When a person has a stroke, undergoes an amputation, suffers a traumatic injury or has major surgery, getting out of the hospital is just the first step on the road to recovery. For many, time spent at an in-patient rehabilitation facility is crucial to helping them readjust and prepare for life at home again. PeaceHealth United General Medical Center’s new Acute Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Sedro-Woolley opened July 1, and is the only rehabilitation facility of its kind between Everett and the Canadian border. It replaces the previous rehabilitation unit located at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, which was reallocated last fall to meet increased demand for general medical and surgical bed space.
That transition created an eight-month gap for PeaceHealth in-patient rehabilitation care, during which time patients had to seek care in Everett or the Seattle area. But now, the new center is here to provide the best possible care for patients living in Skagit, Island and Whatcom Counties.
“I’ve been really excited to see how this has unfolded,” says Janie Reopelle, nurse manager for the new facility. “To see it up and running, and with the services we’re able to provide to patients, it’s really phenomenal.”
The center has 10 private patient rooms, a dining area and a supervised Activities of Daily Living bedroom to simulate living at home. There’s also a rehab gym, treatment rooms for occupational and speech therapy and an activity lounge.
“We really have a great place for multiple areas of the rehabilitation process,” Reopelle says. The average stay at the ARC is 7 to 14 days: Long enough to establish a functional routine for at-home living that establishes the best quality of life for each patient, she adds.
The ARC has 25 staff members, mostly split between nurses and therapists. Nursing care includes services like providing oxygen, intravenous medications, tube feedings and drainage, and blood transfusions, among others. Rehab center staff also work to help patients prevent in-home falls, and cover hospital readmission procedures. Patients see social workers and dieticians if needed. Each patient receives three hours of appropriate therapy per day, even on weekends.
“Patients stay very busy around here,” Reopelle says, adding that the new facility has received outstanding support in the community, from the hospital to the families of patients.
“I’ve been a bedside nurse long enough to know that sometimes you’re not able to meet your own expectations for providing care,” she says. “In this role, I’m really just excited to support the care and community that we’re providing. This whole thing has been really incredible, and that’s the great thing about being in this community: patients have the opportunity to be closer to home, and get all the services that they need in Skagit County.”
Acute Rehabilitation Center
2000 Hospital Drive, Sedro-Woolley
360-856-7656
Sponsored
