As with most other areas of medicine today, rehabilitation is becoming increasingly comprehensive, giving people countless opportunities to address their ailments. North Fulton Regional Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services Department consistently reviews its offerings to ensure that patients receive the best care possible. Swallowing Therapy and Driver Evaluations are two services that are in high demand today.

Swallowing Therapy with VitalStim®
Swallowing issues affect many people, resulting in problems with eating, drinking, speaking, and more. North Fulton Regional Hospital now offers VitalStim® Therapy for these patients. Using very small electrical currents, VitalStim® stimulates the muscles responsible for swallowing, causing them to contract. Complementing this technology are the therapists who offer rehabilitation therapy to help patients re-educate their muscles for proper swallowing.

This FDA-approved therapy is supported by clinical data and embraced by trained therapists.

Results of a clinical trial reveal:
 98.4% of patients improved their swallow function score
 At three-year follow-up, over 76% of patients had retained swallow function and only 3% reported aspiration

Compare this to other methods where:
 32.7% of patients improved their swallow function score
 At three-year follow-up, 43% had retained swallow function and 45% reported aspiration

Offered through the Rehabilitation Services Department, VitalStim® adds to the already impressive line of services offered to the patients of our facility. Medical Director Dr. Alan Harben spends much of his time overseeing these patients as well as the countless others who choose to come to North Fulton Regional Hospital seeking high quality care via rehabilitation.

Driver Evaluations
Specific abilities such as vision, flexibility, sensation, reaction time, memory and strength are necessary for safe driving. Often those closest to a driver may have the most difficulty providing guidance and determining if it is time for the person to stop driving. A driving evaluation allows an impartial professional to assist the client, family and physician in determining the best course of action.

Driver Rehabilitation is a growing specialty and is appropriate for the following groups of people:
 Those who may require adaptive equipment to compensate for physical disabilities,
 Those who have cognitive or perceptual disabilities,
 Those who have to transport a mobility device,
 Those who suffer from PTSD symptoms related to a motor vehicle collision;
 Those with advanced age and in early stages of dementia;
 And more.

Beth Anderson Gibson, an occupational therapist and certified driver rehabilitation specialist with 13 years of experience in the field, performs the driving evaluations, which includes a clinical and an on-road assessment; the tests given will vary from client to client, depending on the diagnosis and deficits observed. Recommendations are made for specific adaptive driving equipment, vehicle selection and structural modification as needed and may be given at the end of training.

North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

For more information about Rehabilitation Services at North Fulton Regional Hospital, please visit www.northfultonregional.com/rehab, or call 770-751-2650.