Nursing, Wound Care & Physical Therapy

By Dustin Rex, PT, DPT, MS, CEEAA, DOR, Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Center, Cedar Park, TX

Our wound care systems at Cedar Pointe, led by Tiffany Delafosse, RN, DON; Nikki Alvarez, LVN/LPN, ADON; and Elise Mixson, LVN/LPN, are consistently managing our wound care systems successfully and effectively. When he started, Ricardo Cacho, one of our physical therapists, expressed a specific passion for learning about wound care. The combination of clinically talented and motivated team members facilitated our discussion of Nursing and Therapy collaboration within this system.

During the third week of October, we identified a resident with a persistent, complicated wound and began supplementing our standard wound care approach with Closed-Pulse Irrigation (CPI) treatments performed by Ricardo. Through clinical leadership from our Nursing partners, our wound care team, and Dr. Pat Marasco, developer of the CPI system, our resident experienced abrupt differences in wound size and discomfort. By the middle of December, seven-and-a-half weeks, our team had healed their first wound: complete closure from an initial size of over 7 cubic centimeters (7 cm3). We expanded our use of CPI with other residents and have had similarly significant results. The course of healing is always an ongoing, multifactorial process; but, to date, our team has facilitated healing of a combined area of 7.5 cm length x 6.6 cm width x 5.3 cm depth in stage IV wounds in our resident population. All of the success starts with our Nursing partners, who have used their expertise to support and streamline the addition of therapy as a part of the wound care system.

Presently, in addition to CPI, we are participating in a pilot trial with an ultrasound mist wound care program. We have found benefits with both approaches, which allows us to expand our ability to help our residents; expanding our skills means more opportunities to make a difference. It has been a great experience collaborating to maximize the talents of our interdisciplinary team to directly influence our residents’ quality of life.

Check out these amazing therapy career opportunities at our affiliated facilities: Physical Therapist – Berthoud Care, Physical Therapist – Keystone Ridge – $5K Bonus, Physical Therapist – Millennium, Physical Therapist – Legend-So San Antonio, and Occupational Therapist – Legend-Greenville. Find out more about these amazing jobs and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.

The Importance of “Champions” In A Market

By Kelly Alvord, Therapy Resource, Sunstone UT

For OT month, we wanted to highlight two of our Market OT champions who not only provide amazing care to the residents at their own facilities, but also help facilitate support for others in our market.

In Sunstone, we host ongoing champion calls to further the development of these programs. This forum is a great place to share best practices, brainstorm to resolve barriers, and to enhance the interventions to improve the lives of our patients.

Gary Pearson, OT, Pointe Meadows, leads our Abilities Care call. Gary is an occupational therapist and leader of the LTC programming and the CQR (long-term case management) process at Pointe Meadows, where he is also the assistant DOR. He has a passion for skilled intervention for patients with dementia, has participated in several dementia courses, and is the TEACHA for the Sunstone Market. He has also brought this skill set to the community, where he has brought the Abilities Care Approach into several local assisted living centers. Gary has had an impact at Pointe Meadows, in the local community and throughout the market.

Ryan Porritt, OT from Orem Rehab, leads our Heart Math Call. When Ryan started working as a new grad, it became apparent that there was a certain patient group he could not reach because of their self-limiting behaviors and the emotional components to healing. Reducing these emotional barriers to function quickly became his passion, which he has pursued over the past four years. Ryan has found HeartMath and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to be effective means of increasing participation in value-based activities by reducing the emotional barriers to function. He is excited to share his passion with anyone who is interested.

Check out these amazing therapy career opportunities at our affiliated facilities: Occupational Therapist – Ukiah Post Acute – $5K Bonus, Occupational Therapist – Pacific Care and Rehabilitation Center, Occupational Therapist – Wellington Place, and Occupational Therapist – Medical Lodge of Amarillo. Find out more about these amazing jobs and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.

pacific care facility

Work Hard, Play Hard - Join Pacific Care’s Amazing Rehab Team!

Pacific Care and Rehabilitation is a Skilled Nursing facility conveniently located in Hoquiam, Washington. Pacific Care is known in the community for compassionate and professional skilled nursing care. Once every guest is on the road to recovery, their talented rehab therapy team rolls into action. Pacific Care works hard to provide the very best overall care and treatment plan possible from the time a patient enters their doors, until it’s time to return home. Their main goal is comfort and health for each and every patient.

With all that hard work, Pacific Care still makes it a priority to celebrate their incredible employees. Whether it be a birthday, a recognition month, or even a lunch to reward the staff for going above and beyond, Pacific Care makes a point to show their appreciation and have fun team building experiences.

 

Employees from Pacific Care took a trip out to the driving range to celebrate, Gwil, one of the full time physical therapist’s birthday!

To celebrate Occupational Therapy month, the OTs and COTAs received personalized coffee containers with their names and fun designs!

Ensign has created an Employee Emergency Fund (EEF) where employees can donate to help others within the corporation in times of personal financial need. Pacific Care’s therapy team had 100% participation in donating to this fund.. truly showing their Love One Another core value for all therapist’s. They celebrated this incredible act of kindness with a lunch gathering together!

Want to join the incredible team at Pacific Care and Rehabilitation? Because, WE’RE HIRING! Pacific Care is currently offering an amazing career opportunity for a full time Occupational Therapist. Find out more about this amazing opportunity and browse our complete list of Ensign therapy job opportunities.

north mountain rehab hiring

Who Wouldn’t Want To Work For North Mountain? -WE’RE HIRING!

Calli Carlson is our dynamic rehab director at North Mountain Medical & Rehabilitation Center in Phoenix.  She started out as a staff Occupational Therapist here and feels privileged to now lead this team.  She says she has always been amazed by this group – they are compassionate, hard-working, ethical, intelligent and fully committed to helping patients reach their maximum independence.  The North Mountain team gets to work with a diverse and interesting group of patients since the facility accepts trach, vent or dialysis patients who are very medically complex and have spent a lot of time in a hospital setting. When the team first evaluates a patient, it is not uncommon for the patient to require full, two-person assist just to sit up at he edge of the bed for a few minutes.  It is incredible and rewarding to see those same patients eventually stand, walk, dress themselves, and return home to their families and lives that they love.  “Our therapists see the potential in our patients and help motivate and inspire them even when they cannot see the potential in themselves.  It is really a special thing,” says Calli.

North Mountain has become well known for their potluck celebrations and takes advantage of any opportunity to celebrate.  In addition to a dynamic and dedicated therapy team, the facility has a wonderful interdisciplinary team where there is mutual respect and accountability between departments and a high level of communication between all members of the team.  They hold themselves and their colleagues to a very high standard.

Calli and the therapy team have had uncountable meaningful experiences with their patients over the years.  A recent one involved a patient who had suffered a stroke six months prior to coming to North Mountain and had been residing at a different skilled nursing facility.  He had been in bed for the past six months, had very little strength, and was very depressed.  Within the first two weeks, the North Mountain team had him up in a wheelchair and standing with two therapists, a bilateral knee block and grab bars when he face timed his wife.  His wife was crying tears of joy and he was smiling – the first smile the therapy team had seen from him.  You could just feel that he finally had hope.  This patient continue to work with therapy and progress – and his wife is so pleased that our therapists were able to see his potential when others did not. 

Calli is excited for the future of the therapy department at North Mountain and expects the team to continue to grow.  Because of recent additions to the team, they are able to incorporate sensory stimulation, communication boards, fine motor/gross motor activities to improve engagement, edema management and bed/wheelchair positioning to maximize patient’s well being and healing. “I am eager to work with even more patients as we grow our therapy family!”

Intrigued? North Mountain Medical & Rehabilitation Center is currently offering an amazing career opportunity for a full time Physical Therapist. Find out more about these amazing opportunities and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.

We’re hiring all over Sonoma Valley!

Are you looking to regain that work/life balance?

Come join our amazing therapy teams where we believe our staff come first. We encourage time each day to renew your body, mind, heart and spirit.

 Cradled between the Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges, Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of California’s famed wine industry and the closest wine region to San Francisco, just 45 minutes away. Visitors have been attracted by the beauty and bounty of the Sonoma Valley since Coastal Miwok Indians first discovered the healing properties of the natural hot springs that once dotted the valley floor. 

Today, the region beckons with remarkable history, fine dining, a flourishing arts scene, charming shops, tranquil lodging and spas, and close to 100 wineries… all in 17 miles of unparalleled beauty, including 13,000 acres of parkland. 

What better place for you to find balance. Our therapy teams are innovative, creative and fun. The care is evidence based and excellent. Our outcomes are exceptional. 

Intrigued?  We are currently offering amazing career opportunities for a wide range of positions. To check out some of these openings see below:

Broadway Villa:

Physical Therapist – Broadway Villa /Sign On Bonus  Full Time       

PT Assistant – Broadway Villa/Full Time  

Park View PARC:

Physical Therapist – Park View PARC/ Full Time   

Summerfield:

Physical Therapist – Summerfield/Full Time         

Speech Therapist – Summerfield Healthcare – $5K Bonus/Full Time

Valley of the Moon:                                          

Occupational Therapist – Broadway Villa / Valley of the Moon/Full Time 

PT Assistant – Valley of the Moon Full Time          

Physical Therapist – Valley of the Moon – Sign On Bonus /Full Time

Glenwood Care — Beautiful 5 star Medicare building located in coastal Southern California of Oxnard, Ca. Provides therapy services for both outpatient and inpatient services in our building and as well as our community. A building with excellent team culture with effective communication between interdisciplinary team members to provide the outmost excellent care:

Occupational Therapist – Glenwood Care Full Time

PT Assistant – Glenwood -Full Time        

PT Assistant – Glenwood-Per Diem  

Find out more about these amazing opportunities and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.