Inpatient & Outpatient Therapy Programs in New Orleans
The Rehabilitation Services Department at Children’s Hospital consists
of Audiology, the Cochlear Implant Center, Occupational Therapy, Physical
Therapy and Speech Therapy. The department provides services for individuals
in the hospital as part of a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program
or as an outpatient.
Inpatient acute care service
When a patient is admitted to Children’s Hospital for an injury,
illness or other condition, the physicians might decide the patient will
benefit from physical, occupational, or speech therapy services to start
the recovery process. Based on the patient needs, one or more service
specialists might work with patients and their families. The goal is to
help ease the transition to home, to the inpatient rehabilitation center
or to outpatient services.
Outpatient services provide continued therapy for patients discharged from
the hospital or the inpatient rehab center when additional skills or training
are required. Services are also available as recommended by the child’s
physician for a wide variety of diagnoses, even if the child has not been
treated as an inpatient in the hospital.
Yes, except for Audiology services, we require a written prescription by
a physician, physician’s assistant or certified nurse practitioner
to begin therapy.
Please have your physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner include
the following on your child’s prescription: Name, date of birth,
ICD 10 code, physician NPI number and signature.
In the initial evaluation, the therapist or audiologist will perform an
assessment through a variety of tests and measures to identify how we
can best meet you and your physician’s concerns. The therapist/audiologist
will then discuss the results with you and review the recommended treatment
options. If the therapist/audiologist recommends services additional appointments
will then be scheduled. We will also send a copy of our evaluation to
the referring individual.
We know that your child may feel anxious about their visit, so we will
do everything we can to help him/her to feel comfortable from the moment
he/she arrives. Our therapy areas are child-friendly, bright, colorful
spaces filled with toys and games for the younger children and a teen-friendly
environment for the older children and adolescents.
A parent or legal guardian must be present at your child’s initial
therapy evaluation. This is important so that you can give consent for
your child to be treated and are available to answer pertinent history
information. Being present at the evaluation will give the therapist a
chance to speak with you about your concerns and goals for your child
and allow you to schedule treatment sessions if recommended.
The most important thing you can do for your child is to make sure a parent
or caregiver attends every therapy session, even if your child is a teenager.
One of our primary goals is to give you and your child skills and knowledge
to help your child gain the greatest benefit from therapy.
Your child and you will benefit most from the therapy session if you are
not distracted by caring for other children. If you must bring other children,
we ask that you supervise them closely at all times or bring another adult.
Please bring toys or books to keep them busy. They are not permitted to
play on therapy equipment or with toys used in therapy.
The outpatient department is closed for weekends and hospital recognized
holidays (including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Mardi
Gras Day, Good Friday, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day).
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