Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital – Miracles Happen Here
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ Omaha Campus (www.madonna.org) Ushers in New Era of Physical Rehabilitation With Opening Celebration.
Just two years after breaking ground, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ Omaha Campus is complete and is ready to serve patients. A private grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting followed by self-guided tours was held on Thursday, September 29.
The opening signifies a new era of specialized inpatient physician rehabilitation care in the region. The Omaha Campus features 260,000-square-feet of warm, inviting space. The 110 private-room hospital includes three major areas—an acute rehabilitation hospital, a rehabilitation specialty hospital and a children’s rehabilitation unit. The Madonna Institute of Rehabilitation Science and Engineering will be onsite, providing opportunities for advancement in rehabilitation research for patients.
Colby Johnson, Former Patient Demonstrating the Ekso GT Robotic Exoskeleton, a wearable bionic suit that helps patients re-learn how to walk.
In addition, new and exciting technology enables patients with only limited movement ability (i.e. twitching a muscle) to control lighting, window shades and television and even communicate with nurses. The hospital also has a main therapy gym, a warm-water pool, a chapel and Independence Square—a simulated community for patients to practice daily independent living skills, such as driving, laundry and grocery shopping. Outside thoughtfully landscaped walkways, courtyards and wooded areas offer opportunities for rehabilitation activities in a natural setting and enable patients and their family members’ space for rest and meditation.
According to a 2012 independent study, more than 1,300 individuals each year would qualify for rehabilitation in the metro area but are referred to nursing homes or sent home instead. Madonna fills that void in Omaha’s health care continuum. As part of Madonna’s strategic plan to build a comprehensive continuum of rehabilitation, the $93 million project broke ground on September 4, 2014. Earlier that year Madonna Rehabilitation Specialty Hospital opened on the fourth floor of Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue to address the urgent need and to provide inpatient rehabilitation services for individuals with complex medical conditions. The 32-beds will move in to the new hospital shortly after the Omaha Campus opens.
The economic impact during the two-year construction of the Omaha Campus was $122 million. Once patient occupancy reaches full census, the Omaha Campus is expected to generate an estimated 700-800 full and part-time jobs.
“It tells people that Omaha is open for business. And it sends out the signal to others in the medical community that Omaha is a good place to be. It is just a very positive addition to our medical community to provide those services that are so needed,” said Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert.
A partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and its primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, is providing physician support for patients. Samuel Bierner, M.D., is leading the effort with more than 25 years of experience in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). In addition, Madonna and UNMC are establishing and supporting the new physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program in which medical students and residents will train at Madonna. The program is the first of its kind in the region.
“We are committed to our rehabilitation mission, innovation and research; it’s been our foundation since we first opened nearly 60 years ago. We are excited to begin a new chapter for the benefit of patients in Omaha and the surrounding region,” said Dongilli.
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals offers world-class medical rehabilitation and research. Specializing in brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, pulmonary conditions, stroke and neurological diseases for adults and children; Madonna takes the most medically complex cases. Madonna offers hope and healing and returns patients to their community settings at a higher rate than industry benchmarks.
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital Omaha Campus is located at 17500 Burke St. and can be contacted directly at (402) 401-3100. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital Lincoln Campus is located at 5401 South Street; the switchboard can be reached at (402) 413-3000. Find out more online at www.madonna.org!
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