Allied Services unveils new rehabilitation center

REPOSTED FROM TIMES-TRIBUNE

SCRANTON — Allied Services established a new appointment-only facility to help patients successfully resume daily life after a hospital stay and improve functionality for people dealing with chronic illnesses.

The Rehabilitation Medicine Center, located inside the organization’s rehab hospital at 475 Morgan Highway, will provide medical evaluation and management of patients struggling with mobility, self-care and independence in their home.

Following an evaluation, patients will receive a plan of care — geared toward preventing a return trip to a hospital — that will be shared with their primary care physician.

Dr. Michael D. Wolk, a partner at Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates and medical director at Allied Services Rehabilitation Hospital, began to notice patients having trouble functioning on their own after being discharged from a hospital and felt the need for a new service.

“With the decreasing length of stays and insurance coverage for certain services, people were getting home sooner and having some increasing difficulty after two or three weeks,” Wolk said. “With COVID the way it is, we don’t want people having to go to the emergency room. This is a better way for us to get a holistic look at the patient to make sure they’re getting the medications and services that were prescribed.”

Wolk feels the new service will complement Allied’s well-established Admit from Home program, which assists patients who are experiencing declining mobility and functionality at home.

“We’ve already been getting referrals from physicians in the community,” he said. “It’s an enhancement of a process that is already in place and working well. Allied has always been trying to stay ahead of the times and this is just one more phase in that maturation. We’re always adapting to the changes to better serve people.”

Jim Brogna, vice president of strategic partnership development for Allied, said the center is expecting to serve its first patients on Thursday.

Patients may call 570-348-1211 to schedule an appointment. At this time, the center will have availability on Thursday mornings, but Brogna said Allied will be prepared should the organization receive an influx of calls.

“We anticipate, based on the amount of people we know who have been struggling at home, to ramp up the hours and availability in the very near future,” he said.

Brogna feels the new facility will provide patients with a convenient way to receive treatment for their medical needs.

“We’re empowering people to call and take their health into their own hands with the support of physicians in the region,” he said.