home in preparation for discharge.
• Rehabilitation technician may assist you in various therapy sessions. The rehabilitation technician is specially trained and supervised by a licensed therapist to supervise activities that address your physical rehabilitation goals.
• Speech-Language Pathologist will help you improve communication skills and cognition in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The Speech-Language Pathologist may also work on assessing and treating swallowing disorders.
• Clinical psychologist will provide assessment and treatment in cognition, which includes thinking, new learning, memory, emotional well being and behavior. Services are provided in individual, family and group therapy settings. Adjustment counseling and sexuality, including relationships, self-esteem, body image and fertility are also addressed.
• Therapeutic Recreation Specialist will work with you on the physical, cognitive, social and emotional issues that may interfere with leisure and community activities. The Therapeutic Recreation Specialist may also educate you and your family members about leisure and community resources, which may include a community outing prior to discharge.
• Respiratory Therapist will provide treatment and education to patients who are on a ventilator, have a tracheotomy or have any pulmonary dysfunction.