MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Features Writer - 06/13/2006

The physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic at St. Peter's Hospital is a little more active these days, and while the patients aren't always smiling, their road to recovery may now be a little more comfortable.

The hospital opened the expanded clinic in May as part of a major renovation and expansion effort that includes a $37 million addition, which is under construction.

Cardio rehab, sports medicine and women's care, including treatment for pelvic pain and lymphedema, are among the clinic's many services.

"We can better serve the people that we see," said Carol Shope, a physical therapist, during a tour of the facility last week. "We've got more equipment and we've got more space. We've got better atmosphere because we have more light."

Split between adult and pediatric care, the clinic employs nine physical therapists, four occupational therapists and three speech pathologists.

The additional space and new equipment, which includes elliptical bikes and treadmills, helps the hospital keep pace with the latest trends in treating injuries and helping patients recover faster from a variety of ailments.

Tim Casey, a PT assistant, demonstrates a machine called the "Keiser." The device uses air pressure for resistance, which helps patients regain strength and mobility.

Another device, dubbed the "total gym," resembles a common rowing machine. The instrument allows patients to tackle their injury by setting the machine at a specific incline.

"It's less congested in here now," Casey said. "The open space makes things more enjoyable and the equipment - I think people like using it."

Outside the facility, work on a new four-story hospital wing gains stature and height. A new mezzanine, finished earlier this year, is all that separates the adult and pediatric centers.

The remodel has created more office space throughout the department. Pediatric therapists like Melissa Stiles no longer have to share an office - they each have their own.

"We see a lot of our kids over a long period of time," Stiles said. "We have our own rooms to work in now and new equipment, so we can do our job better. It's always really exciting when the kids finally do something you've been working with them on."

The injuries that come through here are wide ranging, from spinal injuries to bone fractures to neuropathy patients who, because of poor circulation, can't feel the ground when they walk.

There's a 95-degree therapy pool out one door and a wound-care room through another. The anodyne room helps improve circulation through infrared treatments while the "biodex" machine reduces the affect of gravity on the body.

"We use this for people who have spinal-cord injuries or who just can't bear all that weight," Shope said of the machine. "We use it for any kind of ambulation. It's like additional support. It holds your weight up for you."

For more information on the hospital's physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic, call 444-2340. The clinic is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.